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With only 8 matches left to play, three EPL clubs will be relegated by the end of the season. The fight for survival in the EPL has been a far interesting competition than that for the Champions League spots this season.
Only ten points separate 9th placed Everton and 18th placed Crystal Palace and with such a small gap among the teams, the teams which will be relegated are nowhere near to being confirmed.
None of the clubs look like an outright candidate for relegation, except for West Brom - they appear to have lost their will to fight. It is almost certain that they will be relegated this season. Despite the club making a change and bringing in Alan Pardew, they have been unable to leave the bottom spot of the table.
The Baggies have started to resemble a Championship side more and more with every appearance on the pitch, and with only 20 points and 16 losses from 30 fixtures, any chance of a miracle is remote.
Here is a look at the future of the clubs that are at the risk of getting relegated this season:
#1 Newcastle United
Less than a year ago, high flying Newcastle United made their way back into EPL after clinching a win against Barnsley to secure the Championship title. Now, they find themselves in the bottom half of the EPL standings and at risk of finding themselves back where they started.
The team has won 8 matches thus far, with their latest victory coming against fellow Premier League strugglers Southampton at St Jacob's Park on Saturday. This result leaves them in a better position both in the table and in their battle to remain in the Premier League next season.
Three of their remaining matches involve playing against clubs from the top six of the table though - Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea. The Magpies have the advantage of having an extremely experienced manager in Rafael Benitez, which has allowed them to get positive results from games against Liverpool and Manchester United in the past and it will give them hope going into the remainder of the season.
Out of the eight bottom clubs, Benitez's team has conceded the fewest number of goals and this is a good sign for the club which has a strong and reliable backline. They will have to keep up with that and try to get at least a point in each of their next games.
A key weakness in the team has been their inability to keep hold of their lead. The team has let in several late goals this season, affecting their chances of securing all 3 points. If they are to remain back in the PL, the Toons cannot continue to concede late goals in their next few matches.
Verdict: Not relegated
#2 Swansea City
Sitting in 14th with 31 points, Swansea City is three points ahead of 17th placed Crystal Palace. At this stage of the campaign, a victory would make a crucial difference in their standings.
Since the turn of the year, Swansea has lost just twice - to Tottenham and Brighton, and have managed to get 3 unlikely points against both Liverpool and Arsenal. Under new manager Carlos Carvalhal, the Welsh team seems to be making the best out of the opportunities in hand..
Out of the remaining eight matches, three will be against clubs from the top six - Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United. Given the amount of confidence they have in their manager and their game, Swansea will not go down easily without a fight.
The art of being confident in one's game can bring a team many points and it is important for the Swans to remain certain of their own capabilities and trust in one another. Aiding them forward in the competition will be their confidence, which will be the final push in their quest to remain in the PL.
At the same time, Swansea also have to win the matches they have against teams that are in the same battle as them, if they are to cement their postion. One major concern will be that Swansea still remain in the FA cup and a longer run in the cup brings with it more matches - they have to decide which is more important to them and make a choice.
A weakness Swansea City has is that the team has been extremely reliant on Jordan Ayew to score goals. The forward received a straight red in the latest match against Huddersfield and they failed to score in the game, drawing 0-0.
It was Premier League's fastest red of the season and he will miss the next 3 games. With the season nearing its end, Ayew will be sorely missed by the team. Swansea will have to quickly find a player who can score goals as frequently as Ayew, or at the very least find someone who can score goals.
Verdict: Not relegated
#3 Huddersfield
Newly promoted Huddersfield find themselves at peril of returning straight back to the Championship. The team has generally struggled against the bigger teams in the League, and has three of their remaining matches against clubs from the top six - Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City making up three of their last four matches.
Huddersfield has been having irregular performances this season. The team has beaten Bournemouth, Brighton and Watford in the competition, but has somehow managed to lose against West Ham on both occasions.
As a club that lacks Premier League experience, it is understandable that it has its jittery moments. Should The Terriers remain in the EPL the next season, the club will have to improve the depth of their squad.
Playing at the Kirklees Stadium on Saturday, the home team was unable to find the mark despite Swansea playing with ten men for the majority of the game over the weekend. This is a worrying sign for the team - they have scored only 25 goals but conceded double that number so far.
Regardless, the fighting spirit of the team should help lead them to safety.
Verdict: Not relegated
#4 West Ham
At times, West Ham is able to perform to the expectation of their fans and managers and on other occasions, the team falls short miserably. In the span of a week, David Moyes' team were smacked twice with a scoreline of 4-1, losing both games away from home.
However, the team has also shown what they are capable of - beating Watford and Huddersfield, and even holding Tottenham and Arsenal to a draw, while beating Chelsea. It is the lack of consistency in games that has led West Ham to its current position.
The Hammers have conceded an alarming number of goals this season. In their most recent match, the London club conceded three goals in the second half against Burnley - a team that is notoriously known for playing defensively.
An issue West Ham faces is this vulnerability in their defence (57 goals conceded) which has caused the drop of plenty of points and severely affected their performance.
A strength the team has is the talent it has in hand and the potential of its players. West Ham has experienced players who have played in the Premier League for years, as compared to players from Newcastle and Huddersfield.
As long as the team is able to perform consistently for the rest of the games, David Moyes' team is unlikely to go down.
Verdict: Not relegated
#5 Southampton
At the beginning of the 2016/17 season, Southampton played in the Europa League after Ronald Koeman's contribution in the 2015/16 season led them to the second straight season of enjoying European action. This season has been a stark contrast under Mauricio Pellegrino.
Not only will Southampton fail to have any European action next season, they will also have to expend enormous energy to just hold on to their spot in the Premier League. Southampton is the only club from the bottom five to have more draws than losses. Having drawn 13 games (12 losses), it is a testament to just how mediocre Southampton's season has been.
Despite having strikers such as Shane Long, Charlie Austin and Jay Rodriguez, Southampton has been facing challenges in finding the winning goal. The strength of the team can be found in its strikers but at the same time, the strikers have been the cause of Southampton's downfall this season.
The Saints have been struggling to find the net most of the time and it remains a problem even towards the end of the season.
The team lost 3-0 to Newcastle United on Saturday. The lack of ability in scoring while also conceding scrappy goals from unlikely positions have been characteristics of Southampton this season. Combined with their pitifully low confidence, it seems only to be a matter of time before they go down.
Verdict: Relegated
#6 Crystal Palace
Under new manager Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace has improved by leaps and bounds. After the first four matches of the campaign, Crystal Palace had no goals and no points. Hodgson then proceeded to lose his first three matches in charge, before leading Crystal Palace to a better position.
Although the team has been dropping points against the big teams, Crystal Palace has never gone down without a fight. The team has beaten Burnley and Watford, drew with Manchester City and almost secured a point against Manchester United - before Nemanja Matic scored a last minute screamer to seal all three points for the Red Devils.
Their hard work under Hodgson this season deserves the reward of staying in the EPL next season. Hodgson inherited a squad with extremely low confidence and as the season went by, he saw more and more of his players succumbing to long-term injuries.
That is a huge problem the team experiences. Many of their key players will be missing the rest of the season and this can be detrimental in their final run of games.
Hodgson did not have the best squad, but he has evoked revival in the Eagles, bringing the club back to life. Looking at the potential of players such as Wilfred Zaha and Christian Benteke, the London team does have the requisite talent among themselves.
Looking at the club's last eight matches (only Liverpool among the big six), Crystal Palace has the potential to get out of the relegation zone.
Verdict: Not relegated
#7 Stoke City
With the worst goal difference in the League so far, Stoke City has conceded 54 goals while only scoring 28. From 2013-2016, Stoke City finished ninth in the League and dropped to 13th in the 2016/17 season. Currently, their decline looks certain to continue.
The team has not won any match since beating Huddersfield in January. They have three matches in hand against the top six clubs - Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool and have a trip to on-form Swansea City.
The road ahead for Stoke looks filled with challenges and whether the team has the resolve to beat their opponents is in doubt. In fact, Stoke City may not even get any point from their last nine matches and are certain picks to get relegated.
The Potters have conceded far too many goals this season and the damage had long been inflicted before the sacking of Mark Hughes. New manager Paul Lambert has not done much to salvage the situation, as the team now find themselves second from bottom.
With the result all but finalized, Stoke City may drop further behind from the pack and soon be relegated. Although the team has great players such as Joe Allen, Xherdan Shaqiri, and even Jack Butland, the team has barely been able to string together good performances thi season.
While they have a game in hand (against league leaders Manchester City), it is almost certain that the Potters will not be getting any points and thus stay in the same miserable spot they do now.
Verdict: Relegated
