Ian Wright has had his say on how the battle to beat the drop in the Premier League is shaping up
Ian Wright has delivered his verdict on Everton and the titanic battle to stay in the Premier League.
The Blues boosted their chances of beating the drop by twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 at big-spending Chelsea on Saturday.
The point stretched their unbeaten run to three matches and left them 15th in the standings going into the final international break of the campaign.
But not that Sean Dyche will be resting on his laurels. While the new Blues boss has overseen an improvement since taking over from the sacked Frank Lampard – taking 11 points from a possible 24 – his side is still very much embroiled in the relegation fight.
Everton is just two points above third-from-bottom West Ham United, who have played two matches fewer. Indeed, bar from basement boys Southampton, every side beneath the Blues has at least one game in hand.
However, Everton is also just one point away from 12th-placed Crystal Palace, who this week re-appointed the 75-year-old Roy Hodgson after sacking Patrick Vieira.
It means, going into the final stages of the season, there are nine teams in real danger of slipping into the Championship.
Match of the Day pundit Wright, though, feels the Blues will have enough to stay up.
Speaking after a dramatic weekend of action, which also Leeds United won 4-2 at fellow strugglers Wolves and Southampton battle back to draw 3-3 at home to Tottenham Hotspur, Wright told Premier League Productions: “I am really pleased for Leeds because Javi Garcia has definitely got the bounce. You can feel the fans. You can feel something about the players and how they celebrate together.
“You can always notice with the players when something happens because everybody comes to celebrate. Everybody is feeling it, so everyone is together. You feel that with Leeds. They feel together. They have their little bounce. It looks like they might save themselves. It’s tight.
“You have to look at the teams from Southampton, who are right at the bottom, to Palace. You have to look at the ones that are trending in the right direction. Southampton looks like they have got the fight. I feel like Everton has got the fight. That’s what it comes down to.
“I look at Palace – they can’t feel sorry for themselves, for a minute, because teams are looking for those three points and teams are saying, ‘let’s play Palace right now’. They need to find something quickly. Wolves are up and down. You don’t know what (Julen) Lopetegui side you are going to get.”
Wright’s former club Palace is 12th with 27 points, level with Wolves in 13th. Then come Leeds, Everton, and Nottingham Forest on the 26, followed by Leicester City on the 25. West Ham (24), Bournemouth (24), and Southampton (23) make up the bottom three.
The Premier League returns on April 1. On that day, Leeds travels to table-topping Arsenal, Bournemouth host Fulham, Palace entertains Leicester, and Forest at home to Wolves.
The following day there is another relegation showdown as West Ham welcomes Southampton to the London Stadium. Then, on Monday (April 3), Everton host Tottenham.
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