There is only one game left before deciding which team will leave the English Premier League (EPL) next season. Southampton, which has already been confirmed at the bottom with 24 points, was the first to confirm relegation to the English Championship, the second division in the 2023-2024 season. However, two teams have not yet been decided in the system where three teams, including Southampton, are relegated next season.
The teams at risk of relegation are Leeds United (19th), Leicester City (18th) and Everton (17th). Leeds United and Leicester City have 31 points and Everton have 33 points. 16th placed Nottingham Forest have already confirmed their retention with 37 points. Depending on the result of the final match, only one team out of three can laugh.
● ‘Humiliation’ of the longest-serving club in the 1st DivisionEverton’s fall into the relegation crisis is a big shock to the Everton club itself. Founded in 1878, Everton is spending its 117th season in the first division, including this season. The number of consecutive seasons remaining in the first division is 67, which is second only to Arsenal (97 seasons), but Everton is the longest club in terms of seasons remaining in the first division.
It wasn’t just about staying in the first division. Everton has lifted the championship cup nine times in the EPL, and also won the English Football Association (FA) Cup five times. In addition, it has maintained its solid skills for a long time in England, the home of football, to the extent of winning nine times in the FA Community Shield, where the EPL champions and FA Cup winners face each other.
Everton, who did that, is in danger of relegation this season as well, following last season (16th place). The final opponent is also not easy. This season, Bournemouth, which is in 15th place in the EPL, will play the final game, but Everton met Bournemouth in November last year and lost 0-3. Also in the 2019-2020 season, they met Bournemouth twice in the league and lost both. Everton have lost all three of their most recent encounters with Bournemouth.
Leicester City face West Ham in their final match, winning 2-0 in their first encounter of the season. Leeds United will also play against Tottenham, who met once this season and lost 3-4, but it is unknown whether Tottenham, who has already lost the right to participate in the UEFA Europa League next season, will compete fiercely in the final match. If both teams win and Everton lose, Everton’s relegation is certain.
● What will Jeonbuk look like when they play 37 games?There is also a team in the professional soccer K League 1 (first division) that shows the possibility of showing a similar appearance to Everton this season. While the defending champion Ulsan is running ahead this season, Jeonbuk is seldom showing the same appearance as before.
Founded in 1994 with Hyundai Motor Company as its parent company, Jeonbuk holds the record for the most wins (9) in the K-League 1. In particular, from the 2017 season to the 2021 season, he lifted the K-League 1 championship trophy for five consecutive years, and last season, he was unfortunately pushed by Ulsan and finished runner-up. Instead, he brought the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup championship last year and wrote the record for the most wins with five FA Cup victories.
However, this season, they have already recorded 6 losses in 14 matches. Jeonbuk lost 6 out of 38 matches in the 2021 season, when they won 5 consecutive championships, and only lost 7 out of 38 matches last season, when they were runners-up. We haven’t even played half of our matches this season, but we’re already recording a similar number of losses in the last two years. Because of this, Jeonbuk coach Kim Sang-sik, who had been with them since December 2020, voluntarily resigned on May 4.
Coincidentally, after head coach Kim Doo-hyun took over as acting manager, they recorded 2 wins and 2 draws in the current league, accumulating 8 points. Jeonbuk, which had only accumulated 10 points in the previous 10 games, started to change the atmosphere after coach Kim resigned. However, there is still a lot of time until the season ends, so it remains to be seen whether this will be a temporary rebound or if this atmosphere can be continued. Also, no one can predict what direction the team atmosphere will flow if a new coach is appointed.스포츠토토
EPL and K-League 1 both have a 38-game system in which 38 games are played in one season. While Everton is trapped in a fate that may or may not be relegated depending on the result of just one game, Jeonbuk is interested in how they will show this season.