Merseyside rivals Liverpool and Everton have vastly contrasting targets for the end of the season, as the Reds eye the Premier League title and the Toffees strive to avoid relegation.
Jurgen Klopp has the Anfield natives sat second in the standings with five games to go as they chase down Manchester City. Just one single point separates the last two English top-flight champions, while Chelsea remain a mathematical threat in third but 14 points back.
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Everton, on the other hand, find themselves in the relegation zone with six games left of their season. Frank Lampard’s men are still in control of their own destiny with a game in hand over Burnley in 17th. But they must win that match to overturn a two-point deficit.
Everton could do their survival chances the world of good and potentially take Chelsea out of the title race on Sunday. The Blues visit Goodison Park, following Liverpool travelling up to Newcastle and Manchester City visiting relegation-threatened Leeds on Saturday first.
Burnley are also in action this Saturday as the Clarets visit relegation-rivals Watford, who currently trail Everton by seven points. The Hornets losing could leave the Vicarage Road outfit relying on goal difference, with Roy Hodgson’s side already nine points off Burnley.
Liverpool were not the title-contenders the last time Everton suffered relegation from the top-flight, though. The Reds even followed suit and endured their own drop to the second-tier within the next few seasons, whilst the Toffees reclaimed their First Division presence.
Where did Liverpool finish last time Everton were relegated from top-flight
Everton suffered their last top-flight relegation during the 1950/51 First Division campaign when they finished 22nd among the 22 clubs. The Toffees also ended that season bottom of the standings only on goal ratio to relegation-rivals Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday.
All three teams ended the campaign level on 32 points with identical records for wins (12), draws (8) and defeats (22). But Chelsea avoided the drop by virtue of a superior goal ratio at 0.815, to the Owls’ 0.771 and the Toffees’ 0.558 – the worst record across the division.
Only Huddersfield Town in 19th-place finished the term having conceded more goals than Everton with 92 to 86. The Toffees also scored the joint-least with Burnley, who finished in 10th, with 48. Sheffield Wednesday hit the back of the net on 64 occasions to 83 allowed.
Liverpool, meanwhile, ended the 1950/51 campaign a spot above Burnley in ninth with 43 points. The Reds won 16 of their 42 matches, while drawing 11 and losing 15. They also hit the net 53 times to 59 conceded for a goal ratio of 0.898, but did not finish on level points.
The title that term went to north London with Tottenham lifting their first of two top-flight crowns. Spurs edged Manchester United by four points as the only club to win 25 matches, losing the least with seven, scoring the most with 82 and having the best goal ratio (1.864).
When were Liverpool last relegated from the top-flight?
It took Everton until the 1953/54 campaign to seal a return to the First Division as runners-up to Leicester. The Foxes pipped the Toffees to the Second Division title on goal ratio with both clubs ending the season on 56 points, one more than Blackburn Rovers in third-place.
Leicester took the title having scored enough more than Everton with 97 to 92 to outweigh the 60 to 58 goals let in. The Toffees have not been in a second-tier title race since, having spent the past 68-years as a top-flight mainstay, including a Premier League ever-present.
Liverpool are also a Premier League ever-present along with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham. But the Reds spent eight seasons in the second-tier from 1954 to 1962, having endured top-flight relegation the same campaign Everton sealed their return.
The Anfield outfit ended the 1953/54 First Division term bottom of the table on 28 points. They finished five points from Sheffield United and safety, with Middlesbrough 21st on 30 points. Liverpool also conceded a league-high 97 goals to 68 scored for a 0.701 goal ratio.
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