50/1 Fulham sliding down form table as relegation remains a reality

Another desperate weekend of scrapping for points among those Premier League teams still in danger of relegation sees the Coral’s to-be-relegated betting rank them as follows: Wigan 11/8, Norwich 11/4, Newcastle 4/1, Sunderland 5/1, Aston Villa 20/1, Southampton 25/1 and Fulham 50/1.

Among the eight teams involved in the conclusion to this term’s nail-biting relegation slug-fest Fulham, Newcastle and Norwich are mired in the most dubious runs of results. Of the three Fulham are in particularly poor nick, with just one point earned from their last three games.

If Wigan win their game in hand to move to just three points behind the Cottagers this evening then the 50/1 about them going down could start to look massive given they’ve been shut out in four of their last six games and two of the three goals they’ve gleaned during that sequence were plundered in a home loss to lowly Reading.

Furthermore their upcoming home encounter against a Liverpool side for whom leapfrogging Everton remains a dangling carrot and an away trip to Swansea, who beat them at the Cottage in the reverse fixture – both seem unlike points goldmines.

Newcastle have won just once in their last nine games and even their influx of French talent hasn’t been enough to shake off the lingering sense of impending doom on Tyneside. Of their two remaining fixtures a trip to Loftus Road does offer the promise of at least one more point, but given Arsenal visit St James’ on the last day of the season they may need to win for just the second time in 19 road games this term.

Perhaps the most resounding bong of the top flight death knells this weekend came from Carrow Road, where Norwich demonstrated that they’re no longer able to rely upon the home strength that had seen them go six games unbeaten in East Anglia by going down 2-1 to Aston Villa. A campaign closing trip to Manchester City should guarantee a miserable journey into the seasonal sunset for the Canaries.