Leicester looked dead and buried at the start of April, but now find themselves out of the drop zone after a strong run of 5 wins out of 6. Aston Villa too looked like they could be heading for the Championship, but are now hitting form at the right time after appointing Tim Sherwood manager. Burnley seemed rejuvenated after defeating the champions 1-0 at Turf Moor a couple of months ago, but are now 8 points adrift of safety. This has been the tale of the relegation scrap, with teams trading places seemingly every week. With Burnley and QPR all but relegated, the focus now turns to the five clubs from 14-18th, for whom the next three weeks will be vital.

Aston Villa: 14th, 35 points

Villa entertain West Ham before travelling to St.Mary’s to face West Ham, and end the season with a home clash against Burnley. Villa will fancy their chances against West Ham, a team who’ve hit a wall both mentally and physically, and have won only three matches since the turn of the year, and while a result away at Southampton may be beyond them, they will expect all three points against Burnley. I think Tim Sherwood will feel that he has to take four points from those fixtures, but a win next week could alleviate a lot of pressure.

Perhaps unfairly, Sherwood has been given the moniker of ‘Tactics Tim,’ sarcastic praise of his perceived lack of tactical nous. While he definitely isn’t a Jose Mourinho or Louis Van Gaal, the truth is, he didn’t have to be to turn the team around. With the likes of Benteke, Agbonlahor, Grealish, and Delph, the quality was always there, but playing in a drab, underwhelming system such as the one utilized by former manager Paul Lambert stifled their talent. They needed a new lease of life and energy, something they got in abundance with Tim Sherwood. The new man’s bullishness and character has given everyone around the club a lift, and it shows in the number of goals they’ve scored since he’s taken over. His strategy has been simple and straightforward: Get crosses and passes into Benteke, and let him stick it into the back of the net. The Belgian is a talented, talented individual, and Sherwood, in much the same way he did with Adebayor at Tottenham, has brought out the best in him.

There are still questions over his capabilities in the long run, but there can’t be any questions asked over his short-term impact. He’s proved at Tottenham, and now at Villa, that he can put together a string of results early on, and that quality should be enough to keep Villa in the premier league. Verdict: Safe

Newcastle: 15th, 35 points

The Magpies have lost their last eight in the Premier League, and it’s hard to see how they’re going to get a point from their next three games: Home against West Brom, away at QPR, and home against West Ham. They were absolutely shocking against Leicester last night, and put in a performance bereft of any heart, intensity, and work rate. There wasn’t a single player who looked willing to work hard for the team, take leadership, or want to put their body on the line. It wasn’t the first time we’ve seen a team down to 9 men, but to receive two double- yellows is irresponsible, and doesn’t send the right message to the fans, who need their team to stay strong and mature in times of trouble. Fans talked about Alan Pardew being the problem, but we are seeing now with John Carver that it isn’t fully the manager who is in the wrong. Yes, Carver will have to hold his hands up a little, but the performances of the players hasn’t done him any favours.

I look at Newcastle and see a team who don’t have a long-term plan. Every year there is confusion over the recruitment policy, the ambitions of the club at boardroom level don’t seem to match the ambitions of the manager or the fans. They haven’t given their fans a memorable cup run to get excited about, and more often than not in the last few seasons, have floundered in mid table obscurity. The supporters want Ashley out, but which owner will want to take over a club who are currently in a state of shambles? It’s a damning assessment of a club who are rightly regarded as one of the biggest football clubs in England, but unless the owner and the fans can foster a harmonious relationship and really get on the same wavelength in terms of how to take the football club forward in the future, I can only see this spiral continuing. The club however did release a statement in which they made it clear that everyone at the club was focused on the three game remaining, and if they do concentrate, I think they will have enough to nick at least one win from those fixtures . Verdict: Safe

Leicester: 16th, 34 points

Regardless of what you make of his off field conduct, you have to give credit to Nigel Pearson for turning around his team’s fortunes the way he has. With 5 wins from their last 6 matches, their fate is now firmly in their own hands. Just like with Aston Villa, Pearson has reinvigorated his forwards, with the likes of Jamie Vardy and Leonardo Ulloa recapturing the early season form that saw them humble Man United at the King Power. Although they didn’t win the match, I felt that their renaissance began at White Hart Lane, where an extremely fortunate Tottenham Hotspur side escaped with a 4-3 victory. They played with a desire and hunger that has been missing for large parts of the season, pressing the ball well, and playing with pace and power.

That performance laid the foundations for their incredible four match winning streak, as they ground out crucial results away from home especially against relegation rivals Burnley and West Brom. Although it wasn’t pretty, that confidence they developed was inevitably going to lead to some absolutely smashing football. The players look confident and relaxed against Newcastle last night, and it showed in the scoreline. With the fans also back on his side, Pearson will be more than confident of continuing this good run of form in the remaining fixtures against Southampton, Sunderland, and QPR, the second of which could be a crucial six pointer. Verdict Safe

Hull City: 17th, 34 points

For me, Hull have been extremely disappointing this season. Go back twelve months ago, and I thought they were in a very good position. In the FA Cup final, safety secured before the last few game weeks, and a deadly striking partnership in Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long that had the potential to carry Hull to greater heights. They made some extremely shrewd investments in the summer, and with a spine consisting of the likes of Michael Dawson, Tom Huddlestone, Mo Diame, Hatem Ben Arfa, and the aforementioned Jelavic, I strongly believed they could challenge for a top half finish, even though they sold Long.

For whatever reason though, it just hasn’t worked out for them. Steve Bruce has tried different systems throughout this season, but there hasn’t been a single formation that has stood out for him. They’ve been good in short bursts however, and with two wins in their last two matches, they might have enough momentum to pick up enough points from their remaining four matches. They play Tottenham, and Manchester United, two teams who may not have much to play for, but will still be considered heavy favourites against Hull, making next week’s home clash with Burnley all the more important. Verdict: Safe

Sunderland: 18th, 33 points

Yes, I am marking Sunderland down for relegation. Although it is certainly possible, I just don’t see Sunderland shocking the world like they did last season, and somehow finding a route to safety. As with Hull, the quality is definitely there in the side, and with players such as Defoe, Wickham, Larsson, Rodwell, and O’Shea, y0u would expect them to avoid the drop. However, their worrying inability to turn draws into wins is what I think has ultimately cost them. All season long, they’ve never looked convincing, almost playing without an identity or philosophy. I saw them last night against Southampton, and while they did pick up the victory, they were extremely lucky that both of them came from the penalty spot, because they never once looked like scoring from open play.

Dick Advocaat has never been relegated before in his long managerial career, but I never understood the appointment. If you’re going to change manager so late in the season, with that much on the line, bring in an experienced manager. Advocaat does have his credentials, but he didn’t have the time he required to create a Sunderland team of his own at the time of his arrival. We’ve seen with the likes of Sherwood at Villa, and even Felix Magath at Fulham, the difference between premier league experience, and foreign reputations, and it’s Sunderland’s decision to go with the latter option that I think has cost them. Verdict: Relegation