VAR, Aguero the GOAT, Liverpool's unbeaten run - 5 Talking Points from this weekend's Premier League action

#4 Who is going down?

Can Watford avoid the Premier League drop?

With Liverpool extending their lead at the top of the Premier League to 14 points with a game in hand, it seems like the title race is all but over. One race that appears to be only just beginning, however, is the race for survival at the bottom of the table.

This weekend saw Aston Villa slip back into the drop zone after losing 1-6 to Manchester City, while Norwich remain rooted to the foot of the table after their 4-0 loss to Manchester United. Bournemouth meanwhile cannot seem to buy a win right now; Eddie Howe’s side were defeated 0-3 by Watford and now have just 1 win in their last 11 matches.

Watford’s win, meanwhile, was their 4th in 7 games under new boss Nigel Pearson, and took them out of the relegation zone for the first time in a long time. Suddenly, it seems like the Hornets may not be doomed after all.

So can we now write off the bottom 3 clubs? Perhaps not. Despite Watford’s win, they’re still only 2 points ahead of 19th-placed Bournemouth, while West Ham and Burnley – who occupy 16th and 15th place respectively – both lost this weekend and now find themselves in trouble too. Sean Dyche’s Clarets in fact are on the worst run in the Premier League right now with 4 straight losses. Even 14th place Brighton are just 3 points above the drop zone.

Essentially, we could have the closest race for survival in some years, with only Norwich – who are now 8 points from survival – looking likely to be marooned in the upcoming months.