It's that tense time of year again – and the scrap to stay in the Premier League is going down to the final day
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The 2022/23 Premier League season is nearly complete, but there's still one game left to play as three teams are still fighting for their top-flight lives.
The scrap is an intense one to avoid the drop, with two sides set to join Southampton in the Championship next season.
To help you keep track of what's (and who's) going down at the bottom of the table, FourFourTwo brings you up to speed with the current state of play and goes over the various permutations...
Which teams are already relegated?
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Southampton (20th)
Rock-bottom Southampton were all but relegated after a 4-3 defeat on May 8 away to Nottingham Forest, but a feeble 2-0 loss at home to Fulham on May 13 finally sealed the Saints' fate.
It marks the end of an 11-season top-flight stay for the South Coast club – who will take their place in the Championship next term.
A truly miserable campaign for Southampton has seen them collect just six league wins and sack two managers – and even a shock win over Liverpool on the final day of the season won't be enough to prevent them from recording their lowest ever points total in the era of three points for a win.
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Which teams can still be relegated?
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Leeds United (19th)
A 3-1 loss at West Ham last Sunday signals real trouble for Leeds United, who sit three points from safety. As they prepare to face Tottenham at Elland Road on the final day, their job is clear: win, or be relegated.
Sam Allardyce hasn't won in his opening three games in charge, though, and is due a victory against an underperforming and unconfident Spurs side. Sure, a win might not even be enough to stay up, depending on the results of the other two teams around them.
Leicester City (18th)
A quick glance at Leicester's squad should tell you there's no way this team should be anywhere near the foot of the Premier League – but the Foxes' disastrous season provides perfect proof that this game is not played on paper.
Replacing Brendan Rodgers with Dean Smith in the dugout doesn't seem to have worked for the 2015/16 champions of England – who find themselves needing to beat West Ham United at home on the final day to have any chance of staying up.
A point against Newcastle at St. James' Park on Monday night could prove invaluable for the Foxes, though it could also be two points dropped in their battle to beat the drop. Sunday night we'll know either way if it was one gained or two dropped.
Should they be relegated, Leicester will become the second Premier League winners to drop into the second tier, after Blackburn Rovers – who went down just four years after their 1994/95 triumph.
Everton (17th)
Everton's incredible 5-1 win away to Brighton on May 8 was one of the most unexpected results of the Premier League season – and it put the Toffees' destiny in their own hands.
Defeat to Manchester City was expected – but Yerry Mina's 99th-minute equaliser at Wolves could prove crucial for the Premier League ever-presents. With both Leicester and Leeds failing to win in their games, Everton know three points at home to Bournemouth will guarantee safety – and spare them a first relegation in 72 years.
A draw might not prove enough, though. Leicester are only two points behind and have a superior goal difference to Everton, meaning if the Foxes manage to pick up a win and Sean Dyche's side don't, it'll condemn them to the second tier.
Should Everton and Leicester both lose, and Leeds win, the side in 17th might still stay up if the scores in both games remain at 1-0.
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Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...
