The English Premier League is one of the toughest in the whole sport of football. It’s extraordinarily difficult for smaller clubs from the Championship to get promoted, and thrive and survive, and many languish in the doldrums, seemingly waiting for relegation. This season, however, it’s not just the usual suspects in line for the drop — many names you wouldn’t associate with lower league tussles are in there too.
Wolves are already all but down, after a dismal campaign, and Burnley look to have run out of steam, sitting eight points from safety, but the struggle goes on for numerous other clubs. So, who is involved in this almighty struggle for survival in the top echelon of English football? Let’s have a look.
Tottenham Hotspur
One side who have seen a dramatic drop in their fortunes in the Premier League of late are Tottenham. Spurs scraped through last season in 17th place, and, at the time of writing, currently occupy the spot above, after Thomas Frank’s disastrous tenure as boss. Their diabolical campaign last time around was tempered by Europa League success, and their form in the Champions Leage this season has been impressive, progressing from fourth in the table to the last sixteen to face Atletico Madrid. But League success continues to elude them, with no victories in their last six matches, unhappy fans, and a rotating door of managers. They should stay up, but their position, dangling close to the bottom three, doesn’t guarantee them safety, and a poor close of the season could prove disastrous for this once-great side.
West Ham United
Extremely patchy form both home and away has seen the East London side plummet down the order this season, with hopes of survival hanging by a thread. West Ham need a huge roll of the dice to survive, and the oddsmakers think they’re likely to go down. Punters who fancy a spin might be better off rolling the dice at a casino online with live dealers and croupiers. Sports fans can also find many slots to cater for their tastes. The Hammers have scored points in several of their last few games, which will give many fans heart, but they still sit in the relegation spots, and there is a lot of work to do to guarantee their safety for next season, despite a strong squad and team spirit.
Nottingham Forest
Splitting the other two are Nottingham Forest, high flyers last season, but with a fairly dismal record in the league this time round. Forest may well have been compromised by their European campaign this season, with many more fixtures to play and miles to travel, but this won’t have placated their home fans, who have made their feelings known on many occasions. Their managerial revolving door is also highly active, with four new managers so far this season, a record breaking amount. Most recently, Vitor Pereira has come in to try to steady the ship and pick up some points, and a valuable win against Brentford will have bolstered their survival chances. But they still sit in a highly precarious position, and it looks like they might be one of the clubs for which the fight goes down to the wire.
The Premier League is ruthless and brutal at the bottom. A close scrap looks certain this year, as big names and minnows alike vie for a place in next year’s top tier.
