There was an interesting parallel on the two sides of the Premier League table this weekend. A pair of scoreless draws shook up the top of the table, and adjusted odds on next year’s qualifiers for the Champions League.
But a similar situation played out for teams at the bottom of the table. A handful of clubs are betting they can avoid relegation to the Championship, but the odds are fading away for certain teams.
Burnley practically guaranteed their relegation status after a crushing 1-0 home loss to Leicester City on the weekend. The Clarets spent most of the season ahead of the Lions, but the East Midlands based club has climbed out of the basement with four consecutive league wins.
In contrast, Burnley lost four of their last five with a scoreless draw to Tottenham their only consolation. The odds are pretty high that the Clarets will return to the lower seeded division after only one season with the top tier clubs.
QPR, another recent promotion, appears destined to return to the lower division. The Rangers kept a one point lead over Burnley thanks to a scoreless draw with West Ham at Loftus Road, but the schedule only gets tougher from here. QPR hits the road for an away game against Liverpool followed by a visit to Manchester City, which could end any hope for the Rangers.
Leicester’s 1-0 win allowed the Lions to keep pace with Hull City, who scored a 2-0 away win over Crystal Palace. Both teams are one point clear of relegation, and five points ahead of the Clarets at the bottom of the table.
The Lions are fighting for their Premier League lives and proving how hard they want to remain in the top division. The Tigers are less impressive, but ended their winless streak at Selhurst Park. Unfortunately for Hull, the rest of their schedule features meetings with Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United. Could that end Hull’s time in the top division?
Sunderland squandered an opportunity to escape relegation with a 1-1 draw at Stoke. By losing two points, the Black Cats slipped below Leicester and Hull. If the standings remain consistent for the rest of the season, Sunderland will join Burnley and QPR in relegation back to the Championship.