With just four months of the 2024/25 English Premier League season remaining, the battle to stay in the English top flight is looking increasingly like a four-horse race. In recent years, the three sides promoted from the EFL Championship have suffered immediate relegations back to the second tier, as the financial chasm between the two leagues grows ever wider. This could be the case yet again this season, with all three newly promoted sides firmly in the relegation dogfight.
It looked like Everton were going to be scrapping for survival once again this season, after accruing just 17 points from their first 20 games of the campaign. However, the Toffees’ board took a bold decision to fire Sean Dyche and reappoint experienced Scotsman David Moyes for a second spell in charge at Goodison Park. It has paid immediate dividends too, with the former Manchester United and West Ham boss guiding Everton to victories over Tottenham, Brighton and Leicester.
Nine points have changed the picture entirely for Everton, who have seen their relegation futures odds drift out to as high as +1800 with Betway, which is currently one of the top up-and-coming sportsbooks in the US market compared with all these betting sites to choose from, including 888sport, bet365, and Paddy Power.
With Everton seemingly out of the relegation picture, what’s the state of play?
Southampton, who secured promotion to the Premier League via the playoffs last May, are rooted to the foot of the EPL. After 24 games, the Saints have just nine points to their name, winning only two fixtures, shipping 54 goals in the process. Despite sacking Russell Martin and replacing him with Ivan Juric, this appears to have had little impact on results.
Leicester City made the brighter start to the season out of the three promoted sides, but recently endured a run of seven straight defeats, which plunged the Foxes back into the bottom three. They dispensed with the services of former boss, Steve Cooper replacing him with Ruud van Nistelrooy, which felt like a brave move given Van Nistelrooy’s lack of elite-level managerial experience. However, a rare away win at injury-hit Tottenham has inched the Foxes out of the relegation zone for the time being.
Ipswich Town have enjoyed a fairytale period under the management of Kieran McKenna. The Tractor Boys landed back-to-back automatic promotions from League One to the Premier League and have been largely competitive in most of their games. A couple of recent thrashings at the hands of Manchester City and Liverpool shouldn’t detract from the fact that Town were only a point from safety with 15 games remaining – a position most Ipswich fans would’ve taken in August.
With Everton now nine points clear of the relegation zone after 23 games played, the only hope for Ipswich and Leicester seems to be the continued implosion of Wolverhampton Wanderers. On paper, Wolves have more match-winners than either side, with Matheus Cunha proving a genuine handful. However, their survival hopes rest largely on his shoulders since he’s the creator-in-chief and main goal scorer too. A hamstring injury to number nine Jorgen Strand Larsen also limits Wanderers’ attacking options going into February. Wolves’ financial position is uncertain, having seen their squad systematically weakened over the last couple of years due to their Chinese owners keen to get the club on a more sustainable footing.
Wolves have also had serious problems stopping goals at the other end, conceding 52 goals, a record only marginally beaten by bottom club Southampton. Most neutrals would appear to be on the side of Ipswich, with staying up after back-to-back promotions potentially one of the best achievements in the Premier League era.