Who is in the Premier League’s relegation battle – and what will it take to survive?

In the Premier League, teams that have scored 36 points or more in each of the past nine seasons have avoided relegation.

In the 20-team era, starting with the 1995-96 season, the average number of points needed for survival, or the number of points earned by the 18th-placed team plus one point, was 35.53 – rounded to 36 points.

In the 30 Premier League seasons of 38 games per season for each club, 36 points would have guaranteed survival 60% of the time.

The survival rate rises to 80% by 38 points, 90% by 40 points, and 100% by 43 points or more.

But West Ham is just shy of holding the record for the team relegated with the most points in the 20-year era. In the 2002-03 season, the Hammers gained 42 points, but were still relegated.

Sunderland with 40 points in the 1996-97 season and Bolton with 40 points the following year are the only other teams to drop after reaching the 40-point mark.

Tottenham finished last season in 17th place with 38 points, but due to the weaknesses of the promoted trio, they were able to overcome relegation with only 26 points.

The previous season, 17th-placed Nottingham Forest had 32 points – a tally that included a four-point deduction – but actually needed just 27 points to stay ahead.