Can Ipswich Town avoid relegation? What needs to happen for them to survive in the Premier League
Southampton have escaped being crowned the worst team in Premier League history after scoring 11 points, matching Derby County’s ill-fated 2007/08 campaign - although were still relegated in record-breaking time. Leicester City have also been relegated after being beaten1-0 by Liverpool last weekend.
The teams that finish 20th-18th in the Premier League are relegated to the Championship, with the top three from the lower league coming up in the other direction.
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Hide AdIt comes as both Leeds United and Burnley secured automatic promotion back to the Premier League last weekend, with the final spot being decided via the Championship play-offs at the end of the season.
As it stands, Ipswich Town are in 18th place on 21 points, with West Ham 17th on 36 points and Tottenham Hotspur above on 37 points. The magic number to mathematically escape relegation is 40 points. Theoretically, it’s more or less game over for Ipswich.
With a possible 15 points up for grabs from the final five games, the maximum points total Ipswich can reach is 36 points. Therefore, if West Ham score just a single point, Ipswich’s fate is sealed.
But this does also mean that there is a world where Ipswich somehow survive - however far-fetched it may seem.
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Hide AdIf Ipswich win all their remaining games, including matches against the likes of Newcastle and Brentford, and West Ham fail to score a single point, then the two clubs would be level on points. This scenario also assumes that Ipswich end the season with a better goal difference than the Hammers too.
It’s a tall order, but stranger things have happened in football.
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