'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Relegation is the worst thing that can happen to any club, especially one playing in the English Premier League. Not only does it mean huge losses in revenue, but it also means a loss in prestige and honour.
Relegation also leads to instability and players not wanting to stay. So avoiding it or even postponing it for a season makes a lot of difference.
Currently, in the Premier League, Newcastle is 14th and 10 points clear of the relegation zone. With 10 games left for most teams, it can be assumed that they are safe. But the same cannot be said about the teams below them.
Let's look at these five teams in the Premier League staring at the possibility of relegation.
Brentford
Brentford are the best-placed team in the relegation battle. They are 6 points ahead of the relegation zone. Perhaps the best thing for them is that they have four games against teams below them left. Two or three positive results would definitely ensure their safety.
The situation could have been very different had their start to the season not been as good as it was. Before they beat Norwich last week, they were on a terrible run of form.
Ivan Toney's return to form augurs well for them. The signing of Christian Eriksen can also help a lot.
Leeds United
Although Leeds are just below Brentford, they are in a lot more trouble. Only 2 points off the relegation spots, they have played two and three games more than Burnley and Everton below them, respectively.
All the excitement from the last season has disappeared. The worst thing about them is their defence, which keeps conceding goal after goal. They have let through a whopping 64 goals so far, more than anyone in the league.
Nothing seems to be going right at Elland Road at the moment. They even had to sack Marcelo Bielsa, who used to command God-like admiration from fans earlier.
New manager Jesse Marsch has the unenviable task of sorting things out as fast as possible. Things have been made worse by the fact that they have had constant injuries the whole season. The return to fitness of main goalscorer Patrick Bamford might give them a much-needed boost in their remaining matches of the Premier League.
Everton
Everton have never been relegated in the Premier League era. This is a season that might change that. Even though they have a squad that has enough quality to stay up, nothing seems to be working for them. Even a new manager and new players in the January window haven't changed things.
Everton do have the most games left and a few good results might change the tide. Even then, it is difficult to see how they can break out of the rut. A good win can change the entire momentum but the fixture list makes it difficult to envisage any such positive result.
In their remaining games, they play six of the current top 10 in the table. To make matters worse, they could get sanctioned because of the Premier League's sustainability rules which they have fallen foul of.
Burnley
Even though Burnley are in the relegation zone and have been for a long time, it really doesn't feel like they will get relegated. This might be because of how many times Sean Dyche and his men have avoided relegation in the past.
Summer signing Wout Weghorst has also been extremely influential since joining. Their fixtures aren't particularly great but there are definitely a couple of games in there that they can win. Given how tight the relegation battle is, just three or four points from these games could be massive.
Burnley are in form as well, having lost only three of their last nine league games. If the Clarets do manage to pull it off again, it will be a remarkable achievement. Dyche has done wonders with a very average squad at the top level and if they stay up, they deserve to be lauded for it.
Watford
Watford have had positive moments throughout the season but overall, it has been underwhelming yet again. The 4-1 win against Manchester United was a high point but their performances from the end of 2021 through to the beginning of 2022 were dreadful.
Although they have a number of decent players, non-stop managerial changes do not permit any sort of stability. Given the past seasons as well, it just doesn't look like they have the character to grind and stay up.
Coming to their fixtures, it's a mixed bag. While they have games against Liverpool, City, and Chelsea left, there are also games against Leeds, Brentford, Everton, and Burnley. It remains to be seen whether they can improve enough to stay up.
Norwich
Norwich have looked doomed since the start of the season. The fact that they are only 5 points from safety is quite surprising. The truth is that their squad just isn't good enough to keep them up.
They are full of Championship-level and inexperienced players that they signed up last summer. The most bizarre thing about Norwich is the difference in their performances in the Championship and the Premier League.
Every time they are in the second division, they win it with ease. But upon being promoted, they look clueless and more often than not, the teams who were behind them in the championship, finish ahead of them in the Premier League. This consistency is something they must look to change.
