Every team involved in the EPL relegation fight has now played 26 matches (Leicester plays their 26th game today), meaning they all have 12 remaining. So with the calendar turning to March, the race is now on for safety.

The goal for most teams is 40 points, as 40 points normally assures a team safety. Last season Newcastle was relegated with 37 points and Sunderland was the last team to remain in the EPL with 39 points.

Here are the current standings of the teams in the relegation battle (other teams could be added if they take a nose dive, but for the most part these are the teams in consideration:

Current Table:

14. Bournemouth (26 points)
Remaining games: @ManU, West H, Swans, @Sthmptn, @LIV, Chelsea, @Spurs, Middles, STK, BURN, @LEIC
Bournemouth have been in a bad way, losing their last 4 matches, and have not won a game since December 31. This dry spell has them in the relegation battle, and a tough upcoming schedule with Man United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool all in their next 6 matches will mean they will have to scrape together points to avoid relegation.

15. Swansea City (24 points)
Remaining games: BURN, @Hull, @Bourn, Middles, Spurs, @West Ham, @Watford, STK, @ManU, Everton, @Sund, West Brom
Swansea have gone 4W 3L 0D since the new year, pulling the club out of the relegation zone for now. Swansea's schedule is pretty friendly down the stretch, so if they can continue to piece together wins they should find themselves safe from a serious relegation battle.

16. Middlesbrough (22 points)
Remaining games: SUND, @STK, ManU, @SWAN, @Hull, Burnley, ARS, @BOURN, ManCity @Chelsea, Sthmpn, @LIV
Like Bournemouth, Middlesbrough are scuffling right now, having only claimed 4 points in 2017, and not having won a match in the EPL since Dec 17. Also like Bournemouth, the schedule for Boro down the stretch is not a kind one. With this being their first year up in the EPL after 7 years in the Championship, it will be interesting to see if their squad has the experience to grind out enough points to avoid relegation.

17. Crystal Palace (22 points)
Remaining games: Spurs, @WestBrom, WAT, @Chelsea, @Sthmptn, ARS, LEIC, @LIV, BURN, @ManCity, Hull, @ManU
Palace have been very up and down the last month, but have collected a few wins to get them out of the relegation zone for now. This past weekend's win over Middlesbrough was huge, and the Eagles will need to continue to scrape together wins as they have a daunting finishing schedule which includes trips to Manchester (2), Liverpool, Southampton and Chelsea, as well as home matches against Tottenham and Arsenal.
_______________________________________________________________________
18. Leicester City (21 points)
Remaining games: LIV, @ARS, HULL, @WestHam, STK, SUND, @Everton, @CP, Spurs, @WestBrom, WAT, @ManCity, Bourn.
Unbelievably, the EPL Champions sit in the relegation zone with 13 matches left to play, having just sacked the manager who brought them so much glory last year. The schedule is one of the more favorable for relegation squads going down the stretch, but they are currently a rudderless ship and have not scored an EPL goal in 2017, claiming just one point since the new year. Whomever is appointed to lead the squad will need to get it turned around quickly.

19. Hull City (21 points)
Remaining games: @LEIC, Swansea, @Everton, WestBrom, Middles, @ManCity, @STK, Watford, @Sthmptn, Sunder, @CP, Spurs
Hull have battled and clawed their way back towards safety, claiming 8 of their 21 EPL points since the new year. Marco Silva seems to have the club headed in the right direction, and the schedule is pretty favorable down the stretch.

20. Sunderland (19 points)
Remaining games: @BORO, ManCity, Burnley, @Watford, @LEIS, ManU, WestHam, @ARS, BOURN, @Hull, Swansea, @Chelsea
Sunderland find themselves again in the midst of a relegation battle, currently at the bottom of the table. 2017 has been a mixed bag for them, yielding some good results and then some terrible collapses. The schedule features some tough fixtures, while also allowing the Black Cats a chance to make up ground against other relegation opponents. Those "six pointer" games will be crucial for their chances.

Leicester with a huge 3-1 win today over Liverpool. Great home support for the Foxes as they showed the counter-attacking abilities that made them so dangerous last season.
The win pulls them out of the relegation zone for now, let's see if they can sustain the energy.

I really enjoy this thread each year.


Thanks as always.

Still can't believe it took Leicester till the end of February to score a goal in the EPL in 2017. They deserve to go down

Na. They look like they are on their 2014-2015 schedule.

Meanwhile, in the Championship:

1 - Brighton & Hove Albion 71
2 - Newcastle United 70
3 - Huddersfield Town 65
4 - Leeds United 61
5 - Reading 60
6 - Sheffield Wednesday 58
7 - Fulham 53
8 - Norwich City 52
9 - Preston North End 52
.
.
.
18 Nottingham Forest 37
19 Burton Albion 36
20 Wolverhampton Wanderers 35
21 Bristol City 33
22 Wigan Athletic 31
23 Blackburn Rovers 30
24 Rotherham United 17

B&H and Newcastle look to be well in the driver's seat(s?) for the auto bids into the Premier League, while Fulham has their work cut out for them if they want to make the playoffs. Wigan and Blackburn can still climb out of the relagation zone but theyre going to need to get some Ws.

wangus12 said:

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Still can't believe it took Leicester till the end of February to score a goal in the EPL in 2017. They deserve to go down

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I don't really know what that means. If they have more points at the end of the season than three teams, then they will "deserve" to stay up, if not then they will deserve to go gown. There are some teams in bad ways down at the bottom of the table, I don't know that any of them "deserves" to stay up more than Leicester.

Their goalless streak was amazing, but if they play the rest of the year like they did yesterday then I think they should stay up relatively safely.

When is QPR gonna come back up?

No joke, TexAgs is my home for annual PL relegation analysis. The soccer-specific sites I frequent have nothing on OP

Thanks for the kind words gig them and Smith. I started doing this because I was fascinated by the relegation of top flight teams and what a battle that became near the end of the year.
I also had trouble finding much consistent discussion of the battle so started tracking it on my own. I am happy to hear that you guys enjoy it as well.

Hopefully there are at least 5 teams under the threat of regulation on the final weekend. The pressure and fan emotion of not knowing their fate makes it enjoyable for a general observer like me. The past few years have been weak. The fan celebration of not being regulated is great along with the surrender cobra/crying of the unlucky few. It is like an entire Aggie football season within two hours.

And amazingly some of those teams play some pretty damn good soccer. See Leicester two years ago and Sunderland last year.

We have a full weekend of EPL matches, and all the relegation squads will be in action. Here are the current standings and key relegation matches:

Current Table:
14. Bournemouth (26 points)
15. Leicester City (24 points)
16. Swansea City (24 points)
17. Middlesbrough (22 points)
18. Crystal Palace (22 points)
19. Hull City (21 points)
20. Sunderland (19 points)

Key Weekend Matches:
Saturday:
Manchester United v. Bournemouth (6:30am, Old Trafford, NBCSN)- Bournemouth have not claimed a point in their last 4 EPL matches, with their last point coming in a 2-2 draw with Watford way back on January 21. So not a good time to make a trip to Old Trafford and face a Manchester United squad who haven't lost in the EPL since October 23 of last year. The Cherries would gladly take a point from this match and scrape their way closer to safety.

Leicester v. Hull City (9am, King Power Stadium, NBCSN)- This is a coveted "six pointer" game where both squads will be looking to claim 3 points and put distance from one another. Leicester are coming off their best performance of the year with a 3-1 win over Liverpool on Monday night. Will be interesting to see if the energy the Foxes generated at King Power on Monday can be duplicated this weekend. Hull have looked a better squad since they named Marco Silva manager and made some key additions in the January window. Should be a great game to watch as I think both teams will go in looking for 3 points.

Stoke v. Middlesbrough (9am, bet365 Stadium, NBC Extra)- Boro travel to face mid-table Stoke this weekend and try and capture their first win since December 17. Boro are your typical relegation team that fight and claw their way to draws but cannot seem to find three points in any matches. They currently are out of the relegation zone only due to goal differential, so they need to turn good outings into wins fairly soon or else they face being a one season club in the EPL.

Swansea v. Burnley (9am, Liberty Stadium, NBC Extra)- Swansea have looked like a different club since the new year, claiming 12 points in 7 games, while facing most of the top flight clubs. A home match with Burnley should be a recipe for success as the Clarets have claimed just 2 points away from home all season. Swansea looked dead in the water at the beginning of the year, but they now really pushing towards safety.

West Bromwich v. Crystal Palace (9am, The Hawthornes, CNBC)- Palace have been a mixed bag of great wins and crushing defeats since the new year. Will be interesting to see if Big Sam can work his magic and save another club from relegation. Tony Pulis has West Brom rolling right now, as they are currently 8th in the table, so travelling to the Hawthornes will be a tough test for Palace.

Sunday:

Sunderland v. Manchester City (10am, Stadium of Light, NBCSN)- The Black Cats currently sit at the bottom of the table, but only 3 points out of safety. Wins at the bottom of the table are vital, and I look for Sunderland to come out really aggressively at home against Man City. City have been in good form as of late, winning their last 3 EPL matches, so finding 3 points will be a tough task for Sunderland.

Enjoy the Weekend!

We have a little separation after last weekend in the relegation battle, as four of our teams gathered points, three with wins, and three teams did not. If we have another couple of weeks like last weekend the lines may be pretty clear between those that can and those that cannot.

Weekend Results:

Manchester United-1, Bournemouth-1, Bournemouth held on for a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, despite being down to 10 men for the entirety of the second half after Andrew Surman picked up his second yellow. Boruc had a great save on a Ibra penalty kick, and Pogba had about 5 chances to win it for United, but the Cherries stood tall and claimed a very good away point.

Leicester-3, Hull City-1, Leicester all of the sudden look like the Leicester of last year, scoring 3 goals for the second match in a row. Hull took the early lead, but Leicester came roaring back to claim a 2-1 halftime lead, with the game still in doubt until a Tom Huddleston own goal in the 90th minute iced away the win for the Foxes. Leicester suddenly looks like a team who want to get out of the relegation battle, while Hull seem destined to battle for safety until the end.

Stoke-2, Middlesbrough-0, Stoke never were really threatened by Boro in this match, as two first half goals by Marko Anautorvic separated the sides and kept the Potters comfortably ahead. Boro are going to have to start finding goals and points, or they will be a one and done team in the EPL.

Swansea-3, Burnley-2. Game of the weekend in the relegation battle as Swansea scored in stoppage time to pull out a come from behind victory over Burnley, who still cannot find points away from home. After a Llorente goal put Swansea ahead, Burnley bounced back to claim a 2-1 lead following two Andre gray goals. Swansea evened it up again in the 69th minute behind a Martin Olsson finish, setting the stage for a dramatic 92nd minute goal, again from Llorente. Swansea are entertaining, and their leaky defense may yet catch up to them, but another 3 point weekend will help to put some distance between themselves and the relegation line.

West Bromwich-0, Crystal Palace-2, Palace gave us the most surprising result of the weekend as the Eagles went into the Hawthornes and came away with a 2-0 victory. We had a Wilfried Zaha sighting, as he scored in the 55th minute, with Andre Townsend scoring in the 84th minute to clinch the victory. West Brom looked like a team that was happy for reaching 40 points, and turned off for the weekend. Will be interesting to see if Palace can build off of this road win, or if their Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde routine continue.

Sunderland-0, Manchester City-2, Sunderland looked completely outclassed by City, as goals by Aguerro and Sane on each side of the half sealed the Black Cats fate. Man City held the ball for 70% of the time, and Sunderland never really looked a threat in the match. The last place squad has a lot of work to do to avoid relegation.


Current Table:
14. Bournemouth (27 points)
15. Leicester City (27 points)
16. Swansea City (27 points)
17. Crystal Palace (25 points)
_________________________________________
18. Middlesbrough (22 points)
19. Hull City (21 points)
20. Sunderland (19 points)

Yea not a good weekend for those that want a tight relegation battle. Happy though for Leicester. Don't want to see them in any trouble. And for Palace who is my 8 year old daughters favorite team becasu she likes palaces.

Watched both of those games.

Not a full weekend of matches in the relegation battle as the FA Cup QF matches have caused some matches to be postponed, and Middlesbrough is still alive in the FA Cup, which is always a bit dicey for relegation squads come this time of year.

Current Table:
14. Bournemouth (27 points)
15. Leicester City (27 points)
16. Swansea City (27 points)
17. Crystal Palace (25 points)
_________________________________________
18. Middlesbrough (22 points)
19. Hull City (21 points)
20. Sunderland (19 points)

Key Weekend Games:

Saturday:
Bournemouth v. West Ham (9am, Vitality Stadium, NBC Extra)- The Cherries went to Manchester last weekend and pulled out a point from Old Trafford, holding on throughout the second half despite playing with 10 men. Hosting West Ham this weekend, Bournemouth should be looking for 3 points at home. The Cherries have still not won a match since December 13, and they really need to find a couple wins to get out of relegation talk. West Ham will be a tough opponent for Bournemouth, as they have racked up quite a few points since the new year, especially when not playing top flight opposition.

Hull v. Swansea (9am, KCOM Stadium, CNBC)- This will be a big game for the relegation battle, as two relegation squads face one another in a six pointer. Hull desperately need a win, at home, against a fellow relegation battle squad, while Swansea will look to put more distance between themselves and the relegation line. A Swansea win at Hull would not assure them safety, but it would go a long way towards that. A win would give Swansea a comfortable 8 point cushion over the relegation line, a loss and Hull would only trail them by 3 points. Big, big game.

Enjoy the weekend!

Hull is in a lot of trouble if they lose that one.

aggie7911 said:

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When is QPR gonna come back up?

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I wouldn't hold your breath.

It was a light weekend for relegation squads, but the matches that were played were great viewing, lots of goals and 3 squads that looked like they really want to avoid relegation.

Weekend Results:

Bournemouth 3-2 West Ham- A Joshua King hat trick gave Bournemouth a vital victory and 3 points. This was a great game to watch as the two teams went back and forth, Antonio giving the Hammers an early 1-0 lead, and then King answered back with 2 to give the Cherries the lead at 2-1, scoring in the 31st and 48th minutes. When Ayew scored in the 83rd minute for the Hammers, it looked like we were set for a 2-2 draw, but King notched his 3rd goal of the day in the 90th minute, and the Cherries walked away with all 3 points. Big 3 points for Bournemouth as they are pulling way from the relegation line.

Hull 2-1 Swansea. Hull may have found something in Oumar Niasse as he scored a pair of goals to put the Tigers up 2-1. Niasse always looked out of place at Everton, but he has found a home in Hull, scoring 3 goals now in his 8 appearances. His 69th and 78th minute goals looked like they had sealed the game for Hull, but a 90th minute free kick goal by Sigurdsson gave Swansea hope. A late flurry of chances could not yield another goal, however, and Hull claimed all 3 points. This game really tightened up the relegation battle, pulling Swansea back closer to the dogfight. Swansea fans protested the current team ownership by not attending the away match at Hull, an interesting time to make a point when your squad need you the most.

Current Table:
14. Bournemouth (28 games played-30 points)
15. Leicester City (27 games played-27 points)
16. Swansea City (28 games played-27 points)
17. Crystal Palace (27 games played-25 points)
_________________________________________
18. Hull City (28 games played-24 points)
19. Middlesbrough (27 games played-22 points)
20. Sunderland (27 games played-19 points)

Aitor Karanka out as manager of Middlesbrough.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4319662/Aitor-Karanka-sacked-Middlesbrough.html

Big weekend in the relegation battle as clubs look to rally for points before the upcoming week off. After this weekend all the clubs will have 10 games or less left in the EPL schedule, so time is running out for the drifters.

Current Table:
14. Bournemouth (28 games played-30 points)
15. Leicester City (27 games played-27 points)
16. Swansea City (28 games played-27 points)
17. Crystal Palace (27 games played-25 points)
_________________________________________
18. Hull City (28 games played-24 points)
19. Middlesbrough (27 games played-22 points)
20. Sunderland (27 games played-19 points)

Key Weekend Relegation Games:

Saturday:
Crystal Palace v. Watford (10am, Selhurst Park , NBC Sports Extra). Palace are hanging on to the last safety spot, one point ahead of Hull. Palace have won their last 2 matches and 3 of their last 5, a pace which would ensure the team safety if they could keep it going. Watford sit at 31 points, just above the relegation battle, and have been scuffling along as of late. Another loss or two and a few wins by the lower clubs could see Watford join the relegation fray, so a win at Palace would go a long way to assuring them safety.

Everton v. Hull City (10am, Goodison Park, CNBC). Hull travel to Goodison on Saturday looking to squeeze out a point against an always difficult squad when they are at home in Everton. Hull claimed a massive 3 points last weekend against Swansea, and will be looking to stay on that form and get out of the bottom 3. Could be an interesting day at Goodison, given the events of the week with Lukaku saying he will not sign a new contract and Barkley not signing his deal either. Will be interesting to see how the Goodison crowd treats its home team, who has been on a roll before now, claiming points in 8 of their last 9 matches,going 6-2-1 since the New Year. Will be a tough day for Hull to claim all 3, but a point on the road would be a good outcome.

Sunderland v. Burnley (10am, Stadium of Light, NBC Extra). Sunderland sit bottom of the table, and have been outscored 8-0 in their last 3 EPL matches, following a 4-0 win over Palace. Other than that win, Sunderland have claimed only 2 points since the New Year, and hadn't won another game since December 17. They need to reverse their fortunes, and fast, or they could fall out of the race altogether, as they currently sit 6 points behind the 17th place spot. If ever there were an opponent who could help them turn around their form it is Burnley, who have been flat out awful away from home, claiming just 2 points on the road all season. Sunderland desperately need 3 points from this match.

West Ham v. Leicester (10am, London Stadium, NBC Extra). It has been quite a few weeks for Leicester, as they have won their last 2 EPL matches in fine form and claimed a spot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. The Foxes still have some work to do in the relegation battle, and they hit the road for the first time since Raineri's sacking. Their defensive-counterattack style always plays well on the road, and West Ham have not looked real good as of late. Sitting at 33 points, the Hammers need to win a few more games to stay ahead of the relegation fray, so this could be a good matchup.

Bournemouth v. Swansea City (12:30pm, Vitality Stadium, NBC). This match offers two relegation battling squads the chance to leave the fray behind, as Bournemouth with 30 points can really jump out of the relegation battle with a win, and Swansea, sitting at 27 points, can put some space between themselves and the relegation line with a road win. Bournemouth have been in good form, coming off a dramatic 3-2 win last weekend over the Hammers and a 10-man draw the weekend before with United. Swansea have gone 4-3 in their last 7 to get themselves out of a relegation spot, so this should be a good game between two squads that are in decent form.

Sunday:

Middlesbrough v. Manchester United (7am, Riverside Stadium, NBC Sports). Middlesbrough will hope that a change in managers will spur the team on like it has Leicester, with Steve Agnew taking the helm this week. Middlesbrough have been drifting as of late, as they have not claimed a victory since December 17, collecting only 4 points since the New Year. It is a good time to catch United however, as they will be without the suspended Ibra and Herrera or the injured Pogba. Will be interesting to see how much energy Middlesbrough come out with and if a road weary United squad can match the energy. If you are going to claim the scalp of a big club in your fight to avoid relegation this is as good of a spot as any.

Enjoy the weekend!

Interesting weekend of results in the relegation battle. Those teams who entered the weekend on a roll continued their roll, while teams not on a roll, well, not so much. The results caused us to lose a team from the relegation watch in Bournemouth, while I think we are going to add another squad in Watford.

Weekend Results:

Crystal Palace 1-0 Watford (Selhurst Park). Palace won their third consecutive Premier League match with a 1-0 victory. Troy Deeney's own goal was the lone score as the Watford captain sent Yohan Cabaye's free-kick past Heurelho Gomes on 68 minutes. Palace have jumped out of the bottom three with the three consecutive wins and look like a squad that will be leaving the relegation battle in the upcoming weeks. Watford on the other hand have only claimed one point out of their last 4 matches, and that run will see them join our relegation discussion.

Everton 4-0 Hull City (Goodison Park). Hull looked outclassed on Saturday as Everton rolled to a 4-0 home win. An early goal from youngster Calvert-Lewin put the Toffees up 1-0, and though the game stayed 1-0 until late on, Hull never really looked a threat. Tom Huddlestone was shown a straight red in the 73rd minute, and from then on Everton poured it on, with a beautifully worked goal from Enner Valencia and then two late goals by Lukaku. Hull managed only 6 shots, and none on target and look a squad that is in trouble.

Sunderland 0-0 Burnley (Stadium of Light). Sunderland came into the game really needing to secure 3 points against a Burnley squad who had claimed just 2 points on the road all season. Now they have claimed 3 as the two squads played out a scoreless draw, which keeps Sunderland bottom of the table.

West Ham 2-3 Leicester (London Stadium). This was the relegation match of the weekend as Leicester continued their resurgence with an exciting 3-2 victory over the Hammers. The Foxes raced out to a two-goal lead in the first seven minutes, with Riyad Mahrez opening the scoring before Robert Huth headed in Marc Albrighton's cross. West Ham pulled a goal back through a Manuel Lanzini's free-kick, but Jamie Vardy restored Leicester's two-goal lead from a corner before the break. Andre Ayew revived West Ham's hopes with a second-half strike and, along with Andy Carroll, missed a late chance, but Leicester held on for their third straight Premier League win to move six points clear of the relegation zone.

Bournemouth 2-0 Swansea City (Vitality Stadium). Benik Afobe scored one and set up the other as Bournemouth registered back-to-back victories.The Cherries took the lead when Afobe's shot was deflected into his own net by Swansea's Alfie Mawson. Swansea stepped up the pressure as the second half went on but were caught in the 72nd minute when Afobe was played in by Joshua King and fired home to make it 2-0 .
The win lifts AFC Bournemouth to 11th on 33 points, nine clear of the relegation zone, and out of the relegation battle for now. Swansea's second consecutive defeat drops them to 17th, just three points above the bottom three.

Middlesbrough 1-3 Manchester United (Riverside Stadium). United held on to claim a hard-fought 3-1 win at Middlesbrough. Boro, with Steve Agnew the interim manager following the departure of Aitor Karankak, started well, but Fellaini put United ahead with a close-range header on the half-hour mark. Lingard then doubled United's lead on 62 minutes with a superb strike into the top corner from outside the area. Boro pulled a goal back through substitute Rudy Gestede with 13 minutes left but despite piling on the pressure, United sealed the three points when Antonio Valencia tapped in after a Victor Valdes slip. Middlesbrough remain in the bottom three, five points from safety.

Current Table:
14. Watford (28 games played-31 points)
15. Leicester City (28 games played-30 points)
16. Crystal Palace (28 games played-28 points)
17. Swansea City (29 games played-27 points)
_________________________________________
18. Hull City (29 games played-24 points)
19. Middlesbrough (28 games played-22 points)
20. Sunderland (28 games played-20 points)

The relegation squads will get a week off for international matches so they can lick their wounds and try and generate a plan that will see them avoid the bottom three. Right now it looks like a 4-team battle for one safe spot, but a Palace, Leicester or Watford losing streak could see the relegation battle open up.

Great write-up as usual! Are you pulling for any particular teams who are fighting to stay up?

I'm sure many of us are still pulling for Leicester City after last year, both in the Premier League and in the UCL. What a bizarre season they are having.

Personally, I'm hoping that Swansea gets relegated after the absurdity of three different coaches in one season (so far!) and no patience at all with Bob Bradley. I think it's nuts that the last two league-winning coaches were both fired half a season later (Mourinho and Ranieri) as well. You think NFL owners have a short fuse? Things in England are ridiculous.

I'm glad swansea sacked Bradley. They could be in a relegation fight now if they hadn't.

Thanks Bryan. Glad you enjoy the write up.

I am probably like you on who I want to stay up. Of the teams down there now the only team I really want to stay up is Leicester, just because of their story, and I don't want them to be remembered as the one team relegated the season after winning the EPL.

I really don't want Swansea to stay up. Mainly for the reasons you stated. I don't want their actions this last year to be rewarded.

Hull, Middlesbrough, Watford, they are all the same to me, and I really don't enjoy any of their style of play, although Hull have been better since naming Silva as manager.

I was happy to see Bournemouth start winning, they are a fun side and the EPL is better off with them in it.

Part of me wants Sunderland to survive again, but relegation may be what they need to build up the squad. Year after year of relegation battling has taken a toll. May need to go ala Fulham and build up the squad through young talent in a league where it can flourish.

By the way, anyone who enjoys soccer ought to check out the Planet Futbol podcast by Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl. He gets some really big guests for interviews. He managed to get Bob Bradley very shortly after he was sacked. Bradley was extremely candid, and I thought showed a lot of character in going on there at a tough time. He was very much a grown-ass man in terms of saying that he knew the deal going into Swansea, but when Grant asked him about the higher-ups not allowing him to bring any new players in, he was candid about that as well - in an even-handed, factual way. That interview helped to inform my thoughts on the Swansea situation.

I also sometimes listen to the Men in Blazers podcast, which is almost entirely about the EPL, and may be of interest to readers of this thread. The two hosts are probably 75% comedians and 25% soccer pundits.

It is still weird that Watford, Bournemouth, and Swansea City are in the EPL and Leeds, Newcastle, and Aston Villa are not. And while part of that may correct itself this year it looks like it will be at the sacrifice of Sunderland.




And the next six weeks are going to be very interesting for the Championship. Newcastle looks like a lock but both Leeds and Wednesday could be in the playoffs.

Sorry for doing this so late, out of town, having to do it on my phone...

Current Table:
14. Watford (28 games played-31 points)
15. Leicester City (28 games played-30 points)
16. Crystal Palace (28 games played-28 points)
17. Swansea City (29 games played-27 points)
_________________________________________
18. Hull City (29 games played-24 points)
19. Middlesbrough (28 games played-22 points)
20. Sunderland (28 games played-20 points)

Key relegation games this weekend:

Chelsea v. Crystal Palace (9am, NBCSN)- Palace travels across town to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Good luck. Definitely will be a "try and scratch out a point" kind of day for Palace.

Hull City v. West Ham (9am, NBC Extra). Hull will be looking to claim 3 points at home against a struggling West Ham squad. Having lost 3 in a row, the Hammers are falling close to the relegation zone. Big, big home game for Hull.

Leicester City v. Stoke (9am NBC Extra). Leicester look to continue the form which saw them win 3 straight EPL games before the break. Stoke have looked like a squad happy to be at mid table as of late, with up and down results. Another win this weekend at home and Leicester will likely leave all talk of relegation behind.

Watford v. Sunderland (9am NBC Extra). Sunderland travel to Watford in desperate need of a win. The Black Cats are falling away from the pack, and must start winning matches. Watford for their part have become a part of the relegation battle with lackluster showings and will be looking to claim 3 points at home against currently the worst club in the EPL.

Sunday:
Swansea v. Middlesbrough (7:30am, NBCSN). Swansea host a hapless Middlesbrough side that have claimed just 1 point in their last 5 matches. Middlesbrough have changed managers and are nearing must win territory. Swansea currently hold the last safe spot, and a win at home would be just what the doctor ordered.

Enjoy the weekend!!!!

Crystal Palace somehow upset Chelsea to grab all three points today. Very unexpected result!

Leicester City has now won four in a row

Congrats on the job from your phone. Well done.

What a wild weekend that saw every team in the relegation battle (save hapless Sunderland) claim points, and saw some dramatic wins. The results also will likely take two squads off our radar for now (Watford and Leicester) while bringing two more teams into the discussion (West Ham and Burnley). In all honesty it is looking like a 3 team battle for the last safe position, as Sunderland look done, while Swansea, Hull and Middlesbrough all scratch and claw for safety.

Weekend Results:

Chelsea 1-2 Crystal Palace. Just when you think you have this battle all figured out, Palace travels across town and comes out of Stamford Bridge with 3 points. It looked like it was going to be Chelsea's day when Fabergas scored off a Hazard cross in the 5th minute, but then Zaha and Benteke teamed up for two goals in the 9th and 11th minutes, and somehow those two goals held up for the remainder of the match and Palace escaped with all three points, despite Chelsea having 73% of the possession and outshooting Palace 24-8. Huge 3 points for CP.

Hull City 2-1 West Ham. Like Palace, Hull fell behind early and then came back to claim a 2-1 victory. The Hull lead took a bit longer to acheive, though, as an Andrew Robertson goal in the 53rd minute leveled the game, setting the stage for a dramatic header from Andrea Ranocchia off a corner in the 85th minute. Hull really needed this one to right their ship, and the result draws West Ham ever closer to the relegation fray.

Leicester City 2-0 Stoke. Leicester City secured their fourth successive Premier League victory and look more and more like the squad who claimed the EPL last season. Wilfred Ndidi put the Foxes ahead when he fired in a spectacular drive into the top corner. Just moments into the 2nd half Jamie Vardy doubled Leicester City's lead on his ninth goal of the season.The Foxes move six points clear of the relegation zone.

Watford 1-0 Sunderland. Watford claimed a vital 3 points for their cause, as they look to stay out of the relegation fray, while Sunderland are beginning to fall off the pace and look like a team destined to play their soccer in the Championship next season. Miguel Britos headed a second-half winner for Watford against Sunderland off Cleverley's corner in the 59th minute, as Cathcart headed it back across goal and Britos nodded it in. Sunderland remain in 20th spot, and the teams above them keep drifting further away.

Swansea 0-0 Middlesbrough. Swansea City and Middlesbrough both needed 3 points coming into the game, but they both had to settle with sharing the points in a hard-fought goalless draw at Liberty Stadium. Swansea had the edge in possession (55-45) and shots (15-8), but they couldn't find a goal past Victor Valdes. The draw moves Swansea one point above Hull City in 17th, while Boro remain 19th, five points off safety but with a match in hand.

Current Table:
12. Watford (29 games played-34 points)
13. Leicester City (29 Games played-33 points)
14. West Ham (30 games played-33 points)
15. Burnley (30 games played-32 points)
16. Crystal Palace (29 games played-31 points)
17. Swansea City (30 games played-28 points)
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18. Hull City (30 games played-27 points)
19. Middlesbrough (29 games played-23 points)
20. Sunderland (29 games played-20 points)

Looks like I'm a Hull fan for the rest of the season as I pull for Swansea to be relegated.