The final Premier League table doesn’t make good reading for Leeds fans - but it’s oh so close
- Paul Okey
- 28 April 2022
Paul Okey gets out his crystal ball to predict the results and final positions as the Premier League relegation battle goes down to the wire.
Speak to fans of the Premier League's bottom six and, bar Burnley, you'll come away convinced their side is doomed.
But they can't all go down. Three are going to survive to struggle another day. But which three?
Taking it game by game, Planet Sport have predicted the results, factored in the ongoing pressure and worked out just who is going to be joining Watford and Norwich in the Championship next season. Because, let's face it, those two haven't got a cat in hell's chance of staying up, have they?
Next up
Saturday, April 30
15:00: Aston Villa vs Norwich
15:00: Watford vs Burnley
17:30: Leeds vs Manchester City
Sunday, May 1
14:00: Everton vs Chelsea
With Everton not in action until Sunday, Aston Villa and Burnley have the chance to put further distance between themselves and the bottom three. And they couldn't ask for easier opponents.
Watford's hopes of escaping the drop disappeared with successive home defeats to Leeds and Brentford, while Norwich just haven't got enough goals in them to compensate for repeated defensive aberrations.
Neither side will make it easy, however, with these games representing their last real chance of grabbing a survival lifeline and a resurgent Burnley may have to settle for a point from Vicarage Road.
It will mean Everton going into Sunday's game knowing not even a win will be enough to lift them out of the bottom three. However, emboldened by the success of his tactics against Liverpool (for the most part), Frank Lampard will oversee a scrappy 1-1 draw against a Chelsea side whose form has been erratic of late.
Leeds won't get anything from the visit of Manchester City, Champions League exertions or not.
Aston Villa 2 Norwich City 1
Watford 0 Burnley 0
Leeds 0 Manchester City 2
Everton 1 Chelsea 1
Updated table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 15 | Aston Villa | 33 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 43 | 47 | -4 | 38 |
| 16 | Leeds | 34 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 38 | 70 | -32 | 34 |
| 17 | Burnley | 34 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 29 | 45 | -16 | 32 |
| 18 | Everton | 33 | 8 | 6 | 19 | 35 | 56 | -21 | 30 |
| 19 | Watford | 34 | 6 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 67 | -36 | 23 |
| 20 | Norwich | 34 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 23 | 71 | -48 | 21 |
Saturday, May 7 - Sunday, May 8
Saturday, May 7
15:00: Burnley vs Aston Villa
15:00: Crystal Palace vs Watford
Sunday, May 8
14:00: Norwich vs West Ham
14:00: Leicester vs Everton
14:00: Arsenal vs Leicester
Burnley play Aston Villa twice during the closing weeks of the season and that is not good news for their relegation rivals as Villa have only beaten the Clarets once in their last six Premier League encounters dating back to 2014.
However given the enormity of this meeting, a point apiece seems the most likely outcome.
Everton are again in action a day after two of their closest rivals, and rather like a side going second in a penalty shootout, will find the pressure intensifying.
Leeds will start to have reason to worry as it'll be another pointless weekend, while relegation will be confirmed for Watford and Norwich.
Burnley 1 Aston Villa 1
Crystal Palace 2 Watford 0
Norwich 0 West Ham 2
Leicester 2 Everton 1
Arsenal 3 Leeds 1
Updated table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 15 | Aston Villa | 34 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 44 | 48 | -4 | 39 |
| 16 | Leeds | 35 | 8 | 10 | 17 | 39 | 73 | -34 | 34 |
| 17 | Burnley | 35 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 30 | 46 | -16 | 33 |
| 18 | Everton | 34 | 8 | 6 | 20 | 36 | 58 | -22 | 30 |
| 19 | Watford | 35 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 31 | 69 | -38 | 23 |
| 20 | Norwich | 35 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 23 | 73 | -50 | 21 |
Tuesday, May 10 - Wednesday, May 11
Tuesday, May 10
20:00 Aston Villa vs Liverpool
Wednesday, May 11
19:30: Leeds vs Chelsea
19:45: Leicester vs Norwich
19:45: Watford vs Everton
Ah, the sweet, sweet irony. Steven Gerrard has a chance to deliver what would be a fatal blow to Liverpool's title chances or in turn see his beloved Reds nudge Villa a little nearer the relegation trapdoor.
And this one is hard to call. Jurgen Klopp's side come into the fixture just three days after a tough-looking meeting with Tottenham that could already have seen their quadruple bid go up in smoke.
Nevertheless, if you were to call it now, then a Liverpool win at Villa Park would be the way to go.
Leeds play their third successive match against top-four opposition in the shape of Chelsea.
However, there is a kernel of hope for the Whites here, with Chelsea having failed to win in their last five Premier League visits to Elland Road. Expect that to stretch to six.
Everton, meanwhile, travel to already relegated Watford, a side they've scored five against in their last two head to heads. Admittedly, they've conceded seven but with their survival hopes on the line, this could be just the fixture they need to get their survival bid back on track.
Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2
Leicester 2 Norwich City 0
Watford 0 Everton 3
Leeds 1 Chelsea 1
Updated table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 15 | Aston Villa | 35 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 45 | 50 | -5 | 39 |
| 16 | Leeds | 36 | 8 | 11 | 17 | 40 | 74 | -34 | 35 |
| 17 | Burnley | 35 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 30 | 46 | -16 | 33 |
| 18 | Everton | 35 | 9 | 6 | 20 | 39 | 58 | -19 | 33 |
| 19 | Watford | 36 | 6 | 5 | 25 | 31 | 72 | -41 | 23 |
| 20 | Norwich | 36 | 5 | 6 | 25 | 23 | 75 | -52 | 21 |
The penultimate weekend
Sunday, May 15
12:00: Tottenham vs Burnley
14:00: Everton vs Brentford
14:00: Wolves vs Norwich
14:00: Watford vs Leicester
14:00: Leeds vs Brighton
14:00: Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace
For all Spurs being Spursy, with the 1-0 defeat to Burnley in February being a case in point, you can't see lightning striking twice. Harry Kane on the other hand…
The home fixtures for Everton, Leeds and Aston Villa all represent winnable games against teams with little to play for and the Toffees should duly oblige, with a point for Villa being enough to guarantee survival.
However, Leeds have an appalling record against the Seagulls having lost ten of their last 14 meetings with the south-coast side - and only won two of their last 16. A repeat of November's goalless draw will be seen as a point gained.
Tottenham 3 Burnley 0
Everton 2 Brentford 1
Wolves 1 Norwich 0
Watford 1 Leicester 1
Leeds 0 Brighton 0
Aston Villa 1 Crystal Palace 1
Updated table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 15 | Aston Villa | 36 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 46 | 51 | -5 | 40 |
| 16 | Everton | 36 | 10 | 6 | 20 | 41 | 59 | -18 | 36 |
| 17 | Leeds | 37 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 40 | 74 | -34 | 36 |
| 18 | Burnley | 36 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 30 | 49 | -19 | 33 |
| 19 | Watford | 37 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 32 | 73 | -41 | 24 |
| 20 | Norwich | 37 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 23 | 76 | -53 | 21 |
The final midweek
Thursday, May 19
19:45: Everton vs Crystal Palace
20:00: Aston Villa vs Burnley
Out of the bottom three, Everton will view this as a chance to secure their Premier League safety once and for all. A Crystal Palace side short on incentive but long on running will ensure the drama runs right through to the last game of the season, however, by grabbing a 2-2 draw.
Villa, meanwhile, safe and already sick of the sight of Burnley, will succumb to a 2-1 home defeat to dump Leeds into the bottom three going into the final Sunday.
Aston Villa 1 Burnley 2
Everton 2 Crystal Palace 2
Updated table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 15 | Aston Villa | 37 | 11 | 7 | 19 | 47 | 53 | -6 | 40 |
| 16 | Everton | 37 | 10 | 7 | 20 | 43 | 61 | -18 | 37 |
| 17 | Burnley | 37 | 7 | 15 | 15 | 32 | 50 | -18 | 36 |
| 18 | Leeds | 37 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 40 | 74 | -34 | 36 |
| 19 | Watford | 37 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 32 | 73 | -41 | 24 |
| 20 | Norwich | 37 | 5 | 6 | 26 | 23 | 76 | -53 | 21 |
The final matches
Sunday, May 22
16:00: Arsenal vs Everton
16:00: Brentford vs Leeds
16:00: Burnley vs Newcastle
16:00: Chelsea vs Watford
16:00: Man City vs Aston Villa
16:00: Norwich vs Tottenham
And so it comes down to this. Burnley, Everton and Leeds separated by just a single point going into the final 90 minutes of the season.
And for Everton it's not good, with Arsenal's top-four hopes riding on them getting a positive result, especially with Tottenham racking up a comfortable win at Norwich.
Burnley entertain a Newcastle side in party spirits following a campaign which saw their fortunes literally transformed, while Leeds visit a Brentford side who will be in festive mood themselves after comfortably hanging on to top-flight status.
Leeds' last two meetings with Brentford have ended all-square and that's how we see it going again this time around. A draw too for Burnley-Newcastle, with Chris Wood apologetically providing the Magpies leveller.
That would leave Burnley, Everton and Leeds locked together on 37 points, with Leeds' far inferior goal difference proving the difference as the Elland Road side slump back into the Championship.
Still want to build a statue for Bielsa Leeds fans?
Arsenal 2 Everton 0
Chelsea 4 Watford 1
Brentford 1 Leeds 1
Burnley 1 Newcastle 1
Manchester City 3 Aston Villa 1
Norwich 0 Tottenham 4
Final table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| 15 | Aston Villa | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 48 | 56 | -8 | 40 |
| 16 | Burnley | 38 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 33 | 51 | -18 | 37 |
| 17 | Everton | 38 | 10 | 7 | 21 | 43 | 63 | -20 | 37 |
| 18 | Leeds | 38 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 41 | 75 | -34 | 37 |
| 19 | Watford | 38 | 6 | 6 | 26 | 33 | 77 | -44 | 24 |
| 20 | Norwich | 38 | 5 | 6 | 27 | 23 | 80 | -57 | 21 |
