Relegation candidates' next six fixtures as Everton and West Ham's grim slides continue

The Premier League relegation battle took yet another twist over the weekend as Everton and West Ham continued their dismal run of form after the World Cup break.

Frank Lampard’s men fell to a demoralising defeat at the hands of rock-bottom Southampton at Goodison Park, while the Hammers were beaten by fellow relegation strugglers Wolves on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Leicester and Leeds both lost to crank up the pressure on Brendan Rodgers and Jesse Marsch as the relegation dogfight tightened up, with just two points separating 20th and 14th in the table. There was a positive result for Aston Villa, meanwhile, who seem to have climbed their way out of danger with a string of impressive results.

But every team from Nottingham Forest in 13th downwards appear embroiled in the fierce battle to avoid the drop to the Championship. So, with that in mind, here is a look at each of those seven teams’ next six fixtures.

Southampton – 20th (15 points)

Nathan Jones’ side continued their impressive up-turn in form by securing a third win in a week by beating Everton on Saturday. James Ward-Prowse’s second-half double earned Saints a much-needed Premier League victory, having beaten Crystal Palace in the FA Cup and Manchester City in the Carabao Cup.

Although Southampton remain rock bottom, they will take confidence from a couple of excellent wins ahead of another important game against Aston Villa. This is all before three more cup matches – including a double-header against Newcastle in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup – ahead of another important period in the league.

Next six Premier League fixtures: Aston Villa (H), Brentford (A), Wolves (H), Chelsea (A), Leeds (A), Leicester (H)

Everton – 19th (15 points)

Having lost six of their last seven Premier League matches, Everton are firmly in a relegation dogfight and the Toffees don’t look like improving anytime soon. The 2-1 defeat at the hands of Southampton added further fuel to the fire and put Frank Lampard under more scrutiny as fans also protested against the club’s board.

It was an ugly afternoon at Goodison Park and Everton seemed destined for the Championship if something doesn’t change, and quickly despite their daunting run of fixtures. The Toffees have won the fewest league matches this season (3) and face league leaders Arsenal as well as Liverpool in their next three games.

Next six Premier League fixtures: West Ham (A), Arsenal (H), Liverpool (A), Leeds (H), Aston Villa (H), Nottingham Forest (A)

West Ham – 18th (15 points)

After back-to-back top seven finishes, many tipped West Ham to continue their impressive rise with another excellent season under David Moyes. This was after the Hammers spent over £150million in the summer on eight players, with Gianluca Scamacca, Lucas Paqueta and Nayef Aguerd amongst the big-money arrivals.

However, the Hammers have since regressed and been dragged into the relegation battle after a disastrous start to the season, winning four of their 18 league matches. A 1-0 defeat against Wolves on Saturday saw the Hammers move into the bottom three – and a must-win game at home to Everton next weekend is on the horizon.

Next six Premier League fixtures: Everton (H), Newcastle (A), Chelsea (H), Tottenham (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (A)

Bournemouth – 17th (16 points)

With the worst record since the restart of Premier League action, Bournemouth are sliding down the table with six successive defeats after making a promising start under Gary O’Neil. But following the 39-year-old’s appointment as permanent manager in December, the Cherries have simply not been good enough.

Bournemouth haven’t scored a goal in their last four league games and succumbed to another disappointing loss against Brentford on Saturday. The Cherries, however, now face what could be described as a six-pointer next weekend when they host fellow relegation rivals Nottingham Forest at the Vitality Stadium.

Next six Premier League matches: Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (A), Newcastle (H), Wolves (A), Man City (H), Arsenal (A)

Wolves – 16th (17 points)

Having made an impressive start to life at Wolves, Julen Lopetegui is on track to keep the club in the Premier League after it looked like they might struggle. Wolves have lost just one of their last four league matches and recorded an important win over West Ham at Molineux thanks to Daniel Podence’s second-half strike.

Lopetegui’s first game in charge of Wolves came in a 2-1 victory over Everton on Boxing Day and the level of performances in the West Midlands have only improved since then. They fell to a 1-0 defeat against Manchester United but played well, before being held to a 1-1 draw by Aston Villa on January 4.

Next six Premier League fixtures: Man City (A), Liverpool (H), Southampton (A), Bournemouth (H), Fulham (A), Tottenham (H)

Leicester – 15th (17 points)

Like West Ham, Leicester have dramatically dropped off following three consecutive top eight finishes and are smack bang in trouble after a poor first-half of the campaign. The Foxes have lost their last four top-flight matches since the restart of domestic football and were humiliated by rivals Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Foxes produced a string of impressive results before the World Cup but look like sleep-walking into a relegation battle, having struggled to get going after the restart. Leicester’s next set of fixtures do not bode well either as they face sides above them in the table in their next five matches.

Next six Premier League matches: Brighton (H), Aston Villa (A), Tottenham (H), Man Utd (A), Arsenal (H), Southampton (A)

Leeds – 14th (17 points)

Another team bang in trouble are Leeds, despite sitting four places above the relegation zone and performing well. The Whites have collected just four victories all season and haven’t won a game since the World Cup break, with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa their latest setback.

Leeds played well at Villa Park but didn’t get the result – and that has been a similar occurrence throughout the campaign. Jesse Marsch is under pressure and faces two massive matches to save his job with Brentford and Nottingham Forest up next in the league.

Next six Premier League matches: Brentford (H), Nottingham Forest (A), Man Utd (H), Everton (A), Southampton (H), Chelsea (A)

Nottingham Forest – 13th (20 points)

Brennan Johnson’s second-half brace earned Nottingham Forest a 2-0 win over Leicester on Saturday last time out, which has steered them five points clear of safety at the halfway point. The Reds had made a difficult start to the season but have improved ever since the 4-0 reverse against the Foxes and look to be hitting their stride.

Steve Cooper’s side have now won their last two Premier League games but face another big test in the form of Bournemouth on Saturday. Forest have collected just 20 points from a possible 57 available but it is enough to take them away from the bottom three.

Next six Premier League matches: Bournemouth (A), Leeds (H), Fulham (A), Man City (H), West Ham (A), Everton (H)