English Premier League 2019-2020

#228      
With their 0:4 loss today to West Ham United (with all 4 goals scored by Michail Antonio), Norwich City are officially relegated back to the EFL Championship. Much like their last time in the Premier League, the Canaries are only in the top flight for one season.

In the EFL Championship, both Brentford and Fulham have clinched at least playoff spots with Brentford defeating Derby County 1:3 today and Fulham defeating Cardiff City 2:0 yesterday. The top 4 in the EFL Championship have separated themselves from the rest of the table with Nottingham Forest coming closer to clinching a spot. The last playoff spot looks like it will come down to either Cardiff City, Swansea City, or Preston North End. Derby County still has a shot but their loss to Brentford makes it that much more of a long shot at this point.
 
#230      
Leeds United has clinched promotion to the Premier League following West Brom's 2:1 loss to Huddersfield Town. It is the Whites first time back in the Premier League since 2003-2004. The team had fallen as far as League One as recently as the 2008-2009 season, spending 3 seasons in the third division of English football, that went along with financial issues the club had in the mid-2000s.
 
#232      
Watford has sacked Nigel Pearson with just two matches left in the season and the Hornets just barely outside the relegation zone. Pearson was the third manager Watford has had this season. Watford lost to West Ham 3:1 in a match on Friday that was likely going to determine who was all but secure in terms of Premier League survival. Watford is just 3 points ahead of Aston Villa and Bournemouth and still have Manchester City at home and travel to the Emirates to take on Arsenal on the final match day next Sunday.
 
#233      
Looking at the table as it stands and who they have remaining to face, Arsenal could have a huge impact on the relegation battle while at the same time fighting it out for the final potential European qualification spot (depending on how the FA Cup Final goes).
 
#234      

wettsten

Chicago
Looking at the table as it stands and who they have remaining to face, Arsenal could have a huge impact on the relegation battle while at the same time fighting it out for the final potential European qualification spot (depending on how the FA Cup Final goes).

i think the FA cup is the gunners only route to europa league at this point.

edit: i suppose we can still lost the FA cup and finish 7th to make it in.
 
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#235      
i think the FA cup is the gunners only route to europa league at this point.

edit: i suppose we can still lost the FA cup and finish 7th to make it in.

From what I can tell this is how it could fall heading into next Sunday's final match day. If Wolves defeat Crystal Palace tomorrow, that would put them a point ahead of Spurs at 59 points. If Sheffield United defeats Everton tomorrow and Arsenal defeats Aston Villa on Tuesday, then you'd have Wolves at 59 points, Spurs at 58 points, Sheffield United at 57 points, and Arsenal at 56 points in the battle for the 6th and final spot.

The final match day for the teams fighting for the 6th spot is Chelsea-Wolves, Crystal Palace-Spurs, Southampton-Sheffield United, and Arsenal-Watford.
 
#236      

unimaroon

Baja Ontario
Palace has lost their past 7 matches by a cumulative 17-2. Wolves will probably need a win.
 
#237      
Sheffield United's European chances are done with a 0:1 home loss today to Everton and Wolves 2:0 win over Crystal Palace. So it's now down to Wolves, Spurs, and potentially Arsenal for the 6th and 7th spots in the table.

Meanwhile, the EFL Championship's final match day on Wednesday will have matches with implications on both sides of the table. At the top, West Brom is 1 point ahead of the Brentford for the automatic promotion spot. West Brom hosts QPR while Brentford hosts potential relegation side Barnsley. The two final playoff spots are still up for grabs as Nottingham Forest and Cardiff City stand tied at 70 points in 5th and 6th place with Swansea City 3 points back at 67 points. Nottingham Forest hosts Stoke City while Cardiff City hosts likely relegated Hull City and Swansea City travels to Reading. Swansea City would need to win and have either one of those sides lose and make up a 1 goal differential with Cardiff City and a 5 goal differential with Nottingham Forest.

At the bottom of the EFL Championship, the three teams at the bottom of the table are Hull City (45 points), Barnsley (46 points), and Luton Town (48 points) with Charlton Athletic also at 48 points but ahead on goal differential. Hull City is likely relegated as they'd have to beat Cardiff City and somehow make up a 16 goal differential with Charlton Athletic playing at Leeds United. As mentioned above, Barnsley faces Brentford in a match that will matter for both sides. Barnsley would have to win and have Charlton Athletic and Luton Town lose to avoid relegation. Luton Town, who will host Blackburn Rovers, has to win and have Charlton Athletic lose to avoid relegation as losses by both sides would do them no good as they'd have to make up an 18 goal differential. Either Middlesbrough or Birmingham City, who are both at 50 points, could potentially be relegated as well but that would require one of them to lose (Middlesbrough is at Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City hosts Derby County), and both Luton Town and Charlton Athletic would have to win.
 
#238      

KBLEE

Montgomery, IL
Wow - I didn't realize how bad it's gotten at Hull City. They are likely to be relegated for the 2nd time in just over 3 years.
 
#240      
Wow - I didn't realize how bad it's gotten at Hull City.

Part of the issue is that when they came back post-pandemic, they had 6 different players including USMNT player and Downers Grove native Eric Lichaj with whom they failed to agree to short term contract extensions, meaning the players contracts ended at the end of June. They've only won once since the end of June and that was on July 2nd. They've lost five straight including an 8:0 defeat at Wigan Athletic last Tuesday.
 
#241      
West Brom clinches the other EFL Championship automatic promotion spot with a 2:2 draw versus QPR coupled with Brentford's 1:2 loss to Barnsley. The biggest surprise was Nottingham Forest flaming out with a 4:1 loss to Stoke City. They only needed 1 point out of their final two matches and got none. This, coupled with Swansea City cruising to a 4:1 victory against a Reading side that imploded. As a result, the Swans get the final playoff qualification spot based on having a +9 goal differential versus Nottingham Forest having a +8 goal goal differential. Meanwhile at the bottom of the table, Barnsley won their final two matches to avoid relegation while Charlton Athletic lost 4:0 to Leeds United. So it's Charlton Athletic, Wigan Athletic, and Hull City that are all relegated to League One for next season.

The promotion playoffs look like this:
-(3) Brentford vs. (6) Swansea City
-(4) Fulham vs. (5) Cardiff City.

First legs of the promotion playoffs will take place July 26 and 27 with the second legs on July 29 and 30. The play-off final will take place at Wembley on August 4.
 
#242      
West Brom clinches the other EFL Championship automatic promotion spot with a 2:2 draw versus QPR coupled with Brentford's 1:2 loss to Barnsley. The biggest surprise was Nottingham Forest flaming out with a 4:1 loss to Stoke City. They only needed 1 point out of their final two matches and got none. This, coupled with Swansea City cruising to a 4:1 victory against a Reading side that imploded. As a result, the Swans get the final playoff qualification spot based on having a +9 goal differential versus Nottingham Forest having a +8 goal goal differential. Meanwhile at the bottom of the table, Barnsley won their final two matches to avoid relegation while Charlton Athletic lost 4:0 to Leeds United. So it's Charlton Athletic, Wigan Athletic, and Hull City that are all relegated to League One for next season.

The promotion playoffs look like this:
-(3) Brentford vs. (6) Swansea City
-(4) Fulham vs. (5) Cardiff City.

First legs of the promotion playoffs will take place July 26 and 27 with the second legs on July 29 and 30. The play-off final will take place at Wembley on August 4.
incredible bottle job from Forrest
 
#244      
Here are the different scenarios for Sunday when it comes to the top 4, Europa League, and relegation as well as the different tiebreaker rules (per NBCSports.com):

Top 4

Chelsea

-would clinch top-4 with win/draw v. Wolves OR Loss v. Wolves AND Manchester United win at Leicester City

Manchester United
-would clinch top-4 with win/draw at Leicester City OR Chelsea loss v. Wolves (The latter part of this scenario assumes Manchester United maintains their goal differential advantage over Chelsea, which is currently Manchester United +28, Chelsea +13)

Leicester City
-would clinch top-4 with win v. Manchester United OR Draw v. Manchester United AND Chelsea loss v. Wolves

Europa League

Wolves

-would clinch top-6 finish if they better or equal Spurs' result

Spurs
-would clinch top-6 finish if they better Wolves’ results

And as has been mentioned on here previously, 7th would qualify for Europa League if Chelsea win the FA Cup.

Relegation

Aston Villa

-How could Villa go down with a win? If Watford beats Arsenal by at least two more goals than Villa defeats West Ham, it will climb over the Villans.
-Similarly, if Bournemouth draws or loses, and both Villa and Watford lose, Villa could go down if it loses to West Ham by at least two more goals than Watford loses to Arsenal.
-If both Villa and Watford draw, Villa stays up.
-If Villa draws and Watford loses, Villa stays up regardless of what Bournemouth does at Everton.

Watford
-A win over the Gunners would be enough if Villa loses.
-A draw would be enough if West Ham beats Aston Villa.
-Watford could even stay up with a loss if Bournemouth draws or loses and Villa loses to West Ham by two more goals than the Hornets loses to Arsenal.

Bournemouth
-The Cherries need to win at Everton. Anything less and they’re down.
-If Eddie Howe’s men take down the Toffees, they also need Watford and Villa to lose.

Tiebreaker scenarios
This is the order and format in which league position will be sorted by if teams finish level on points:
-Goal difference
-Goals scored
-Points won in head-to-head meetings
-Away goals in head-to-head meetings

If the teams still can’t be separated after the above tiebreakers, a playoff will be arranged (at a neutral ground with the format, timing and venue determined by the Premier League Board).
 
#245      
Here is the schedule for the networks of NBC on Sunday:

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KInda disappointing that there won't be the complaining on Twitter on Sunday from people on some of the ancillary NBCUniversal channels airing these matches instead of normal programming.
 
#247      
Everton and Leeds United reportedly both have interest in Manchester United GK Sergio Romero in the upcoming transfer window. For Everton, they'd want to bring him in as competition for Jordan Pickford.