The high-quality relegation battle more like a title race
After wins for Leeds United , Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest over the bank holiday weekend, the quest for safety is hotting up. It has been a game of who will blink first over the past couple of months with the three sides all in danger of finishing in the the third and final relegation place - Forest, Spurs and West Ham - having only lost one of their past nine Premier League games between them. It is a battle that has had all the twists and turns, controversy and defining moments usually associated with a title race.
As West Ham found out the hard way on Saturday afternoon when they were thrashed 3-0 by Brentford , poor performances and dropped points are being punished emphatically by rivals this time around. The improved quality of the teams in and around the drop zone means for the first time since the 2015-16 season, a team will be relegated from the Premier League with 36 points or more. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, journalist Rory Smith said: "Someone is going down with a lot of points, that is the reality of it.
"In the last two seasons, the bottom three didn't crack 30 points, and we talked a lot about the idea that the promoted teams were at such a massive financial disadvantage that they couldn't compete. "They have all responded when the pressure has been really high. They have all found form.
"Since the game against [Manchester] City in November, Leeds have been upper‑mid‑table in terms of form. Forest have come good a little bit later on. "And Spurs and West Ham - although they are the two in danger - one of them will go down with a lot more points than any team for quite a long time.
" Match of the Day highlights: Chelsea 1-3 Nottingham Forest By beating Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Monday, Nottingham Forest extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to seven matches. It moved them six points clear of 18th-placed West Ham , and restored their five-point advantage over Spurs in 17th. Although not confirmed mathematically, the three points should be enough to seal Forest's place in the Premier League next season.