Premier League news: Five key talking points around the relegation battle as Thomas Frank sacked
After Tuesday’s slate of games, the relegation picture is a confusing one – Wolves and Burnley look set for the Championship next year, but who will join them is far from certain.
West Ham currently occupy 18th spot but are just eight points behind 13th, showing how tight the battle has become.
Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Tottenham, and Nottingham Forest are all at risk – and with so little between the sides, the fight for survival looks set to go down to the wire.
With all of that in mind, here is Sports News Blitz writer Zephryn Dockree with five key talking points going into the final 12 games of the season.
Thomas Frank sacked by Spurs
It was impossible not to start here.
Spurs are constantly in the news for all the wrong reasons recently – injuries are mounting, the terrible form continues, and now they are without a manager.
Their season has gone from bad to worse.
Now, attention will turn to who is going to replace the sacked Thomas Frank, with Mauricio Pochettino and Roberto De Zerbi both being linked to the job.
Whoever comes in will have to pull the Lilywhites away from danger.
They currently sit 16th, just five points above the relegation zone, and the situation is becoming increasingly desperate as time runs out to turn things around.
Their next game, you ask? They play local rivals and league leaders Arsenal.
And with 12 senior players injured or suspended and no manager, it will be a tall task to beat the Gunners, but with the number of games dwindling, they must go all out.
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Leeds take step towards safety
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Leeds seem to be chugging along just fine this season.
Their 2-2 draw with Chelsea this week added to a growing list of impressive results against the so-called ‘big six’.
In that, Daniel Farke’s job at Leeds has been nothing short of excellent.
A side many tipped for guaranteed relegation now sits six points clear of danger and as close to 10th place as they are to 18th.
It would be a real shock to see them go down from this position, and credit has to go to both the squad and the manager for turning expectations on their head in such convincing fashion.
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West Ham eye great escape
West Ham ruined a promising start to Michael Carrick’s reign at Manchester United with a determined 1-1 draw at the London Stadium, denying the away side a fifth straight win under their new manager.
The result helped the Hammers edge closer to Nottingham Forest, who remain two points above the relegation zone as the fight for survival continues.
However, momentum is beginning to shift at the bottom of the table.
With Sean Dyche’s side struggling to find consistency, it is likely that those positions will change in the coming weeks.
West Ham, by contrast, are moving in the right direction.
Three wins from their last five underline their improvement, and confidence is steadily building as they look to climb further clear of danger.
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Crystal Palace risking relegation battle
At present, very little is being said about Crystal Palace and relegation.
While the scenario is unlikely, they sit just eight points above the drop and are one of the worst-performing teams in the league, winning only one of their last five games.
The Eagles also lost their best player and captain Marc Guéhi in January, boast an unsettled starting centre-forward in Jean-Philippe Mateta, and have a far-from-happy manager set to leave at the end of the season.
It’s hard to imagine Palace going down, especially with their next two games against bottom feeders Burnley and Wolves.
Yet, with a busy European schedule and a thin squad, nothing can be taken for granted – relegation is therefore unlikely but not impossible.
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Pressure mounts for Nottingham Forest
Dyche’s side have managed just two wins in five, with a loss to Leeds and a draw against Palace two games pundits would have called ‘six-pointers’.
Their inability to find any consistency is slowly killing their season – one week, they grind out a draw against Arsenal; the next, they suffer a heavy defeat to Leeds.
The Midlands side cannot afford to slip, but each passing week makes the threat of relegation feel more real.
The Europa League, then, is both a gift and a curse.
While the competition brings prestige, the packed schedule is brutally testing their fragile squad, leaving little room for recovery between fixtures.
And as the pressure mounts, Forest must find form fast or the drop could turn from unlikely to unavoidable.
With just 12 games left, every point counts.
Momentum is shifting, pressure is building, and the battle to avoid relegation promises drama right down to the final whistle.
