How Southampton could be relegated on Sunday

Southampton's relegation from the Premier League could be decided on Sunday, and if so, it would set a record. Here, we explain how.

What is relegation?

The teams who finish the season in the bottom three places of the Premier League table - 18th, 19th and 20th - drop down to the Championship, the second tier of English football.

Those teams are replaced in the Premier League for the following season by three promoted clubs - the sides who finish first and second in the Championship, plus the winners of that division's end-of-season playoffs.

How could Southampton go down this weekend?

Southampton are 20th in the table and, with eight matches remaining, they have 24 points to play for.

Premier League 2024/25

Position Pos	Club	Played Pl	GD	Points Pts
14	Everton EVE	35	-7	39
15	Man Utd MUN	35	-9	39
16	Spurs TOT	35	+6	38
17	West Ham WHU	35	-19	37
18	Ipswich IPS	35	-41	22
19	Leicester LEI	35	-47	21
20	Southampton SOU	35	-57	11

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Saints have 22 fewer points than the team in 17th place, Wolverhampton Wanderers, who won 2-1 at another relegation-threatened team, Ipswich Town, on Saturday.

That means Southampton need to avoid defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. If they are beaten by Spurs, they will be relegated, as they would be 22 points behind 17th place with only 21 points to play for. 

If not this weekend, when could it happen?

Southampton would be relegated once the points gap between themselves and the 17th-placed team becomes bigger than the number of points that are still available to them.

If Southampton draw at Spurs, they will be 21 points behind 17th place with a maximum of 21 points to play for.

So, if that were to happen, anything but a win in their next match, against Aston Villa on Saturday 12 April, would relegate them. This is regardless of what Wolves achieve at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 13 April.

Could Southampton actually stay up?

It may seem highly unlikely but yes, Southampton could still collect more points this season than three teams. While they only have 10 points at present, their maximum possible tally is 34, which is more than Wolves (32pts), Ipswich (20) and Leicester City (17) currently have. They could even finish above Spurs (34), but for that to happen Spurs would need to lose every match, with Southampton winning every match and overturning a goal-difference swing of 60.

Might Southampton have the lowest points total in Premier League history?

Southampton could set two unwanted records.

If their fate is sealed this weekend in Matchweek 31, they would become the first Premier League team to be relegated with as many as seven matches still to play.

Ipswich and Derby County currently jointly hold the record, after having their relegation confirmed with six fixtures left in 1994/95 and 2007/08 respectively.

Southampton are also trying to avoid having the lowest-ever points tally in a Premier League season.

The 2007/08 Derby team finished with 11 points - one point more than Saints have now.

Juric is fully aware of that, telling the media before Wednesday's home match against Crystal Palace: "I don't want it to be that we are the worst team in the history of Premier League."

Leading 1-0 against Palace, Saints were poised to eradicate that possibility until Matheus Franca equalised in stoppage time. The 1-1 draw left them needing another two points to beat Derby's total, with eight matches left in which to collect them.

Relegation battle - remaining matches

As per Southampton's situation, if Ipswich or Leicester fall more points behind the 17th-placed team than there are points still available, they would also be relegated.

Remaining Premier League fixtures