EPL

How Premier League relegation battle is shaping up after manic Monday

By Sports Desk May 09, 2023

The Premier League relegation battle took several more twists on Monday where 21 goals were scored in just three incident-packed games as clubs scrapped for their top-flight futures.

Nottingham Forest and Everton won to drag themselves out of the bottom three, while Leicester’s loss at Fulham leaves them in further peril, along with Sam Allardyce’s Leeds.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the relegation run-in and the shape of things to come for those fighting for survival with only three games to go.

Nottingham Forest

Position: 16th; Points: 33; Goal Difference: -31

Steve Cooper’s side gave themselves a great chance of extending their top-flight return beyond just a single season as they beat bottom club Southampton 4-3 in Monday’s late kick-off.

A last-minute Brentford goal saw them miss out on a point in their previous game but Forest had beaten Brighton on April 26 to give their hopes a shot in the arm.

Next up is a trip to out-of-form Chelsea before hosting title-chasing Arsenal, with Cooper – who the club have kept faith with all season as others around them chopped and changed in the dugout – hopeful their three-point cushion to the relegation zone at least remains intact ahead of their visit to Crystal Palace on the final day.

Everton

Position: 17th; Points: 32; Goal Difference: -21

A fantastic display saw the Toffees thrash European hopefuls Brighton 5-1 on Monday, their first win since March 11.

Four draws in that time had kept them in touch with their rivals and they have now got their heads above water heading into the final stretch.

Sean Dyche has been in similar positions in the past and will urge his players to use the Brighton performance as a yardstick with the formidable challenge of Manchester City next up at Goodison Park, before fixtures away at Wolves and at home to Bournemouth.

Leicester

Position: 18th; Points: 30; Goal Difference: -15

The Foxes may have hit three goals at Fulham but they still slipped to a 5-3 loss which has seen Dean Smith’s side fall back into the relegation places.

They had taken five points from three games heading to Craven Cottage but have also missed penalties at vital times in their last two matches and confidence will have fallen again.

With Champions League contenders Liverpool and Newcastle to come before hosting West Ham on the final day, Smith needs to mastermind some unlikely results if he is to prove the club’s hierarchy were right to install him following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers last month.

Leeds

Position: 19th; Points: 30; Goal Difference: -25

Sam Allardyce was given four games to keep Leeds in the top flight and the first of those ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat at league leaders City on Saturday.

They have now taken just one point from their last six games, with the final four defeats of Javi Gracia’s reign coming with an aggregate score of 17-4.

Sorting out such a leaky defence was Allardyce’s main concern following his appointment and he faces two of his former clubs next up in the shape of Newcastle and West Ham, before Leeds host Tottenham on the last day.

Southampton

Position: 20th; Points: 24; Goal Difference: -33

A battling display at Forest ended in a narrow loss which all-but guarantees Southampton’s 11-year stay in the Premier League is at an end, the Saints now eight points from safety.

Ruben Selles is the third manager Saints have had this campaign but he has been unable to oversee the huge turnaround that was required when he took over in February, with a draw against high-flying Arsenal the club’s only point from their last seven games.

Their relegation will be confirmed if they fail to beat Fulham at St Mary’s on Saturday and even that may not be enough, with Brighton and Liverpool fixtures to come afterwards.

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    Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 aggregate win over Paris Saint-Germain made amends for last season's disappointing Bundesliga finale, coach Edin Terzic said.

    Dortmund showed great composure to reach their third Champions League final and first since 2013 after Mats Hummels' second-half goal earned a 1-0 victory on the night in Paris on Tuesday.

    Terzic went to the Dortmund fans after the game and said he felt he had to make up for last season's failure to win the Bundesliga title after slipping up on the very last day.

    "Last season, we lost the championship at home on the last matchday. I'm happy that we can now give something back to the fans," Terzic said, remembering how Bayern Munich snatched the Bundesliga title from Dortmund on goal difference.

    "[Going to the fans] was a very emotional moment, a beautiful moment. We wished it for last season's last matchday. But today we could pay something back, keep them dreaming and now we'll do everything to bring the trophy back home," he said.

    PSG hit the woodwork four times but failed to find the net as Kylian Mbappe, widely expected to leave at the end of the season, was a shadow of his usual brilliant self.

    Dortmund will now meet either 14-time European champions Real Madrid or their Bundesliga rivals Bayern in the June 1 showdown at Wembley.

    "Before the first game against PSV, we talked for the first time about how short the journey to London could be," Terzic said.

    "Back then, many were still puzzled. We've grown with every game and eventually realised that we could be the team that surprises everyone in the end. Now I'm very happy to be in the final with my team."

    Dortmund have played a roller-coaster Bundesliga season and sit in fifth place with two games left.

    "That plays no role," Terzic said. "In 2013 when Dortmund were in the Champions League final they were 25 points behind in the league and in 1997 when they won it they were also not doing well.

    "The season had highs and lows but our season is still not finished."

  • 'I don't see why we shouldn't win' - BVB hero Hummels bullish ahead of Champions League final 'I don't see why we shouldn't win' - BVB hero Hummels bullish ahead of Champions League final

    Mats Hummels sees no reason why Borussia Dortmund cannot go on and win the Champions League following their hard-earned semi-final victory over Paris Saint-Germain.

    The Black and Yellow are through to the final of Europe's premier club competition for only the third time after sealing a 2-0 aggregate over the reigning Ligue 1 champions, who struck the woodwork six times across both legs.

    After Niclas Fullkrug settled last week's first leg at Signal Iduna Park, Hummels' second-half header was the difference in the return at Parc des Princes, where Edin Terzic's side produced another defensive masterclass as they claimed their sixth clean sheet in this season's competition. 

    Dortmund, who lifted the trophy 27 years ago, will face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the final at Wembley on June 1, and Hummels is confident he and his team-mates can go all the way.

    "I've scored far too few Champions League goals in my career, just five," he told DAZN via Uefa.com. "Now is a good time to add to that number.

    "Since the second match of the group stage, we've believed that we could prevail in every game - and I don't see why we shouldn't win at Wembley now.

    "We remained active today and were able to take so much pace out of the game and atmosphere out of the stadium. That was our recipe for success today."

    Hummels was part of the Dortmund side beaten 2-1 by Bayern in their most recent Champions League final appearance in 2013, along with Marco Reus.

    The veteran midfielder announced last week that he would be leaving the club at the end of this season, and is thrilled to have one more crack at landing the biggest trophy in European club football. 

    "[It is] indescribable," he told DAZN. "After more than 10 years, I am in the final with Borussia again. Ousmane [Dembele] and Achraf [Hakimi] brought a tremendous amount of pace, and we suffered a lot.

    "How we won the game, no-one will ask tomorrow. Shots against the post won’t matter tomorrow. What counts is that Borussia Dortmund are in the final again. Nobody expected this. It's just incredible."

    Meanwhile Terzic, who saw his side surrender the Bundesliga title on the final day of last season, saluted the strides his players have made as the competition has progressed.

    "Before the first game against PSV [in the round of 16], we talked for the first time about how short the journey to London could be," he said. "Back then, many were still puzzled. Last season, we lost the championship at home on the last matchday.

    "I'm happy that we can now give something back to the fans. We've grown with every game and eventually realised that we could be the team that surprises everyone in the end. Now, I'm very happy to be in the final with my team."

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    Marquinhos believes Paris Saint-Germain paid for their profligacy after suffering Champions League semi-final heartbreak against Borussia Dortmund.

    Mats Hummels' second-half header from a Julian Brandt corner - the only goal at Parc des Princes - wrapped up a 2-0 aggregate victory for the Bundesliga side, who advanced to their third final and first since 2013.

    Meanwhile, PSG's wait to land the elusive European crown goes on, despite a whopping 44 shots across the two legs, while they also struck the woodwork on six occasions - their overall tally of 14 the most recorded by a team during a single campaign.

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    "We lacked efficiency," Marquinhos told Canal+. "They scored two goals from corners and a through ball that we had worked on. We had to defend better. These are small details.

    "We created chances, a lot more than them. We weren't efficient. They were efficient, they scored two goals and won both matches."

    But despite the disappointment, the PSG skipper urged his team-mates to focus on the positives from their run to the semi-finals.

    They recovered from a disappointing 4-1 defeat against Newcastle United to finish second behind Dortmund in Group F, before overturning a 4-2 aggregate deficit to deny Barcelona in the quarter-finals.

    "There are a lot of things to take away from this competition," Marquinhos added. "At the beginning of the season, no one believed that we would get this far. We've overcome a lot of obstacles, we shouldn't throw everything away now just because we're eliminated.

    "You have to remember that it's a new team, with a new coach. There are some positives to bring back for next season. We wanted to go to Wembley for the fans and our families.

    "You have to stay calm after the elimination. It's very hard. We've come very close. We had to win tonight and be more efficient."

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