20th: Sheffield United. Current position: 20th. Nothing much to say here, despite hiring former managerial darling Chris Wilder, the ‘Blades’ will continue to prop up the table. It is still an improvement over the early stages of the season, as there were whispers they would go on to be the worst team in history but they are just 1 win (2 points) away from eclipsing that all time mark with 15 games to go.
19th: Burnley. Current position: 19th. Similar to the team below them, they just simply do not have the quality or depth to compete at this level, at least not yet. They have persisted with young manager Vincent Kompany, which I think is the correct decision but they will be relegated without much of a fight. They will be back sooner rather than later.
18th: Crystal Palace. Current position: 14th. Their survival hinges largely on this fitness of their two talismans, winger Michael Olise and midfielder Eberechi Eze. When fit, these two produce more than enough magic to keep palace in the division, but sadly they have suffered various injuries all season. Yet again both are currently out, with Olise expected to miss at least two more months. Without them I expect them to put up a fight but just lack enough quality to stay up. Their fight will last much longer than the previous two however but their prolonged stay in the top flight will finally come to an end.
17th: Nottingham Forest. Current position: 16th. Pending on the punishments handed down by the league to them and Everton (again) for FFP (Financial Fair Play) breaches, their position here could be arbitrary because a hefty points deduction will almost certainly see them finish last. However as I will be basing these predictions on no further points sanctions, think they will be just about be safe. If palace didn’t rely on their two best and oft-injured players to such an extent, I would actually have forest going down instead. However, without them, I expect forest to be able to outgun palace and stay up.
16th: Luton Town. Current position: 17th. They may have even less premier league level quality than any other team in the league, but they seem to have a level of grit and determination that no other side in the division has. They have been in almost every game they have played in this season, only losing by more than one goal once since August. As a result I see them being able to pull off survival.
15th: Brentford. Current position: 15th. The return of Ivan Toney from a year long ban could not have come at a better time, with Brentford struggling for form and goals. Striker Yoane Wissa missing throughout January due to international duty only compounded their lack of strikers, with Kevin Schade and Bryan Mbeumo sorely missed through injury. With star man Toney back however, I expect him to provide enough firepower for Brentford to survive.
14th: Everton. Current position: 18th. Everton are only so low due to their FFP based punishment; a 10 point deduction. Without it they would be comfortably mid-table, and I expect the continuation of such form to be enough for them end up on the lower side of mid-table. Sean Dyche’s side has one of the better defensive records in the division, and this stability will propel them out of trouble.
13th: Fulham. Current position: 13th. Their ‘yo-yo’ nature should see them remain mid table, as they follow great performances with abject ones, and thus this should result in a fairly average league position. Fulham are a wildly inconsistent side, having taken 4 out of a possible 6 points from title challengers Arsenal, while giving another title- challenging side, Liverpool, a real scare at Anfield in December in a 4-3 loss. In fact, they followed up that inspiring performance with a pair of 5-0 wins. After that, they proceeded to lose their next three games by a combined score of 8-0, before beating Arsenal 2-1, which remains the gunners’ last league defeat as of writing. Nuff’ said.
12th: Bournemouth. Current position: 12th. Similar to Fulham, but maybe with a bit less talent but slightly more consistency. New manager Andoni Iraola has his side playing good, fearless football, and they have shown they can go toe to toe with anyone on their day. However, a relative lack of quality has been their undoing on a few occasions and thus they will finish as a decidedly average team.
11th: Chelsea. Current position: 11th. For all the money spent, Chelsea remain totally mediocre. They have held the top 3 to draws at home this season, but have also gone an entire month without a league goal. In fairness, the sheer number of new signings and their relative inexperience (talented as they are perceived to be, several of Chelsea’s main players are 23 and under) means they are still very much a work in progress and thus unlikely to really climb up the table.