If we are to have a truly epic relegation battle this year then Fulham need to start winning some matches and put some pressure on Newcastle, Burnley and Brighton. Arsenal could be the ointment Fulham need, as the Gunners are coming off a big Europa League win and are known to have trouble stringing together wins this season. Due to European action and FA Cup matches, this weekend's matches are actually spread out through next week all the way to Thursday, so plenty of opportunities to watch some of the relegation battle.

Current Standings:
Club Games Played Points
15. Brighton & Hove Albion 31. 33
16. Burnley 31. 33
17. Newcastle 31. 32
18. Fulham 32. 26
19. West Bromwich Albion 31. 24
20. Sheffield United 31. 14

Saturday

Newcastle v. West Ham (6:30am, St. James Park, NBCSN). Newcastle looks to continue their recent run of points when they host a very hot West Ham team. Newcastle have lost just two of their last 16 PL home matches against West Ham (W8 D6), but West Ham are unbeaten in all 22 of their matches against bottom-half sides since David Moyes returned (W14 D8). Newcastle did claim a 3-0 victory over the Hammers when the clubs met in September at London Stadium, but the clubs have since then gone vastly different directions.

Wolverhampton v. Sheffield United (2:15pm, Molineux Stadium, Peacock).This weekend could be the official end of Sheffield's relegation battle, Lying 18 points from safety and with only 21 points available in their final seven matches, Sheffield United could be relegated this weekend if they are unable to win and other results go against them.

Sunday

Arsenal v. Fulham (7:30am, Emirates, NBCSN). Fulham are getting close to being too far back to really have a run at Newcastle and the group ahead of them. Wins are now imperative for the Cottagers. But a win against cross-town rival Arsenal is never easy for Fulham. In Arsenal's last three Premier League matches against Fulham, they have won 5-1, 4-1 and 3-0. More daunting, Fulham are looking for their first win at Arsenal in any competition, at the 30th attempt (D5 L24). So...draw, maybe?

Manchester United v. Burnley (10am, Old Trafford, NBCSN). Burnley will look to recover from two consecutive losses to fellow relegation battlers Newcastle and Southampton, losses which kept Burnley firmly in this relegation fight. The United-Burnley series is an interesting one, in that both clubs have great records away. Burnley can be only the second team in PL history to avoid defeat in five consecutive trips to Man Utd, after Chelsea did so six times between 1994 and 1998. Chris Wood will look to become the sixth player to score in three consecutive PL trips to Old Trafford. United won at Turf Moor 1-0 in January.

Tuesday

Chelsea v. Brighton & Hove Albion (2pm, Stamford Bridge, Peacock). Brighton are very close to safety, probably needing one or two more wins to confirm their spot in next year's EPL. Their recent form in the EPL has gotten them to this point, as the Gulls are 2-2-1 over their last 5 matches, for 7 points. Chelsea have been a difficult match-up for Brighton, however, as the Gulls have claimed just one point in the last 6 matches with the West London club.

Thursday

Leicester City v. West Bromwich Albion (2pm, King Power Stadium, NBCSN). West Brom will travel to Leicester for a Midlands Derby, looking to continue their recent run of form which has given them a legitimate shot at avoiding relegation. West Brom have won their last two matches by a combined score of 8-2, which is all the more incredible given the club had only scored 20 goals in their previous 29 EPL matches. Leicester will be looking to rebound from two consecutive losses against other top of the table clubs (Man City and West Ham) and hold onto their Champions League place. West Brom have only claimed one point from their last 4 meetings with the Foxes, but need to keep their run going if they hope to have any chance of ePL football next season.

Enjoy the Week!

Given the results in the Championship today, Norwich have secured automatic promotion with 5 games to spare.

The trap door opened up and Sheffield Utd are officially headed back down to the Championship.

Ah Norwich. The yo-yo team.

wangus12 said:

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Ah Norwich. The yo-yo team.

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They and Fulham seem to yo-yo with one another.

Well this week has not been a good one if you are a neutral who loves to see a juicy relegation battle. Steve Bruce has made a deal with the devil to keep Newcastle up even though they continue to play the ugliest brand of soccer imaginable. How they claimed 3 points from West Ham is beyond me. Completely amazing.

We still have some hope for Fulham and maybe West Brom (should know more after today), but Sheffield were mercifully put out of their misery this week.

Results from past week:

Newcastle 3-2 West Ham. Substitute Joe Willock's 82nd-minute header helped Newcastle United climb to 15th as they beat 10-man West Ham United 3-2 at St James' Park. Newcastle took the lead in the 36th minute when Allan Saint-Maximin's shot was turned into his own net by Issa Diop. West Ham not only conceded a goal but also went a man down as Craig Dawson was sent off for a second yellow card after a foul in the build-up to the goal.
Newcastle doubled their lead before half-time when West Ham keeper Fabianski dropped Matt Ritchie's corner and Joelinton converted. So at half, West Ham had gifted Newcastle 2 goals and were playing a man down. West Ham to their credit did pull themselves level after the break with two goals. Diop headed in before Jesse Lingard converted a penalty with 10 minutes remaining, making it look like Newcastle was going to somehow bungle away a 2 goal lead to a 10 man squad. But Willock came off the bench to win it with his second touch and lifted Newcastle to 35 points.

Wolverhampton 1-0 Sheffield United. Willian Jose scored his first goal for Wolverhampton as the Wanderers beat Sheffield United 1-0 to confirm the Blades' relegation from the Premier League. Sheff Utd needed a win to avoid relegation and were denied a crucial opening goal in the 59th minute when Nelson Semedo blocked Enda Stevens' effort, and just 18 seconds later Wolves edged ahead in a lightning counter-attack. Adama Traore broke down the right and cut the ball back for Jose, who swept the ball home to seal the Sheffield United's fate. The Blades needed a response and almost found one through Stevens, but only to be denied as Rui Patricio tipped his powerful drive over the bar. Defeat leaves Sheff Utd bottom on 14 points from 32 matches and looking towards the Championship next season.

Arsenal 1-1 Fulham. Going into this match, given Fulham's complete lack of success against Arsenal over the years, I thought a draw would be a good result for the Cottagers. But given how they gave away 2 points right at the end, even Scott Parker saw this as really a loss, definitely a loss of 2 points. Fulham hearts were crushed as Substitute Eddie Nketiah scored in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time for Arsenal to claim a 1-1 home draw and deny Fulham a win in their battle for safety. Arsenal started the match brightly, Gabriel Martinelli clipping wide in the second minute and then testing Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola five minutes later.
Josh Maja had a shot deflected narrowly off target at the other end before Dani Ceballos thought he scored to give the Gunners a first-half lead, but Bukayo Saka was ruled offside in the build-up. Maja broke the deadlock just before the hour, finding the roof of the net from the penalty spot after Gabriel had fouled Mario Lemina. The Gunners applied plenty of late pressure which eventually paid off, Nketiah reacting quickest to the loose ball at the back post after Areola had denied Ceballos. Fulham thought Arsenal were offside on the play, but VAR adjudged that the offside player was not involved in the goal, which was an interesting call given the player's position in front of the keeper. Fulham remain 18th with 27 points.

Manchester United 3-1 Burnley. Burnley are currently the closest club to relegation that is outside the bottom three following their loss at Old Trafford. Mason Greenwood's brace and a late Edinson Cavani strike earned Manchester United a 3-1 victory. Burnley's Chris Wood found the net in the first 20 seconds, but the goal was disallowed for offside. Paul Pogba then forced goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell into a flying save nine minutes later. Man Utd did open the scoring three minutes into the second half when Bruno Fernandes dummied Marcus Rashford's cross for Greenwood to slot in at the far post. But that lead lasted only two minutes as James Tarkowski headed Ashley Westwood's corner home. Greenwood doubled his tally with a deflected strike six minutes from time. Cavani then tapped in from close range in stoppage time to confirm a fifth straight league victory for the Red Devils. Burnley sit 17th with 33 points from 32 matches.

Chelsea 0-0 Brighton & Hove Albion. Chelsea missed the chance to climb into third place while Brighton & Hove Albion edged a step closer to safety after a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's best opportunity of the first half fell to Kai Havertz, but his close-range shot was saved by Robert Sanchez. For the Gulls Yves Bissouma came closest to scoring, but his deflected effort looped onto the roof of the net. Brighton came closest to a winner in the second half as Danny Welbeck's shot from 20 yards came back off a post. Brighton were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time as Ben White was shown a second yellow card, but Chelsea were unable to take advantage in the seconds that remained. Brighton stay 16th, seven points above the relegation zone, with 34 points.

Current Standings:
Club Games Played Points
15. Newcastle 32. 35
16. Brighton and Hove Albion 32. 34
17. Burnley 32. 33
18. Fulham 33. 27
19. West Bromwich Albion 31. 24
20. Sheffield United 32. 14


Upcoming Matches:

Thursday
Leicester City v. West Bromwich Albion (2pm, King Power Stadium, NBCSN). West Brom will travel to Leicester for a Midlands Derby, looking to continue their recent run of form which has given them a legitimate shot at avoiding relegation. West Brom have won their last two matches by a combined score of 8-2, which is all the more incredible given the club had only scored 20 goals in their previous 29 EPL matches. Leicester will be looking to rebound from two consecutive losses against other top of the table clubs (Man City and West Ham) and hold onto their Champions League place. West Brom have only claimed one point from their last 4 meetings with the Foxes, but need to keep their run going if they hope to have any chance of ePL football next season.

Saturday
Liverpool v. Newcastle (6:30am, Anfield, Peacock). Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 24 PL home matches against Newcastle United (W20 D4), last losing in April 1994. Newcastle are aiming to win three PL matches in a row for the first time since November 2018, when Rafael Benitez was in charge. Newcastle will be hoping that Allan Saint-Maximin is on the field, as The Magpies have won 37 per cent of their PL matches when he has played this season (7/19), compared to just 15 per cent without him (2/13). The clubs drew 0-0 in December when they met at St. James' Park.

Sheffield United v. Brighton (2pm, Brammall Lane, Peacock). Brighton will be looking to pull themselves out of the relegation battle as they travel to Sheffield to face the hapless Blades on Saturday. David McGoldrick has scored 35 per cent of Sheffield United's Premier League goals this season, with six out of 17. Sheff Utd have lost all 11 of their PL matches played on a Saturday this season. But Brighton are seeking only a second win in 12 league matches against Sheff Utd (D4 L6). Brighton do not have a good record against the bottom feeders as they have won just four of their 24 PL matches against sides in the bottom three. The two clubs drew 1-1 in December at the Amex.

Sunday
Wolverhampton v. Burnley (6am, Molineaux Stadium, NBCSN). Burnley will travel travel to the Midlands to take on the Wolverhampton Wanderers and look to climb further away from relegation. After a run of 35 PL matches without a goal or assist, Wolves' Adama Traore has now either scored or assisted in each of his last three appearances. Burnley have lost just one of their last nine league matches against Wolves and can do a first double over them since 2012/13, having claimed a 2-1 win over the Wolves at Turf Moor in December. Burnley's Matej Vydra has scored three goals in his last six PL appearances, as many as he had in his previous 53 PL games.

Aston Villa v. West Brom (1pm, Villa Park, Peacock). West Brom will be playing their second Midlands Derby in three days, when they make the short trip to Villa Park on Sunday. West Brom can win three consecutive away league matches (excluding playoffs) against their Midlands rivals for the first time since 1902. But the Baggies have won just one of their last 17 PL matches played on Sunday (D5 L11) and lost to Aston Villa at the Hawthornes, 3-0, when the clubs met in December.


Enjoy the Weekend!!!!

Looking at the Championship Standings, it may be a complete YoYo this year as it appears all three teams relegated from the EPL last season might go straight back up. I don't recall that ever happening before.

Here are current standings at the top of the Championship. Remember that the top 2 teams automatically qualify, and then the next 4 teams go into a playoff for the final spot, with Norwich already confirming their spot in next year's EPL. With 3 matches remaining Reading are the only club outside the top 6 with a shot at getting into the playoff

Current Standings:

Club GP PTS
1. Norwich City 43. 90
2. Watford 43. 85
3. Bournemouth 43. 77
4. Swansea City 43. 76
5. Brentford 42. 75
6. Barnsley 43. 74
7. Reading 43. 68

At the bottom of the table it looks like our bottom 3 are all but set as well:

Club GP PTS
20. Huddersfield Town 43. 47
21. Derby County 43. 43
22. Rotherham United 43. 39
23. Sheffield Wednesday 43. 39*
24. Wycombe Wanderers 43. 37

* Sheffield Wednesday deducted 6 points (6pts).

Rotherham and Wycombe would drop back down to League One immediately following their promotion. Been a tough year in Sheffield...

Unless Swansea plans or decides to keep Paul Arriola and/or Jordan Morris, I'm rooting for Brentford to get promoted.


...I expected Derby County to be better with Rooney as manager.

ooff.. Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday both being relegated respectively. Tough.

God please let Watford screw up and stay down

oh no said:

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Unless Swansea plans or decides to keep Paul Arriola and/or Jordan Morris, I'm rooting for Brentford to get promoted.


...I expected Derby County to be better with Rooney as manager.

ooff.. Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday both being relegated respectively. Tough.

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Well both Morris and Arriola are back with their MLS clubs, having their loan spells ended when both were injured. So you are cleared to root on Brentford!

None of that promotion list gives me much enthusiasm. At least Norwich tried to play last season. They didn't have the horsepower but they didn't bunker in. If this were baseball they would be a team full of AAAA players.

i knew morris got injured right when he got there, but didn't know arriola was also injured.

i'll be sad to see sheffield united and fulham drop back down already. I'd like to see some new clubs come up and stay up for a while.

Watford claim second promotion spot. Now if Bournemouth wins the playoff it will be the same three back up.


Newcastle claimed another vital point, while Brighton somehow lost all three points to Sheffield United.

Well results over the last week did not tighten the race. Looking like our three teams are pretty set for relegation, unfortunately, as Newcastle continues to pull points out of a magic hat. You have to give it to them, they really believe they are going to score in the last 3-4 minutes of every game. Now what they do up to that point is questionable, but they are getting points, and look destined to survive.

Brighton are in the 17th position now, and look the most likely to make this a battle, given Burnley's impressive win over the weekend and Brighton's inexplicable loss to Sheffield United. Southampton are level with Burnley and Newcastle on points, so I have included all three in this week's relegation battle, but all three are likely one win or a couple draws away from securing their safety.Fulham were off, and maybe the week's break will serve them well down the stretch. West Brom's week of claiming one point from a possible six all but assured their demise.

Last Week's results:

Leicester 3-0 West Brom
Liverpool 1-1 Newcastle
Brighton 0-1 Sheffield United
Wolves 0-4 Burnley
Aston Villa 2-2 West Brom

Current Standings:
Club Games Played Points
14. Burnley 33. 36
15. Southampton 33. 36
16. Newcastle 33. 36
17. Brighton and Hove Albion 33. 34
18. Fulham 33. 27
19. West Bromwich Albion 33. 25
20. Sheffield United 32. 14

This Weekend's Matches:

Friday

Southampton v. Leicester (2pm, St. Mary's Stadium, Peacock). The Saints are now in the relegation discussion again, and they will find getting out of the discussion difficult this week as they welcome the Foxes to the South Coast. Southampton have been their own worst enemy this season as the Saints have dropped more points from winning positions than any other Premier League side (21). Leicester will be looking forward to their trip south as the Foxes have won their last three PL matches at Southampton 15-2 on aggregate, including last season's 9-0 victory, the biggest ever PL away win. Ayoze Perez has scored seven PL goals against Southampton, more than he has against any other side in the competition. He has hit two hat-tricks against them, including one in the 9-0 triumph. Leicester claimed a 2-0 win in January when the two clubs met at King Power Stadium.

Saturday

Brighton v. Leeds (9am, Amex Stadium, NBCSN). As a neutral I am really looking forward to watching these two clubs square off on Saturday down on the South Coast. Brighton have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success against Leeds over the years, and will hope that trend continues Saturday. Brighton have won seven of their last eight league matches against Leeds, including the last four at home. The aggregate score across those four home matches is 9-0. Graham Potter's Seagulls have kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven Premier League home matches, but Leeds come in to the match in great form as the Whites are unbeaten in their last six PL matches (W3 D3). Brighton claimed a 1-0 win at Elland Road when the clubs last met in January.

Chelsea v. Fulham (11:30am, Stamford Bridge, NBC). Fulham will make the short trip down the Thames for a West London Derby, really needing to get three points out of their visit. Maybe, just maybe, the Cottagers will catch a Chelsea club that is looking ahead to the second leg of their UCL semifinal with Real Madrid on Tuesday. Chelsea are unbeaten in their last 18 home matches against Fulham in all competitions (W10 D8) which does not bode well for the Cottagers, and in Premier League London derbies this season, Chelsea have the most wins (6), the most points (19) and the most goals (15), while they have conceded the fewest (4). Fulham meanwhile are unbeaten in their last three PL London derbies away from home, earning draws at Spurs, Crystal Palace and Arsenal, but a draw is not enough on Saturday, as Fulham must start claiming 3 points a match. Chelsea will be looking to repeat their performance from January, when the Blues won 1-0 at Craven Cottage.


Sunday

Newcastle v. Arsenal (8am, St. James' Park, NBCSN). Newcastle welcome Arsenal to the northeast, and will be licking their chops at continuing their good run against an Arsenal side that seem largely disinterested at this point. Newcastle United come in to the match in really good form with just one defeat in their last eight Premier League matches (W2 D5). The Magpies have both scored and conceded in their last eight PL home matches, and are unbeaten in their last five at St James' Park (W2 D3). But the Gunners will be looking to continue their dominance over the Magpies, as Arsenal have won 15 of their last 16 PL matches against Newcastle, including a 3-0 victory at the Emirates in January.

Tottenham Hotspurs v. Sheffield United (1:15pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, NBCSN). If you are watching this on a Sunday afternoon in early May then you need help. Seriously, go seek professional help.

Monday

West Brom v. Wolves (!2pm, The Hawthornes, Peacock). West Brom must win out to have any hope of avoiding relegation, so playing mid-table Wolves at home is a good starting point. West Bromwich Albion are unbeaten in their last nine home league matches against Wolverhampton Wanderers (W5 D4) and have conceded just three goals in those matches, keeping six clean sheets. Wolves are looking to keep three consecutive PL away clean sheets for the first time. Wolves remain the only team not to lose when scoring the first goal in PL matches this season, but they have only opened the scoring nine times. Of course, West Brom have only opened the scoring a league worst 8 times. West Brom claimed a 3-2 victory when the clubs met in January at the Molineaux.

Burnley v. West Ham (2pm, Turf Moor, Peacock). This match should be a good one as you will have two clubs looking for points, although for different reasons. West Ham is still hunting for a UCL position, while Burnley just want out of the relegation battle. Burnley are looking to end their seven-match winless run at home (D5 L2), their longest ever such sequence in the Premier League. West Ham have both scored and conceded in 19 PL matches this term, a joint-high with Manchester United and Newcastle United, so there should be some goals in this match. West Ham did win 1-0 when the clubs met in January in London.


Enjoy the weekend!

The real question is whether Arsenal let Joe Willock play against them. He's been Newcastle's savior in the last month

Quote:

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Tottenham Hotspurs v. Sheffield United (1:15pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, NBCSN). If you are watching this on a Sunday afternoon in early May then you need help. Seriously, go seek professional help.

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Joe Willock might single handedly keep Newcastle in the prem. Really want him to stay on Tyneside after this season. He brings a ton to the team.

Hopefully he will be able to play this weekend. However I am really excited to watch ASM run at the Arsenal backline all game. Will be interesting to say the least.

Can you imagine a Super League team playing one of these teams ??????????????????

wangus12 said:

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The real question is whether Arsenal let Joe Willock play against them. He's been Newcastle's savior in the last month

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My understanding from the interview I saw with Willock after their last match was that he was not eligible to play this week v. Arsenal.

BigJim49 AustinNowDallas said:

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Can you imagine a Super League team playing one of these teams ??????????????????

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Well, they do quite often, so yes, I guess I can imagine them playing a Super League team. Turn into Tottenham v. Sheff Utd on Sunday if you really want to know what it would be like.

Expect huge TV rating ! Which would soccer fans rather see Tot vs Shu or Tot vs Bayern Munich ? or Man City

or Man U or Juventus? Every week !

BigJim49 AustinNowDallas said:

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Expect huge TV rating ! Which would soccer fans rather see Tot vs Shu or Tot vs Bayern Munich ? or Man City

or Man U or Juventus? Every week !

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BigJim, I think of it this way:

You know how you love ice cream, and Ice cream on a warm day is something special? Now imagine eating a gallon of it every day. It loses its appeal and specialness.

That, to me, is the Super League.


Also, isn't it awesome that if your team does really well and your owners buy in that your team can compete with the big boys? Leicester would never make the "Super League" but they will be able to compete against the big boys next year because they have earned their place.

Good points, Aston ! Except for one thing - It's a different ice cream every week !

jeffk said:

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Quote:

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Tottenham Hotspurs v. Sheffield United (1:15pm, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, NBCSN). If you are watching this on a Sunday afternoon in early May then you need help. Seriously, go seek professional help.

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I might watch just to avoid mowing the lawn. I really don't feel like doing that today.

Mine's too wet. At least that's the reason I settled on.

Newcastle <eyeball emoji>

With Arsenal beating WBA Big Sam Allerdyce is relegated for the first time.

With Sheffield Utd and West Brom dropping the trap door is opening up for Fulham. Their game against Burnley tomorrow is now massive.

Palace is safe. Any combination of Fulham dropping points or Newcastle taking points (even one) means Newcastle is safe.

Damn I want Fulham to stay

Fulham playing a must win game today against Burnley. If Fulham win they will close the gap to 6 points.

Aston94 said:

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Fulham playing a must win game today against Burnley. If Fulham win they will close the gap to 6 points.

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I love this time of year rooting for a team fighting to stay up. This year it's FFC because of Antonee, our English American.

Welp..welcome back to the Championship Leauge FFC.

So if Bournemouth wins the playoff, does that mean the same 3 teams switch spots again?

It would almost be the same six changing spots again (Sheffield United instead of Leeds going back down though).

Yes....

Well relegation battle is over. Wasn't much of a battle this year, more of a pillow fight.

Well there is a pseudo relegation battle still going. Who makes top 4? Who makes 5/6? Who gets to qualify for EL group games the hard way from 7th? And who besides Arsenal is not traveling outside of England?