The battle to avoid the drop from the Premier League in 2024 has reached a critical stage.

With the bottom four teams each having only three games remaining as of April 28, points have become more precious than ever as the pressure mounts on those struggling for survival.

Sheffield United had long looked doomed and their return to the EFL Championship was confirmed by a 5-1 defeat at Newcastle. Everton made it three wins out of three at Goodison Park this week against Brentford to confirm their safety, with the Bees also guaranteed Premier League football next season due to results elsewhere.

Luton Town lost 2-1 at Wolves, their third consecutive defeat, while Burnley continued their recent encouraging form with a 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

The upshot is two of Luton, Burnley and Nottingham Forest will join Sheffield United in the second tier next season. Forest were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City in their penultimate home game. They remain a point above Luton and two better off than Burnley.

The Sporting News is keeping a close watch on the race for survival over these final matchdays, culminating in the final day of the Premier League season on May 19, when Forest travel to face Burnley at Turf Moor.

Who will drop into the EFL Championship and who will spend at least another season at the top table of English football? We’ll find out soon enough.

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Premier League relegated teams 2023/24

As of April 28, Sheffield United are the only team whose relegation from the Premier League is confirmed.

Premier League table: The bottom four

*Standings correct after matches on April 28, 2024

R = relegated

*Probabilities via The Analyst from April 28

Premier League relegation battle: Remaining fixtures

Nottingham Forest

Luton Town

Burnley

MORE: Leicester City claim first Premier League promotion place for 2024/25

Premier League relegation scenarios

After the end of play on April 27, Sheffield United were the only team whose relegation was confirmed. Luton Town’s loss to Wolves meant Brentford became safe. Everton’s subsequent win over Thomas Frank’s side also guaranteed their survival.

Sheffield United

Opta’s supercomputer gave Sheffield United a 99.99 percent chance of relegation as they headed into the final four games of the season. They went into halftime of their game away to Newcastle with the scores at 1-1, but a second-half collapse saw their Premier League status ended by a 5-1 defeat.

Burnley

Burnley’s upturn in form (just one defeat in eight league matches) has given them hope of survival when all seemed lost. They looked to be heading for a 1-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford before a late penalty saw them claim what could be a valuable point.

Next up are daunting games against Newcastle and Tottenham. If they can keep their heads above water, they will face a potentially do-or-die final game against Nottingham Forest.

Luton Town

Luton started matchday 35 just a point from safety, but a 2-1 loss to a Wolves side whose season is petering out was a bitter blow. Next up are games with Everton, West Ham, and Fulham. That match with the now-safe Toffees on May 3 could be critical.

Nottingham Forest

Forest’s 2-0 loss to Everton was potentially significant in their survival bid, although their fate remains in their hands: win their remaining games, and they are definitely safe. Their last three matches see them face a remarkably inconsistent Chelsea, and two of the current bottom three. Beating Sheffield United and Burnley could be enough to see them stay up, but they would need help elsewhere.

Everton

Back-to-back 2-0 wins over Nottingham Forest and Liverpool meant Everton were almost there. They faced Brentford at home on April 27 after earlier results confirmed the Bees’ safety, which was another bonus. A rather tame match ended in a 1-0 win for the Toffees, securing their survival for another season.

Brentford

Brentford’s safety was secured when Luton Town lost to Wolves and Burnley drew with Manchester United. Their match at Everton became something of a formality, with their focus now turning towards next season.

Premier League 2023/24 TV channels, live streams

Where to watch Liverpool in 2023/24 Premier League

UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and TNT Sports‘ streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime. TNT Sports can be streamed via Discovery Plus.

USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on Fubo. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streamed exclusively via Fubo in Canada.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport.

India: Star Sports network has the rights to show Premier League matches in India. As well as an English broadcast on Star Sports Select, select matches will be available via regional feeds on Star Sports 3 (in Bengali, English, Kannada, Malayalam), Star Sports 1 (Bangla) and Star Sports 1 (Tamil). The action can be streamed on JioTV and Hotstar.