EPL Relegation 2017: Who Survives & Who Doesn’t?
For some Barclays Premier League fans, they are cheering for their club to propel closer to a league title, European top four finish, or mid-table finish. For others they are anxiously waiting to see their club retain their Premier League status for next season.
In 2015–16, we saw the likes of Norwich City, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa are plunge from England’s top-flight to the EFL Championship. We also saw the likes of Sunderland, Bournemouth, and Crystal Palace stave off relegation and stay in the top domestic league in the world.
With only 14 matches remaining this Premier League campaign, I decided to take a look at the current bottom three as well as a close competitor to see who stays up and who drops down at the end of the season. With the bottom six teams split by only two points, it could make the final months of the season one of the toughest relegation battles in recent history.
20th: Sunderland A.F.C. — 19 points
First, I start with Sunderland who have been surviving relegation fights since the 2012–13 campaign. David Moyes was brought in as manager to hopefully keep Sunderland away from the bottom three for the span of the season. Sadly after 24 matches, that has not been the case with the Black Cats sitting bottom. Their -18 goal differential is the third worst in the league, with their 24 goals scored tied for third worst as well. Out of those 24 league goals, striker Jermain Defoe leads them with 14 alone. He has helped get Sunderland out of messes in the past, but he needs help this season. I feel players like Adnan Januzaj, Didier Ndong, Victor Anichebe, and Fabio Borini will need to provide some goals for Sunderland to survive. A 4–0 thrashing of Crystal Palace on Saturday was a huge lift, but when it’s all said and done I don’t see Sunderland having enough talent to stay up. The Black Cats nine lives’ finally run out after saving them in the past.
19th: Crystal Palace F.C. — 19 points.
After barely surviving last season under Alan Pardew, Palace see themselves struggling for results in 2017. They sacked Pardew before Boxing Day, and hired Sam Allardyce as manager who has never been relegated as a Premier League manager. Since taking over in South London, Allardyce and Palace are 2–2–6 in all competitions. Their 45 goals conceded are the third-most in the league, while they are not scoring goals consistently too. Striker Christian Benteke leads the bunch with nine league goals, with midfielder James McArthur sitting second with five. The Deadline Day signings of Patrick van Aanholt from Sunderland should help with their distribution, while Mamadou Sakho should bolster their backline. Wilfried Zaha’s talent out-wide will be a key for Palace going forward. The Ivorian has returned after African Cup duty, and is a deadly attacking winger. Selhurst Park also provides a great atmosphere when the fans back the team, and could help Allardyce’s side sneak some results. I think Palace has enough to stay up but does not finish higher than 15th in the table.
18th: Hull City F.C. — 20 points.
One of the questions circling around Hull City after gaining promotion was “would they be able to score enough goals”? 24 matches in, the Tigers have 22 goals which is second worst in the E.P.L. Portuguese manager Marco Silva was brought in on January 5th after Mike Phelan was sacked. Since taking over, Silva has a 4–1–3 record in all competitions, with league wins over Liverpool and Bournemouth. The team however was eliminated of the League Cup and F.A. Cup to Manchester United and Fulham respectively. With midfielder Robert Snodgrass leaving for West Ham prior to Deadline Day, it leaves Hull with a huge hole for production. Striker Abel Hernandez leads the team with three goals, while Oumar Niasse and Alfred N’Diaye have impressed since joining. Plus, the added negativity of management and fans feuding on the club’s future doesn’t help the Tigers cause. When I look at Hull’s roster, I don’t see any game-changers or top players, which is why I don’t see them staying up this season.
17th: Swansea City F.C. — 21 points.
Swansea City are the third side I see going down this season, after failure to get any real consistency. Former Derby County boss Paul Clement was hired on January 3rd to succeed Bob Bradley and Francesco Guidolin before him. Since joining, Clement has a 3–3 record in six matches in all competitions. The main problem with Swansea is the amount of goals they have conceded. 54 goals is the most goals conceded by a team so far this season, and that continues to be an issue. Goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski has been solid this season, but the constant rotation of his defenders has been an issue. Three players have starred for Swansea so far and will be relied on for any kind of survival. Midfielder Glyfi Sigurdsson (eight goals, seven assists) midfielder Leroy Fer (six goals), and striker Fernando Llorente (eight goals) have all carried Swansea so far. The question will be for the remaining of the season is who will also provide for Swansea to survive? Luciano Narsingh is the main answer after joining from Dutch Giants PSV. However, with their defensive problems still occurring, Swansea will also go down with Hull and Sunderland.
Overall, this was a fun process looking at the other main fight going on in the Barclays Premier League. Be sure to check back on “West of the Pond” for more news, stories, and opinions about the E.P.L.
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