#relegation-battle

#relegation-battle

"His style is intense," George Boxall, a football journalist based in Marseille, where Tudor managed between 2022 and 2023, tells BBC Sport. "The players do a hell of a lot of running. There's lots of intensity, lots of pressing. "He is a really strong personality and he could be a good appointment for Tottenham if they feel they need an electroshock."

Starting with the hosts, while Werder Bremen might have shocked many last season as they secured a top-half finish among Germany's elite, the River Islanders have come crashing back down to earth in an infamous fashion this time around. Scrapping it out at the foot of the Bundesliga standings and breaking plenty of unwanted records, Daniel Thioune's downbeat squad also open this weekend's fixtures sat in the relegation play-off spot.

The 40-point mark - or thereabouts - could well be back in vogue when it comes to guaranteeing Premier League survival this term, with an in-form West Ham attempting to chase down the sides above them. That mythical number has often been cited as the threshold at which managers, players and fans can relax - but the total has not actually been needed to stay up since 2010-11.

Crystal Palace welcome lowly Burnley to Selhurst Park in a crucial Premier League clash tonight. The Eagles are currently sitting at a pretty distance from the relegation zone, but a loss to Scott Parker's men would have the club looking over their shoulders. Meanwhile, the Clarets look a safe bet to return to the Championship, with the team 11 points from 17th-placed Nottingham Forest. If they are to mount a great escape, they need to win this game.

Seven years after thrashing them 9-0 at St Mary's and only two after plundering five during Southampton's last trip to the King Power Stadium, Leicester began the match with high hopes of clawing back three of the six points they were recently deducted by the EFL. But, still searching for a permanent manager following Marti Cifuentes' departure and languishing perilously close to the relegation zone, the hosts are a very different beast to the one the visitors encountered here in April 2024.

Embarking on an extended flurry, Chris Davies' men have their sights firmly set on mounting a genuine play-off charge in 2026 and the open Tuesday's showdown sat just two points adrift of skyrocketing into the top-six. Last seen over the weekend clinching a 2-1 victory at home against Leicester, the mood around St. Andrew's is at a red-hot high and they will certainly be smelling another golden opportunity here.

And it got even worse for the Baggies on Tuesday night as Blackburn's 1-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday meant Albion dropped into the Championship's bottom three for the first time since November 2022. For a club of this size, relegation to League One almost certainly fits the cliche of "they are too big to go down". This is a club that has only ever been relegated to the third tier once before.

Starting with the hosts, despite suffering play-off heartbreak last season, Cesena have made it abundantly clear that they have their sights firmly set on punching another top-eight finish this time around. Despite currently being sat in pole position after their rampant start to the 2025/26 campaign, it is no secret that the Bianconeri are desperately searching for some essential stability.

Starting with the hosts, while Sporting Lisbon might have a real battle on their hands in the race to defend their Primeira Liga crown this season, the Portuguese heavyweights are enjoying what has become an extended purple patch. Last seen over the weekend getting February underway with a 2-1 victory at home against Nacional, Rui Borges' men have won all of their previous five appearances across all competitions and the mood in their camp appears to be at a red-hot high.

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.

Wolves extended their unbeaten run to five games but there were few other positives after a desperately drab goalless draw with Newcastle this afternoon. Rob Edwards' side need wins if their remote hopes of pulling off the greatest escape act in the history of the Premier League is to be realised but they were unable to find a breakthrough against a Newcastle side who move up to eighth with the point.