PL hits and misses: Everton in very real relegation battle

This is now very real for Everton

Any Everton fans in denial about the prospect of relegation can no longer just shut the curtains and pretend it's not happening. This is very real.

The scenes at full-time in the stands at Goodison Park mirrored that fear and anger towards their team. The famous old ground was supposed to be a place where the club can haul themselves away from danger. A fortress.

But when the atmosphere is like it was at full-time, playing away from home all of sudden might be a thing to relish from a set of players who have continually let their down their supporters. It is now a hinderance.

It is now just goal difference separating them from the drop zone. Yes, they have three games in hand on Watford and one on Burnley but games in hand are absolutely worthless if you can't win football matches. And Everton are the Premier League kings at that. A run of just nine points from the last 60 available and only two league wins since September has left a squad drained of confidence in danger of dropping out of the top flight for only the third time in their history and first since 1951.

Frank Lampard has had little impact in changing their fortunes around either. It is now five defeats in his six games as manager in the Premier League. He has an almighty fight on his hands to get this Everton team believing that they are truly too good to go down.Lewis Jones

It had been seven weeks since Chelsea's last Premier League home game. For many fans at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, it could be some time before they see another.

The clash with Newcastle was sold out before Thursday's sanctions on Roman Abramovich but a 'no tickets available' notice on the sign advertising Chelsea's next home game with Brentford was a