As the Premier League returns after the international break this weekend, all focus will inevitably turn to the two-way fight for the title.
But a world away from the duel between Manchester City and Liverpool for the top spot, this weekend could see Huddersfield Town relegated with six weeks of the season remaining.
Wins for Burnley at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton at Brighton and Hove Albion and a defeat for Huddersfield at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace could end the Yorkshire team’s stay in the top flight.
It would mean Huddersfield would match Derby County’s record of the earliest relegation from the top flight. Back in 2007/08, Derby were demoted after 32 games.
In 1995, Ipswich Town were relegated with six games remaining while four teams have gone down with five games to play.
The most recent was Aston Villa in 2006 while Portsmouth also got that sinking feeling in 2010. Sunderland have twice been relegated with five games remaining - in 2003 and again in 2006.
The current record-holders, Derby, managed just one win in that fateful season as they stumbled to a points total of 11. Huddersfield have not been that bad - they already have 14 points.
David Wagner steered Huddersfield to 16th spot in his first season in the Premier League but it’s been a pretty tough slog this year for the Terriers. Wagner’s exit in January came as something of a surprise and his replacement Jan Siewert has had little chance to radically improve things at the John Smiths Stadium.
So far, he has managed to inspire the Terriers to just one win - against Wolves in February, a team they had beat earlier in the season.
While Huddersfield’s relegation now seems inevitable, the fight above them continues with several teams aiming to avoid the final two spots. Fulham also look doomed, second bottom with 17 points and 11 adrift of Cardiff City. Neil Warnock's men (28 points) have a game in hand on Burnley (30 points), above them but there are a handful of other clubs who are still in danger.
Sixteenth-placed Southampton have 30 points from 30 games while Brighton and Hove Albion and Crystal Palace have a little more breathing space with 33 points. Newcastle United though currently in 13th spot, have played more than most of the teams below them and their tally of 35 points is no guarantee of Premier League survival.
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