The Bottom twelve teams are all vulnerable to being championship teams next season, and this season the hole behind them is starting to grow larger and larger bringing more teams into contention for the final 10 rounds of the Premier League season.
Premier League Table, Bottom Twelve.
TOTAL | HOME | AWAY | ||||||||||||
Pos | Team | PTS | GP | W | D | L | W | D | L | W | D | L | GS | GA |
12 | West Ham | 31 | 29 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 32 | 38 |
13 | Hull City | 30 | 29 | 8 | 6 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 30 | 37 |
14 | Swansea City | 29 | 29 | 7 | 8 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 38 | 43 |
15 | Norwich City | 29 | 30 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 24 | 48 |
16 | West Bromwich Albion | 28 | 29 | 5 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 33 | 43 |
17 | Crystal Palace | 28 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 38 |
18 | Sunderland | 25 | 27 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 42 |
19 | Cardiff City | 25 | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 23 | 52 |
20 | Fulham | 24 | 30 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 30 | 65 |
The first team that is closer to survival than relegation but the potential gloom is still present, is that of West Ham. They have what seems a solid 31 points on the board, but don’t be so sure to take that cigar to your lips just yet Hammers.
The fixture lists for the claret and blues is a tough one. They will be playing either a team from the top 7 or teams beneath them. In short all the games will be crucial and concentration will be essential.
West Ham's Fixture List | Comparison | Hull City's Fixture List |
---|---|---|
West Ham Vs. Man Utd | Hull City Vs. West Brom | |
West Ham Vs. Hull City | West Ham Vs. Hull City | |
Sunderland Vs. West Ham | Stoke City Vs. Hull City | |
West Ham Vs. Liverpool | Hull City Vs. Swansea City | |
Arsenal Vs West Ham | Man Utd Vs. Hull City | |
West Ham Vs. Crystal Palace | Hull City Vs. Sheffield Utd (FA Cup) | |
West Brom Vs. West Ham | Hull City Vs. Arsenal | |
West Ham Vs. Tottenham | Fulham Vs. Hull City | |
Man City Vs. West Ham | Aston Villa Vs. Hull City | |
Hull City Vs. Everton |
The second team I have listed to the side of West Ham is Hull City. The Tigers are another team where the trap door is ready to take them at any time.
The lists of fixtures above carry huge importance and will be big games for every team. Man Utd will be looking for a very strong performance after the painful 3-0 defeat to rivals, Liverpool, and the rest are in the survival scrap or pushing for either the top four or the Premier League crown.
Both clubs are in similar situations and both have managers capable of keeping them up with time to spare. West ham have a manager who is very experienced in surviving the drop and even without much of a strike force, with Nolan and Carroll bearing most of the weight, they know how to get points on to the table and with a solid defence, they know how to close games out even if it means a 0-0 bore draw.
Hull City, have a manager in Steve Bruce who has plenty of experience in the Premier League, his team has a good defence with Davies impressing at times and at the start of the season, with the Tigers’ work ethic and quality in midfield with Huddlestone and Livermore left many believing they will miss the drop with ease. Bruce has also spent well in January, especially in the forward areas having Jelavic and Long joining the club, who can both grab goals when the opportunities arise.
Both clubs look set to avoid the drop but with tough games remaining, nothing is certain in football.
Source: DSG