The Premier League relegation battle is hotting up, and with more than half the season gone there are still 14 teams who could realistically go down.
Of course, Chelsea, United, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Villa are safe, and it would be a huge shock if Everton were to go down, but anyone else could still fall into the abyss—with just 10 points separating West Brom in 20th and Wigan in 7th.
This time last season, the gap between 7th and 20th was 32 points.
Down at the very bottom, five teams lie on 21 points, with goal difference the only thing separating them. This puts West Brom at the bottom of the pile, but the Baggies are bouncing, with three successive home wins saving them from being cut short from the rest of the pack.
A squad bereft of star players, they are now playing the way boss Tony Mowbray wants them to play, passing the ball along the ground, and with exciting youngster Jay Simpson arriving on loan from Arsenal for the rest of the season, there is still hope at the Hawthorns of another escape after being bottom at Christmas—just as they did in 2004.
One goal separates them from Stoke City. Contrary to Mowbray, Tony Pulis does not encourage his team to play attractive football, but it seems to work for them, with victories over Aston Villa and Arsenal, and draws home and away to Liverpool justifying his tactics.
Their greatest weapon is the long throw of Rory Delap, with Stoke crowding the penalty area with their strong, big players. But teams seem to have figured them out now, with no wins in eight league games rather worrying form.
Stoke may not have made many friends this season, but if they stay up, their fans won't care.
The final team in the relegation zone is Middlesbrough. They are now in their 11th consecutive season in the top flight, but this may be the end of that run, with Boro in trouble under former captain Gareth Southgate.
Without a win in 10 Premier League games, they are in worse form that any other side in the league, with the summit a 3-0 embarrassment against bottom club West Brom.
£12 million flop Afonso Alves is going to have to find some form, or Steve Gibson, famed for his patience with his managers, may have to force Southgate out the door—before it's too late.
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