With simply two factors separating the underside seven golf equipment, the 2022/23 relegation battle could possibly be the closest ever.
That is solely the third time in Premier League historical past that so many groups have been so tightly bunched on the foot of the desk within the second half of the season.
Such a slim hole has solely ever occurred earlier than in February 2009 and January 2011.
With such high quality margins, each objective issues extra.
When Everton had been beating Southampton 1-0 at half-time on Saturday, they had been 14th within the dwell desk. However their 2-1 defeat dropped Everton to nineteenth, degree with a Southampton aspect who’re propping up the desk.
That was considered one of three relegation duels occurring concurrently on a day filled with drama.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 1-0 win over West Ham United took them out of the relegation zone and put the Hammers there as a substitute.
In the meantime, Nottingham Forest leapfrogged Leicester Metropolis by beating them 2-0.
With so many groups concerned within the battle, these important “six-pointers” can be widespread. Certainly, in every of the subsequent six rounds of fixtures there may be at the least one head-to-head between the present backside eight golf equipment.
Matches between the underside eight
Matchweek | Relegation battles | |
---|---|---|
21 | BOU v NFO | WHU v EVE |
22 | NFO v LEE | |
23 | SOU v WOL | |
24 | EVE v LEE | WOL v BOU |
25 | LEE v SOU | WHU v NFO |
26 | NFO v EVE | SOU v LEI |
Forest are in a very necessary spell, with 4 of their subsequent six fixtures coming in opposition to relegation rivals, beginning with Saturday’s journey to AFC Bournemouth.
Forest had been within the relegation zone when the Premier League resumed on Boxing Day, whereas AFC Bournemouth had been 14th and had appointed Gary O’Neil as their everlasting head coach on the again of sturdy outcomes.
The 2 sides have been heading in reverse instructions since.
Forest at the moment are the shape workforce within the backside half of the desk, with back-to-back wins leaving them thirteenth, whereas AFC Bournemouth have misplaced all 4 of their matches for the reason that Premier League returned.
Nonetheless, AFC Bournemouth gained the reverse match between the edges, coming from 2-0 all the way down to triumph 3-2 in September.
On the identical time on Saturday, West Ham and Everton will go head-to-head on the London Stadium on the again of similar data for the reason that league resumed: one draw, three defeats and a objective distinction of -5.
David Moyes’ Hammers will take coronary heart from the very fact they’ve gained two of the final three matches in opposition to the Toffees, whereas Frank Lampard’s aspect will draw confidence from profitable this season’s reverse fixture, a 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.