Massive Tottenham victory sees Villa leap ahead in relegation race

For almost this entire decade Aston Villa have struggled to avoid being one of the three worst teams in the Premier League. The teams who get relegated into the Championship never to be heard from again. And this year, particularly, it seemed as if they might succumb under the weight of their own ineptitude.

And while the season isn't over yet, four point over the course of the past week are making us all breathe a bit more easily. Villa fans were also helped by the fat that nearly everyone below us had a bad week too. So, as has become our Monday tradition, let's turn our gaze to the bottom of the table and see what happened in Relegation Land this week. As a bonus for reading, we've added a new visitor!

Leicester City

Points/Goal Difference: 25/-19

This Weekend's result: A 2-3 win at West Bromwich Albion

Next up: Swansea, Saturday, 3 PM GMT

I honestly can't tell how I feel about Leicester City's sudden resurgence. It's obviously bad for Aston Villa in the here and now. I don't think the Foxes will pass Villa, and they may not even survive, but every team that plays poorly below us is more of a buffer between us and the drop. And you can add to the negative feelings the fact that, in a mere three matches this season, I grew to hate Leicester nearly as much as I hate West Brom (more on them shortly).

But that hatred is... fun! That's what sport is about. Loving your team and hating the other. And yes, those matches were tense, but having something to look forward to is always nice. With Villa still firmly in the relegation race, I want Foxes to stop winning immediately. But if we can make ourselves safe, maybe I wouldn't mind a miracle from them.

Burnley

Points/Goal Difference: 26/-24

This Weekend's result: An 0-1 loss at home to the juggernaut that is Arsenal

Next up: at Everton, Saturday, 3 PM GMT

Poor Burnley. They've been playing so well lately, having beaten Manchester City (but really, who doesn't these days?) and drawing with Spurs (but really, how can a claret and blue team not beat Spurs?). But they ran into a club playing perhaps the best football we've seen all season in the Premier League. That's just not fair.

But the good news for them is that they've been playing well and their fixture list from here out is a breeze. At Everton, Leicester, at West Ham, at Hull, Stoke, and at Villa. If you're an in-form team sitting in the bottom three, that's exactly what you want to see. Maybe both teams can have secured safety by the last day. Wouldn't that be nice?

Queens Park Rangers

Points/Goal Difference: 26/-21

This Weekend's result: An 0-1 loss at home to Chelsea

Next up: West Ham, Saturday, 3 PM GMT

Huh. After scoring seven goals in two road matches, QPR return home and score zero. I mean, sure, it was against Chelsea, but I sort of expected more fight from them.

Regardless of what we expected, they still got a loss. And this weekend's match against West Ham is maybe their easiest one left. Sure, Leicester are a bad team, but a bad team at home fighting for Premier League survival on the last day of the season will be tough to beat. So QPR need to do some work between now and then. Their little run through the West Midlands leaves me entirely uncertain of what they can do, though, so I have no idea if they'll be here or in the Championship next year. I'd be intrigued to hear your thoughts in the comments.