Relegation Watch: Most Important Battles of the Premier League Weekend

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There are just six games this Premier League weekend, and four of the bottom five teams are all involved in the action.

With just 10 games remaining, the relegation zone is starting to become a very anxious place to be and the fight is well and truly on.

With Queens Park Rangers winning and Southampton, Aston Villa, Wigan and Reading all subsequently losing, this now means there are just four points between bottom and safety.

But what does this weekend have in store? Let's find out!

 

All fixtures, results and league positions taken from BBC.

Queens Park Rangers vs. Sunderland

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Sound the trumpets, Queens Park Rangers have another win.

Their victory against Southampton was much needed, in terms of points, morale and to use as a stepping stone for the coming matches which all, in theory, should be winnable.

Sunderland visit Loftus Road on Saturday, and they are a team starting to show cracks. Not having won since January 19 and losing three of their last five matches, Martin O'Neill's side are in poor form right now.

Of course, form is temporary and can change at any given moment, but there will be a glimmer of hope in Harry Redknapp's eye as the Black Cats travel southwards, and this could be QPR's chance to climb off the bottom for the first time since Christmas.

Then again, Rangers' form is as shaky as a three-legged-cat. And nothing is ever certain when it comes to the Rs.

Norwich vs. Southampton

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When hosting QPR last weekend, Southampton had the chance to navigate themselves away from the drop zone. But with the aforementioned victory for the West Londoners, the Saints are starting to be dragged into the fight that is ensuing at the bottom.

Norwich City are just eight points clear of the bottom three, but it is their home form which is keeping them in the safety of mid table for now.

Six wins at home, including those against Everton, Manchester United and Arsenal shows that Carrow Road is not an easy place to visit. And this could well be two losses on the bounce for Southampton.

The Saints gifted Norwich the win last time they met, with a Paulo Gazzinga mistake. They'll be hoping Artur Boruc doesn't follow in his footsteps on Saturday.

Reading vs. Aston Villa

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With Wigan Athletic looking to extend their cup run at Everton on Saturday, that paves the way for one of these two teams to move out of the drop zone at least for now.

The term "six-pointer" will be shoveled into most articles when talking about the remaining fixtures by most journalists, and I hate to follow the trend but this really is a one of those.

One point and one place separates these two sides, and either of them have the chance to grab a huge win in terms of the fight for safety.

Reading, being at home, have the slightest of advantages. But having conceded 10 goals in their last four home games, their leaky defense could well be exploited by the irrepressible Christian Benteke.

QPR, Southampton and Wigan will all be looking at this match praying for a 0-0 draw. But with such uncertainty surrounding both back lines at the moment, there could be goals in this game. And it will just be a case of where lady luck is shining to determine who gets the most.