Let's look at the other Premier League race: the one to avoid relegation

Shahan Ahmed
Let's look at the other Premier League race: the one to avoid relegation

With the Premier League on the verge of entering the final quarter of its season, the race for relegation, which is not a race any team wants to win, is beginning to identify its top candidates for next season's Championship. On this list, being No. 1 is not a prize to celebrate.

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KEY PLAYER: Romelu Lukaku. Everton's last three wins across all competitions have featured goals by Lukaku.
KEY PLAYER: Romelu Lukaku. Everton's last three wins across all competitions have featured goals by Lukaku.

7. Everton

Roberto Martinez's Everton has been a disaster in the boss' second season in charge. The Toffees have been incomprehensively poor this season and sit only six points above the drop zone with 10 matches to play.

Lucky for Martinez, Everton's fixture list features six home games, and Manchester United is the only top-four team yet to complete a home and away leg against the Merseyside club this season. The Europa League could complicate matters a tad bit, but Everton's talent makes it difficult to explain why this team even makes the list.

KEY PLAYER: Christian Benteke. Only two seasons ago, he scored 19 goals. This season: three goals.
KEY PLAYER: Christian Benteke. Only two seasons ago, he scored 19 goals. This season: three goals.

6. Aston Villa

Tim Sherwood presided over a pulsating victory over West Bromwich Albion in the midlands derby, and the emotion and response of that performance gives strength to the idea that Villa can stay up.

Villa may only have 15 goals, but three goals in three matches since Sherwood's arrival points to a turn in the right direction.

While Villa still has a long way to go, getting Christian Benteke to the penalty spot should pay dividends to the misfiring Belgian striker's confidence.

KEY PLAYER: Jermaine Defoe. He has scored two goals in seven league starts since his January transfer.
KEY PLAYER: Jermaine Defoe. He has scored two goals in seven league starts since his January transfer.

5. Sunderland

Sunderland is currently on top of Aston Villa in the table, but the off-field drama of Adam Johnson's alleged relations with a minor will also have on-pitch implications. While Johnson hardly carried the team, Sunderland is winless in its last six matches across all competitions, and Johnson's absence doesn't help the cause.

Fortunately for the Black Cats, the current four-point cushion and home games against Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Leicester City should yield the necessary points to stay in the top division.

KEY PLAYER: Nikica Jelavic. The last five times he's scored, the Tigers have won. Hull has only six wins.
KEY PLAYER: Nikica Jelavic. The last five times he's scored, the Tigers have won. Hull has only six wins.

4. Hull City

With 10 rounds remaining, Hull City sits on 27 points and above Sunderland and Aston Villa in the table. Five points clear of the drop would signal safety, but the Tigers face a nightmare fixture list.

Hardly a soul would bat an eye if Hull did not manage a single point from its remaining trips to Swansea, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Tottenham. Escaping with something from the upcoming trip to Leicester becomes mandatory when staring at that away schedule. With Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United still waiting to visit the KC Stadium, manager Steve Bruce will need to find a way to secure maximum points from Burnley's visit in May.

A season ago, Norwich went down with 33 points, so Hull is still not safe.

KEY PLAYER: Charlie Austin. His 15 league goals ranks third behind only Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero.
KEY PLAYER: Charlie Austin. His 15 league goals ranks third behind only Diego Costa and Sergio Aguero.

3. Queens Park Rangers

Of the three teams in the relegation zone, Queens Park Rangers has the best chance of jumping up and escaping the drop.

Rangers sit in the drop zone due to a horrendous away record that only features one victory in 14 away matches. Since away fixtures may as well be disregarded with this bunch, their remaining home fixtures feature visits from Spurs, Everton, Chelsea, West Ham and Newcastle.

With Harry Redknapp gone, Rangers' direction may be up for debate, but at the moment, that direction still looks like it's pointing down.

KEY PLAYER: Danny Ings. Even if Burnley goes down, he could stay up. Ings has nine goals and four assists.
KEY PLAYER: Danny Ings. Even if Burnley goes down, he could stay up. Ings has nine goals and four assists.

2. Burnley

For a side that did not claim its first league victory until November, sitting in the drop zone in March should be about as big of a surprise as eating cake at a birthday party.

Burnley has a relatively favorable schedule at the finish. Manchester City and Arsenal are the only top-four teams remaining on the fixture list, and both of the big boys have to come to Turf Moor.

With 10 games to go, Burnley needs to pick up points and drag in one of either Aston Villa, Hull City, or Sunderland into the relegation zone.

KEY PLAYER: Leonardo Ulloa. Following the 2-0 loss to City, he hasn't scored in his last eight league games.
KEY PLAYER: Leonardo Ulloa. Following the 2-0 loss to City, he hasn't scored in his last eight league games.

1. Leicester City

After starting the season earning draws against Everton and Arsenal and beating Manchester United, Leicester City can only wonder what went so horribly wrong. As is often the case for a new team in the Premier League, the middle of the season beat down the thin squad short on top-flight quality.

Following the 5-3 victory over Manchester United in late September, the Foxes proceeded to go winless the next three months. Early into March, Leicester has lost five of its last six matches and sits at the foot of the table with only 18 points after 27 rounds.

While Leicester hosts seven of its final 11 games, the Foxes need to make up a seven-point gap and hurdle three teams in order to cancel tentative reservations in next season's Championship.

Shahan Ahmed is a soccer columnist for Yahoo Sports. He has previously written about the 2014 World Cup and 2013 Confederations Cup and regularly provides opinions on the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish La Liga. Follow Shahan on Twitter: @ShahanLA