#relegation-battle

#relegation-battle

We came to a tough place tonight, which we knew and we didn't really give ourselves a chance. The ingredients you need coming here, the real basics of the game, we fell way short. It surprised me. Tonight we were way short. I didn't see this performance coming, certainly where we've come from in terms of performances and the results we picked up.

Scrapping it out at the foot of the Premiership table, Stephen Robinson's men have a battle on their hands in the race to keep hold of their top-flight status in 2026. Putting in a toothless performance over the weekend as they eventually had to settle for a 0-0 stalemate at home against Dundee FC, the Paisley-based outfit have collected just three points from any of their previous seven Premiership appearances.

West Ham's recent resurgence has breathed new life into their hopes of avoiding relegation. Wins against Tottenham and Sunderland have closed the gap between them and 17th-placed Nottingham Forest to five points - and reinstalled some belief into what appeared a demoralised squad. They will have to move up another level if they want to get something from their trip to Stamford Bridge.

Christmas is long gone and the scramble of the transfer window is about to come to an end so it feels like we really are now at the business end of the season with teams' goals, be they promotion, survival or building for next year, programmed for the run-in. In the Championship Middlesbrough might have quite fancied facing Norwich a month ago but the Canaries are a different proposition these days, while Portsmouth against West Brom has 'relegation scrap' written all over it.

"I'm really pleased to be here," Ward-Prowse told Burnley's official media channels. "As soon as I heard of Burnley's interest and spoke to the manager, I knew this loan spell was just what I needed. "There's a big battle between now and the end of the season, but I'm going to relish every moment. "I just want to get out there, pull on the Burnley shirt and give my all for the challenge that's ahead."

Manchester City are six points clear at the summit and take on the London City Lionesses on Saturday, but Chelsea's clash with Arsenal headlines this round of WSL matches. The Blues can pull further clear of Renee Slegers' side with a win as they aim to keep up the pressure at the top, while the Gunners are hoping to breathe fresh life into their slim title prospects. But Arsenal also have one eye on the teams directly behind them, as the race for the Champions League qualification hots up.

The Hammers have more to deal with than a relegation battle that's threatening to get away from them. After holding on to attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta in the summer transfer window, the Brazilian's status is at the heart of a looming crisis at the London Stadium. Paqueta has reportedly made clear his desire to leave West Ham and a return to Brazil could be on the cards for the 28-year-old former AC Milan and Lyon man.

We are working very hard every day to get Wolves out of this situation. The season ends in May and there is still a long way to go. We ask the fans to keep believing in us because we are very committed to changing the situation the team is in.

Another pivotal weekend of action in the Scottish Premiership awaits, with permutations at the top and bottom of the division. On Saturday, Celtic host Dundee United in their first match since Wilfried Nancy's sacking, in-form Hibernian take on high-flying Motherwell, the league's bottom two sides go head-to-head as Livingston face Kilmarnock, while St Mirren welcome Falkirk to Paisley. League-leaders Hearts go to Dundee on Sunday, before Aberdeen and Rangers meet for the second time in six days.

Stuart Kettlewell says he needs players who are "hungry and have an appetite for the fight" as the returning manager aims to help save Ross County from a second successive relegation.

Wolverhampton Wanderers find themselves in a position few clubs ever escape. After 18 Premier League matches, their campaign has descended into a statistical nightmare that places them alongside (and in some cases below) the division's most notorious underperformers. While managerial change often offers a reset, Wolves' early-season numbers suggest this season could drift beyond a simple relegation fight and into historically poor territory.

While Unai Emery's men might have watched their record-breaking purple patch come to an abrupt end in north London earlier in the week, Villa are still sat firmly in the driving seat to book a famous Champions League return in 2026. Showing some real issues once again over the past few weeks, Nottingham Forest still remain at the heart of a Premier League relegation scrap and they look set for what will be another stern examination this weekend.