Ipswich Town find themselves towards the bottom of the division alongside six other teams. Alex Jones takes a closer look at each club.
Southampton are rooted to the bottom of the tableSouthampton are rooted to the bottom of the table (Image: PA)
Southampton
Why they might go down
No team has ever recovered from their position. In fact, the infamous Derby County side that ended up with the worst finish in Premier League history back in 2007/08 had more points after 15 games than Southampton do now.
Fans are continuing to turn on manager Russell Martin, with many voicing their frustration at the manager or opting not to go to games anymore. Despite being an open, expansive, possession-based side that likes to play out from the back, they have scored the fewest goals in the league.
Almost every week, we see them concede after making an error in their own third. They are already eight points off safety and look like they may soon be cut adrift. The board seem to be sticking by Martin, which is creating toxicity at St. Mary’s.
Why they might stay up
Performances haven’t been as bad as results suggest. They could have got a result against Liverpool – a match they lost 3-2 after being 2-1 up – and were unlucky not to take the points away at Brighton after having a goal ruled out in a 1-1 draw. The defeat to Chelsea can be put down to extenuating circumstances and Aston Villa struggled to break them down last weekend.
A busy January transfer window could give them a boost, although convincing players to join them may be a big ask.
The likes of Mateus Fernandes and Tyler Dibling will continue to improve as the season goes on and they gain more experience at this level.
Gary O'Neil is under huge pressure at WolvesGary O'Neil is under huge pressure at Wolves (Image: PA)
Wolves
Why they might go down
Wolves are really poor defensively, conceding 38 goals in 15 games, seven more than anyone in the division. They were pumped 6-2 by Chelsea and 5-3 by Brentford. More recently, they were comfortably beaten by both Bournemouth and Everton, losing 4-2 and 4-0 respectively.
With a tough set of fixtures to start the campaign, fans expected them to grow into the season and find their feet, but three defeats on the bounce suggests otherwise. They can’t seem to turn poor performances into draws, which has seen them beaten 10 times so far this season.
Fans have turned on manager Gary O’Neil. Monday’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham was expected to be his final game in charge, but TalkSPORT have since reported that he’s expected to be in the dugout against Ipswich this weekend. The owners are incredibly unpopular at the moment and there’s a negative cloud hanging over Molineux.
Captain Mario Lemina had to be separated from Jarrod Bowen at full time in their last game, with the 31-year-old then shoving his own assistant manager, Shaun Derry in the aftermath. All is not well in WV1.
Why they might stay up
On paper, they have one of the best squads in this relegation mini-league. Matheus Cunha is a wonderful footballer who has seven goals and three assists to his name. Rayan Ait-Nouri can contribute at both ends of the pitch. They have strong options on the bench, like former PSG forward Goncalo Guedes.
Scoring goals isn’t an issue. With 23 so far this season, Tottenham are the only side in the bottom half of the table to have found the back of the net more than them.
Their 2-0 win against Southampton shows that they have what it takes to beat their relegation rivals, but their 4-1 victory away at high-flying Fulham was a sign of what they are capable of when everything clicks.
There’s every chance that O’Neil is sacked if results don’t improve in the next couple of weeks. A new manager bounce could help them out of the bottom three, and fresh ideas could see them stay about the dotted line.
Ipswich are still looking for their first home win of the seasonIpswich are still looking for their first home win of the season (Image: Steve Waller)
Ipswich Town
Why they might go down
No need to go too in depth on this one – we all know the issues. After back-to-back promotions from League One, the jump into the Premier League might be a step too far in such a short space of time.
One win all season is a concern, as is the fact that Town are yet to earn a single victory at Portman Road. They have failed to beat any of the teams in and around them so far. The longer that goes on, the more of an impact it will have on their mentality.
Injuries have been a real issue as well, and their squad depth doesn’t look as strong as their relegation rivals. They have a tough run of games coming up and need to work hard to avoid getting cut adrift.
Why they might stay up
Ipswich have been competitive in almost every single game so far this season. They would have quite a few more points on the board if it wasn’t for individual errors and bad luck.
January recruitment will be vital and the Blues will spent money to strengthen the squad. George Hirst is due back from injury next month to bolster the forward line too.
Ultimately, manager Kieran McKenna won’t be sacked under any circumstances and the club will be in a better place regardless of whether or not they go down. There should be plenty of positive vibes at Portman Road.
Crystal Palace sit four points above the relegation zoneCrystal Palace sit four points above the relegation zone (Image: PA)
Crystal Palace
Why they might go down
14 goals isn’t a good return given the attacking talent at their disposal. Fans started to dream when Oliver Glasner had Crystal Palace flying at the end of last season while playing an attractive brand of football, but the results have nosedived and the style of play isn’t fun to watch.
Although they have lost the same number of games as Manchester United, they draw far too many. Two wins from 15 matches is alarming.
The January transfer window is an opportunity to strengthen, but will their Premier League rivals come back in for some of their star players? Marc Guehi was a big target for Newcastle United over the summer and Eberechi Eze has been linked with every top-six side under the sun. Losing either of them would be a blow.
Why they might stay up
They shouldn’t be anywhere near the bottom three with the quality and depth in their squad. Confidence is clearly a big issue at the moment, but if Glasner can improve that, they could easily soar up the table.
A dominant draw against Newcastle, an away win at Ipswich and an impressive point against Manchester City will go a long way towards doing that.
The Eagles are now unbeaten in four matches and have opened up a four-point gap on the bottom three. They boast the best defensive record in the relegation mini-league and have three colossal centre-backs to protect goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has taken four points from his first two games at Leicester CityRuud van Nistelrooy has taken four points from his first two games at Leicester City (Image: PA)
Leicester City
Why they might go down
Leicester arguably have one of the weakest squads in the league on paper, with limited summer transfer business due to FFP restraints. That will likely continue into January.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is in to replace Steve Cooper, which is a big risk. This is his first managerial role outside of the Netherlands and he comes into a pressurised environment. If the Foxes are relegated, it could have a devastating impact on the club.
Their 4-1 defeat to Brentford showed all of the issues in the team and was labelled by some as one of the worst performances of any side in recent Premier League history. Despite improved results in their last two games, they haven’t played that well. Star man Abdul Fatawu won’t feature again this season after injuring his knee.
If Van Nistelrooy can’t turn it around, they are unlikely to roll the dice again and sack him before the end of the season. This is make or break.
Why they might stay up
Leicester can play badly and pick up positive results. Consecutive wins against Bournemouth and Southampton proved to be huge. They were underwhelming against Ipswich and Brighton but got draws from both games.
West Ham created an xG of 3.10 against them from 31 shots, but were beaten 3-1 in Van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge. In fact, the Foxes have actually been pretty clinical this season, with 21 goals in 15 games.
The negative energy is starting to seep out of the King Power Stadium, which will do them a world of good if it continues.
Everton are still waiting for their takeover to be completedEverton are still waiting for their takeover to be completed (Image: PA)
Everton
Why they might go down
Nothing ever seems to go well for Everton. Fans turned after an awful start to the season where they lost their first four matches of the season. Things have improved since then, but they are still wildly inconsistent, losing 4-0 away at Man United before reversing the scoreline against Wolves at Goodison Park a few days later.
Off-field issues rumble on. A takeover is yet to be confirmed, and as a result, Sean Dyche’s future and Everton’s January transfer budget are yet to be set in stone.
Although they boast a strong defensive record, they have been poor going forwards. Before thrashing Wolves last week, they had managed just 10 goals all season. They have good experience in their squad, but the some of the teams below them have far more quality and technical ability.
Their fixture list is daunting, with games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Brighton to come before the end of January.
Why they might stay up
As mentioned, Everton are often rock-solid at the back, with 21 goals conceded so far. Goalless draws against Newcastle, West Ham and Brentford have certainly helped in a season where wins have been hard to come by.
If they are still in trouble in a few weeks’ time, the experienced heads in their squad could give them a big helping hand. Many of their players have been through this before and know what it takes to finish above the dotted line.
Fans are clinging on to hopes of a possible takeover. If that happens before January, it could transform their squad and lift the morale on Merseyside. If Dyche fails to turn things around, he’ll probably find himself out of a job, with a fresh face coming in to try and steady the ship.
West Ham sit just a point behind Manchester United after 15 gamesWest Ham sit just a point behind Manchester United after 15 games (Image: PA)
West Ham
Why they might go down
Negativity, again. Fans were split on whether David Moyes should have been sacked last season but were fairly unanimous in saying that Julen Lopetegui was the wrong replacement. They have been comfortably beaten by Man City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and Arsenal.
Losing to the top teams is never a disgrace, but it’s the manner of those defeats, especially after a summer of impressive recruitment. Their recent 3-1 defeat at Leicester was the final straw for many, although Lopetegui looks set to stay for now after beating former club Wolves on Monday night.
Off the field, supporters are frustrated with the owners while there are reports of the manager being embroiled in physical altercations with two different players already this season.
Why they might stay up
West Ham are undoubtedly the strongest team in the relegation mini-league and some would argue that they aren't even in it, sitting one point behind Man United in 14th.
They have bags of quality, particularly in the final third, with the likes of Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta, Crysencio Summerville and Mohammed Kudus. A new striker in January could make the difference.
If their poor form continues, Lopetegui will surely be sacked and a new manager will come in, with Graham Potter already installed as the frontrunner.