3 clubs that are favourites for relegation this season | Premier League 2019-20
While we certainly don't know how the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will further affect the game of football, all domestic league matches across Europe have been postponed for the time being.
However, if the 2019-20 campaign ends ideally, we will see champions and relegated sides. In this piece, we are going to focus on the Premier League and discuss which teams could get relegated at the end.
With 29 game-weeks played in the English top-flight this season, Liverpool deservingly top the table with 82 points and are hot favourites to win the title this term. With the title race seemingly over, the top-four race and the relegation battle remain the main attractions in the division.
Without any further ado, let us analyse which teams are the favourites to get relegated from the Premier League this season.
Also Read: Top 3 contenders for the Golden Glove this season | Premier League 2019-20
#3 Brighton & Hove Albion
Choosing a club like Brighton and Hove Albion, who currently sit 15th in the points table, might look strange to many. However, there are several reasons to justify why the English side are one of the favourites to get relegated at the end of the 2019-20 season.
Despite starting the season with a 3-0 away win over Watford, inconsistency has ensured the downward progression of their campaign. They have also failed to register a win since they defeated AFC Bournemouth 2-0 at Amex Stadium last December.
The current club manager, Graham Potter, has made some substantial changes to the team's tactics, making them more watchable than before, but it has simply not helped them make any significant improvements.
What makes them one of the favourites to get relegated this season is also their upcoming fixture-list. Brighton and Hove Albion will be looking to seize maximum points from matches against Norwich City, Southampton, Newcastle United, and Burnley. However, the remaining fixtures against heavyweights like Arsenal, Leicester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City will prove to be pivotal as Potter's side try to prevent themselves from getting into a relegation dogfight.
#2 Aston Villa
Having garnered 25 points from 28 matches, Aston Villa currently hold the second-last spot in the points table. The team, managed by Dean Smith, secured promotion to the Premier League after beating Derby County 2-1 in the Championship play-off final last season.
Despite having some experienced campaigners and Premier League legend John Terry as the assistant coach, Smith has failed to reach the summit of their performances on the field this term.
The Lions have faced 17 defeats, and four draws this season and their leaky defence is one of the main reasons why they have struggled massively despite spending £100 million over the last summer transfer window. In 28 matches, the Villans have conceded the most numbers of goals (56) so far in the Premier League.
In the last 14 league matches, Smith's men have registered only three wins and one draw which is not enough for a team who wants to make their way out of the relegation zone.
Aston Villa will play Sheffield United, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Wolves, Liverpool, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Everton, Arsenal, and West Ham in the last remaining nine matches in the Premier League. The results will be crucial in determining whether the Villans will stay in the English top-flight or not.
#1 Norwich City
Before the start of the 2019-20 Premier League campaign, many would have predicted that Norwich City would get relegated as their recruitments over the summer were very minimal. Nevertheless, they kept the faith in last season's star performers such as Teemu Pukki, Emiliano Buendia, and Todd Cantwell to lift the side. However, when two of them got injured after playing a handful number of games, the Canaries began suffering a series of losses.
With 21 points from 29 matches, the side remain the bottom team in the Premier League this season, with the points difference between them and 19th-placed Aston Villa being four.
Norwich will face Southampton, Everton, Arsenal, Brighton and Hove Albion, Watford, West Ham United, Chelsea, Burnley, and Manchester City in their last nine matches of the current season. Despite having better fixtures compared to the last two candidates mentioned above, the chances of their survival in this season's Premier League are very slim.
Also Read: 3 Players who could leave Norwich City in this upcoming summer transfer window