No team wants to suffer relegation from the Premiership but by Sunday evening, two of those four teams will be looking at life in the Championship next season.
Middlesbrough Need A Miracle
Middlesbrough by far face the toughest challenge as they travel to West Ham United. The Teesiders currently lie second from bottom in the league, three points from safety. They need to win at Upton Park and hope Newcastle and Hull both lose their games in order to survive. It is a tall order for the club, who have consistently failed to perform. From nineteen home games, Boro have won just five and drawn nine scoring seventeen goals in the process. The away form has been much worse; two wins, two draws and fourteen defeats shows exactly why the club are favourites to drop through the trapdoor on Sunday.
A Point Could Save Newcastle
Newcastle haven't faired much better than their Teeside neighbours but just one point may be enough to save them on Sunday. The Toon lie third from bottom, just one point behind Hull City and with a better goal difference. If Hull and Middlesbrough both lose and Newcastle get a point at Villa Park, Alan Shearer will have suceeded in what he set out to do and save his boyhood club, before returning to the pundits chair. Like Boro, Newcastle have won just two games away from home but have drawn six and lost ten. In their last home game, they suffered a 1-0 defeat to European chasing Fulham, their seventh home loss of the season.
Hull Face A Daunting Task
If Hull City are to survive, they are going to have to do so by beating reigning champions Manchester United. The Tigers dream start to their first ever Premiership season, which included an away win at Arsenal and taking a two goal lead at Liverpool, has turned into a nightmare as their slide down the table has pushed them into the relegation battle. Hull need to win to be sure of safety but have only won one league game since the turn of the year; a 1-0 win at Fulham and with Manchester United promising to play a full strength side, Hull made well find themselves back in the Championship come August.
Sunderland Fans Would Enjoy Relegating Newcastle
Nothing would give Sunderland supporters the perfect end to the season than seeing the Black Cats safe at the expense of their nearest rivals. That is what will spur the team and the crowd on in their final game this season. The only problem for the Wearsiders is the opposition; Chelsea. The Londoners are bidding to take the runners up spot from Liverpool but, with an inferior goal difference, they will be throwing everything at the Sunderland defence. Like Hull, the wearsiders have dropped down the table and have only taken maximum points on three occasions since the New Year. The last time they won was against Hull at the Stadium of Light in earlt April and a win will guarantee Premiership football next season. A defeat will have the supporters waiting anxiously for news of Newcastle and Hull.
Nailbiting Finish
It will be a nailbiting finish to the season which will end with two teams breathing sighs of relief while the relegated pair will join West Bromich Albion and start to prepare for at least a season without top flight football. For the proud supporters of each club, that is a thought none of them want to contemplate.
