Tottenham Hotspur are in a precarious position, with the Opta Supercomputer identifying them as a leading candidate for relegation from the Premier League.
The Supercomputer, which simulates the remaining fixtures of the season 10,000 times, gives Tottenham Hotspur a 59.4 per cent chance of being relegated to the Championship. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley have already been confirmed as going down.
West Ham United are also at risk, according to the Supercomputer, with a 37.3 per cent chance of relegation. Nottingham Forest and Leeds United are considered less likely to be relegated, with odds of 1.95 per cent and 1.22 per cent respectively.
Relegation Six-Pointers on the Horizon
The upcoming matches will be crucial in determining which teams will be relegated. Three of the teams closest to the final relegation spot will face at least one of their fellow candidates. Leeds are set to visit Tottenham on May 11, and then West Ham on the final day of the season, May 24.
Forest and West Ham also have the chance to drag Newcastle United into the struggle.
The Pressure of a Relegation Battle
The importance of these matches creates a unique atmosphere. Danny Higginbotham, a former defender who experienced Premier League relegation twice, describes the feeling as bizarre, likening the matches to “three cup finals left or four cup finals left”.
Robert Huth, another ex-defender who battled for top-tier survival, recalls a match between Leicester City and Burnley as “probably the worst game of football I’ve ever played in”. Huth explained: “You just don’t play with any freedom whatsoever because you know what’s at stake.”
Newcastle United’s Wobbly Form
Newcastle United, currently 14th and eight points clear of the drop, could be drawn into the relegation battle. They have lost nine of their past 12 games. Forest and West Ham have the chance to drag Newcastle into the struggle.
The games that will determine the relegation fight over the next 23 days are not normal ones.
The make-or-break nature of these fixtures means that teams do not necessarily follow their usual style of play in them.