The Premier League has barely provided a relegation battle over the past two years, with all six promoted sides going straight back down to the Championship.Â
This season, however, is offering up a tense and tight struggle between several clubs down at the bottom of the table. We’ve looked at each of the teams involved and tried to assess which ones will stay up and who will go down.
The Relegation Battle: Which Premier League teams will go down?
15th: Leeds United (31 points)
Leeds are so close to safety they can almost smell it. A terrific mid-season run of form has lifted them to the top of the bottom rung of the table, six points above the dropzone.
The Whites still need about three more wins before they can relax, but their fixture schedule is pretty kind after they host Manchester City this weekend. Intriguingly, they play all of their relegation rivals, bar Nottingham Forest, in the final month of the season.
16th: Spurs (29pts)
Any notions that Tottenham Hotspur are ‘too big to go down” were thoroughly dispelled at the weekend. Losing to champions-elect Arsenal was no great shock, but the manner of it was alarming.
Spurs easily have the best squad of the teams in the bottom six, but look like they have absolutely nothing left in the tank. They are yet win a Premier League game in 2026 and don’t appear capable of changing that record. Their next two games – Fulham away and Crystal Palace at home – appear winnable, but no one would be surprised if they lost both of them.
Igor Tudor has come in as a firefighter, but he may have underestimated the task ahead of him.
17th: Nottingham Forest (27pts)
Forest are now on their fourth head coach of the season, which is never a sign of good health at a football club. Vitor Pereira saved Wolves from the drop last year, but can he repeat the trick again?
The Reds have a talented squad of players and they almost took a point from Liverpool at the weekend. But they also have the toughest run-in of their rivals; they still have to play City, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Manchester United before closing the season at the City Ground against Bournemouth.
Next month’s trip to Tottenham will prove crucial in their bid to stay up. Indeed, the loser may be the one exiting through the trap door.
18th: West Ham United (25pts)
This season has been a grim spectacle for so long for West Ham fans, but the last month has given way to hope. They have lost just one of their last six matches in the Premier League, a 3-2 turnover at Chelsea from which they arguably deserved at least a point based on their first-half display.
The Hammers have secured crucial wins over Spurs and Burnley in that period, and probably should have beaten United and Bournemouth in their most recent outings. Their run-in is a mixed bag, as they still have to face Liverpool, City, Villa, Arsenal and Newcastle, but they also play Fulham, Wolves, Palace, Everton and Leeds, who they host on the final day.
The vibes have definitely improved at the London Stadium, but they may have left it too late.
19th: Burnley (19pts)
This always felt like a one-and-done season for Burnley, but in fairness to them they have continued fighting for survival. This calendar year, they have managed to snag points from United, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea, and they staged a remarkable comeback to beat Palace earlier this month.
The Clarets still have to play Forest and Leeds, both away, before hosting Wolves on the final day, but even if they win those games the gap is simply too large.
20th: Wolves (10pts)
A miserable year for Wolves will end in their inevitable relegation from the Premier League. Their only goal for the rest of the season is to avoid breaking Derby County’s record low points total of 11.
Verdict: Wolves, Burnley and West Ham to go down.Â
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