But, in theory, Everton can claim a significant advantage if they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers away in the 3pm kick-off on Saturday. In truth that sounded defeatist from Smith and there is unfortunately a gathering sense of resignation at Leicester, the only team in Europe’s top five leagues yet to keep a clean sheet since the World Cup, who finished eighth last season but have since collapsed. All four play at different times across the next three days with Leicester’s Dean Smith having spoken of how unfair it has been that his side have had to play catch-up with three successive Monday fixtures. It will be a big story whatever happens between now and the final whistle next Sunday although matters are complicated because of the staggered kick-off times this weekend. “There’s a mini-league going on in our part of the table and we want to stay minimum where we are now,” Forest manager Steve Cooper said before adding: “There’s so much that can happen in the next two games and we’ve got to concentrate on what we can control, concentrate on the present.” Just four points separate the four teams and two will definitely go down. With Southampton having ended their 11-year spell it would in fact be the first time since 2017-18 when all three promoted teams stayed up if Forest survive. It feels as though there is even more at stake than usual in the final two rounds of matches. Only Arsenal have stayed in the top-tier longer.īut these are all clubs with fanbases, grand old names and scale, who expect more. To put that in perspective Everton have only ever been relegated twice before in their 136-year history.

Leicester returned in 2014 having been out for a decade.įor Everton it is different, of course, and would feel more seismic should they lose their status for the first time since 1951, returning in 1955. Forest were exiled for even longer and this is their first campaign back since 1999. But it can change quickly.įootball also changes quickly, or sometimes too slowly, and Leeds have only been back in the top division for two seasons after an absence of 16 years. Fight and fight right to the end,” said Leeds’ caretaker head coach Sam Allardyce and it summed up how dramatic it could end up being and how it may simply come down to which teams hold their nerve.Īccording to sports analysts Nielsen’s Gracenote, Leicester have an 83 per cent chance of relegation Leeds 72 per cent chance Everton 29 per cent and Forest 17 per cent and that would appear to be a reasonable assessment.

To put that in perspective only seven other clubs have won the English top-flight league, either the old First Division or the Premier League, in the 45 intervening years since Forest’s triumph. Before that it was Leeds United in 1992, Everton in 1987 and Nottingham Forest in 1978. Most recently, in 2016, it was Leicester City who won the title. They all have a rich pedigree and honours board.

But all four are clubs who, in relatively recent history, have been battling for the biggest prize at this point of a campaign: they have all been champions. Four teams fighting to avoid two places with two games to go is not unusual. Never before has a Premier League relegation battle been like this.

Dream league soccer logo nike