With ten games to go in the Premier League the title race is over, and any thoughts of teams overtaking Liverpool – despite that first loss of the season – are ludicrous. The Reds win the title, and all that is left to sort out are the European spots and relegation. The latter is turning out to be an exciting run-in, mainly since a couple of teams who we thought were going to stay up are in trouble, and some that we felt were doomed look like making a late bid for safety.
In light of that, we are going to look at each team in turn, predicting whether they will go down or stay up, and whether the bookmakers have it wrong. The latest odds are supplied by Bournemouth AFC’s principal sponsors Mansion, whose casino games you can now play here in South Africa. Obviously, it goes without saying that the price can change. But all info is correct at the time of writing.
Newcastle United 13/2
Credit must go to Steve Bruce for all but leading Newcastle to safety with ten games to spare. He manages one of the weakest squads in the Premier League, and he will get the couple of wins required to see him through the season unscathed. Don’t waste your money; Bruce will keep the Magpies flying in the Premier League.
Brighton 9/4
Just one point off safety and no wins in the bank since 28th December; Brighton look like they are in deep trouble. In addition, an awful run of fixtures is on the horizon against Wolves, Leicester, Arsenal and Manchester United don’t look like yielding more points. 9/4 is a cracking price for a team that seems doomed.
West Ham 7/4
The Hammers’ fans might not love boss David Moyes, nor has he delivered the results he promised. But they have far too much quality in their ranks to go down. West Ham have none of the top three (Liverpool, Man City, Leicester) in their finals three games, and a decent fixture list should see them through until the end. Expect Moyes to be sacked again, however.
Watford 5/2
While many were surprised at the 3-0 win Watford recorded over Liverpool; the team has progressed under Nigel Pearson. A kind fixture list, which sees Watford only come up against three teams in the top eight, should offer enough chances for Watford to get the points required. More importantly, however, The Hornets are arguably playing the best football of any team in the relegation battle.
Bournemouth 4/5
It would be a shame to see Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth leave the Premier League, as the manager has always set his team up to play attractive football. However, The Cherries find themselves in trouble at the moment in the relegation zone, albeit only behind Watford on goal difference. Bournemouth possibly have the worst run-in of all teams, playing every member of the current top seven except for Chelsea. However, Howe has the experience to navigate these choppy waters and can keep Bournemouth up at the expense of Aston Villa (see below).
Aston Villa 5/9
Two points off safety, but crucially with one game in hand, Villa have frustrated all season. Capable of sublime football one minute, the ridiculous the next. Villa’s fixture list is almost as tough as Bournemouth’s, but the south-coast side has more experience and, one would argue, nous. Villa go down in a blaze of glory.
Norwich City 2/25
An easy one this: Norwich City will be in the Championship for the 2020/21 season. Some good results peppered their season, notably that crazy game against Manchester City. However, the quality was never enough for Norwich to stay up. At least they played in the right spirit.
