The clubs at the bottom end of the Premier League are set for a nailbiting conclusion to the season, with five clubs all in serious danger of dropping down to the Championship.
Everton’s shock 1-0 win over Manchester United, Leeds’ 3-0 thumping of Watford and Norwich’s 2-0 victory over Burnley this weekend epitomised how quickly the picture can change in the relegation scrap.
Here i looks at the key fixtures that are likely to play a big part in which club preserves their Premier League status for the 2022-23 season.
The relegation battle
16. Leeds United – Played 32, -30 GD, 33 pts
17. Everton – Played 30, -19 GD, 28 pts****
18. Burnley – Played 30, -19 GD, 24 pts
19. Watford – Played 31, -31 GD, 22 pts
20. Norwich City – Played 31, -43 GD, 21 pts
Leeds’ crunch triple header
Rather than one game in particular, the course of Leeds’ season is likely to depend on a string of three huge matches in late April and early May.
In the space of 11 days, Jesse Marsch’s men play Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea, the first and last of those being played at Elland Road.
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Their revival under the American head coach has helped them win three and draw one from their last four, a run of form bettered by no team in the bottom half of the table.
It has lifted them to 16th on 33 points, five points ahead of Everton on 28 points and nine ahead of Burnley on 24 – though both have two games in hand on Leeds.
Leeds’ remaining fixtures
Crystal Palace (A) – Mon 25 Apr, 8pm
Man City (H) – Sat 30 Apr, 5.30pm
Arsenal (A) – Sun 8 May, 2pm
Chelsea (H) – Wed 11 May, 7.30pm
Brighton (H) – Sun 15 May, 2pm
Brentford (A) – Sun 22 May, 4pm
Liverpool vs Everton
- Sun 24 Apr, 4.30pm
If Everton have lacked one thing in particular this season – and they have lacked many – it is character. Since succeeding Rafa Benitez in February, Frank Lampard has been called to publicly question his players’ mentality and willingness to win.
How significant a victory Everton’s 1-0 win over Manchester United on Saturday will prove to be in this regard remains to be seen, and a key yardstick in marking that will be the Merseyside derby at Anfield on 24 April.
The belief that seems to be dripping into the team after the spirited United display could well turn into a torrent if they can perform valiantly – especially because that has been so rare from Toffees sides against Liverpool in recent seasons.
Everton’s remaining fixtures
Leicester City (H) – Wed 20 Apr, 7.45pm
Liverpool (A) – Sun 24 Apr, 4.30pm
Chelsea (H) – Sun 1 May, 2pm
Leicester City (A) – Sat 7 May, 3pm
Watford (A) – Wed 11 May, 7.45pm
Brentford (H) – Sun 15 May, 2pm
Crystal Palace (H) – Thu 19 May, 7.45pm
Arsenal (A) – Sun 22 May, 4pm
Watford vs Burnley
- Sat 30 Apr, 3pm
Burnley’s 3-2 home victory over relegation rivals Everton in midweek brought a run of five games without victory to a much-needed end.
But Sean Dyche’s men were brought back to earth on Sunday with a humbling at bottom-placed Norwich, just when the Clarets were threatening to pull away from Watford in 19th.
All the more important, then, is the clash between the two sides on 30 April. Burnley have three games to play before then so the picture at the bottom of the table could well have changed.
But it is supremely difficult to imagine a scenario where three points at Vicarage Road wouldn’t do a great deal to boost their survival hopes.
Burnley’s remaining fixtures
West Ham (A) – Sun 17 Apr, 2.15pm
Southampton (H) – Thu 21 Apr, 7.45pm
Wolves (H) – Sun 24 Apr, 2pm
Watford (A) – Sat 30 Apr, 3pm
Aston Villa (H) – Sat 7 May, 3pm
Tottenham (A) – Sun 15 May, 12pm
Aston Villa (A) – Thu 19 May, 8pm
Newcastle (H) – Sun 22 May, 4pm
Watford vs Everton
- Wed 11 May, 7.45pm
Closer to the end of the season than any of the other fixtures highlighted so far, Watford will host Everton in Roy Hodgson’s third-from-last game of the season.
Watford’s morale-boosting victory at Southampton on 13 March now seems a long way ago after their turgid performance in a 3-0 home thumping by Leeds on Saturday.
The loss has left the Hornets six points adrift of 17th-placed Everton, but it would nevertheless be premature to write off the Premier League’s most experienced manager when his side have seven games to play.
Three points in this mid-week clash will be crucial if Hodgson’s men are to salvage anything from what has been a very tough season.
Watford’s remaining fixtures
Brentford (H) – Sat 16 Apr, 3pm
Man City (A) – Sat 23 Apr, 3pm
Burnley (H) – Sat 30 Apr, 3pm
Crystal Palace (A) – Sat 7 May, 3pm
Everton (H) – Wed 11 May, 7.45pm
Leicester City (H) – Sun 15 May, 2pm
Chelsea (A) – Sun 22 May, 4pm
Norwich City vs Newcastle United
- Sat 23 Apr, 3pm
Norwich City have been practically written off as relegation no-hopers for the whole season – and even with seven games to play, Everton in 17th are seven points and a game in hand better off.
Yet a hard-fought clean sheet draw at Brighton last week has now been added to with a much-needed 1-0 victory against Burnley.
It would be one of the greatest relegation escapes in Premier League history if Dean Smith’s men were to avoid the drop.
With a visit to the dysfunctional Manchester United on the cards next week, a stout performance at Old Trafford combined with victory against Newcastle United on 23 April would reignite the faintest of survival hopes.
Lose, and they’ll finally be extinguished.
Norwich City’s remaining fixtures
Manchester United (A) – Sat 16 Apr, 3pm
Newcastle United (H) – Sat 23 Apr, 3pm
Aston Villa (A) – Sat 30 Apr, 3pm
West Ham (H) – Sat 7 May, 3pm
Leicester City (A) – Wed 11 May, 7.45pm
Wolves (A) – Sun 15 May, 2pm
Tottenham (H) – Sun 22 May, 4pm
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