Gary Rowett has said that City’s survival hopes will be over if they fail to win at Fratton Park on Saturday, albeit mathematically they will survive until at least Tuesday
Jamaal Lascelles and Jordan Ayew look dejected after Leicester City’s 1-0 defeat to Swansea(Image: Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Leicester City could be relegated by next Tuesday unless they turn their wretched form around.
City have won just one of their last 16 games and now sit 23rd in the Championship table.
The weekend’s results were a huge blow, with City losing to Swansea, with Portsmouth and Oxford both victorious, and with Blackburn and West Brom picking up a point apiece.
It means City are four points adrift of safety with four games to play, Gary Rowett’s side needing results quickly to escape an increasingly-likely fall into the third tier.
After the 1-0 loss to the Swans, Rowett said: “We’ve got to go to Portsmouth and we’ve got to win the game. It’s as simple as that. If we don’t win the game, my belief is that that’s our last chance.”
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
Mathematically, that’s not quite true. Even if City lose this weekend, they will not be relegated. However, Portsmouth could move themselves out of reach.
Pompey take on Ipswich in their game in hand on Tuesday night, and if they win that, they will then be seven points ahead of City. If Portsmouth were to follow that up with victory over City in Saturday’s showdown, they would be beyond the reach of Rowett’s men.
Blackburn can also move themselves out of City’s grasp as they face Southampton on Tuesday night, and then Coventry on Friday evening.
But even in a scenario where Blackburn and Portsmouth move clear of City, West Brom would still be catchable, even without them suffering a points deduction.
Even if City lose this weekend and the Baggies win their game against Preston, there would be eight points between them, meaning City could still catch them with three games to play.
But, in this scenario, if City then fail to beat Hull next Tuesday, they would fall into League One for just the second time in their history.
The ideal set of results for City over this week would be for Ipswich to win against Portsmouth on Tuesday and for them to then beat Pompey themselves at the weekend.
If Oxford lose to play-off chasers Derby, also a lunchtime kick-off on Saturday, then a win at Portsmouth would put City back in 22nd, one point from safety, with three games to play. Here are the relegation battlers’ final few fixtures.
18. Charlton – 49 points
Fixtures: Sheffield Wednesday (A), Ipswich (H), Hull (H), Charlton (A)
19. Blackburn – 48 points
Fixtures: Southampton (A), Coventry (H), Sheffield United (A), Leicester (H)
20. West Brom – 46 points
Fixtures: Preston (A), Watford (H), Ipswich (H), Sheffield Wednesday (A)
21. Portsmouth – 45 points
Fixtures: Ipswich (H), Leicester (H), Coventry (A), Stoke (A), Birmingham (H)
22. Oxford – 44 points
Fixtures: Derby (A), Wrexham (H), Sheffield Wednesday (H), Millwall (A)
23. Leicester – 41 points
Fixtures: Portsmouth (A), Hull (H), Millwall (H), Blackburn (A)
Which teams do you think will be relegated? Click HERE to have your say.