Former Liverpool man Jamie Carragher has predicted that one more win for Nottingham Forest could see them secure their Premier League status for another season.
A tense 4-3 home win over Southampton on Monday night moved Steve Cooper ’s men out of the bottom three and above Leeds, Leicester and Everton in the table. The result came after the Toffees had pulled off a shock 5-1 win at Brighton a couple of hours earlier.
The big losers of the day were Leicester, who fell to a 5-3 defeat at Fulham. The Foxes now sit two points adrift of safety ahead of their final three games of the season.
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Also in the bottom three are Leeds, who were in action on Saturday. Sam Allardyce’s side lost 2-1 to title-chasing Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Analysing the final weeks of the season, Carragher has set a survival target for Forest and Everton in their final two games.
“Monday's results could be as important or more important than what happens on the last game of the season,” he told Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football. “I think those two results for Everton and Nottingham Forest puts huge pressure on Leicester and Leeds.
“There’s three games to go, I think with Everton and Forest if they get one more result, if they win a game, I think they’ll be ok. Because Leicester would then have to get another five points from three games, Leeds the same, and we’re talking about teams who are on really poor runs, not winning games, picking up points.
“That fixture list, if we forget Southampton, Unfortunately for them. Newcastle, Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, that is a tough next week for all those teams, it really is. If anyone was to pick up anything there, it would almost be a bonus for them.
“But in terms of Leicester and Leeds, they have to, they have to find a way of getting something. I feel as Leeds almost have to win. Then you go into the last two games of the season. When you’re down at the bottom, every game is hard, because you don’t beat anyone.”
The pundit also gave his thoughts on Leicester, saying he can’t see how they can now get out of the bottom three with the fixtures they have remaining.
He added: “Watching Leicester, that was not a performance from a team who are fighting for their lives and I really fear for them, really fear because they’ve got Liverpool next, which will be tough game, but then Newcastle away and West Ham at home. It might be over by time they get to the West Ham game.
“Liverpool are in great form, and Newcastle we know is one of the toughest away games they’ve got. I’m not quite sure how Leicester get out of that. And when you talk about who’s got the best fixtures now, because of the result today, and where Everton find themselves - yes, they’ve got Man City next, but Wolves away, Bournemouth at home. I think Everton have got the best set of fixtures there, considering where they are, so I don’t really see them going down now, and Leicester, I’m not quite sure how they’re going to get out of it.”
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