Nottingham Forest and Tottenham have hired new managers, fearing being dragged into the Premier League’s relegation zone as West Ham find their footing under Nuno Espirito Santo.
Vitor Pereira appointed Nottingham Forest manager (Image: Ritchie Sumpter/Nottingham Forest FC via Getty Images)
With 12 games remaining in the Premier League, the relegation battle has entered a new phase, with tensions rising with a new manager, personal vendettas and panicked owners.
With West Ham’s improved form, the relegation battle looked certain to be over, but now it’s back to normal. There are currently just three points separating the in-form Hammers, who are in the drop zone, and Nottingham Forest in 17th place, while Tottenham are also in a tough spot due to a dismal run that cost Thomas Frank his job.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has pulled the trigger on another manager, sacking Sean Dyche and making Vitor Pereira his fourth manager for the 2025/26 season, following Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou. The fact that Pereira started his campaign at Wolves and Nuno is now the mastermind behind West Ham’s Great Escape only makes the story richer.
Burnley are the only team in the bottom five of the Premier League not to have sacked a manager this season, with manager Scott Parker holding on after losing to League One side Mansfield in the FA Cup. Last week’s 3-2 win against Crystal Palace was huge for Parker’s job security, but the Clarets still look likely to chase Wolves all the way to the Championship.
There is still a chance that other teams could also plummet down the table, as Crystal Palace and Brighton’s terrible performances cannot be overlooked. Palace are 13th on 32 points but have fallen down the table since Oliver Glasner announced his departure in the summer, while Fabian Hürzeler is under pressure as he is one point worse off in first place at Brighton. Leeds are in 15th place with 30 points, but with Daniel Farke defending well, they feel like they are the most stable side.
read more: Tottenham face criticism over tense talks a week before sacking Thomas Frankread more: Jamie Carragher says Arsenal have zero attacking superstars after Bukayo Saka comments
Here, Mirror Football takes an overview of the relegation situation in the Premier League, including the bottom five teams, and evaluates each team’s chances of breaking out of the relegation zone, summarizing the manager’s movements, players signed in January, and recent form.
20th – Wolves (9 points)
The wolf is doomed. With just one win in 26 games, their first goal is to improve on Southampton’s dismal performance last season (two wins, 12 points). Next, it’s about preparing for life in the Championship in 2026/27.
The leadership team already appear to be moving in that direction, having signed Adam Armstrong from Southampton in January and with Rob Edwards already in charge. Both are proven fighters in the Championship and also proven in the Premier League.
Wolves have had back-to-back clean sheets, suggesting their porous defense may be a little less leaky. But 16 goals is nine fewer goals than Forest, the next worst team who drew 0-0 in their last encounter, so it’s still a small step we’re talking about here.
Rob Edwards’ side will be in the Championship next season (Image: Wolves via Getty Images)
19th – Burnley (18 points)
After successive scoreless defeats against Sunderland and West Ham, Parker’s tenure as manager looked to be over. But last week’s stunning 3-2 come-from-behind win against Palace bought him a bit more time…until he was booed again a few days later in an FA Cup defeat to Mansfield.
Turf Moor are in a pretty dire situation at the moment, but it’s not just Parker’s fault. Chairman Alan Pace annoyed fans by dismissing their concerns as coming from people throwing tantrums who were “just playing this game on some computer”. I then had to use this show on Saturday to apologize. Relegation beckons.
18th – West Ham (24 points)
Crisencio Somerville is in great form at West Ham (Image: Getty Images)
A turnaround in form and performances has given the Hammers real hope of climbing out of the drop zone. After revamping their squad in the January transfer window, three wins and one draw in their last five league games has given them hope at the right time.
The additions of attackers Tati Castellanos and Pablo, as well as Nuno favorite Adama Traore and defender Axel Disasi, refute those who accuse the club of panic buying. But it was Crisencio Somerville’s red-hot form that really made the difference, with the winger scoring six goals in his last seven games and breaking his over-reliance on Jarrod Bowen.
They have started to involve the above clubs and a positive atmosphere is building which is rarely seen at the London Stadium.
17th – Nottingham Forest (27 points)
Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has named his fourth manager this season (Image: Getty Images)
Chaos reigns on the banks of the River Trent. Marinakis was appointed as the manager for the fourth time this season, replacing Dyche last week with former Wolves manager Pereira.
“We can’t change much at this moment in the season,” Pereira said in his first press conference on Tuesday, looking a little concerned. “It’s about making sure that the players feel comfortable playing the roles that I want them to play. It’s important that the players feel that they can contribute to the team with their own qualities. It’s important that the players express themselves.”
Express yourself and ideally score some points. Unlike the players below, Forest play in Europe and face Fenerbahçe in the Europa League play-offs, but it quickly turns from an exciting adventure into a distraction, with two wins in their last 10 league games holding them back.
16th – Tottenham (29 points)
Igor Tudor is tasked with turning things around at Spurs (Image: Marco Rosi – SS Lazio, Getty Images)
They couldn’t do it, could they? Spurs finished 17th last season under Postecoglou and must have never expected to fall into a similar position this season after appointing Frank in the summer. A few months after being sacked by Juventus, the Dane left and Tudor joined.
Like Forest, they will have to contend with European football, but will not have to make the play-offs after finishing fourth in the Champions League group stage. This is even more miraculous considering they are winless in their last eight Premier League games and have won just two of their last 17 games in all competitions.
“I think the team needs to gain confidence and courage first of all, but we also need concrete things on the pitch as well,” Tudor said on Tuesday. “Of course, we are here knowing that the situation is not easy. We have no time to find excuses.”
The Tudors need a result or two to calm their nerves, but what better way to start than with Sunday’s north London derby against Arsenal?
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check it out whenever you like. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
