The Premier League title race is hotting up and the competition for European places is going to be a fascinating tussle; but the real pressure is at the bottom end of the league table where it looks like three from five teams are likely to take the drop, and with it suffer a huge loss of income.
Bottom club Southampton need a miracle, and I’m afraid to say there are no miracle workers in this Saints team so, unless Crystal Palace get dragged in, and that looks unlikely, then it’s probably down to two from Everton, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Ipswich Town and Leicester City. The current Premier League 2025 betting odds here at SBOTOP say it’s the current bottom three who will take the drop, the three teams who came up from the Championship last May but, make no mistake, Wolves and Everton are still right in the thick of it and so the big players at each club will be crucial in the coming months.
Let’s take a look at four of the players who will be in the Premier League 2025 news over the last 17 games, the men who can lead their teams to survival.
James Tarkowski: Everton
The sacking of Everton manager Sean Dyche, the man who delivered seven seasons of Premier League football to Burnley on a shoestring, and his replacement with David Moyes, a pragmatic Scot, maybe seemed an odd decision but the Toffees’ new owners, the Friedken Group, are clearly quick to make a decision. Moyes managed Everton through one of their brightest periods between 2002 and 2013 and maybe he can bring the good times back but, right now, the head coach will depend heavily on the leadership of centre back James Tarkowski on the pitch. The defensive powerhouse will put his body on the line for the cause and is a danger at set pieces and he played a big part in the Toffees’ win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Matheus Cunha: Wolves
With ten goals in the first half of the league campaign Brazilian striker Cunha has hit the kind of form that can fire Wolverhampton Wanderers to safety. Cutting his teeth at Red Bull Leipzig and then Hertha Berlin, Cunha earned a 30m Euros move to Atletico Madrid in 2021 but things didn’t really work out for him in La Liga and he made the switch to England two years later, scoring 14 goals in his first full season. This campaign he has led the line brilliantly and, at 25 years of age Cunha is coming into his prime. If he says fit them Wolves should have enough to see them safe, but they will also need to tighten up a leaky defence.
Sam Morsy: Ipswich Town
The Tractor Boys’ return to the Premier League after back to back promotions was some achievement and a huge amount of credit goes to manager Kieran McKenna; but the boss will insist he couldn’t have dome it with his captain Morsy. The Wolverhampton born Egypt international signed for Ipswich in the summer of 2021 and was made club captain in October. He led his team to promotion from League 1 in 2023 and Morsy’s all action midfield displays, leading by example, took the Championship by storm as, against all odds, Ipswich finished second to earn automatic promotion.
Morsy is the first name on the team sheet and he knows how to battle, and his team will need to fight like tigers if they are to upset the odds again. The new boys have a real bite and Liam Delap’s goals have been a plus for Ipswich too, with eight for the season he is on a par with the likes of Liverpool’s Luis Diaz and Arsenal’s Kai Havertz. The 21 year old Manchester City academy graduate has been on loan for the past two seasons but, like Morsy, he has found a home in Ipswich.
Victor Kristiansen: Leicester City
Under new manager Ruud Van Nistelrooy the Foxes are in a real pickle and have lost the last seven league games. But, at the time of writing, Leicester are still only two points from the safety line and a good run of form could still see them climb out of trouble. Left back Kristiansen was on loan at Bologna last season and starred as the Rossoblu finished fifth in Serie A. He’s already made 17 appearances for Denmark and, with 15 successful crosses in open play the 22 year old Dane is alongside Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold as a supplier of ammunition for the strikers.
The Foxes went into their match against Fulham with some key absentees in defence, notably first choice keeper Mads Hermansen and they went down to another defeat; but they will keep on fighting and Kristiansen will be a key man.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
