Bournemouth, Watford, Villa and (maybe) West Ham face a day full of exciting, nerve-wracking tensions on SURVIVAL SUNDAY … but which two will sadly say goodbye to the Premier League?
- The relegation battle in the Premier League continues until the last day on Sunday
- Norwich is already down, but two more teams will fall into the championship
- West Ham needs only one point from the two remaining games to be safe
- Aston Villa’s win over Arsenal has put them in a much better position
- Watford fell into the bottom three spots on Tuesday and now needs a favor
- Bournemouth has to win on Sunday and hopes two results will go their way
It will be a Sunday afternoon with nerve-wracking tension, with every twist that is bound to fail for someone and with blessed relief for someone else.
The relegation battle in the Premier League will continue until the end of this weekend. Two clubs will fall through the trap door into the championship together with Norwich.
And in these difficult times it’s not just about first-class prestige, it’s also about the high financial toll that will result from leaving these elite 20 clubs.
Norwich’s descent has already been confirmed, but for those connected to Bournemouth, Watford, Aston Villa and West Ham, “Survival Sunday” promises to be a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Sportsmail takes a look at each of the clubs and what they need to do to stay awake.
Aston Villa’s victory over Arsenal changed the way relegation battle looked
What the relegation battle looks like before the last and decisive game round on Sunday
How can West Ham stay up?
Back-to-back wins over Norwich and Watford mean West Ham and are almost there. If they score one or all three points against Manchester United on Wednesday night, they can relax on the last day.
They are currently three points ahead of the 18th, but they have this – albeit difficult – game in hand and a clearly superior goal difference compared to those below.
The Hammers only need one point from their remaining two games – United away on Wednesday and the home game against Aston Villa on Sunday – to be absolutely sure.
West Ham needs only one point from the remaining two games to ensure their survival
An enthusiastic David Moyes and captain Mark Noble after West Ham’s decisive victory over Watford
How can Aston Villa stay up?
On Tuesday evening, Villa completely changed the complexion of the relegation battle with their 1-0 win over Arsenal and lifted them out of the bottom three for the first time in 144 days.
It helped that relegation rival Watford was beaten 4-0 by Manchester City in the early evening, dropped to 18th place and saw the goal difference get worse than that of Villa.
Villa is in West Ham on Sunday afternoon and will guarantee her survival by matching Watford’s result in their game against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
If Villa defeats West Ham and loses Watford to Arsenal, Villa will be fine. If both teams play in a tie, Villa will have one goal more than the goal difference.
If both Villa and Watford lose on Sunday, Villa can only relegate if Bournemouth wins their Everton match.
Trezeguet celebrates his winning goal for Aston Villa against Arsenal on Tuesday evening
How can Watford stay up?
It was a turbulent couple of days in Watford when they decided to fire manager Nigel Pearson, followed by the 4-0 win over City, which she now sees in the bottom three ranks.
That means the Hornets must get some of their visit to Arsenal on Sunday to get their Premier League status.
If Villa West defeats Ham, Watford will have to improve their score by two or more goals to overcome this goal difference and stay up to date.
If Villa played a draw at West Ham, a Watford win would keep them safe. If Villa loses to West Ham, Watford needs only one point to stay in the top division.
Perhaps the only salvation for Watford is that Arsenal are only proud to play on Sunday, and Mikel Arteta could rest some of his key players before the FA Cup final the following weekend.
Watford’s captain Troy Deeney looks depressed when they are beaten 4-0 by Manchester City
The four goals against City mean that Watford’s goal difference is now worse than that of Villa
How can Bournemouth stay up?
The cherries have been in real trouble since the Premier League resumed and are now three points behind safety before Sunday’s games.
But they are not yet mathematical before their trip to Goodison Park to play Everton.
However, Bournemouth has to win this game and hope that both Watford and Villa lose their games to ensure survival. Everything else for Bournemouth and it won’t be enough.
Everton doesn’t have much to play here either, which might help Bournemouth’s cause, but they’ll only raise their hopes if news filters through this villa and Watford have dropped in their games.
Bournemouth has to win on Sunday and hopes that both Villa and Watford will suffer defeats
Eddie Howe’s sidelong glance was doomed to descend on the last day
advertising
.
