It may have been a record-breaking weekend for goals in the Premier League, but it was also notable for some of the division’s so-called dead-men stirring back into life as two of the bottom three secured vital wins and dragged a clutch of clubs into the fight for survival.
It could be that clubs as far up as Newcastle in tenth position will be embroiled in a relegation battle, but I feel it will boil down to three clubs from six who will eventually go to the wire in the battle for Premier League salvation.
From the bottom up I will look at the six clubs who are in for a nail-biting finale to what has been a remarkable season in England’s top-flight.
WEST HAM
Avram Grant’s Hammers looked on course for the drop after being in the dreaded bottom spot at Christmas which historically means Championship football will be on the menu the following August (8/13 Relegation).
And after the midweek 3-1 win at Blackpool had them on the cusp of jumping out of the bottom three, they crashed 1-0 to drop rivals Birmingham at Upton Park on Sunday.
This has put the Londoners back on the foot of the table, albeit just two points from safety.
They have a massive game at fellow strugglers and managerless West Brom coming this weekend so will get another chance to try and break free from the shackles of the drop zone.
With the likes of Robbie Keane, Gary O’Neil, Wayne Bridge and Demba Ba all brought in last month, I can see the Hammers emulating West Brom’s 2005 antics and re-writing the history books by achieving the ‘Great Escape’ after being bottom at Christmas (6/5 To Stay Up).
WOLVES
Had I assessed the sides who I felt were destined for the drop two days ago then I would have made Mick McCarthy’s men absolute bankers (8/11 Relegation).
However, it is amazing how one result can shatter your way of thinking and Saturday’s stunning 2-1 win against Manchester United certainly did that.
The Molineux success not only ended Sir Alex Ferguson’s bid for a record 30-game unbeaten run, but it also ruined a fair few betting coupons of people hanging on that one last result!
On top of that it moved Wolves – who had gone into the match on the back of three successive defeats – off bottom spot and to within two points of 17th place.
They have a tough date at Arsenal to come this weekend, but a massive Black Country derby at West Brom follows, as does a home clash with Blackpool.
The outcome of those games could determine which division they are playing in next season (Evens To Stay Up).
WIGAN
Roberto Martinez’s side did their survival hopes the power of good with a 4-3 win against Lancashire rivals Blackburn at the DW Stadium on Saturday to follow up a valuable point picked up at fellow strugglers West Brom in midweek.
The win against Rovers was their first league success at the eighth time of asking and will have boosted their confidence for the coming games.
However, as they face Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City in the next three matches, they could be looking up at everyone else soon (4/7 Relegation).
WEST BROM
The Baggies are on the slippery slope following a fantastic return to the top-flight when they only lost twice in their opening nine games.
However, they have lost 13 of their last 18 matches, with Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester City leaving the side out of the bottom three by virtue of having a better goal difference than Wigan.
The defeat at Eastlands has also cost boss Roberto Di Matteo his job as Albion chairman Jeremy Peace revealed he had to act now to stop the rot and try and ensure his club do not live up to their ‘yo-yo’ tag by dropping back to the Championship after just one season in the top flight (1/2 To Stay Up).
The choice of new boss, with Sam Allardyce hotly tipped, will be crucial for their survival hopes.
They also have massive games against West Ham and derby rivals Wolves in the next two weeks and the results of those could make-or-break the Baggies’ season.
At the moment 6/4 for relegation looks a good bet.
BIRMINGHAM
Alex McLeish’s Blues have been unfortunate to slip into the relegation battle as they have been distracted by the weather, not to mention their run to the Carling Cup Final (11/4 Outright) and fifth round of the FA Cup.
They do have at least one game in hand on all of the teams around them, whilst also possessing the battling qualities needed to pull away from danger. These were displayed in the 1-0 win at West Ham on Sunday which followed the 2-2 draw against Manchester City at St Andrews in midweek.
Nikola Zigic seems to have finally found his feet in England, while new loan signing Obafemi Martins is still to come into the fold.
They will be the first to admit they draw too many home games, but I would be astonished if the Blues are relegated this season (7/2 Relegation).
BLACKPOOL
As much as it pains me to do this, I am afraid that Ian Holloway’s Seaside entertainers have got to be included in the main contenders for relegation this season.
They were written off before a ball had even been kicked, but Blackpool have produced some exceptional results this season, with five away wins so far and a league ‘double’ over Liverpool the highlight (Seasiders 8/15 To Stay Up).
However, since the second win against Kenny Dalglish’s Reds, the Tangerines have lost five games on the bounce to slip to within two points of the bottom three.
They have conceded 16 goals in those games and this is not a major surprise given that they refuse to shut up shop at any point in matches and appear to have a ‘we’ll score more goals than you’ attitude.
While this might have worked for them earlier in the season, it is now catching up with them and if Holloway continues playing the same tactics then the curtain could come down on Blackpool this May as far as Premier League football is concerned (11/8 Relegation).
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