As the Premier League comes to a close, we are about to witness a relegation battle with Everton, Leeds United, and Leicester City all fighting to stay up in the league.
While the previous season had a title race down to the final day, we won’t have a repeat this season. Manchester City have already won the Premier League as Arsenal fell behind in the title race early. There will be no battle for the Champions League spots as well with Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Manchester United already grabbing them. Liverpool and Brighton have also confirmed themselves in the Europa League. Only Aston Villa, Tottenham, and Brentford are still contending for a place in the Europa Conference League.
But you will be mistaken if you think there won’t be any excitement left on the final matchday. The relegation battle is still underway, with three teams fighting to stay in the top flight. Two teams out of Everton, Leicester City and Leeds United will have to drop down into the Championship tomorrow.
Relegation battle: Who will stay up and how?
Everton: The Merseyside club is currently 17th in the league with 33 points. They can decide their own fate, as they face Bournemouth on the final day. This is a luxury the other two teams don’t have. They will face them at home at Goodison Park, which is a major advantage. If Everton gets relegated, it will be the first time the team will go down since the inception of the Premier League in 1992.
If Everton wins, they will stay up but it will mean the other two teams go down. But if they lose, the other two teams can decide their own fate.
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Leicester City: The team that surprised everyone by winning the Premier League in the 2015-16 season. It’s hard to imagine they have fallen so far off and may actually be relegated. They are two points behind Everton in 18th position albeit with a better goal difference. They will face a hard battle against West Ham United at home. If Everton loses or draws, a win against West Ham could ensure Premier League safety for the Foxes.
Leeds United: Leeds is on level points with Leicester but with a worse goal difference. The Peacocks face an uphill battle with a tough fixture at home against Tottenham Hotspur. While the North London team is struggling currently, it will still be a difficult match to win against Tottenham as they are still in contention for the remaining Europa Conference League spot. The only way Leeds can stay up is to hope the other two teams lose or draw while they win a miraculous victory.
Premier League money: How much would relegation cost?
The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world. As such, it is also an exclusive one being very expensive.
Each season, all 2o teams are given a percentage of prize money based on their final league position. Relegation means you will receive the least amount of money. But that’s not all.
Relegation means you will play in the second league tier, the Championship. This means teams that are relegated will miss the various money that you earn only in the Premier League. They will miss out on the lucrative TV money rights. They will also lose sponsorship money as sponsors pay more to Premier League teams and automatically decrease the money in case of relegation. This also applies to advertising money.
Teams also usually have to sell their best players for low transfer fees to keep up with expenses. This means they usually have to spend up in the Championship for a few more years.
While there is no accurate number, the cost of relegation for a club would be around Ā£90-100 million, according to a The Sporting News article. A very hefty prize to miss out on.
The final matchday is tomorrow with all teams playing at the same time. Only one out of the three clubs will escape relegation. Whatever the case, it will be an interesting relegation battle to follow.
