With only three games remaining in the English Premier League (EPL), let’s review which three teams will most likely get relegated this season. While doing so, we’ll also explain how the relegation system works.
The cut-throat nature of the league isn’t limited to just the top of the table. The battle for survival at the bottom also provides plenty of drama and tension each season, thanks to the league’s relegation system.
Understanding the relegation process in the Premier League
Relegation in the EPL is a mechanism that keeps the league competitive and dynamic. It allows for the rotation of clubs between divisions, and it’s the source of both despair and jubilation at the end of each season.
In the Premier League, which consists of 20 teams, the bottom three teams—finishing the season in 18th, 19th, and 20th place—are relegated to the EFL Championship, the second-tier league in the English football pyramid. After playing all 38 games of the season, the league automatically relegates the teams based on their position.
So, which clubs are likely to drop this season?
Southampton is the first team to officially get relegated after spending eleven seasons in the top flight.
With only two games left this season, Nottingham Forest, Everton, Leicester, Leeds, and West Ham are also at risk of dropping.
The implications of relegation are significant. Apart from the disappointment and the loss of prestige, there’s a substantial financial impact.
Clubs dropping out of the Premier League lose out on lucrative television rights revenue, sponsorship deals, and matchday income associated with being part of the top flight.
So, which clubs are getting promoted to the Premier League for the 23/24 season?
The relegation system also ensures a fresh injection of teams into the Premier League each season.
As the bottom three Premier League teams descend, three from the EFL Championship ascend to replace them. The top two teams from the Championship gain automatic promotion, while teams finishing third to sixth compete in a playoff for the final spot.
Vincent Kompany‘s Burnley and Sheffield United are on their way to the Premier League, with promotion between Luton Town, Middlesbrough, Coventry City, and Sunderland up for grabs for the last spot.
The constant possibility of relegation—and the significant consequences that come with it—ensures every match counts in the Premier League, from the top to the bottom.
It adds an extra layer of intrigue, tension, and drama to the league, making the English Premier League one of the most watched and followed football leagues globally.
Photo: Twitter/southamptonfc
