Five teams vie for Premier League safety on the final day of the 2010-11 season…
The last day of any Premier League season is often the most exciting. While the opening day of any top-flight campaign is filled with hope and optimism for what may come, the final day is full of nervous anxiety as each team’s final fate is decided. The pre-season expectations have been met, exceeded or failed. Each Premier League club wants to ensure that they end up in the best finishing position possible or just wants the current season to end and begin preparations for the next campaign. While Premier League final days are often remembered for their close-fought title battles, the season finale is equally remembered for the fight at the other end of the league standings.
While many teams are going into their final games of the season aiming for league titles or for qualification into various European competitions, other clubs are fighting for their right to remain in the Premier League the following season. As is the case, the three teams with the lowest points are relegated down to the Football League Championship at the end of each Premier League campaign, with the two best-performing Championship teams (plus the winner of a four-team play-off) replacing them in the top-flight the following year. This drop from the Premier League into the Championship can cost the three ‘relegated’ teams a lot, including a reduced level of funding and prize money, lower revenue streams from live ticket sales, reduced influence in the summer and winter transfer markets, an increased difficulty to keep hold of their most talented players and, most importantly, the loss of the right to call themselves a ‘Premier League club’. All these factors make it imperative for the Premier League’s worst-performing clubs to retain their top-flight status for at least another year.
For a neutral fan or anyone who isn’t a fan of a club finding themselves facing the Premier League drop with one match to play, the final-day relegation battle can produce some fantastic stories. Teams who begin the day on the wrong side of the fabled ‘dotted line’ can have a result that gets them out of trouble while another less-fortunate club takes their place in the bottom three in the final league standings. When one or more of the Premier League’s relegation places are not decided before the last day, viewers can witness a dogfight as multiple clubs desperately try to better their rivals’ results and survive at their expense. This can lead to some great drama. Think of 2005, where West Brom began the final day bottom of the Premier League table only to overhaul Norwich City and Crytal Palace with a 2-0 win over Portsmouth. Look back to 1994, where Mike Walker’s Everton came from 2-0 down to defeat Wimbledon 3-2 and assure top-flight survival after beginning the day in trouble. Even remember 2007 when Alan Curbishley’s 18th-placed West Ham needed to beat champions-elect Manchester United to achieve the ‘Great Escape’. A 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Carlos Tevez would see the Hammers survive with Sheffield United controversially going down in their place.
In recent years, there has been a significant lack of these thrilling relegation battles. More often than not, the three relegation places have already been decided by the time the Premier League reaches its final matchday, such is the gulf in class between the three relegated teams and the rest of the league. Even when there is a ‘battle’, it usually involves two clubs fighting over the final spot in the drop zone, like Aston Villa and Bournemouth in 2020 or Leeds and Burnley in 2022. It has been a long while since we have witnessed an incredible Premier League final-day relegation battle, a contest that Sky Sports has found important engh to title ‘Survival Sunday’.
In this writer’s opinion, the last genuinely great top-flight relegation fight came back in 2011. Before the final round of matches of the Premier League’s 2010-11 season, five teams were unsure of their Premier League fates. West Ham United had already confirmed that they would be playing Championship football the following year after suffering relegation the previous week. However, the final two places (18th and 19th) were still up for grabs. Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Blackpool, and Wigan Athletic were all trying to avoid ending up in one of those spots. Just one point separated the quintet of clubs heading into the final day, meaning that a sudden change in scoreline in any of the team’s respective matches could soon change the entire outlook of the Premier League’s relegation zone, even for a moment. Blackpool and Wigan began the day occupying the two remaining relegation places. Still, positive results against Manchester United and Stoke and favourable results elsewhere could see the Tangerines and Latics end the day with their top-flight futures intact. In another twist in the tail, relegation rivals Blackburn and Wolves would face each other on the last day of the season, meaning that one team could directly relegate the other. However, if other matches went in their favour, both teams could survive regardless of the final score.
With all that at stake, it is time to look at the Premier League’s final-day relegation battle from 22nd May 2011.
The season so far
Blackburn Rovers (15th)- 40 points
Manager: Steve Kean
Record: W10 D10 L17 GD -14
Last 6 Matches: DLLWDD
Most recent result: D 1-1 vs Manchester United (14th May)
Match: (a) vs Wolves (16th)
For Blackburn Rovers, the 2010-11 Barclays Premier League season saw a change in the club’s ownership and the team’s manager. On 19th November 2010, Indian poultry conglomerate Venky’s would buy the former Premier League champions for £23 million. When this change in ownership occurred, Blackburn sat 14th in the league standings. The team’s form under Sam Allardyce had been inconsistent, having won four, drawn three and lost five of their first thirteen games. The first Rovers match under the control of Venky’s would see a 2-0 home win over Aston Villa. However, the team would follow up this positive start with a 7-1 defeat to Manchester United six days later. After Blackburn started December with a 3-0 win over Wolves and a 2-1 loss to regional rivals Bolton, which left the team sitting 13th after 17 matches, Venky’s would make their first major decision as club owners by sacking Sam Allardyce as Blackburn’s manager after two years in charge. The call from above would make headlines, particularly as Blackburn didn’t seem to be in any relegation trouble, nor were they in poor form.
While pundits around the country were scratching their heads in bewilderment, Venky’s would appoint first-team coach Steve Kean as the new permanent Blackburn Rovers manager. The call to appoint Kean to the top job, his first in a career in which he had only served as an assistant coach, was controversial. Kean’s agent was Jerome Anderson, who had served as an advisor to Venky’s during their takeover of Rovers. For Venky’s to then give the job of first-team manager to one of Jerome Anderson’s clients soon after buying Blackburn Rovers smelt more than a bit fishy.
Steve Kean’s first match in charge would be a 1-1 draw with bottom side West Ham United. After this less-than encouraging start, the next nineteen games for Blackburn under Kean would see four wins, six draws and seven defeats, giving the 43-year-old 19 points from a possible 60. The results would see Blackburn slowly fall into relegation trouble. While the team never spent a week inside the relegation zone, the Rovers were close enough to touch it. Heading into their final-day match away at Wolves, Blackburn had won just one of their previous thirteen matches and had failed to win any of their last eight away games. However, the 15th-placed Rovers had the best odds of beating the drop on the final day. For Steve Kean’s team to drop into the Championship, three of their four relegation rivals would have to win while Rovers lost to Wolves.
Wolves (16th)- 40 points
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Record: W11 D7 L19 GD -19
Last 6 Matches: LDLDWW
Most recent result: W 3-1 vs Sunderland (14th May)
Match: (h) vs Blackburn (15th)
Wolves would find their second consecutive Premier League season harder to navigate than their first. A year earlier, the Wanderers had spent much of their Premier League return close to the relegation zone (and six weeks inside it) but had managed to ease away from trouble by suffering just two defeats in their final 10 games. The 2010-11 campaign would see Mick McCarthy’s team spend most of the league season inside the top flight’s bottom three.
After two draws and a win saw Wolves riding high in 4th place after three games, reality soon set in as four consecutive losses dropped them to second-bottom at the start of October. The West Midlands club would then end 27 of the following 29 matchdays occupying one of the Premier League’s bottom three placings. Seven of these matchdays ended with Wolves at the base of the top division. In the 29 matches played by Wolves during this dour period, the team would produce eight wins, five draws and fifteen defeats, reaping 29 points from a possible 87.
With four matches left, Wolves sat second-bottom of the league standings but only a point from safety. However, an upturn in form would soon improve their fortunes. A draw with the sleepwalking Birmingham City on May Day would wake Wolves from their own slumber. Then, a 3-1 home win over West Brom in the Black Country derby one week later would move the men in orange out of the relegation zone for the first time since early March. Finally, another 3-1 win, this time away at Sunderland, would see Wolves rise up to 16th ahead of the last match of the season. Wolves would begin the final day level on points with their opponents Blackburn, but Mick McCarthy’s team held an inferior goal difference. A home win at Molineux against Steve Kean’s team would ensure Wolves’ survival. Anything less, and the West Midlands team would have to hope results went their way, although that would require their relegation rivals to get positive results in their final-day matches.
Birmingham City (17th)- 39 points
Manager: Alex McLeish
Record: W8 D15 L14 GD -20
Last 6 Matches: WLLDLL
Most recent result: L 0-2 vs Fulham (15th May)
Match: (a) vs Tottenham (5th)
The 2010-11 season had produced mixed emotions for Alex McLeish and Birmingham City. Three draws and a win from their opening four league matches had seen the Blues hit 5th place in mid-September. However, McLeish’s men would soon begin bopping around the top flight’s mid-table placings, with defeat dropping them down into the relegation zone and a win moving them up to the heady heights of 11th and 12th. The team from the Second City would gain impressive results throughout the campaign, including draws with Liverpool (0-0, 12th September), Manchester City (0-0, 13th November and 2-2, 2nd February), Manchester United (1-1, 28th December) and a 1-0 home win over reigning champions Chelsea on 20th November. However, as those previous results suggest, many of Birmingham City’s matches during the 2010-11 league campaign ended in draws. By the last day of the campaign, City had drawn 15 of 37 matches, making up 40% of their results. If the team was drawing, they were not winning, earning just 8 wins during this same run of games along with 14 losses. The Blues would register back-to-back victories on just one occasion during the 2010-11 Premier League campaign and would only obtain two victories within the same calendar month on two occasions. This lack of winning success was exemplified in the 36 goals scored by the team across the whole season, the lowest amount netted in the top division.
However, while Birmingham City struggled to win in the league, the same could not be said for the cup competitions. The Blues would make the quarter-finals of the FA Cup before being eliminated by Bolton Wanderers. Meanwhile, in the League Cup, Alex McLeish’s team would reach the final, where they would meet Arsenal, who were on course for a fabled quadruple. With many pundits predicting only one winner, Birmingham City would shock the footballing world on 27th February 2011. The Blues’ tall Serbian striker Nikola Žigić would head the underdogs into a 28th-minute lead, but Robin van Persie would equalise six minutes before half-time. However, instead of Arsenal winning their first trophy in six years, Birmingham would have other ideas. In the 89th minute, a long ball forward would lead to a defensive mix-up between Gunners goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny and defender Laurent Koscielny and allow substitute striker Obafemi Martins to net a late winner and give the Blues their most significant trophy win since 1963.
However, instead of the League Cup win then serving as a boost to Birmingham City’s Premier League form, the achievement would do the exact opposite. Before their final-day trip to Tottenham, the Blues had won just two of their last eleven league matches since that memorable day at Wembley, producing a miserly 9 points from 33. These results had moved Alex McLeish’s team down from 15th and three points above the bottom three before the League Cup Final to 17th and above the relegation zone on goal difference alone. Birmingham now had to be very careful. Of the five teams battling to survive the drop, only Blackpool had a more challenging opponent on the last day than Birmingham City. To survive, City needed to better the results of the teams around them.
Blackpool (18th)- 39 points
Manager: Ian Holloway
Record: W10 D9 L18 GD -21
Last 6 Matches: LLDDDW
Most recent result: W 4-3 vs Bolton (14th May)
Match: (a) vs Manchester United (1st)
Most pundits would have predicted Blackpool for relegation before the team kicked a ball in the Barclays Premier League. A small club experiencing their first season of top-flight football since 1971 who had spent the most of those following 39 years in the bottom two divisions of the Football League led by a manager and a squad who were also lacking Premier League experience. However, the moment that Blackpool defeated Wigan Athletic 4-0 on the opening day of the new season, the team in orange would catch the eye of neutral observers throughout the 2010-11 campaign.
For much of the campaign, Blackpool would completely upset pre-season expectations. The team would spend eight weeks inside the top 10, including a 10th place position at Christmas. Ian Holloway’s Premier League newcomers would twice defeat Liverpool and beat Tottenham 3-1 at home. At one point, the Tangerine would embark on a five-match unbeaten run which included draws with West Ham (2-2) and Bolton (0-0) and victories over Wolves (2-1) Stoke (0-1) and Sunderland (0-2). Even in defeat, Blackpool would put a fight, leading to high-scoring matches with Manchester City, Manchester United, West Brom and Aston Villa ( all 2-3) and a 5-3 defeat to Everton on 5th February.
However, despite managing to upset the applecart for much of the Premier League season, the losses would soon start to pile up for Ian Holloway and his men after the New Year. In their first 19 Premier League matches, Blackpool would produce seven wins, four draws and eight defeats. In the next 18 games, the Tangerines would win three, draw five and lose ten. This new form would drop Blackpool from mixing it up in the top 10 to toiling among the Premier League’s strugglers. The Tangerines would drop into the division’s bottom three for the first time on 16th April following a 3-1 loss to Wigan. The team would then fall again into the bottom three after the penultimate set of matches despite a 4-2 win over Bolton. Blackpool would find themselves in 18th place themselves ahead of their final day clash with Manchester United, who had sealed the Premier League title the previous weekend. Victory seemed unlikely for Ian Holloway’s squad. However, the club would have to better the results of their relegation rivals and hope to avoid the drop depending on other results.
Wigan Athletic (19th)- 39 points
Manager: Roberto Martínez
Record: W8 D15 L14 GD -22
Last 6 Matches: LWLDDW
Most recent result: W 3-2 vs West Ham (15th May)
Match: (a) vs Stoke (9th)
After finishing 16th the previous season, having never once crossed the dreaded dotted line that separated the relegation places from the rest of the Barclays Premier League, Wigan Athletic would make this crossing multiple times during the 2010-11 league season. Conceding 10 goals without reply in the opening two matches of the season in defeats to Blackpool (0-4) and champions Chelsea (0-6) would plop Wigan in the bottom bunch from the very start, setting a precedent for much of the season to follow. The Latics would end 23 matchdays inside the Premier League’s bottom three, including 14 out of a possible 18 weeks after the New Year.
Like Birmingham City, it seemed easier for Wigan to draw matches than win them. Before their final game of the season against Stoke City, Roberto Martinez’s team had won seven and drawn fifteen of their 37 league matches, along with registering fourteen defeats. The only highlights of a miserable season had included a 1-0 win away at Tottenham on 28th August, a pair of 1-1 draws with Liverpool, completing the double over Wolves, edging a 4-3 thriller against Birmingham City on 5th February and the previously mentioned 3-1 win against Blackpool at the start of April. However, Wigan had given themselves hope of survival with a 3-2 victory over West Ham United the previous weekend, relegating the stricken Hammers with a game to spare.
In their final game, Wigan would travel to mid-table Stoke City. It was one of the more manageable teams to get a result against compared to their fellow relegation scrappers, but it was still a challenging task, considering Stoke had lost just four home matches all season. All Wigan could do was win and hope for the best. The Latics began the day in 19th place on 39 points with Blackpool and Birmingham. With those two teams having to get a result against Tottenham and Manchester United, Wigan had the most straightforward task of the three. However, this Wigan team that had only scored 39 goals all season (the second-lowest tally in the league) would have to find a way to score past a Stoke team who had only conceded 47 goals across the whole Premier League season (the 9th-best total in the division). In addition, Tony Pulis’s team had only let in 17 goals at home, a figure only bettered by Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and, surprisingly, Blackburn. Therefore, what appeared to be a more straightforward task for Wigan on paper was actually a far more daunting one. These factors would make for an intriguing final day of Premier League action, especially at the bottom of the pile.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- Before Kick-Off on 22nd May 2011
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 37 | 10 | 10 | 17 | -14 | 40 |
| 16th | Wolves | 37 | 11 | 7 | 19 | -19 | 40 |
| 17th | Birmingham | 37 | 8 | 15 | 14 | -20 | 39 |
| 18th | Blackpool | 37 | 10 | 9 | 18 | -21 | 39 |
| 19th | Wigan | 37 | 8 | 15 | 14 | -22 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 37 | 7 | 12 | 18 | -24 | 33 |
Wolves vs Blackburn, Ewood Park
Starting XI’s
Tottenham vs Birmingham, White Hart Lane
Starting XI’s
Manchester United vs Blackpool, Old Trafford
Starting XI’s
Stoke vs Wigan, Britannia Stadium
Starting XI’s
15:00: Kick-off
15:21- Manchester United 1 Blackpool 0 (Park Ji-Sung)
The first significant goal in this relegation battle would come at the home of the champions-elect. Blackpool had received the first clear-cut shot on target with midfielder Keith Southern’s shot going past the left-hand post of Edwin van der Sar’s goal before Tangerines goalkeeper Matt Gilks was forced to save a close-range shot from Dimitar Berbatov. However, in the 21st minute at Old Trafford, one of Manchester United’s unsung heroes would open the scoring for the Red Devils. From a counter-attack, Berbatov would flick the ball from the left flank into the centre of the Blackpool box, and United’s South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung would evade two Blackpool defenders to lift the ball over Matt Gilks.
With everyone else drawing their matches so far, going behind at Old Trafford would drop Blackpool down to 19th, one point behind Wigan and Birmingham. It was still early days in this relegation fight, but it was already looking like a difficult task for Blackpool to earn something against Manchester United in front of their own fans.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 15:22
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 10 | 11 | 17 | -14 | 41 |
| 16th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 8 | 19 | -19 | 41 |
| 17th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -20 | 40 |
| 18th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -22 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -25 | 33 |
15:22 Wolves 0 Blackburn 1 (Jason Roberts)
A minute after Park Ji-Sung had opened the scoring at Old Trafford, the first goal would also be scored in the Wolves v Blackburn clash at Molineux. Winger Junior Hoilett would lay the ball back for right-back Michel Salgado and the veteran defender’s shot would end up in the Wolves’ net via a flick from striker Jason Roberts to give Blackburn Rovers the lead. An early blow for Wolves but an essential step towards survival for Blackburn. Steve Kean’s team were now three points clear of the bottom three while Wolves remained in 16th, now level on points with Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic.
15:38 Wolves 0 Blackburn 2 (Brett Emerton)
After 16 minutes without a goal in all five matches, Blackburn would get the nets rustling again by doubling their lead against Wolves. In the 38th minute at Molineux, Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson would take a free-kick from inside the centre circle. The long ball into the box would be headed out by a man in orange and black only to be fired back and into the net by midfielder Brett Emerton’s powerful first-time effort. The goal was Emerton’s 4th of the Premier League campaign, equalling the Australian’s best return for league goals in a Blackburn Rovers shirt (equal with 2004-05).
This second body blow was enough to drop Wolves down to 17th place below Birmingham City but above Wigan Athletic, both on goal difference. Blackburn already seemed to be on the road to safety, while some Wolves fans were already starting to hope that results elsewhere went in their favour.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 15:38
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -12 | 43 |
| 16th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -20 | 40 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -21 | 40 |
| 18th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -22 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -25 | 33 |
15:40- Manchester United 1 Blackpool 1 (Charlie Adam)
Two minutes after Brett Emerton had lifted Blackburn’s survival hopes, Charlie Adam would do the same for Blackpool at Old Trafford. The Scottish midfielder had already been the star of this wholly entertaining Blackpool team during their Premier League debut season, scoring 11 goals in 34 matches. Now, five minutes before half-time, the Tangerines’ captain would send a 25-yard free-kick into the bottom corner, beating Edwin van der Sar at his near post and ruining the Dutchman’s chances of a clean sheet in his final career league game. Blackpool now had renewed hope thanks to their inspirational midfielder, and the points proved this. Adam’s goal had moved Blackpool back on 40 points, level with Wigan, Wolves and Birmingham. However, Blackpool had now moved out of the relegation zone up to 17th, thanks to having a better goal difference than Wigan and scoring more Premier League goals than Wolves (55 to 45).
Adam had moved Blackpool out of relegation trouble while dropping Wolves right back into the dropzone.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 15:40
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -12 | 43 |
| 16th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -20 | 40 |
| 17th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | -21 | 40 |
| 18th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -21 | 40 |
| 19th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -25 | 33 |
15:46 Wolves 0 Blackburn 3 (Junior Hoilett)
After finding out about Blackpool’s equaliser through their smartphones and transistor radios, a move which moved them into the bottom three, the mood of Wolves fans would soon get even lower as Blackburn would go 3-0 ahead at Molineux in first-half stoppage time.
Wolves would fail to deal with a long ball downfield, and Jason Roberts would flick the ball back to Junior Hoilett. The Canadian winger would turn inside two Wolves defenders before sliding the ball past Wayne Hennessey to give Blackburn Rovers a 3-0 half-time advantage. The away fans who had travelled down to the West Midlands were in dreamland, while the Wolves fans and players were now starting to think about the team’s Premier League future beyond this day. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy would need to quickly pick up his shellshocked team. Meanwhile, Rovers boss Steve Kean would have the most manageable 15 minutes of his career.
Half Time
HT: Wolves 0 Blackburn 3
HT: Tottenham 0 Birmingham 0
HT: Manchester United 1 Blackpool 1
HT: Stoke 0 Wigan 0
At the halfway point of this final-day relegation battle, Wolves and Wigan Athletic were the teams now most likely to join West Ham United in the Championship the following season. Wigan was drawing with Stoke City but had required the services of their goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi on more than one occasion. Meanwhile, Wolves were staring down the barrel after conceding three against a fired-up Blackburn Rovers, who were now cruising towards top-flight survival. Wolves had found themselves inside the bottom three due to Blackpool managing to keep champions-elect Manchester United level at 1-1. Finally, Birmingham City was quietly doing their business against Tottenham, with both sides yet to break the 0-0 deadlock at White Hart Lane.
However, the most predictable thing about live football is its unpredictability, meaning that the scorelines of these four matches and the fates of the five teams involved were bound to change over the second set of 45 minutes.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- As It Stood at Half-Time on 22nd May 2011
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -11 | 43 |
| 16th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -20 | 40 |
| 17th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | -21 | 40 |
| 18th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -22 | 40 |
| 19th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -25 | 33 |
16:04- Tottenham 1 Birmingham 0 (Roman Pavlyuchenko)
After all four games had kicked off again, the first goal would come four minutes into the second half. The goal would come from North London, and it would immediately change the makeup of the relegation zone.
In the 49th minute at White Hart Lane, Birmingham City midfielder Craig Gardner would attempt to intercept Spurs left-back Danny Rose’s attempted pass to Roman Pavlyuchenko, only for the ball to bobble off his foot into the path of the tall Russian striker. Pavlyuchenko would run onto the loose ball before sending a gliding 30-yard effort into the far corner of Ben Foster’s net.
With one swing of his boot, Roman Pavlyuchenko had dropped Birmingham City into the Premier League’s bottom three. After starting the second half 16th in the table, the Blues had fallen to 19th, being the only one of the five relegation-threatened teams to be stuck on 39 points.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:04
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -11 | 43 |
| 16th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | -21 | 40 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -22 | 40 |
| 18th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 19th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | -21 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -25 | 33 |
16:12- Manchester United 1 Blackpool 2 (Gary Taylor-Fletcher)
While Birmingham City was now finding life hard against Tottenham, Blackpool was putting up a decent fight against a Manchester United team with nothing left to play, having already secured the Premier League crown. With this fact in mind, we can explain how in the 52nd minute at Old Trafford, the Tangerines took the lead against Sir Alex Ferguson’s men. Winger Jason Puncheon would take on two Manchester United defenders before passing the ball to David Vaughan in the inside channel. Vaughan would deliver a low first-time cross into striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher, and Taylor-Fletcher would deftly flick the ball past Edwin van der Sar to give Ian Holloway’s team a shock 2-1 lead. Blackpool had turned their match on its head and was now on course for Premier League survival and a rare victory over Manchester United.
Gary Taylor-Fletcher’s goal would move Blackpool two points clear of relegation on 42 points. Everything now seemed to be going their way.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:12
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -11 | 43 |
| 16th | Blackpool | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | -20 | 42 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -22 | 40 |
| 18th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 19th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | -21 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -26 | 33 |
16:17- Manchester United 2 Blackpool 2 (Anderson)
However, Manchester United was now not going to let Blackpool beat them on what was supposed to be a title celebration day. Five minutes after going behind, Manchester United would equalise, and the goal would come from an unlikely source. Park Ji-Sung would cut the ball back inside the penalty area, and United’s Brazilian midfielder Anderson would deliver a curling effort into the far corner of the Blackpool net. The finish was only Anderson’s second Premier League goal in his 73rd appearance in the competition. Manchester United had not taken long to level up this game, and now the joyful expressions on Blackpool fans’ faces had turned to nervous ones. The team remained 16th despite conceding. However, another goal, either from Manchester United or a game happening elsewhere, could send them into trouble.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:17
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -11 | 43 |
| 16th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 10 | 18 | -21 | 40 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -22 | 40 |
| 18th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 19th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | -21 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -26 | 33 |
16:28- Wolves 1 Blackburn 3 (Jamie O’Hara)
Halfway through the second halves of these four relegation deciders, two goals into two minutes from two completely different matches would shake up the relegation picture again.
In the 73rd minute at Molineux, Wolves, having stared relegation in the face for the best of 48 minutes, would pull a goal back against Blackburn Rovers. Wolves had a free-kick left of centre on the edge of the Blackburn box, with winger Stephen Hunt standing over it. However, instead of trying his luck, Hunt would pass the ball inside the area to a waiting Jamie O’Hara, and the on-loan Spurs midfielder would send a low shot past Paul Robinson for his 3rd goal in 14 matches. Wolves had now given themselves a glimmer of hope. Wolves sat 17th in the table, only above 18th-placed Wigan on goals scored, but O’Hara’s goal had now boosted the team’s goal difference to -21, creating another potential buffer against the drop.
16:29- Manchester United 3 Blackpool 2 (Ian Evatt (Own Goal))
While Jamie O’Hara scored for Wolves to give them hope, Blackpool was shooting their own chances of survival in the foot 74 miles away. A ball would be played into the ‘corridor of uncertainty’ inside the Blackpool box, and centre-back Ian Evatt would get a foot to it only to send it into his own net. Evatt, who had been with Blackpool since their days in League One four years earlier, could only hold his head in his hands, knowing he could potentially be responsible for his team’s Premier League relegation. Sixteen minutes earlier, Blackpool celebrated like they had won the Premier League title. Now, there was only worry and despair on the face of anyone wearing orange or white.
Those two goals in 11 minutes had dramatically changed Blackpool’s fortunes. Ian Evatt’s ‘own goal’ would see Ian Holloway’s team drop from 16th down to 19th. The Tangerines had gone from looking down into the relegation abyss to finding themselves caught inside it.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:29
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -12 | 43 |
| 16th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -21 | 40 |
| 17th | Wigan | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -22 | 40 |
| 18th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | -21 | 39 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -22 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -26 | 33 |
16:33- Stoke 0 Wigan 1 (Hugo Rodallega)
Blackpool’s self-destruction had moved Wigan out of the bottom three, one point above the drop. Roberto Martinez’s Latics had spent the entirety of their match against Stoke inside the relegation zone, but Ian Evatt’s ‘own goal’ in Manchester had given them a lifeline. However, an equaliser from Birmingham City against Tottenham could swiftly drag them back down. In the 83rd minute at the Britannia Stadium, Wigan would ease their worrying. Left-back Maynor Figueroa would send a cross towards the six-yard box, and striker Hugo Rodallega would head the ball home to give Wigan a precious 1-0 lead.
Celebrations of this goal amongst the Wigan faithful were a mix of theatrical (goalkeeper Ali-Al-Habsi on his knees raising his arms towards the sky) and understated (manager Roberto Martinez allowing himself a small fist bump). For now, Wigan’s Colombian striking ace had put the Latics’ fate in their hands. The Latics’ one-goal advantage moved Wigan to 16th on 42 points, two points clear of the bottom three. However, an equaliser from Stoke or goals from Birmingham could soon change things.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:33
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -12 | 43 |
| 16th | Wigan | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | -21 | 42 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -21 | 40 |
| 18th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | -21 | 39 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -22 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -26 | 33 |
16:34- Tottenham 1 Birmingham City 1 (Craig Gardner)
Birmingham City had been behind for most of the second half of their match against Tottenham. Roman Pavlyuchenko’s goal had dropped them into the bottom three, and goals elsewhere had seen them remain in that spot. However, an equaliser from one of their own would offer Alex McLeish’s team a way out of trouble. In the 79th minute ( a minute after Hugo Rodallega’s heroics), Tottenham would clear a City corner only for the ball to fall to midfielder Craig Gardner. Gardner, a menace from long-range, would send a 25-yard strike past Heurelho Gomes to bring the score at White Hart Lane back to 1-1. Gardner, a lifelong Birmingham City supporter who had begun his career at rivals Aston Villa before changing sides in 2010, had given his club a lifeline. The 25-year-old would celebrate by running toward the rapturous away support, banging his fist against the Birmingham City crest on his shirt.
Gardner’s eighth goal of the season would move Birmingham City back onto 40 points, level with Wolves. However, Birmingham now had a better goal difference than Wolves, meaning Mick McCarthy’s team found themselves back in the relegation zone with less than 10 minutes to play.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:34
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -12 | 43 |
| 16th | Wigan | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | -21 | 42 |
| 17th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -20 | 40 |
| 18th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -21 | 40 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -22 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -26 | 33 |
16:36 Manchester United 4 Blackpool 2 (Michael Owen)
As regional rivals Wolves and Birmingham City were duking it out over their Premier League futures, Blackpool’s was sealed nine minutes before the end at Old Trafford. A through-ball would send substitute Michael Owen through the middle of two Blackpool defenders claiming offside. The 31-year-old striker would roll back the years by running into the box and finishing past Matt Gilks at his near post to score Manchester United’s 4th goal of the afternoon. At one point in the second half, Blackpool was leading the champions-elect 2-1 and Premier League survival was on the cards. Now, Sir Alex Ferguson’s men led 4-2, and doom and gloom now began to set among the away fans at Old Trafford. Blackpool’s one-season stay in the top flight would be over in a manner of minutes, barring a miracle.
16:42 Wolves 2 Blackburn 3 (Stephen Hunt)
Craig Gardner’s equalising goal for Birmingham City had moved the Blues level on points with Wolves but, crucially, ahead on goal difference. Mick McCarthy’s team were still losing 3-1 to Blackburn Rovers. However, one goal would be enough to see Wolves move ahead of their West Midlands rivals by having scored more Premier League goals. In the 87th minute at Molineux, a long ball into the Blackburn penalty area would be headed on by striker Steven Fletcher. The ball would fall to Stephen Hunt. Facing away from goal, the long-haired Irish winger would turn on his axis and lift a curled effort past Paul Robinson into the Blackburn net to score Wolves’ second goal of the day.
As his teammates dragged him down to the floor to celebrate with him (knowing his goal could be enough to keep them up), Stephen Hunt would shake them off and run back into his own half. For him, only a draw would make sure of their place in the Premier League. However, for now, his goal had moved Wolves out of the relegation zone on goals scored, and Birmingham City had replaced them.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:42
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -13 | 43 |
| 16th | Wigan | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | -21 | 42 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -20 | 40 |
| 18th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 16 | 14 | -20 | 40 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -23 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -26 | 33 |
16:48 Tottenham 2 Birmingham City 1 (Roman Pavlyuchenko)
However, Stephen Hunt need not have worried. Birmingham City now needed to beat Tottenham to secure their Premier League survival. As the minutes ran out, even goalkeeper Ben Foster went up to provide help at an attacking corner. However, a missed header from left-back Liam Ridgewell would see a considerable chance go begging. Then, in the third minute of stoppage time at White Hart Lane, Roman Pavlyuchenko would carry the ball deep into the Birmingham half before setting himself up and smashing the ball from 20 yards into the roof of Ben Foster’s goal, giving the Spurs fans one last thing to cheer. Time was up for Birmingham, and a third Premier League relegation in six years was now almost complete.
Bottom of 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table- 16:48
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | -13 | 43 |
| 16th | Wigan | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | -21 | 42 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | -20 | 40 |
| 18th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | -21 | 39 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | -23 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -27 | 33 |
Full Time
Across 90 minutes of football, every one of the five teams but Blackburn spent time inside the Premier League’s relegation zone. At half-time, Wolves and Wigan were the unfortunate pair heading down. However, that story had changed by full time, with Blackpool and Birmingham now in their place. Wigan spent the first 73 minutes of their match against Stoke either in 18th or 19th place. However, Blackpool would unintentionally help Wigan escape relegation through Ian Evatt’s own goal, and Hugo Rodallega’s effort would seal the deal. Blackpool’s Premier League fate was always in their own hands. The Tangerines would have stayed up if they’d held on to beat Manchester United. However, a combination of the team’s own self-destruction and Manchester United’s ruthlessness would combine to send Blackpool down.
FT: Blackburn 3 Wolves 2
A match featuring two relegation-threatened teams that both sides wanted to win to secure their Premier League statuses. However, despite this game having a clear winner and a clear loser, both clubs survived the drop due to such statistics as goal difference and goals scored. Blackburn Rovers sealed their Premier League survival with an excellent first-half performance that ended with a 3-0 half-time lead. However, Wolves’ second-half performance, though not enough to win this particular game, had been enough to see Mick McCarthy’s team scrape through on goal difference ahead of Birmingham City. Therefore, despite losing, the home fans were the ones invading the Molineux pitch following the final whistle.
FT: Manchester United 4 Blackpool 2
A rollercoaster of an afternoon at Old Trafford would end with the winner and loser predicted by many a pundit pre-match. Manchester United had won their final home match of the season in style, and Blackpool had fallen short when it came to preserving their top-flight status. However, the game’s story had become much more complex than that simple summation might suggest. After falling behind, the Tangerines had taken on the champions and had led 2-1 early in the second half, only to eventually succumb to the better team.
Blackpool was one of the best sides ever to get relegated from the Premier League. Ian Holloway’s team only spent three weeks in the bottom three throughout the campaign, yet had managed to go down despite recording 10 victories and scoring 55 goals (the 8th-highest number in the division). The team had only failed to score in eight league matches and had only been involved in two 0-0 draws. The club had been a breath of fresh air in the Premier League. However, they had inevitably fallen down on the most critical metrics: losing matches and conceding goals.
FT: Stoke 0 Wigan 1
Wigan had begun this ‘Survival Sunday’ having spent fourteen of the previous seventeen matchdays inside the Premier League relegation zone. The Latics spent 78 minutes of their match against Stoke City in the dropzone. However, one goal from Hugo Rodallega had been enough to ensure that Wigan would start a seventh consecutive season in English football’s top division.
FT: Tottenham 2 Birmingham 1
As soon as the game restarted following Roman Pavlyuchenko’s second goal, the referee would blow his whistle, signalling the end of Birmingham City’s two-year stay in the top division. The Blues had managed to go from beating Arsenal and winning the League Cup in February to suffering Premier League relegation in May. Now the team of 2010-11 would follow the squads of 2005-06 and 2007-08 in suffering the ignominy of the drop.
Bottom of Final 2010-11 Barclays Premier League Table
| Position | Team | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | GF | GA | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | Blackburn | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 46 | 59 | -13 | 43 |
| 16th | Wigan | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 40 | 61 | -21 | 42 |
| 17th | Wolves | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 46 | 66 | -20 | 40 |
| 18th | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 37 | 58 | -21 | 39 |
| 19th | Blackpool | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 55 | 78 | -23 | 39 |
| 20th | West Ham | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 43 | 70 | -27 | 33 |
Aftermath
The next Premier League season (2011-12), Blackburn Rovers and Wolves (having sacked Mick McCarthy) would suffer Premier League relegation, joining Birmingham and Blackpool in the Championship. Then, in 2013, Wigan would complete the set, dropping down to the Championship despite winning the FA Cup. At the time of writing (May 2022), Wolves is the only one of these five teams to return to the Premier League following their relegation campaign. In fact, Birmingham City is the only team not to have spent time in League 1 following their Premier League relegation. This fact alone shows the price paid by losing your Premier League status. This fact also indicates why Premier League relegation battles make for such fascinating viewing (for the neutral fan). Seeing a handful of teams battling it out for the money and safety that the Premier League provides exciting final-day entertainment. The more teams, the merrier. However, the divide between the relegated teams and the rest of the Premier League is starting to grow. More often than not, the Premier League relegation places are either down to two clubs fighting over one spot. On other occasions, the relegation places are decided before the final day.
Since 2011, there have still been plenty of Premier League ‘great escapes’ from Wigan (2011-12), Sunderland and Leicester City. However, since 2011, the average Premier League fan has not been treated to another ‘Survival Sunday’ quite like this, where five teams battled it out over four matches, where every goal scored could instantly change the entire narrative.
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