Leicester City are staring at relegation to League One, with their fate potentially sealed as early as Tuesday night, April 21.
The Foxes must beat Hull City to keep their slim survival hopes alive. Even then, results elsewhere could still confirm their relegation before the week is out.
It is a stark fall for a club that stunned football by winning the Premier League title at 5,000-1 odds in 2016. That triumph came just seven years after they climbed out of League One. Now, barely a decade on, they risk returning to the third tier, only five years after lifting the FA Cup.
Saturday’s defeat to Portsmouth has left Leicester eight points from safety with only nine points left to play for.
Relegation would mark their second drop in consecutive seasons and a third in four years.
Tensions have begun to spill over. Midfielder Harry Winks was involved in a heated exchange with supporters after the loss at Fratton Park, responding angrily as the squad boarded the team bus.
Goalkeeper Asmir Begović acknowledged the growing unrest but insisted the dressing room shares the same frustrations.
“I can understand the frustrations,” he said. “The belief is still there.
“It’s a big game against Hull, and if you win that, things can look a lot different. Of course, we need a bit of luck and a bit of fortune on our side, but we keep pushing as much as we can.”
Despite that defiance, Leicester’s position remains precarious. Victory over Hull may only delay the inevitable.
Wins for West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers, combined with a draw for Charlton Athletic, would still send Leicester down this week.
Even if results go their way, anything less than victory against Millwall on Friday would confirm relegation.
In simple terms, Leicester must win all three remaining matches and rely heavily on other results. It is a tall order for a side that has managed just one win in three months.
