The 2025/26 Premier League Relegation Battle: How it currently stands.
In what could be a season-defining performance and result, Leeds United beat Manchester United 2-1 at Old Trafford to put 6 points between themselves and Tottenham Hotspur in 18th place, with just 6 games left to play. Leeds United’s win over Manchester United was not only their first Premier League win since February 6th, but it also ended a 45-year wait for a league win at Old Trafford.
That should give Daniel Farke’s men an extra boost of confidence as we enter the home straight in this season’s relegation battle, and with winnable home games left against the likes of Wolves and Burnley, Leeds United now look to be in a great position to retain their league status for another season.
But what of the other sides still battling for their lives at the bottom?
Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Spurs all have just 6 games left to play and will be doing all they can to avoid joining Wolves, who are 15 points behind 17th with just 18 left to play for, and Burnley, who are 12 behind with just 18 left on offer.
The Relegation Candidates
Spurs: Currently in 18th place with 30 points
Few could have believed that Spurs would be in the relegation zone after 32 matches, but terrible form has left them with a huge battle this season. They are now on their third manager of the campaign, with Roberto De Zerbi now in the hot seat, with the Italian’s short-term goal to get his new club out of the mess they are currently in. His tenure did not get off to the best start, losing 1-0 to Sunderland with club captain Cristian Romero going off injured and now set to miss the rest of the season.
Roberto de Zerbi welcomes his former club Brighton to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in Spurs’ next match, with a positive result desperately needed to kick-start his reign. They then travel to what could be an already relegated Wolves, followed by an away trip to Aston Villa, a home tie with Leeds United, and an away match at bitter rivals Chelsea. They then end their season at home to Everton.
West Ham United: Currently in 17th place with 32 Points
West Ham are in the best form of the sides at the bottom of the table, picking up 7 points from their last 4 matches, which has seen them move out of the relegation zone at the expense of Spurs. They appear to have fully aligned with Nuno’s style of play, and after their 4-0 drubbing of Wolves, they should be full of confidence heading into their final 6 games.
They do have a tough run-in, with their next match, an away match against Crystal Palace, followed by a home clash with Everton, an away tie with Brentford, and a home meeting with Arsenal. They then end their season with a trip to Newcastle and a home clash with Leeds.
5 of their remaining 6 matches are against sides with something to play for. Brentford, Everton, Palace and Newcastle are all fighting for continental qualification, while Arsenal, of course, are involved in a title race with Manchester City.
Few could have believed that Spurs would be in the relegation zone after 32 matches, but terrible form has left them with a huge battle this season.
Nottingham Forest: Currently in 16th place with 33 points
Forest may not be winning much under their new boss Vito Pereira, but they have at least appeared to be difficult to beat under the former Wolves manager. 6 points from their last 4 matches, including a huge 3-0 win over Spurs, has given them hope in the fight for survival, but they still have some serious hurdles to overcome.
They are still in the Europa League at the time of writing and could still have a two-legged semi-final, plus a final to potentially manoeuvre if they get through their quarter-final tie with FC Porto. They have also struggled to score goals this season in the league. Only Wolves have scored fewer than Forest’s 32 league goals, so they will need to find their scoring boots if they want to make their battle a little easier.
They finish their season with a home tie against Burnley, an away clash with Sunderland, a trip to Chelsea, a home match with Newcastle, and a visit to Old Trafford, with their season finishing at home to Bournemouth.
Leeds United: Currently in 15th place with 36 points
That win against Manchester United could be massive for Leeds. They now have a 6-point gap to Spurs and look, on paper at least, to have the easiest run in. They host Wolves next, and a win there could all but secure their Premier League football for next season, especially if none of their rivals pick up any wins. They then travel to Bournemouth before their eagerly anticipated FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea at Wembley. They then host Burnley before a trip to Spurs and a home match with Brighton. They end their season with an away game with West Ham.
Conclusion
Here are some of the key fixtures to watch out for before the end of the season.
April 18th: Leeds vs Wolves
April 19th: Forest vs Burnley
April 25th: Wolves vs Spurs
May 1st: Leeds vs Burnley
May 9th: Spurs vs Leeds
May 24th: West Ham vs Leeds.
Stay tuned for more weekly sports content.
Liam Lacey
Liam is a sportswriter from County Laois in Ireland who specializes in delivering content on GAA and Football matters (though he does see himself as somewhat of a tennis aficionado also!). Liam has written about All Ireland Gaelic Football and Hurling Championships, Premier League, Champions League and International Football offering expert opinion and match previews and predictions. Occasionally even getting some right!