The Premier League could lose one of its ever-presents this season. Everton are in a fight to retain their Premier League place, with Frank Lampard's men hovering just above the relegation zone.
The Toffees are just one place and one point above the bottom three in England's top flight following a 3-2 defeat to Burnley on Wednesday night - the team right behind them in the table. Lampard's men led 2-1 at half-time, but the Clarets came back to take all three points and set the cat amongst the pigeons in the relegation battle.
Everton have never been relegated from the Premier League, since its inception in 1992, although they have come close before. They famously came back from 2-0 down against Wimbledon on the final day of the 1993/94 season to win 3-2 and stave off relegation by two points. A draw or defeat would have sent them down.
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And if Everton were to slip into the Championship, it would leave Arsenal well clear of the rest of the teams in England in terms of history of not being relegated. There are only six teams in the Premier League right now who have been there since its inception and never suffered relegation.
Arsenal and Everton are joined by Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham as having never suffered relegation from the Premier League since it started. Brighton & Hove Albion have also not suffered relegation, but have only been in the Premier League since 2017.
Everton's last relegation from the top division came in the 1954/55 First Division season. The Toffees spent eight years in the Second Division before returning to the top flight, where they have stayed ever since.
That record is bettered by Arsenal though. The Gunners have been in the top flight for a record 103 years and it is a run that does not look like ending any time soon, with the Gunners currently battling Tottenham for a fourth-place finish this season. The story goes that Arsenal have never been relegated before, but that is not entirely accurate.
Playing as Woolwich Arsenal, the Gunners finished bottom of the First Division in the 1912/13 campaign. They spent five seasons outside the top flight, finishing second in the London Combination League in 1918/19 and earning promotion to the top flight, when they took on the name Arsenal.
Premier League ever-presents:
Arsenal
Chelsea
Everton
Liverpool
Manchester United
Tottenham
