Analyzing Each Premier League Relegation Contender as Trap Door Begins to Loom
An official Premier League match ball - Source: Pixabay
The 2025/26 Premier League season has reached its apex, and only 10 games remain between now and the end of the campaign.
Most of the headlines are fixed on the top of the table, and Arsenal's bid to fend off Manchester City to end their 22-year wait for the title.
The Gunners sit seven points clear of Pep Guardiola's side; however, the Blues have a game in hand on the table toppers, and the two title protagonists are set to clash at the Etihad in April.
While that titanic battle is certainly worthy of the headlines, another is developing at the foot of the table.
No fewer than six teams are currently looking over their shoulders at the trap door, praying that they will outlast the others and avoid it. But which of them looks the most likely, and which others seem doomed already? Let's take a look.
Wolves
By the turn of the year, Wolves didn't have a single victory to their name. As recently as February 7, they had just eight points. At that point, people were already writing the obituary of Rob Edwards' men. However, a recent purple patch has surprisingly reinvigorated their hopes.
Back-to-back upset victories against both Aston Villa and Liverpool have suddenly breathed new life into Molineux, but that doesn't seem to be enough to drag Wolves back into the survival fight. Despite the wins, they have just 16 points to their name and are some 12 points off safety.
As such, it's unsurprising to see just how little hope the bookies give the Black Country outfit of keeping their head above water.
Online betting sites currently position Wolves as a whopping 22/1 outsider to survive next season. Compare that to the paltry odds of 3/250 that you would get if you were betting on the team to go down, and it's clear to see what the bookies think will happen.
To put it in layman's terms, a minor miracle is needed for Edwards to keep his side in the top flight.
All visuals taken from the popular betting calculator featured here: https://thunderpick.io/betting-calculators/betting-odds-calculator
Burnley
Burnley are another team that also looks doomed. And like Wolves, they too have offered a fight in recent weeks.
A thrilling 3-2 comeback win at Crystal Palace, followed by a 1-1 draw away at Chelsea, seemingly brought Scott Parker's men back into contention. When they rallied to come back from 3-0 down to seemingly take a 4-3 lead at home to Brentford, those survival hopes were well and truly alive.
However, that fourth goal was controversially ruled out by VAR, and the Bees went up the other end to score a winner of their own, and that took all the wind out of the Clarets' survival bid sails. It's unlikely that they will come back to life for a second time.
West Ham
West Ham United currently occupy the third and final relegation spot, but much like their two rivals, they are refusing to go down without a fight. The Hammers have lost just two of their last eight games, winning four of them, rallying themselves back into contention.
Fulham, Burnley, Spurs, and Sunderland have all been downed in recent weeks, resulting in Nuno Espirito Santo's side sitting in the relegation zone solely on goal difference. That's a far cry from the position they found themselves in a month ago.
There are further reasons to be optimistic in East London as well.
The Hammers just knocked off Brentford in the FA Cup to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals for the first time in a decade. Reaching the final and surviving relegation would represent a surprisingly successful season at the London Stadium.
Nottingham Forest
While the bottom three are showing signs of fight, the teams immediately above the drop zone most certainly are not. Nottingham Forest are currently outside the relegation zone on goal difference and, to put it bluntly, are in absolute freefall.
The Tricky Trees haven't won in six weeks, with two defeats in their last three, and are in real danger of being overtaken by West Ham in the coming weeks.
To make matters worse, Hammers manager Espirito Santo was in charge at the City Ground at the start of the season, only to be surprisingly sacked after falling out with owner Evangelos Marinakis.
What cruel irony it would be if the Portuguese manager were now the man to relegate them back to the Championship.
READ MORE: Premier League 2025/26 Mid-Season Predictions and Current Tactical Trends
Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur are arguably in the worst state of anybody.
Spurs won the Europa League last term and are usually contending for Champions League qualification. But instead of building on last season's success, the North London outfit sacked Ange Postecoglou, the only man to bring a trophy to the white half of North London in 17 years.
His replacement, Thomas Frank, has already been sacked, and interim boss Igor Tudor is presiding over Tottenham's worst run of the entire season. His side hasn't won since the turn of the year, losing each of their last five, with the March 5 defeat at home to Crystal Palace being particularly harrowing.
The threat of one of the most shocking relegations in recent memory grows more and more likely every week.
Leeds
Newly promoted Leeds will be breathing somewhat easier than their five relegation rivals, but they are by no means out of the fight just yet. They currently sit three points clear of West Ham and will fancy their chances of staying up.
However, back-to-back home defeats without managing a single goal in either set alarm bells ringing.
The pressure is now on to recapture the Elland Road that saw them streak clear of the drop zone a few weeks ago before falling back into the fight.
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