With five games and 15 points to play for, it still look likes QPR and Reading are going to go down. 10 points adrift of safety, both clubs best prepare for life in the second tier next season.
But above them there is much to play for with Wigan, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Stoke and Norwich all hoping to avoid the last relegation place.
Even Newcastle, Southampton and West Ham are no guaranteed safety yet – but those three can be considered to have one foot in next season’s Premier League.
Norwich - 35 pts (goal difference of -21)
Norwich City are currently on 35 points, just four points above 18th placed Wigan who have a game in hand.
Chris Hughton’s side do have an encouraging run in however – at least on paper. Today’s fixture sees them host Reading who are pretty much down, followed by home games against West Brom and Aston Villa between away trips to Stoke and a final day clash against Manchester City at the Etihad.
The Canaries would have been confident of picking up three points today but their form has been poor as they try to end a six game winless run.
But if they beat the Royals at Carrow Road, they will almost certainly put one foot onto safe ground, with a further three points from their last four games surely securing survival.
Sunderland – 34 pts (goal difference –8)
The mood has changed at the Stadium of Light since Paolo Di Canio’s arrival. But it was the 3 – 0 derby win over Newcastle that will provide an all-important confidence boost which they can carry into the last five games.
Like Norwich, the Black Cats have some winnable games with which to claw some points.
Today’s game is quite tricky however as they host Champions League-chasing Everton. But after that their fixture list sees them take on Aston Villa (away), Stoke and Southampton (both home) and another Top Four contender, Tottenham at White Hart Lane on the final day.
Getting at least two wins from the three games between the Everton and Tottenham clashes will be key as they are among Sunderland’s closest rivals for relegation.
Stoke – 34pts (goal difference –13)
Tony Pulis probably did not expect his physical side to tumble into the relegation dog fight. But he will now have to face up to potential disaster on the back of poor goalscoring form, reports of unrest and a run of nine defeats in 12 games which leaves them just three points above Wigan.
The fortunate thing for Stoke is the fact that they also have some winnable games in the final stretch. However only two will take place at fortress Britannia and even so their form at home has tailed off recently.
Today, the Potters face QPR and even though Harry Redknapp’s side are surely relegated, Stoke will be looking for just their second away win of the season, which does not bode well for the club.
They also face tricky away trips to Southampton and Sunderland, while they will also host Norwich and Tottenham.
If they have any hope of staying up, beating QPR and getting something against Norwich in their next two fixtures is a necessity, otherwise the situation will start to get out of hand.
Aston Villa – 34pts (goal difference -24)
Paul Lambert’s young side have managed to pick up four wins from their last eight matches to leave them in with a chance of safety.
But the manager will rue the fact that they failed to hold on a for a win at home to Fulham last weekend which would have left them five points above Wigan.
It is especially significant as they will find it incredibly difficult to get anything from Old Trafford on Monday as the Reds look to end the title race as soon as possible.
Their final four games will see Aston Villa play Di Canio’s Sunderland (home), Norwich (away), Chelsea (home) and Wigan (away) – a tough run of fixtures. Realistically they will need to pick up at least six points during that run which makes the games against Sunderland, Norwich and Wigan must-win games.
Whether Villa’s young side can cope with that pressure will go a long way to deciding whether they can stay up.
Wigan – 31pts (goal difference – 21)
Wigan have the advantage of a game in hand on the teams around them. But they also have the distraction of a first FA Cup final in May.
That division of attention could easily see them relegated in tandem with the tough fixtures they face although they have been in this situation on an annual basis.
The Latics face a difficult trip to West Ham today, while they must also face top half teams like Tottenham, West Brom, Swansea and Arsenal before the final day clash with Aston Villa.
Last season Roberto Martinez inspired wins over Manchester United and Arsenal to secure safety and they will need to perform similarly this season to give themselves a chance before they face a proverbial six pointer with Villa.
