With just 12 matches remaining in the Premier League season, the race is beginning to intensify.
There are still multiple sides in contention as the finish line comes into view.
Some have not been in this position for years – if ever at all – while others are now well accustomed to the battle.
For everyone involved, there is so much at stake.
While that description is accurate for those teams fighting for the title at the top of the Premier League, it is also applicable to those scrapping for their lives at the bottom of it.
In both the short and long-term, the next three months could be decisive for Aston Villa, Sunderland, Norwich City, Newcastle United, Swansea City and Bournemouth.
Read more: Arsenal leapfrog Tottenham; Liverpool lift League Cup – EPL predictions
There is no such thing as a good year to be relegated, but falling through the trapdoor this term would be particularly devastating for any of the six clubs involved.
The new domestic television deal guarantees each side £81 million (Dh416m) per season from 2016/17, with foreign broadcast rights and sponsorship agreements set to boost that figure even further.
Such amounts are likely to make a significant and tangible difference on the pitch as Premier League outfits use their financial muscle to build squads full of high-quality players.
Windfalls of that magnitude can also be put to good use in terms of infrastructure, with stadium redevelopment and training ground renovation already earmarked by a number of clubs.
There is, of course, a good chance that at least one member of this year’s demoted trio will bounce back at the first time of asking and secure themselves a share of the increasingly lucrative pie in 2017/18.
The danger on the flip side is that a prolonged spell in the Championship could follow, with others stealing a march as the gap between the top two tiers widens.
It is a prospect that Aston Villa supporters have already started coming to terms with.
Eight points adrift of safety with just a dozen games remaining, many have reasoned that the state of turmoil engulfing the club makes a second successive relegation more likely than an instant return to the Premier League next term.
Such a scenario still appears unlikely, but Villa’s fate for this season certainly looks to have been sealed already.
For the other five sides, though, there is still everything to play for.
Bournemouth are in the strongest position ahead of their trip to Watford on Saturday. Eddie Howe’s charges have lost both of their last two league encounters but remain four points clear of the drop zone in what is their debut top-flight campaign.
Swansea also find themselves outside the bottom three going into this weekend’s round of fixtures that sees them take on Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon.
They have avoided defeat in four of their five matches since Francesco Guidolin’s appointment last month, and have some talented players to call upon in the likes of Ashley Williams, Andre Ayew and Gylfi Sigurdsson.
And 17th-placed Norwich are in the midst of a rather poorer run of form with just one point collected from the past 18 on offer.
Some 18 goals have been conceded in those six matches, a defensive record that does not bode well for any team attempting to pull clear of danger.
Newcastle and Sunderland have shown signs of life in recent weeks, meanwhile, but still remain in the relegation places.
A 5-1 thrashing for Steve McClaren’s men at Chelsea last time out showed there is still a great deal of work to be done at St James’ Park between now and May, although Newcastle do at least have plenty of attacking firepower within their ranks.
Sunderland have been inconsistent in 2016 and may have given themselves too much to do, with their next five fixtures – West Ham United on Saturday, followed by clashes with Crystal Palace, Southampton, Newcastle and West Bromwich Albion – likely to be pivotal.
It will be intriguing to watch the battle unfold.
If there is any season in which staying in the Premier League is particularly important, this is it.
Prediction
• 15th Newcastle – Have the best squad of those at the bottom
• 16th Bournemouth – Have shown enough already, particularly going forward
• 17th Sunderland – Sam Allardyce should drag them over the line
• 18th Swansea – Tough fixtures still to come
• 19th Norwich – Stuck in a bad run of form and not enough quality to drag themselves out
• 20th Aston Villa – Have left themselves with far too much to do
Bolasie perks Crystal Palace back up
The cheer for the substitution was almost as loud as the cheer for the goal.
Crystal Palace fans, who had earlier celebrated Martin Kelly’s strike in last Sunday’s FA Cup tie with Tottenham, erupted with joy once more when Yannick Bolasie entered the fray in the 76th minute.
The winger had been sidelined for two months after injuring his hip in the 2-1 victory over Stoke City in December, with Palace falling from sixth in the Premier League to 13th in his absence.
While Alan Pardew’s men have been able to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals with wins over Southampton, Stoke and Tottenham, their miserable form in the top flight – they have lost six and drawn three of their last nine encounters – is an issue that still needs to be addressed.
It has been an extremely disappointing spell that has seen Palace fail to capitalise on their excellent first half of the campaign, but the hope around Selhurst Park is that Bolasie’s return can bring about an upturn in fortunes.
The winger is essential to Palace’s counter-attacking approach, with his speed and direct running helping to get his side up the pitch quickly.
Although his end product remains agonisingly inconsistent, Bolasie’s trickery and willingness to take opponents is another key part of Palace’s attacking game plan.
His presence in the team also takes some of the pressure off fellow wide man Wilfried Zaha, who has been terrific in recent games despite opponents doubling up on him.
Bolasie’s return could therefore be the spark that Palace need as they attempt to climb back into the top half of the Premier League and reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup in the coming weeks.
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