Relegation will be costly
TIME is fast running out for West Brom, Stoke and Southampton to save themselves from the trap door of Premier League relegation and the drastic loss of revenue it entails.
With Manchester City having already been crowned Premier League champions with five games to spare, and Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur looking well set to join them in the Champions League next season, attention has turned to the other end of the table for the final weeks of the season.
Despite their heroics in beating United 1-0 at Old Trafford last weekend to gift City the title, West Brom could become the first side mathematically relegated this weekend should results not go their way.
The Baggies host Liverpool today where defeat, allied to Swansea avoiding a similar fate away to City tomorrow, would confirm their fate.
However, four points from their last two games under interim manager Darren Moore has at least kept West Brom alive and matched the points tally they got in their final 11 games of Alan Pardew’s ill-fated fourmonth spell in charge.
“He’s made everybody believe that they’re good players and that they can do the things that he’s asking them to do,” added Brunt.
Stoke are also approaching the last chance saloon as they sit five points adrift of safety with just four games left to save themselves.
With a trip to Anfield to come next weekend, tomorrow’s home clash with Burnley is virtually a must-win for Paul Lambert’s men.
“I must have walked under a ladder or broken a mirror, because I’ve had no luck whatsoever,” added Lambert.
Southampton inched to within four points of Swansea with a 0-0 stalemate at Leicester on Thursday, but are in FA Cup semi-final action this weekend against Chelsea.
City may already be champions, but with Premier League points and goals records still well within their reach, they could do the bottom three a big favour against Swansea at the Etihad.
Crystal Palace and West Ham enjoy a cushion over the bottom three, but also still need points to guarantee their place in the top flight next season.
Palace travel to a Watford side that has taken just one point from their last five matches.
Meanwhile, West Ham’s chances of a shock win at Arsenal will be boosted by Gunners’ boss Arsene Wenger admitting his side’s focus will be on a Europa League semifinal against Atletico Madrid four days later. Fixtures
Today: West Brom v Watford v Crystal Palace.
Tomorrow: Stoke v Burnley, Arsenal v West Ham, Man City v Swansea. — Liverpool,