Newcastle are clambering their way away from the danger zone, but left in there are Queens Park Rangers, rooted to the foot of the table. Aston Villa and Wigan Athletic are also mired in trouble, as are Reading, although they are in good form.
Also in good form are Southampton, although they have yet to put convincing distance between themselves and the drop zone. Norwich, currently away from the main theatre of drama, are also hovering close enough to be dragged into danger. Here, ontheminute predicts the outcome of each team’s final 13 games.
Queens Park Rangers are looking more solid and seem to have a fighting chance of clawing their way to safety. When Harry Redknapp is in charge, anything seems possible, whilst good signings like Chris Samba and Loic Remy have the required quality for the fight. Aston Villa have played some excellent football at times this season, yet they have struggled for the most part to do themselves justice consistently. Naivety and inexperience has cost the club, and they are in real danger of losing their Premier League status. Wigan Athletic are used to this situation. Year after year they find themselves in danger of the drop, only to battle their way to an unlikely escape. Last year they did so particularly stylishly.
Above them, Reading are in excellent form and showing the required spirit and determination to battle their way to safety. Their ability to come from behind late on could yet save them, although they have a difficult run until the end of the season. Southampton have played stylishly all season and have developed well in the Premier League. From being a naïve, defensively weak outfit leaking goals and points alarmingly earlier in the season, they have fought their way to a respectable position outside the bottom three and under new coach Mauricio Pochettino look well placed to fight their way to safety.
Then there is Norwich, who looked like certainties for the drop earlier in the campaign too. Chris Hughton engineered an impressive fight back from his troops, masterminding wins over Arsenal and Manchester United as Norwich climbed the table well in the autumn to winter months. They are now in a comfortable position, although they could easily be dragged in once again to the relegation dogfight.
QPR
V Swansea (A): 0-2
V Manchester United (H): 1-1
V Southampton (A): 1-3
V Sunderland (H): 2-1
V Aston Villa (A): 3-2
V Fulham (A): 2-0
V Wigan (H): 1-0
V Everton (A): 1-1
V Stoke (H): 2-1
V Reading (A): 2-3
V Arsenal (H): 1-2
V Newcastle (H): 1-0
V Liverpool (A): 1-2
Total: 37
Southampton
V Manchester City (H): 1-1
V Newcastle (A): 1-3
V QPR (H): 3-1
V Norwich (A): 0-1
V Liverpool (H): 1-4
V Chelsea (H): 1-1
V Reading (A): 2-1
V West Ham (H): 1-1
V Swansea (A): 1-2
V West Brom (H): 2-1
V Tottenham (A): 2-4
V Sunderland (A): 0-0
V Stoke (H): 2-1
Total: 40
Reading
V Stoke (A): 2-2
V Wigan (H): 1-2
V Everton (A): 1-3
V Aston Villa (H): 0-1
V Manchester United (A): 0-3
V Arsenal (A): 0-4
V Southampton (H): 1-2
V Liverpool (H): 1-3
V Norwich (A): 1-1
V QPR (H): 3-2
V Fulham (A): 0-2
V Manchester City (H): 1-3
V West Ham (A): 1-2
Total: 26
Wigan
V Chelsea (A): 1-3
V Reading (A): 2-1
V Liverpool (H): 1-1
V Manchester City (A): 0-4
V Newcastle (H): 3-1
V Norwich (H): 2-1
V QPR (A): 0-1
V Swansea (H): 2-1
V West Ham (A): 2-1
V Tottenham (H): 1-2
V West Brom (A): 3-2
V Arsenal (A): 1-3
V Aston Villa (H): 2-2
Total: 41
Aston Villa
V West Ham (H): 2-1
V Arsenal (A): 0-2
V Manchester City (H): 0-1
V Reading (A): 1-0
V QPR (H): 2-3
V Liverpool (H): 1-1
V Stoke (A): 0-1
V Fulham (H): 2-1
V Manchester United (A): 1-4
V Sunderland (H): 1-0
V Norwich (A): 2-1
V Chelsea (H): 2-2
V Wigan (A): 2-2
Total: 39
Norwich City
V Fulham (H): 1-1
V Everton (H): 1-0
V Manchester United (A): 0-5
V Southampton (H): 1-0
V Sunderland (A): 0-0
V Wigan (A): 1-2
V Swansea (H): 2-0
V Arsenal (A): 1-3
V Reading (H): 1-1
V Stoke (A): 0-0
V Aston Villa (H): 1-2
V West Brom (H): 1-0
V Manchester City (A): 0-2
Total: 44
