With nine matchdays left (eight for Wolves) in the 2025-26 Premier League campaign, there’s a huge sense of urgency for all 20 teams in the English top-flight for different reasons. While Arsenal and Manchester City are going toe-to-toe at the top, with Manchester United, Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Liverpool fighting for the other Top 4 berths, there’s also chaos between the league’s cellar dwellers.
At the time of writing, Wolves, Burnley, and West Ham United are the bottom three teams at 16, 19, and 28 points. Nottingham Forest, despite being 17th (also at 28 points), are not far off. They’re only out of the drop zone due to a superior goal difference against West Ham United. Meanwhile, Tottenham are also in the mix with 29 points.
As we look ahead to the final matchdays, SBOTOP analyses the current relegation landscape in the English top-flight table.
Tottenham are spiraling down
Despite changing managers last month, with Igor Tudor replacing Thomas Frank, Tottenham’s Premier League 2026 results haven’t improved in the past few weeks. Tudor has lost his first three games in the English top-flight, slowly plunging the Spurs into the relegation abyss.
Their chaotic descent reared its ugly head in yesterday’s 3-1 home loss to Crystal Palace. Tottenham were up one when Dominic Solanke scored the first goal of the match in the 34th minute, but they were reduced to 10 men four minutes later when Micky van de Ven was sent off for his reckless challenge on Ismaila Sarr inside the penalty area.
With one of their best defenders out, the Spurs’ backline collapsed. After Sarr hit his penalty, Jorgen Strand Larsen made his way into the scoresheet before Sarr completed his brace right before halftime to make it 3-1. Midfielder Adam Wharton set up those scores for the Eagles, who took their foot off the gas in the second half, with the hosts already demoralised.
Tottenham’s injuries shouldn’t be overlooked either, as they’re dealing with 11 players currently sidelined by injuries or suspension. Next week, they’ll face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16 (two legs), Liverpool, and Brighton. Tudor badly needs a miracle in his next four matches at the helm to right the ship.
Wolves are not yet down and out
In contrast, the Wolves have shown signs of life under Rob Edwards. By winning their last two league games against Aston Villa (2-0) and Liverpool (2-1), they guaranteed that they’ve avoided Derby County’s dubious record of only finishing with 11 points in an English top-flight campaign.
Wolves lost 3-1 to Liverpool in last night’s rematch in the FA Cup, as Edwards rotated his squad. With no other competitions left, they will go all-in on finishing the season strong, even if the Premier League 2026 odds expect them to be relegated at the end of the season. The Wolves will face Brentford in their next league match on Monday night at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Though firmly at the bottom of the table, Edwards has significantly improved the mood at Molineux, as the Wolves seem more competitive and play with more hunger and fire. At this point, every upcoming match feels like a championship, and they must win every match while hoping that the teams above them will continue to drop more points.
The Wolves definitely need more goals to keep themselves afloat, as they have the worst offence in England with only 22 goals. Rodrigo Gomes is their top scorer with three goals, while Tolu Arokodare, Ladislav Krejci, Santiago Bueno, Hwang Hee-Chan, and Mateus Mane have two goals apiece.
West Ham United and Nottingham Forest have one foot out
West Ham United and Nottingham Forest are tied at 28 points, but the Hammers are in better recent form than the Tricky Trees. Nuno Espirito Santo’s men only have one loss in their last five. In contrast, Vitor Pereira hasn’t won a game with his new Premier League squad.
Crysencio Summerville scored the winning goal in the Hammers’ 1-0 win over the Cottagers for his fifth of the season. West Ham United have now accumulated 14 of their 28 points this season in their past eight Premier League matches. If they beat Manchester City in their next fixture, they’ll be out of the relegation zone for the first time since December. Speaking of facing Manchester City, Nottingham Forest held them to a 2-2 draw last Wednesday. Because they’re also in the Europa League Round of 16, Pereira faces the unenviable task of balancing the team’s domestic and international commitments.
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