13th Crystal Palace

P26 Pts32 GD -5

Form guide LLLLDL

Reasons to be cheerful Yannick Bolasie, the talismanic winger in whose injury-induced absence Palace’s form has fallen apart, is close to a return. Alan Pardew’s side have eight more points than 18th-placed Newcastle. January arrival Emmanuel Adebayor may be an acquired taste but he remains a gifted goalscorer.

Reasons to be fearful Pardew’s managerial career has been blemished by a series of these plunges in form which have a habit of derailing all the good work done during the winning streaks his teams also tend to specialise in. The collection of a solitary point from seven league games in 2016 represents a particularly painful fall from grace for injury-hit Palace

Next five league games West Bromwich Albion (a), Sunderland (a), Liverpool (h), Man Utd (a), Leicester (h)

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14th West Bromwich Albion





P26 Pts32 GD -8

Form guide DLDDLW

Reasons to be cheerful Streetwise and highly experienced, Tony Pulis is a survival specialist who knows precisely how to win ugly and pickpocket precious points. Like Palace, West Brom are on 32 points, eight more than 18th-placed Newcastle. Saido Berahino may be awkward and does not always see eye to eye with Pulis but relegation rivals would give a lot to possess such a gifted forward. The influential Jonny Evans is back in the team after hamstring trouble and forms a formidable central-defensive partnership with Jonas Olsson. As befits a Pulis side, West Brom are big on nicking goals from set pieces and keeping clean sheets. Chris Brunt is returning to fitness.

Reasons to be fearful Often alarmingly short of creativity and two dimensional at best, they do not score enough goals and have registered only two in their past five league games. Pulis has badly missed the influential, but currently hamstrung James Morrison in midfield and he is not expected to return until mid-March at the earliest.

Next five league games Crystal Palace (h), Leicester (a), Man Utd (h), Arsenal (a), Norwich (a)

15th Bournemouth





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P26 Pts28 GD -14

Form guide LWDWLL

Reasons to be cheerful There are very good reasons why Eddie Howe is lauded as one of the brightest young coaches in the English game. The early season cruciate ligament injury suffered by Callum Wilson, their excellent striker, was a significant blow but signing two more forwards, Benik Afobe and Lewis Grabban, has ensured there should be goals in a team capable of playing some impressive football.

Reasons to be fearful A couple of defeats seem to have dented morale and have had even Howe publicly fretting about “confidence levels”. The manager has conceded his side needed to be “at our best to win games” – but is it possible for them to keep their feet flat to the floor for an entire season? Can they feasibly summon up sufficient adrenaline to prevent an unscheduled return to the Championship? Next month’s game away at Newcastle – currently third bottom but only four points behind – could yet prove a watershed.

Next five league games Watford (a), Southampton (h), Newcastle (a), Swansea (h), Tottenham (a)

16th Swansea City





P26 Pts27 GD -10

Form guide LWWDDL

Reasons to be cheerful Francesco Guidolin, Garry Monk’s replacement, is an experienced manager with an enthusiastic fan club. Gylfi Sigurdsson is such a good player he sometimes looks capable of securing survival single handed. A mean dead ball dispatcher and general creator the Icelandic international has five goals in his last seven games.

Reasons to be fearful Guidolin has a language barrier to surmount and is a Premier League novice. André Ayew, so good at the start of the season has lost form and the same goes for Bafétimbi Gomis. It means a Swansea side still to recover fully from the dressing-room turmoil prefacing Monk’s sacking do not score sufficient goals. Southampton’s Ronald Koeman may claim they are “too strong” to go down but only three points separate them from Newcastle. They could come to regret selling Jonjo Shelvey to the Tynesiders.

Next five league games Tottenham (a), Arsenal (a), Norwich (h), Bournemouth (a), Aston Villa (h)

17th Norwich City





P26 Pts24 GD -20

Form guide LLLLLD

Reasons to be cheerful Nathan Redmond, arguably Alex Neil’s key creator, looks to be emerging from a mid-season slump. John Ruddy, dropped at the end of November, has returned to replace the struggling Declan Rudd in goal. Appearing lighter, fitter and re-focused, Ruddy could be ready to reprise the points-saving form which got him into the England squad. At their best, Norwich play some very good pass-and-move football.

Reasons to be fearful Although they ended a run of five straight league defeats – featuring the concession of 16 goals – with Saturday’s 2-2 draw at home to West Ham they seem on a downward trajectory and have arguably run out of the early season post-promotion adrenaline which bolstered them through the autumn. Their lack of a reliable, prolific goalscorer – no Norwich player has scored more than four league goals this season and the recently arrived Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford seems unlikely to redress this shortfall. Robbie Brady, one of Neil’s best players, is being deployed out of position at left back – and arguably wasted. At only 34 years old Neil is inexperienced at this level and navigating uncharted territory.

Next five league games Leicester (a), Chelsea (h), Swansea (a), Man City (h), West Bromwich Albion (a)

Time running out for Steve McClaren at relegation-threatened Newcastle United Read more





18th Newcastle United





P26 Pts24 GD -22

Form guide DWLLWL

Reasons to be cheerful Steve McClaren – who knows he could lose his job should Newcastle stumble away at Stoke and at home to Bournemouth – has taken his talented yet mentally brittle squad to Spain and pledged to iron out their problems, both tactical and psychological, during a warm-weather training break. Should an improvement fail to be detected there would still be time – just – for a new manager to breathe life into a team that remain quick and incisive on the counterattack.

Reasons to be fearful A fragile, under-staffed defence which should have been strengthened in January and wasn’t. The abysmal away form. The apparent inability of gifted individuals including Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko to perform on the road. The lack of a fit, prolific central striker to convert the chances created by Andros Townsend, Jonjo Shelvey et al. A shortage of leadership and character.

Next five league games Stoke (a), Bournemouth (h), Leicester (a), Sunderland (h), Norwich (a)

19th Sunderland

P26 Pts23 GD -18

Form guide WLDLDW

Reasons to be cheerful Sam Allardyce has never been relegated from the Premier League and has bought very well in January. Wahbi Khazri’s set-piece ability and Lamine Koné’s aerial prowess at centre-half promise extra points. Jermain Defoe remains a brilliant finisher. Yann M’Vila is a quality central midfielder. As experienced escapologists, Sunderland tend to finish seasons strongly. Their mental resilience is increasing.

Reasons to be fearful Right-back remains a problem position. Although very much the correct thing to do, Adam Johnson’s sacking has weakened the squad. Sunderland struggle to keep clean sheets and have a habit of losing games they could draw. They are not overly quick – or creative.

Next five league games West Ham (a), Crystal Palace (h), Southampton (a), Everton (h), Newcastle (a)

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20th Aston Villa





P26 Pts16 GD -26

Form guide WDDLWL

Reasons to be cheerful None

Reasons to be fearful Bottom – and eight points adrift of 17th-placed Norwich with 12 games to go – they retain mathematical hope but, in reality, have virtually zero cause for optimism. Rémi Garde is considering his future as manager and a poor squad containing too many young French imports seems wholly unsuited to Premier League combat. They are paying the price for appalling recruitment and a loss of interest on the part of their owner, Randy Lerner, who has long wanted to sell up.

Next five league games Stoke (a), Everton (h), Manchester City (a), Tottenham (h), Swansea (a)

Predictions

Aston Villa to finish 20th; Norwich to finish 19th; Swansea to finish 18th