All teams in the bottom half of the Premier League have either six or seven fixtures remaining, so we can conclusively say we’ve very much entered the business end of the season.

Given that there’s a three-way title fight going on at the other end of the standings, the fact that there is also a very tight relegation battle has been somewhat neglected, possibly overshadowed by the PSR related points deductions handed to Everton, Nottingham Forest and then Everton again.

With apologies to Burnley and Sheffield United fans, despite their recent relative upturns in form, these two are both definitely going straight back down to the Championship, with four clubs battling to avoid joining them.

So, we asses Luton, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Brentford’s remaining fixtures, predicting who will fail to beat the drop.

Luton Town

Position: 18th. Points 25.

Remaining fixtures:

• Manchester City (A) - Saturday 13 April.
• Brentford (H) - Saturday 20 April.
• Wolverhampton Wanderers (A) - Saturday 27 April.
• Everton (H) - Friday 3 May.
• West Ham United (A) - Saturday 11 May.
• Fulham (H) - Sunday 19 May.

In the 136-year history of English top-flight football, has any team ever been written off pre-season more than Luton Town, with many tipping the Hatters to break Derby’s 11-points record from 2007/08?

On the contrary, Rob Edwards’ side have acquitted themselves very well, far better than the other two promoted clubs for sure, so are still in with a shout of survival.

Last weekend, Carlton Morris’ stoppage time volley saw Luton beat Bournemouth 2-1 at Kenilworth Road, ending their ten-match winless streak, so just how crucial could that goal prove to be?

Obviously, next up for the Hatters is a trip to Manchester City, so adding to their points tally at the Etihad certainly won’t be easy, but their three remaining home games provide hope.

Relegation-rivals Brentford and Everton are the next two visitors to Bedfordshire, while a Fulham team seemingly in metaphorical terms ‘on the beach’ make the short journey north up the M1 on the final day.

Realistically, Luton are going to have to yield at least seven points from those three home matches, if not all nine, to have any chance of survival, but that is far from an impossible task.

Since 2015/16, only one side has gone down with 35 points or more (Burnley in 2022), so accumulating ten points from these final six matches has to be the aim, but will that prove to be beyond this team?

Predicted points tally: 33.

Nottingham Forest

Position: 17th. Points 25.

Remaining fixtures:

• Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) - Saturday 13 April.
• Everton (A) - Sunday 21 April.
• Manchester City (H) - Sunday 28 April.
• Sheffield United (A) - Saturday 4 May.
• Chelsea (H) - Saturday 11 May.
• Burnley (A) - Sunday 19 May.

Ahead of this weekend’s fixtures, only goal difference (-16 compared to -20) is keeping Nottingham Forest above Luton and out of the bottom three, having seen four points taken away for breaching Profitability and Sustainability rules.

The club are appealing against this decision, which could still back-fire, potentially costing them more points if the independent panel views this as a frivolous appeal, who knows!

Either-way, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side need wins, having seen their three-match unbeaten streak come to an end at Tottenham on Sunday, leaving North London ruing missed opportunities.

The Reds’ remaining fixtures don’t appear to be too bad, with potential points up for grabs in all of them, Manchester City (H) aside, albeit they did earn a draw from the corresponding fixture last year.

Forest conclude the campaign with trips to Sheffield United and Burnley, both of whom could well be relegated by then, while a Chelsea side, probably, with nothing to play for could be there for the taking.

Before then, the trip to Goodison Park the Sunday after next is the fixture that leaps off the page, given the precarious position both clubs find themselves in, while Wolves at home on Saturday is also winnable.

Amazingly, since gaining promotion, the Garibaldi Reds have still won only three of 35 Premier League away games, beating Nathan Jones’ Southampton in January 2022, Chelsea in early-September and Newcastle on Boxing Day.

If that ratio doesn’t improve, Forest will need to be flawless at the City Ground although, with trips to the bottom two to come in May, they’ll surely feel confident about claiming a illusive road win or two.

Predicted points tally: 36.

Everton

Position: 16th. Points 27.

Remaining fixtures:

• Chelsea (A) - Monday 15 April.
• Nottingham Forest (H) - Sunday 21 April.
• Liverpool (H) - Wednesday 24 April
• Brentford (H) - Saturday 27 April.
• Luton Town (A) - Friday 3 May.
• Sheffield United (H) - Saturday 11 May.
• Arsenal (A) - Sunday 19 May.

The other team who’ve, so far, been hit with PSR-related points penalty are Everton who, across two charges, have had eight points deducted, without which they’d be comfortably mid-table, closer to Chelsea than the bottom three.

44% of the points the Toffees do have on the board were earned in a fortnight between 2 and 16 December, winning four on the spin back then, before failing to claim victory in any of their subsequent 13 outings.

The Blues hadn’t won since visiting Turf Moor the week before Christmas, and it was a reunion with Burnley that ended this sequence on Saturday, as Dominic Calvert-Lewin closed down Arijanet Murić and punished the goalkeeper’s lackadaisical play.

Unlike the other three teams we are spotlighting, Everton actually have seven games to go, albeit that game in hand is a mid-week Merseyside derby, in which they’ll be seeking to dent their fiercest rival’s title hopes.

This comes in the midst of a crucial week for Sean Dyche’s team considering, either side of the derby, they welcome both Nottingham Forest and Brentford to Goodison, all in the space of seven days.

The Toffees actually beat both Forest and the Bees away from home earlier in the campaign, so a repeat of both could, more or less, be enough to rubber stamp safety.

After that, the Blues then visit Kenilworth Road, thereby taking on another direct rival, while their final home game of the campaign is against Sheffield United, which should be a banker, although you just never know.

Before all of that, Everton visit Stamford Bridge on Monday night, seeking to complete a first league-double over Chelsea since 1978/79, and, given their host’s inconsistency, that’s far from an impossible task.

Put succinctly, there are points on the table for Everton to go out and grasp so, if they are relegated for the first time since 1951, they’d only have themselves to blame.

Predicted points tally: 34.

Brentford

Position: 15th. Points 29.

Remaining fixtures:

• Sheffield United (H) - Saturday 13 April.
• Luton Town (A) - Saturday 20 April.
• Everton (A) - Saturday 27 April.
• Fulham (H) - Saturday 4 May.
• Bournemouth (A) - Saturday 11 May.
• Newcastle United (H) - Sunday 19 May.

This time last year, Brentford supporters were dreaming of a first-ever European tour, ultimately finishing ninth, just a point below Tottenham and two adrift Aston Villa, the side who snapped up the final European spot.

This time round, the Bees have endured a significantly tougher campaign, so much so that even if they won all six of their remaining games, which won’t happen, they’d end-up 12 points worse off than a year ago.

Thomas Frank’s team have drawn each of their last three, but are without a win in nine, claiming victory in just two of their 18 outings since 2 December, which is relegation form.

They’ll surely fancy their chances of ending this streak on Saturday, with Sheffield United the visitors to West London, whilst taking nothing for granted, having lost the reverse fixture at Bramall Lane in December.

This starts a crucial sequence of fixtures, with away games against direct-rivals Luton and Everton to come, making this a season-defining fortnight.

Six or more points from those three games will tee-up a comfortable conclusion to the campaign, while anything less than that will leave them still in danger as April becomes May.

Brentford do still have to play rivals Fulham, who they’ve won five of their last seven against, and Bournemouth, both of whom have little to play for, with Newcastle on the final day their toughest of what is, on the whole, a fairly favourable run-in.

So, as we’ve outlined with the sides just below them, there are certainly points to be earned for the Bees, now they’ve got to go out their and claim the wins that’ll secure a fourth successive season in the Premier League.

Predicted points tally: 37.

Our predicted bottom six:

• 15th: Brentford- 37 points.
• 16th: Nottingham Forest- 36 points.
• 17th: Everton- 34 points.

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• 18th: Luton Town- 33 points.
• 19th: Burnley- 21 points.
• 20th: Sheffield United- 17 points.