Premier League relegation battle 2022/23: who has the toughest end of season fixtures - and favourites to go down?

The Premier League season is entering its final weeks and the battle to survive in the top-flight continues to provide drama, intrigue and unpredictability. This campaign has proven to be one of the most hotly contested relegation battles of recent years. 

At the start of April there were just four points separating Crystal Palace in 12th and bottom of the table Southampton - which was the lowest gap between the two positions at that stage of the season in the entirety of Premier League history.

Now, less than a month on the picture is beginning to become a bit clearer and the likes of Crystal Palace, West Ham and Bournemouth who have all but secured their top-flight status. While the likes of Southampton, Leeds, Leicester, Everton, Wolves and Nottingham Forest are all still facing the barrel of Championship football next season.

Over the next few weeks football fans can expect to see plenty of twists and turns in the relegation battle. But which of the struggling teams has the toughest run-in at the end of the season and who is the bookmakers favourite for the drop? Here is everything you need to know. 

Who has the toughest end to the season?

Crystal Palace: 11th - 40 points

Many eyebrows were raised when Crystal Palace sacked Patrick Vieira in March after a fairly successful campaign last time out and a lot of fans were surprised by the return of veteran manager Roy Hodgson who had recently suffered relegation with Watford last term.

The Eagles entered April just three points ahead of the drop zone but crucial victories over Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and West Ham have all but now secured their Premier League status. Crystal Palace have a fairly favourable run-in and they play just two sides from the top-half in their last Premier League games of the season.

Crystal Palace remaining fixtures:

• Saturday 6 May - Tottenham vs Crystal Palace
• Saturday 13 May - Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth
• Saturday 20 May - Fulham vs Crystal Palace
• Sunday 28 May - Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest

Bournemouth: 13th - 39 points

Bournemouth were the bookmakers favourites for relegation at the start of the campaign and they suffered a record-equalling 9-0 defeat to Liverpool just four games in which resulted in the departure of Scott Parker.

The Cherries have spent most of the season in and around the bottom three places but a run of four wins from their last six games - including huge results against Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United - has pushed Gary O’Neills side out of the bottom three and they are currently nine points clear of the drop zone.

Bournemouth remaining fixtures:

• Saturday 6 May - Bournemouth vs Chelsea
• Saturday 13 May - Crystal Palace vs Bournemouth
• Saturday 20 May - Bournemouth vs Man Utd
• Sunday 28 May - Everton vs Bournemouth

Wolves: 14th - 37 points

Wolves parted company with Bruno Lage in October after a run of just one win in 15 Premier League matches which stretched back to last season. The Midlands club continued to struggle after his departure and they ended 2022 in the relegation places with former Real Madrid and Spain manager Julen Lopetegui winning just one of his first four games in charge.

Lopetegui has done a great job of reviving the club’s fortunes in 2023 and Wolves now find themselves seven points clear of relegation with four games remaining. They face a number of difficult fixtures in their final five games including a trip to Arsenal but they should have enough to see them over the line.

Wolves remaining fixtures:

• Saturday 6 May - Wolves vs Aston Villa
• Saturday 13 May - Man Utd vs Wolves
• Saturday 20 May - Wolves vs Everton
• Sunday 28 May - Arsenal vs Wolves

West Ham: 15th - 34 points

David Moyes has faced his most difficult season yet as West Ham manager and the Hammers have spent most of the campaign near the bottom of the Premier League table. The London club have struggled to translate their strong Europa Conference League form into the Premier League but they have shown signs of improvements with victories over Southampton, Fulham and Bournemouth all coming in April.

West Ham have a talented team which is spearheaded by key figures such as Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta and they have superior goal difference to many of the teams in the relegation battle. They end the season with crucial tests against Leeds United and Leicester City while they still have to contend with a semi-final fixture against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa Conference League.

West Ham remaining fixtures:

• Wednesday 3 May - Man City vs West Ham
• Sunday 7 May - West Ham vs Man Utd
• Sunday 14 May - Brentford vs West Ham
• Sunday 21 May - West Ham vs Leeds
• Sunday 28 May - Leicester vs West Ham

Leicester City: 16th - 30 points

Former Premier League champions Leicester City could face the prospect of relegation to the Championship just seven years after their shock title triumph. The Foxes have struggled for form this season and the likes of Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemans are amongst the players who have struggled to hit the heights of previous seasons.

Leicester sacked Brendan Rodgers in April and former Aston Villa and Norwich manager Dean Smith has been handed the task of saving the club from relegation. Leicester play two of their final four games at the King Power Stadium and they will be hoping that Vardy can re-discover his goal scoring form after a run of goals, which includes his huge one in the 2-2 draw with Everton on 2 May.

Leicester remaining fixtures:

• Monday 8 May - Fulham vs Leicester
• Monday 15 May - Leicester vs Liverpool
• Monday 22 May - Newcastle vs Leicester
• Sunday 28 May - Leicester vs West Ham

Leeds United: 17th - 30pts

Leeds United narrowly avoided the drop last season under the management of Jesse Marsch and it appears likely that they will once again be battling to survive in the last few games of this season. The Yorkshire club appointed former Watford manager Javi Gracia in February, who now looks set to be given his marching orders having conceded 18 goals in their last six games, as survival specialist Sam Allardyce is set to take the helm to try and restore the club’s fortunes.

Leeds are the only team in the relegation battle who have a player who is in the top 10 goalscorers this season and they will be hoping that Rodrigo can return to his strong goalscoring form from earlier in the season. Leeds face arguably the most difficult run in of all the teams - they face three of the top seven and just two of their four games are at Elland Road.

Leeds remaining fixtures:

• Saturday 6 May - Man City vs Leeds
• Saturday 13 May - Leeds vs Newcastle
• Sunday 21 May - West Ham vs Leeds
• Sunday 28 May - Leeds vs Tottenham

Nottingham Forest: 18th - 30pts

Nottingham Forest returned to the Premier League for the first time since 1998 are they face a huge battle on their hands if they are to remain in the top-flight. Forest are one of the just two teams in the bottom half of the table, along with West Ham, who have remained loyal to their manager in Steve Cooper.

Forest’s home form could prove to be the key in the final few games of the season and 23 of their 30 points have come at the City Ground. The Red’s face important home fixtures against bottom side Southampton and title contenders Arsenal before ending the season at Selhurst Park.

Nottingham Forest remaining fixtures:

• Monday 8 May - Nottingham Forest vs Southampton
• Saturday 13 May - Chelsea vs Nottingham Forest
• Saturday 20 May - Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
• Sunday 28 May - Crystal Palace vs Nottingham Forest

Everton: 19th - 29 points

Premier League stalwarts Everton have been an ever-present in the top-flight for nearly 70 years but that all could come to an end this season. The Toffees have managed just one win from their last nine games under new manager Sean Dyche and they are largely struggling to score goals with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Neal Maupay scoring a combined three between them in the Premier League.

Dyche is experienced in beating the drop but he will need some huge results from his players in the coming weeks if they are to avoid dropping to the second tier for the first time since 1954.

Everton remaining fixtures:

• Monday 8 May - Brighton vs Everton
• Sunday 14 May - Everton vs Man City
• Saturday 20 May - Wolves vs Everton
• Sunday 28 May - Everton vs Bournemouth

Southampton: 20th - 24 points

Southampton have a history of great escapes both under the guidance of Mark Hughes in 2017/18 and due to the individual brilliance of attacker Matt Le Tissier in 1993/94, but they are arguably going to need their best escape yet to remain in the Premier League this season. The Saints have been marooned to the bottom three for most of the campaign and they are now on their third manager of the season after the sackings of Ralph Hassenhuttl and Nathan Jones.

Ruben Selles has a huge job ahead of him in the coming weeks but they showed some signs of encouragement with a valiant 3-3 draw against title contenders Arsenal. But any hopes of the south-coast club keeping their 11-year stay in England's top division were dashed after back-to-back losses against Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

Southampton remaining fixtures:

• Monday 8 May - Nottingham Forest vs Southampton
• Saturday 13 May - Southampton vs Fulham
• Sunday 21 May - Brighton vs Southampton
• Sunday 28 May - Southampton vs Liverpool

Who are the bookmakers favourites to be relegated?

Southampton are the clear favourites and it is expected that their 10 year stay in England’s top division will come to an end.

Nottingham Forest are also tipped to return to the Championship and Everton are expected to drop to the second tier for the first time in 69 years.

Here are the odds for teams to get relegated from the Premier League, according to Sky Bet.

 (Odds correct as of Tuesday 2 May)

• Southampton - 1/66
• Leeds United - 8/15
• Everton - 8/11
• Nottingham Forest - 8/11
• Leicester - 15/8
• West Ham - 33/1
• Chelsea - 250/1
• Wolves - 250/1

Prediction: who will get relegated?

The Premier League is poised for a tense relegation battle and it appears increasingly likely that this season will be decided on the final day of the campaign.

Crystal Palace and Wolves look to have done enough to avoid the drop, while the quality of West Ham’s team with Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Danny Ings should prove sufficient to keep them out of trouble.

Southampton showed signs of a revival against Arsenal but they face a mountain the coming weeks which might prove too big for them to climb.

The Saints are likely to be joined in the bottom three by Everton who have struggled to push on in terms of form under the management of Sean Dyche.

The Toffees have lacked a clinical goalscorer in recent weeks and Dominic Calvert-Lewin has looked a long way off the player we had seen during Carlo Ancelotti’s tenure as manager.

The final relegation place is likely to be tightly fought but Leicester City and Nottingham Forest have more favourable fixtures in comparison to Leeds, who have been leaking goals in recent weeks.

The goalscoring form and creativity of Dominic Solanke and Philip Billing should prove enough to scrape Bournemouth over the line to safety.

Relegation predictions:

• 18th: Leeds United
• 19th: Everton
• 20th: Southampton