The Premier League relegation battle hots up this weekend as Brighton face Manchester United on Friday Night Football, Stoke take on Crystal Palace in Saturday’s early kick-off, and Huddersfield travel to Manchester City on Super Sunday.
There are sure to be twists and turns ahead, but which of the relegation candidates have the toughest run-ins? And who’s heading for the drop?
From 14th-placed Brighton to bottom-of-the-table West Brom, we take a look at each club’s prospects. Keep reading for the expert verdict of Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.
Brighton vs Man Utd
May 4, 2018, 7:30pm
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Brighton (14th, Pld: 35, Pts: 37, GD: -15)
Form: LLDLDD
Remaining fixtures: Man Utd (h), Man City (a), Liverpool (a)
Average league position of remaining opponents: 2nd
Brighton’s five-point cushion on the drop zone should be enough, but a combination of stuttering form and a daunting fixture list means they can’t relax yet.
Chris Hughton’s side seemed as good as safe when their 2-1 win over Arsenal in March made it three wins from five, but they have taken just three points from a possible 18 since then.
One more win would confirm their survival, but with Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool to come, they will hope they do not need it.
West Ham (15th, Pld: 35, Pts: 35, GD: -24)
Form: LWDDLL
Remaining fixtures: Leicester (a), Man Utd (h), Everton (h)
Average league position of remaining opponents: 6th
West Ham are looking nervously over their shoulders after just one win in eight. Confidence is low after consecutive 4-1 defeats to Arsenal and Manchester City, and a training ground row between David Moyes and Andy Carroll points to unrest behind the scenes.
Saturday’s game against an out-of-sorts Leicester might be their best hope of claiming a vital victory from their last three games. They then face Manchester United and Everton at home. Their old boss Sam Allardyce is unlikely to go against them on the final day.
Huddersfield (16th, Pld: 35, Pts: 35, GD: -29)
Form: DLLDWL
Remaining fixtures: Man City (a), Chelsea (a), Arsenal (h)
Average league position of remaining opponents: 4th
Man City vs Huddsf’ld
May 6, 2018, 12:30pm
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Huddersfield, level on points with West Ham, have tough games to come and the second-worst goal difference of the bottom seven sides behind Stoke.
Getting any kind of result from their final three games would be an impressive feat. Manchester City will be eager to lift the Premier League trophy in style on Sunday, then there is a trip to Chelsea before they face Arsenal in Arsene Wenger’s final Premier league game in charge.
David Wagner’s side will be eager to cause an upset or two along the way, but they will also have their fingers crossed that results elsewhere go in their favour.
Swansea (17th, Pld: 35, Pts: 33, GD: -25)
Form: DLDDLL
Remaining fixtures: Bournemouth (a), Southampton (h), Stoke (h)
Average league position of remaining opponents: 16th
Carlos Carvalhal lifted Swansea out of the relegation zone with an impressive start to his Liberty Stadium tenure following his appointment in December, but fast forward four months and their situation is perilous.
Swansea have not won in six Premier League games, leaving them just one point above the bottom three with three games to play.
The meetings with Southampton and Stoke, the two teams directly below them, are likely to be decisive. Carvalhal’s side will need to make their home advantage count.
Southampton (18th, Pld: 35, Pts: 32, GD: -19)
Form: LLLLDW
Remaining fixtures: Everton (a), Swansea (a), Man City (h)
Average league position of remaining opponents: 9th
Southampton blew the relegation battle open with their 2-1 win over Bournemouth on Saturday – their first in the Premier League since the start of February – but there remains a big job ahead.
They face Everton at Goodison Park before the vital trip to Swansea next week, and with Manchester City the visitors on the final day of the season, they might need to have their safety already assured.
Stoke (19th, Pld: 36, Pts: 30, GD: -33)
Form: LLLDDD
Remaining fixtures: Crystal Palace (h), Swansea (a)
Average league position of remaining opponents: 14th
Stoke vs C Palace
May 5, 2018, 11:30am
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Three points adrift of safety and with only two games left to play, Stoke’s prospects look bleak.
Paul Lambert has been unable to inspire at turnaround at the bet365 Stadium, with the Potters without a win in their last 12 games.
Their dismal goal difference compounds their problems, but end their winless run at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday and they can at least give themselves a chance.
West Brom (20th, Pld: 36, Pts: 28, GD: -24)
Form: LLDWDW
Remaining fixtures: Tottenham (h), Crystal Palace (a)
Average league position of remaining opponents: 8th
West Brom’s resurgence has surely come too late. The Baggies have drawn two and won two of their four games under caretaker boss Darren Moore, but they remain five points off 17th-placed Swansea with only two games to play.
They will hope to continue their upturn in form against Tottenham and Crystal Palace, but it would take a minor miracle for them to escape from their current predicament and it is surely only a matter of time until their relegation is mathematically confirmed.
Gary Neville’s verdict from MNF: Fears for Huddersfield
“I think Southampton’s win will spook a lot of teams.
“Stoke have got a chance but I think they will go down. I think West Brom will go down.
“But then we look at Huddersfield. Manchester City away, they’re not letting up. Chelsea away, are they still going to be going for the Champions League at that point? Even if not, Stamford Bridge is just a hell of a place to play.
“And then I think of Arsenal and potentially Arsene Wenger’s last game in English football. If he gets through against Atletico Madrid, then it could be a second string team and that would be good for Huddersfield. If he doesn’t, he’s going to give everything to make sure he wins his last Premier League game.
“Is there a point there for Huddersfield? Is there one point? The atmosphere will be incredible, but what I would say is that they have started to get a little nervous.
“You look at the atmosphere after the Watford game that they won and the celebrations that we saw. It was almost like a relief game. There’s almost like a, ‘I think we’ve done it’ feeling. They are celebrating like they know how big it is.
“Then the game on Saturday [against Everton]. I saw this yesterday and I thought, those faces, those shakes of the heads, that dejection. They know what three games they’ve got left and I just wondered and I felt for them a little bit.
“Swansea and Huddersfield have got a big job to do if Southampton to go and win another game. They have to do things.”
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