The Premier League's relegation battle has taken an unexpected turn, with several teams now in contention for survival. Just a couple of weeks ago, West Ham, Wolves and Burnley seemed doomed to drop down to the Championship, but a remarkable turnaround has seen them all mount a late charge.
West Ham have bounced back from a miserable spell, winning three games on the spin against Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland to close the gap with Nottingham Forest to just six points. While their season is still far from over, they can now be considered among the favourites for survival, albeit unlikely outsiders given their pre-season form.
Wolves, meanwhile, have found some solidity under new boss Rob Edwards, ending a 13-match winless run against West Ham in their last match. They may not be mathematically out of danger yet but are showing signs that they can compete with the top teams in the league, at least to some extent.
Burnley have had a respectable run of form recently, earning draws against Liverpool and Tottenham, but a crushing 3-0 defeat by Sunderland has left them 11 points from safety. They still face an uphill battle, but their performances suggest they won't be the first team to be relegated this season without a fight.
What does history tell us about teams avoiding relegation? For the past nine seasons, only nine teams have managed to escape the drop after being bottom of the table at the 23-game mark. Only three times since the Premier League's inception in 1992 has this happened: Aston Villa (2019-20), Leicester City (2014-15) and Sunderland (2013-14).
With just over a quarter of the season remaining, it remains to be seen if any of these teams can pull off an impossible escape. For West Ham, Wolves and Burnley, survival is now within reach - but only just.
Seven Premier League clubs are currently in danger of dropping out of the league, with Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, and three others sweating over their status. But West Ham's latest win suggests they may be able to outlast some of these rivals, at least for now.
West Ham have bounced back from a miserable spell, winning three games on the spin against Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland to close the gap with Nottingham Forest to just six points. While their season is still far from over, they can now be considered among the favourites for survival, albeit unlikely outsiders given their pre-season form.
Wolves, meanwhile, have found some solidity under new boss Rob Edwards, ending a 13-match winless run against West Ham in their last match. They may not be mathematically out of danger yet but are showing signs that they can compete with the top teams in the league, at least to some extent.
Burnley have had a respectable run of form recently, earning draws against Liverpool and Tottenham, but a crushing 3-0 defeat by Sunderland has left them 11 points from safety. They still face an uphill battle, but their performances suggest they won't be the first team to be relegated this season without a fight.
What does history tell us about teams avoiding relegation? For the past nine seasons, only nine teams have managed to escape the drop after being bottom of the table at the 23-game mark. Only three times since the Premier League's inception in 1992 has this happened: Aston Villa (2019-20), Leicester City (2014-15) and Sunderland (2013-14).
With just over a quarter of the season remaining, it remains to be seen if any of these teams can pull off an impossible escape. For West Ham, Wolves and Burnley, survival is now within reach - but only just.
Seven Premier League clubs are currently in danger of dropping out of the league, with Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Crystal Palace, Tottenham, and three others sweating over their status. But West Ham's latest win suggests they may be able to outlast some of these rivals, at least for now.
️️️️️ the way West Ham is doing right now is insane!! 
3 wins on a row against Tottenham and Sunderland?? 
they're defo in contention for survival now! 
and Wolves too, Rob Edwards is a genius coach and I love how they've found some solidity under him 
Burnley's performance recently has been great too, but that 3-0 defeat by Sunderland was a bit of a slap in the face 
anyway, can't wait to see what happens next! 
. We've seen it time and time again - one bad result and suddenly you're under pressure again 
️.
. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'd be surprised if all of these teams can somehow defy the odds 
. We'll just have to wait and see how this unfolds...
wolverhampton has gotten their mojo back and burnley is still fighting hard against all odds 
! The way teams can turn their season around is just crazy! I mean, who would've thought West Ham would be in contention for survival? 
Those guys were getting smashed by everyone. But now they're on a hot streak and maybe – just maybe – they'll make it out alive.
I'm keeping an eye on this one, can't wait to see how it all plays out!
That's crazy considering how bad they were a few weeks ago. They've won 3 games in a row, which is insane. I'm surprised they didn't get relegated yet given their pre-season form was rubbish 
. Did you see the stats on teams avoiding relegation? Only 9 out of 27 teams since 1992 have managed it after being at the bottom 
. It's still anyone's game, especially with only a quarter of the season left 
. West Ham might just outlast some of those other struggling teams for now 
It's crazy how a few wins can change everything, and it shows that anything is possible in football. Even Burnley, I feel for them, 11 points from safety, that's still a long way off but you never know what can happen in this league...those odds of escaping relegation are so tight, it'll be thrilling to watch these teams make their push! 
anyway, who'd have thought Burnley could hold their own against Liverpool and Tottenham? maybe they're secretly trying to avoid relegation so we can get more of Pogba on the pitch 
. #RelegationBattle #WestHam #Wolves #Burnley #PremierLeague
Burnley's still in with a shout, but 11 points from safety is a tall order... we'll see how the rest of the season plays out 
. It's like they're all stuck in a super tough situation and it's hard not to feel bad for them 
. I mean, West Ham was just struggling so much, but they've been on fire lately 
. It's gonna be so nail-biting for fans watching them fight for survival 
️. I don't want to jinx anything for Burnley, though - they're still in a tough spot 
. The thing that gets me is how often it happens like this, where teams are written off and then suddenly they're right back in the hunt 
! I think what's so inspiring about West Ham's comeback is that it shows no team is ever truly out of it. Even though their season started off shaky, they've found some momentum and now they're giving themselves a fighting chance 
. Fingers crossed for them (and the rest of those struggling teams)! 
? Stranger things have happened in the Premier League, after all! And with only 6 points separating West Ham from the drop zone, anything can happen...