With the season drawing to a close, the relegation run in is looking tighter than ever.
It’s not unfair to assume that both Reading and QPR are already down. Barring a minor miracle, the two will be back playing Championship football next season and Rangers have already begun to prepare for that eventuality by placing a number of their under performing stars on the transfer list.
But for the five clubs above them it’s all still to play for. Wigan, Aston Villa, Stoke, Sunderland, and Norwich are all in danger of filling that final spot in the relegation zone and not one of them have what you’d call an easy run in with their remaining five games.
Wigan Athletic: 18th, P31, W8, D7 L15, 31pts
Remaining fixtures: Man City (a) West Ham (a) Spurs (h) West Brom (a) Swansea (h) Arsenal (a) Villa (h)
Wigan are currently two games behind their main competitors at the moment having reached the final of the FA Cup last weekend. They have a psychological advantage over the other sides in the dogfight as they’ve managed to pull themselves out of a similar position for the past two consecutive seasons, by somehow finding form within the last eight weeks of the season.
However, there is only so long a team can get away with that kind of dangerous living for and there may be a case to suggest that their time is up. The upcoming FA Cup final against Manchester City will prove to be a distraction and they have tough trips to City and Arsenal before the final day.
Wigan’s main threat is the midfield, in which Shaun Maloney and James McCarthy are allowed to pull the strings. They remain suspect in defense and their forward line doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of defenders.
Wigan will want to guarantee safety before final day visit on Aston Villa. The Midlands side have an excellent record at the DW and will be coming to secure their own safety.
Aston Villa: 17th, P33 W8 D10 L15, 34pts
Remaining fixtures: Man Utd (a) Sunderland (h) Norwich (a) Chelsea (h) Wigan (a)
Villa were almost nailed on certainties for the drop around Christmas having suffered a succession of crushing defeats. 8-0, 4-0, 3-0 isn’t the type of form that suggests that this young squad is suited to the Premier League but since then Paul Lambert’s side have found the momentum that could keep them afloat.
With just one defeat and four victories coming from their previous five games, there’s a feeling that Lambert’s plan has finally clicked and the team have steadied their defensive woes enough to ensure that they’ll survive.
The forward trio of Christian Benteke, Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor have been firing on all cylinders this season and their goals have been crucial. American ‘keeper Brad Guzan has also added an extra protective layer to a fragile back line with a string of fine performances of his own.
Villa have a tough run in, facing two of the league’s big guns and three relegation rivals. It is important that they win the right games, though, for instance, it would be pointless to beat Manchester United only to lose to Sunderland the following week. If they can focus on beating the teams around them then they will have more than enough to salvage their season.
Stoke City: 16th, P33 W7 D13 L13 34pts
Remaining fixtures: QPR (a) Norwich (h) Sunderland (a) Spurs (h) Southampton (a)
Stoke face a tricky run in as every one of their games has something riding on it. They face four of their relegation rivals as well as a Spurs side who will still be gunning for that final Champions League spot.
Also, worryingly, Tony Pulis’ men haven’t won a game since beating Reading at the beginning of February. Furthermore, they have found the net just twice in those seven games since.
Once so feared for their toughness and aggression, they now look a shadow of their former selves as sides no longer fear the battle that used to come along with facing them.
Question marks have been raised over the manager’s future, with Twitter rumours of his departure rife after the recent defeats to Villa and Manchester United.
The boardroom are stuck in a tricky position with the managerial situation. It’s too late now to sack Pulis with just under a month left to go, but his approach just isn’t working.
It is easy to forget in the first place what a good job he’d done to get the club into the Premier League in the first place, but he needs to rethink his strategy quickly if they are going to have any chance of survival.
Sunderland: 15th P33 W8 D10 L15 34pts
Remaining fixtures: Everton (h) Villa (a) Stoke (h) Southampton (h) Spurs (a)
Like Stoke, each of Sunderland’s remaining games has something riding on it. A tricky trip to European chasing Everton is followed by tough Monday night encounter with Aston Villa before a relegation battle double header against Stoke and Southampton, who despite climbing ahead of the pack recently still aren’t guaranteed safety.
Sunderland’s form had been in a nosedive recently and the club made the decision to replace Martin O’Neill with the controversial figure of Paolo Di Canio.
It was a risky move that could still fail spectacularly. The fiery Italian has only managed Swindon Town in the past and couldn’t see out the entire season in League One.
There’s also a worry that his political allegiances could distract the players from the task at hand as the press will look take any chance to use it against him. However, it could galvanise the squad as they look to kick on from an impressive 3-0 win over Newcastle last week.
Too many of Sunderland’s ‘big name’ stars haven’t performed this term. Adam Johnson has been disappointing, while Stephane Sessegnon has looked tired as the weeks tick by. The injury to Stephen Fletcher didn’t help matters as they’ve struggled for goals.
Norwich City: 14th P33 W7 D14 L12 35pts
Remaining fixtures: Reading (h) Stoke (a) Villa (h) West Brom (h) Man City (a)
Norwich have been far too inconsistent this season. They have a talented young manager and a hard working and tricky squad, but all too often they fall into the trap of believing that they are a small club and become overawed by their opponents.
Out of the five remaining candidates they are the wild card. They have not win in their previous six games and their last victory came at the tail end of February, but their fixtures suggest that there are points for the taking.
They will also want to ensure their Premier League status next season as Dutch striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel has suggested that should they drop into the Championship then his proposed move to Carrow Road won’t go ahead.
Like stoke and Sunderland, goals have been Norwich’s undoing. Grant Holt, who surprised so many last term with 17, hasn’t been able to replicate that deadly touch and has managed just five this time around.