Leeds United claimed another key point in their battle against the drop on Monday evening, holding Crystal Palace to a goalless draw at Selhurst Park. That leaves the Whites five points clear of the drop zone in what is looking like a three-way battle to avoid the final relegation spot.
With Watford and Norwich City nine and ten points respectively off 17th place, it looks like Leeds, Everton and Burnley are scrapping it out to avoid relegation to the Championship. Everton currently occupy the final relegation spot, but have a game in hand on their rivals.
Burnley arguably have the easiest run of the three sides, but there is plenty of football left to be played. Here is a look at six key fixtures which could prove pivotal in the relegation battle...
Watford vs Burnley (Saturday, April 30)
Burnley have a chance to make it three wins in a row under Mike Jackson which would mean they'd have picked up 10 points from four games, should they beat Watford. Had it not been for a missed Maxwel Cornet penalty against West Ham on the 17th April, they could be well clear of the relegation zone too.
A Burnley win against Watford could also cut the Hornets adrift and with their home form being among the worst in the league this season, you'd back the Clarets to come away with three points given their recent rejuvenation.
Burnley vs Aston Villa (Saturday, May 7)
If Burnley beat Watford the week before, then the Clarets have an incredible chance to make it four wins on the bounce. Burnley’s home form has seen them win their last three games at Turf Moor while Aston Villa haven’t won since March 10 in the Premier League (a 3-0 win over Leeds).
Watford vs Everton(Wednesday, May 11)
If you’d have said Everton would be in the bottom three at the end of April, many people would have raised their eyebrows. And yet, here we are.
With just a few weeks left of the Premier League campaign, Everton sit 18th in the table and are in serious danger of being relegated. The May 18 clash against Watford could prove to be huge, however.
Watford have the worst home record in the league this season, and it could be a real chance for the Toffees to pick up a result away from home. The only issue? Everton have the worst away record in the league this season. Something has to give, surely...
Leeds vs Chelsea (Wednesday, May 11)
While it might be a weird suggestion that Chelsea could be a game for Leeds to target, timing is a factor here. With the FA Cup final just three days after this game, it seems likely that could Chelsea rest a host of players for their clash against Leeds meaning Jesse Marsch’s side could get lucky.
However, it’s not as if Chelsea don’t have a deep squad. Plenty of depth options for Chelsea would start for Leeds and having the likes of Romelu Lukaku sitting on the bench isn't exactly a bad problem to have. But it could be a chance for Leeds to steal some points against a top-four opponent.
Leeds vs Brighton (Sunday, May 15)
Leeds vs Brighton makes the list of key games because of timing as well. Leeds will be coming off a horrible slate of games, having played Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea in consecutive weeks. Brighton are safe and have secured their top flight status for next season.
They could be on the beach already and with Leeds playing at home, it could be a real must-win fixture for Jesse Marsch. Elland Road should be bouncing.
Everton vs Arsenal (Sunday, May 22)
The relegation battle and top four chase will often go down to the final day of the season. So how about looking at a game that could be involved in both?
Everton travel to the Emirates on the final day of the season to face Arsenal, who could still need a result to ensure they finish inside the top four. If Everton need a result to stay up, they might be hard pushed to beat a motivated Arsenal.
As mentioned, the Toffees have the worst away form in the league this season meaning that they might need a miracle to pick up three points in north London. Everton have never been relegated from the top flight, but Leeds fans will be hoping this record changes come May 22.
