Jack Ogalbe: Seagulls and Toffees pushing on but Foxes flops already on the sand

There are only six rounds of the Premier League season remaining and, as always at this stage of the season, certain players will be subconsciously switching off and looking towards their holidays.

Dubai, Miami and Marbella are among the destinations set to be swarmed by footballers in the coming weeks and as the top flight's stars begin to imagine the sand between their toes, we assess which teams in the bottom half are already on the beach.

11th - Brentford

Another season and another under-the-radar finish beckons for Brentford.

Last term's 16th place has almost been forgotten and although they flirted with Europe, injuries made it inevitable that the Bees would drop off.

Recent draws against Chelsea and Arsenal suggest they haven't got their towels out yet but after winning three of four games between January 26 and February 21, they have only one victory in their last six. 

A defeat to tenth-place Brighton on Saturday would leave them eight points behind the Seagulls and some players might start thinking about what mini toiletries they need. 

On the beach rating (out of 5): 3.5

12th - Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace's recent form meant their 5-2 defeat at Manchester City was almost a surprise, especially as they squandered a 2-0 lead but their 5-0 defeat at Newcastle was a shocker.

However, the Eagles took 19 of a possible 21 points from their final seven games in 2023-24 and had lost only twice in 2025 prior to their reverse at the Etihad.

Oliver Glasner needs to lift his players but knows how to keep teams ticking over. 

Even if his side lose their FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa on April 26, last year's strong finish means the Duty Free catalogues are unlikely to be prematurely distributed around the Selhurst Park dressing room.

On the beach rating: 1

13th - Everton

It's good to see young managers getting a chance. David Moyes looks about 15 years younger than when he left West Ham and has clearly rediscovered his mojo.

Everton were a point above the relegation zone when the Scot returned in January but are now 17 points clear of the bottom three and Moyes has publicly discussed his desire to push the Toffees on. 

Maintaining their progress is vital as the club's long-awaited move to their new stadium approaches and Saturday's win at Nottingham Forest showed they are far from done for the season.

On the beach rating: 1

14th - Manchester United

The obvious joke is that Manchester United have been 'on the beach' since 2013 but the way things are going, even a day 'sur la plage' would somehow become a nightmare for Ruben Amorim.

Those with memories of United's glory years probably expect them to waltz through their final fixtures against Wolves, Bournemouth, Brentford, West Ham, Chelsea and Aston Villa but their current mess makes them vulnerable against any opponent.

With so much pressure on the team, taking it a bit easier might not be a bad thing.

On the beach rating: 3

Premier League standings - bottom half

15th - Tottenham

If Spurs went to the seaside, everyone would know where they planned to park, the best spot on the beach would be packed because they'd have advertised it and their favourite ice cream would be sold out after they'd bragged about it at dinner the previous evening.

That's how predictable they've become and Ange Postecoglou's refusal to change his tactics means he is unlikely to be at the club beyond the summer, especially with the board under fire. 

Wolves were the latest team to know exactly what to expect from Spurs when they ran out 4-2 winners last Sunday.

Predictability, combined with his players' body language, makes it unlikely that Postecoglou will be able to engineer a late-season turnaround. 

On the beach rating: 4

16th - Wolves

It used to be VAR's fault that Wolves were struggling but Vitor Pereira has avoided such controversy since his December arrival.

Sunday's win over Tottenham was his team's fourth in a row – the club's longest top-flight winning streak in 53 years – and there's real optimism that next season won't be as difficult.

With almost 600 games in the dugout behind him, Pereira has shown he can motivate players and with Manchester United next up, Wolves may just keep on winning.

On the beach rating: 1

17th - West Ham

A tally of only three wins from 12 in the league under Graham Potter hint that West Ham's players have been planning their holidays for a while. 

Potter will say he has used the time since his January appointment to assess his squad before full pre-season. 

He has also unearthed a gem in Oliver Scarles as a potential long-term solution on the left side of the Hammers' defence.

Four of their final six games are against other bottom-half teams, providing Potter further scope to experiment but rousing his players might be an issue, considering they sit 17th but with a 14-point gap on the team below them.

On the beach rating: 2

18th - Ipswich

Ipswich were always building for the future when constructing their squad for their Premier League return.

Despite signing well, the 27 points they have lost from winning positions show they cannot close games out.

Kieran McKenna looks like he will stay in Suffolk beyond the summer. 

Although Ipswich might struggle against Arsenal, Newcastle, and Everton, they should be targeting two wins from their final three fixtures with Brentford, Leicester and West Ham to help boost optimism ahead of another McKenna-led promotion push.

On the beach rating: 3

19th - Leicester

Leicester will be relegated if they fail to beat Liverpool on Sunday, an incredibly likely outcome as the Reds could win the league this weekend if understandably distracted Arsenal lose earlier in the day at Ipswich.

The Foxes did well to twice come from behind in their 2-2 draw at Brighton but have lost their last eight at home without finding the net.

Being on the beach is often used to describe teams who have switched off, but some Leicester players mentally checked out months ago and Ruud van Nistelrooy may struggle to inspire his team to get anything from their final six games.

On the beach rating: 5

20th - Southampton

The Saints won’t want to go down as the worst team in Premier League history and still need two points to eclipse Derby’s record low of 11. Expect relegated Southampton to fight, the problem is they are not very good. 

On the beach rating: 2

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