Two teams could be forced into play-off match to decide Premier League relegation

Nottingham Forest and Leeds could be forced into a relegation play-off, should an improbable scenario unfold. Both clubs currently sit outside the bottom three, but will be nervously glancing over their shoulders between now and the end of the season.

Should circumstances turn against them, a play-off may be required to separate the two sides in the standings and determine who faces the drop. Were it to occur, it would mark the first occasion in Premier League history that such a fixture has taken place.

The unlikely play-off clash would be triggered if the teams finish level on points, goal difference and total goals scored. If they remain inseparable on those criteria, it then falls to the head-to-head record between the two clubs, before, ultimately, the most away goals in the head-to-head record.

The two matches this season between Forest and Leeds both ended in a 3-1 victory for the home side. Consequently, the head-to-head record and away goals would prove irrelevant.

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Therefore, should it come down to the head-to-head record, the sole means of separating the two clubs would be a one-off play-off fixture staged at a neutral ground.

The victors of that match would retain their Premier League status, while the defeated side would suffer relegation to the Championship.

While the prospect remains highly unlikely, it cannot be entirely ruled out. Both sides currently occupy 15th and 16th position in the Premier League table, with Leeds (36 points) sitting three points above Forest (33 points).

Lorenzo Lucca of Nottingham Forest scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Notting

Lorenzo Lucca of Nottingham Forest scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Nottingham Forest at Elland Road. (Image: Getty Images)

Both clubs would need to be overtaken by 18th-placed Tottenham (30 points) and 17th-placed West Ham (32 points). Just two goals separate the goal difference between the two sides, while Leeds have netted 49 goals compared to Forest's 44.

The Whites return to action on Saturday as they welcome Wolves to Elland Road. Forest, meanwhile, entertain Burnley at the City Ground on Sunday afternoon.

Both sides will enter the fixtures in buoyant mood, with Leeds having emerged as 2-1 victors over Manchester United on Monday night. Forest, meanwhile, progressed to the semi-final of the Europa League on Thursday courtesy of a 1-0 triumph over Porto.