Premier League relegation debated as bottom nine separated by just five points
You can throw a blanket over the bottom nine teams in the Premier League right now.
Actually you can throw a tea towel.
The weekend's results have ensured that the bottom half of the table has become even more congested, with 11th placed Aston Villa looking down on the chaos underneath them.
Villa sit on 35 points, eight ahead of Crystal Palace in 12th. Then just five points separate Palace from the basement-dwelling Southampton.
It's a remarkable state of affairs, and one that ensures that pretty much everyone has a different opinion on who will go down this season.
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But what do our Mirror Football team think?
It's big debate time.
John Cross
This is the unhappiest, most miserable prediction of all.
So, here goes: I think Southampton, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest will go down.
I feel so bad for Southampton as I really like the club, they’ve tried to do things differently, have a good stadium, brilliant training ground and make bold appointments.
We’ve also discovered that Ralph Hasenhuttl was perhaps a much better manager than he got credit for. They’ve struggled since he left and have gone into further decline.
Bournemouth. Have you seen their squad? Gary O’Neil has done a super job keeping them in contention because it does look like a Championship set of players.
The new ownership will obviously make changes but they should stick with the manager as he’s given them a chance.
Finally, I fear Forest will get sucked back in. It’s about goals. They’ve done so well under Steve Cooper. Brennan Johnson is a Premier League player and will be in the top flight next year.
But I fear, despite the brilliant atmosphere at The City Ground, they will go, too.
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Brennan Johnson should still be in the top-flight even if Nottingham Forest aren't (AP)Andy Dunn
Two teams with the wrong sort of momentum at the moment are Leicester City and Crystal Palace and they will be the surprise casualties come the end of the season.
I was at the King Power on Saturday and it looked like the Foxes’ defence had downed tools in support of the watching Gary Lineker.
And with nerves taking a grip in the run-in, that defence is not going to get any more secure.
Palace can’t buy a win and that is not going to change over the next two games.
Nottingham Forest’s away form is so dreadful, they are still in serious danger but should just scrape together enough points at home to stay up.
Leeds United have a spirited bunch that will save themselves and the same can be said of Bournemouth, who will be seriously buoyed by the win over Liverpool.
And that will leave Southampton to join Leicester and Palace on the way down.
Mike Walters
Sorry, Saints, but for every glimmer of hope - winning at Chelsea, a point at Old Trafford - there have been too many nadirs.
Three managers in a season was never a recipe for survival, and after the debacle of Nathan Jones' treatment, and the FA Cup shock at Grimsby's hands, Southampton still have it all to do.
Bournemouth is a great day out, especially when the sun shines and there's time for a walk along the beach before kick-off, but they leak too many goals.
Nobody has conceded more than the Cherries' 51 in 26 Premier League games, and two goals per game at the wrong end is unsustainable.
As for West Ham... they were supposedly too good to go down in 2003, when the likes of David James, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick and Paolo Di Canio slipped into the Championship. And this team is not as good as the one relegated 20 years ago.
Every time you think Leeds, Everton or Leicester should be finishing below the Hammers, along comes the next disappointment.
Manager David Moyes is convinced they have good players who will stay up, but has he seen the league table?
Do West Ham actually realise they are in a relegation battle? And will they wake up before it's too late?
West Ham have stumbled into a relegation battle (Getty Images)Neil McLeman
Leeds have been doomed since selling their two best players - Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha - last summer.
Ruben Selles has brought clarity and coherence to Southampton but it is too late and the club’s failed transfer policy has left them without enough Premier League nous.
The third team is harder to pick. Bournemouth have looked doomed all season but Gary O’Neil’s innovative coaching is starting to pay dividends. With Steve Cooper at Forest a candidate for Coach of the Year, it leaves an established Premier League side facing the drop.
Crystal Palace have failed to register a shot on target in three matches and face away games at Brighton and Arsenal this week while Everton also have a goal problem. West Ham surely have enough good players to get out of trouble before parting with David Moyes this summer.
But Leicester City are in freefall with five consecutive defeats in all competitions while scoring only twice and a visit to Brentford to come on Saturday which could see them in the drop zone for the international break.
That would only increase the pressure on Brendan Rodgers for the rest of a troubled campaign where Leicester’s transfer dealings have finally caught up with them.
Ben Husband
Before the Premier League resumed, I thought around 28 points may be enough to survive, such was the dearth of quality at the bottom. That quality hasn't necessarily increased, but the sheer volume of teams means it is now looking like the magic could be closer to 38 to securing survival.
Bournemouth have really thrown the cat amongst the pigeons in recent weeks, but I still think they'll be one of the three to drop.
Southampton have also improved since ending the ill-advised Nathan Jones experience, however, they are still one of the three worst teams and will go. And it is a case of throwing a dart at the board for the final relegated side, I'm going for Leeds though. The Javi Gracia appointment doesn't inspire confidence and that could see them just about fall short.
Southampton may have given themselves too much to do (AFP via Getty Images)Matt Maltby
It's a hard one to call, given how many teams are down there and playing badly, but Southampton and Bournemouth seem two obvious picks for relegation.
The third team to go down? Crystal Palace are in BIG trouble, having failed to win this year. Saturday's defeat by Manchester City increased their winless run to 10 league games and Patrick Vieira is in real danger of losing his job.
The Eagles' spiral towards the relegation scrap isn't a huge surprise either. Despite boasting an array of attacking stars, including Wilfried Zaha, Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze, they have struggled for goals this season.
To rub salt into their wounds, they've not registered a shot on target in their last three games. While their relegation rivals are scraping wins, Palace can't even muster a meaningful attack.
It doesn't get any easier either. Next up for them are away trips to rivals Brighton and leaders Arsenal. Lose those and Palace could find themselves in the bottom three.
You could argue that once those games are out the way, they've got a favourable run of games on paper, but the way Palace have been playing since the new year shows that their confidence is shot. Vieira needs to get back to the basics - but it might be too late.
Palace have failed to register a shot on target in each of their last three matches (AP)Darren Wells
I said it would be Everton, Southampton and Bournemouth who would be sent to the Championship at the start of the season, but I'm struggling to see a way out now for Leeds. They've got some tough games to come and have struggled to cling onto points despite some good performances.
Southampton are sparking a mini revival but I feel this really is their time to go with them rooted to the bottom of the table.
Bournemouth's win over Liverpool was just reward after going so close against Arsenal last week, but their form is so inconsistent and their lack of firepower leads me to think they won't pick up enough points to keep them safe.
I'd back Everton to survive now, purely as Sean Dyche will make them tough to beat and they can grind out results, though I'd imagine they will still be in the mix towards the final day.
The only caveat could be Leicester, who seem to be in freefall and despite the old adage, really aren't too good to go down.
Tom Victor
This will sound like a cop-out, but the ridiculously close relegation fight won’t rely on intangibles like who wants it more or who has the most fight. Instead it will rely on who keeps their key men fit and, potentially, who has the most luck.
Not a single one of the teams in trouble is too good to go down, but at the same time none of them are too bad to stay up. Leeds stayed up with 38 points last season, but a congested bottom half could mean the survival total is even lower this term.
I’m going to suggest Southampton will end up occupying one of the spots, simply on the basis that their new manager bounce has kept them in touch but not lifted them off the bottom. I’m also tipping Leeds to stay up on the grounds that, with the return of Rodrigo, they have a striker who can get them the goals they need.
As for the other two spots? I’d be stunned if it doesn’t go down to the final day, where Everton host Bournemouth and Leicester welcome West Ham. The losers of those games will go down, and it will be as tense as you’d expect.
Bournemouth earned a fine win against Liverpool on Saturday (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Colin Millar
Nine clubs remain within one round of results of ending up in the drop zone and despite being 12th, Crystal Palace are now in real danger.
Palace are the first Premier League club to go three matches without having a shot on target since data began being recorded two decades ago, while they did not even have an effort go off-target in their loss against Manchester City. They have forgotten how to attack.
They are now 11 games without a win and have scored just six goals in that run – they are in a rut and Wilfried Zaha aside, there is no goal scoring threat. Odsonne Edouard (three goals) is their second highest league scorer – the last of which came in October.
Everton have improved immeasurably under Sean Dyche with three home victories to nil, they are not the rudderless mess which he inherited from his predecessor.
Yet, like Palace, lack of goals is a huge issue. Their next three games are Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United – if they fail to pick up points in that run, their fragile confidence may take a huge hit.
Leeds are on the worst run of form in the division – winning just once in their last 13 league matches – with instability in the dugout and a lack of quality on the pitch. As with every other side they are a string of wins away from salvation, but on their current trajectory – the Yorkshire side are in deep trouble.
Kieran King
This year’s relegation battle is anticipated to be the tightest ever with nine teams fighting it out to stay in the Premier League.
Despite their recent up-turn in form, I don’t see Southampton staying up. They haven’t got enough quality and cutting edge in the final third to score enough goals - with just two in their last four matches.
The same could be said about Leicester of late, although their defence has been nothing short of a shambles, having last kept a Premier League clean sheet in November.
The Foxes are sleep-walking towards relegation and I just don’t see them staying up given the way they are playing right now.
Meanwhile, the third side I have tipped to go down is Nottingham Forest. Steve Cooper’s side are a disgrace away from home, conceding a mammoth 32 times in 13 matches and scoring just four goals in the process.
Although Forest have got a decent home record, I don’t see them picking up enough points at the City Ground to stay up ahead of their rivals.
Leicester have been in dreadful form of late (Getty Images)Alan Smith
Despite Saturday's impressive win Bournemouth look to have the least amount of quality in their squad and that is almost always the decisive factor when it comes to relegation. That Gary O'Neil has even given them a chance of survival is an achievement.
While Crystal Palace may remain 12th, their form since the turn of the year is beyond alarming. They have been defensively solid for the most part but a run of 291 minutes without a single shot on target is an unwanted record that speaks volumes for why they remain winless since December.
Then there is Nottingham Forest, who have so many options that Steve Cooper is still unable to figure out a strongest XI. They have landed blows at home but have been awful on the road and recent performance levels are worrying.
Everton's away form under Sean Dyche has been poor (AFP via Getty Images)Mark Jones
Ruben Selles is quite a cool bloke isn't he? Or maybe he's just benefitting from not being the deeply uncool Nathan Jones, but either way I like him.
I think he can keep Southampton up too.
They may be bottom right now but it is so tight among those nine clubs that doesn't really mean anything, and their run-in looks relatively kind to me.
So they're not going down, and for all their issues I can't really see Leicester or West Ham going either. Crystal Palace are the current crisis club but they'll remember how to shoot soon, and Wolves are more than decent and will probably be the first of the nine to pull to safety.
So that brings us down to four, and while there was lots to like about Bournemouth at the weekend I can still see them going, along with Nottingham Forest who not many people seem to be talking about but are shocking on the road.
That leaves it between Everton and Leeds for the final spot, and it will be all about being brave.
Everton might have scraped some useful 1-0 home wins under Sean Dyche but there is a severe lack of creativity there, and while Leeds aren't perfect they might just have enough going forward to pick up useful points.
So Everton, Forest and Bournemouth then, which is exactly what I said in August.
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