The Premier League relegation race is the closest it has ever been, with just four points separating 12th and 20th heading into the final few games of the season.
Crystal Palace, now reunited with Roy Hodgson, sit 12th on 27 points despite not having won this calender year. Wolves are just below them on goal difference, while Leeds United, Everton and Nottingham Forest all sit one point behind the pair.
Shock relegation candidates Leicester City are hovering just above the relegation zone with 25 points to their name, while West Ham and Bournemouth occupy two of the three relegation places with 24 points, though the Hammers have at least one game in hand on every side above them.
Bringing up the rear is Southampton, and it is the Saints that the most recent supercomputer prediction, done by data experts Gracenote, predict are the most likely to spend next season in the Championship.
Though they believe that 39 points will be enough to secure survival, Gracenote give Ruben Selles’ side a 73% chance of being relegated.
Also heavily fancied to drop down to the second tier of English football are Bournemouth, despite their impressive win over Liverpool before the international break.
Data specialists Gracenote predict that 39 points will be enough to stay in the Premier League this year. Current chances of relegation here: pic.twitter.com/jhOT1AWOeV
— Gary Taphouse (@garytaphouse) March 30, 2023
Steve Cooper’s side face Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton and Brentford in April, as well as Arsenal and Chelsea in May, and by Gracenote’s prediction they still need to find 13 points from their remaining 11 games.
Their fate will likely be decided by the relegation six-pointers that they face against Wolves and Leeds, as well as fellow strugglers Crystal Palace and Southampton, with wins in all four almost guaranteeing survival.
Despite their poor league positions and form, West Ham and Leicester are given just an 18% and 17% chance of relegation, which will come as music to the ears of the fans of both underperforming sides.
