Huddersfield Town may need to reach survival target before daunting Premier League finale

FROM the moment the Premier League fixtures were released last summer, Huddersfield Town's run-in stood out.
Huddersfield Town's Aaron Mooy. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PAHuddersfield Town's Aaron Mooy. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PA
Huddersfield Town's Aaron Mooy. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PA

Discovering, as the excited Terriers fans did in June, that the curtain would come down on the club’s first season in the top flight for 45 years with a visit from Arsenal was daunting enough.

But throw in trips to champions Chelsea and Manchester City during that final month plus a home clash with Everton, at the time spending freely under Ronald Koeman and talking boldly about gate-crashing the Champions League places, and suddenly the reality of life among the elite hit home.

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To survive, the general consensus in Kirklees suggested, Town needed to be on at least 40 points before kicking off that tough final quartet of games with the April 21 visit to Stamford Bridge.

Seven months on and that thinking, give or take a couple of points, still stands. Sure, Everton have failed to live up to expectations this season. And, granted, the title race almost certain to have been settled by then means the focus for City, Chelsea and Arsenal may have shifted elsewhere.

But it is still a brave Terrier who is willing to put money on their side avoiding defeat at Stamford Bridge and the Etihad. Or beating Arsenal, even if Arsene Wenger’s side do compete in the Europa League final just four days later.

Instead, it is the meetings with those in and around David Wagner’s men that will surely decide the fate of Yorkshire’s sole top flight representative. In that respect, none look bigger right now than Saturday’s trip to a Stoke City side occupying the final relegation place.

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“Stoke is a very big game,” admits goalkeeper Jonas Lossl, fresh from last Saturday’s chastening 4-1 defeat at home to West Ham United, to The Yorkshire Post. “We have two tough games immediately after this one (against Liverpool at home and Manchester United away), very tough games.

Graphic: Graeme BandeiraGraphic: Graeme Bandeira
Graphic: Graeme Bandeira

“Saturday was frustrating for everyone. We made too many individual mistakes and made too many wrong decisions.

“When we do that in the Premier League, we lose. Simple as that. The feeling after the West Ham game was not good.

“It was our first real big loss at home against a team we should not lose like that against. Now, we need a response. Everyone knows that. The whole team wants to win at Stoke because we need to bounce back.

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“Of course, every week is big because we can get three points. If we get them against (Manchester) United or Stoke, it doesn’t matter. We just need the points.”

CONFIDENT: Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PACONFIDENT: Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PA
CONFIDENT: Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PA

A Premier League table that is much more concertinaed than usual at this stage – just nine points separate rock bottom Swansea City from Watford in tenth place – offers hope for all the clubs battling the drop.

Two quick-fire victories and a team will invariably shoot up four or five places, as Town found in early December when taking six points from a possible nine nudged Wagner’s men from 16th to 11th.

This season’s unusually tight margin between the top half and the foot of the table – a year ago, the same gap stood at 13 points, while in 2015-16 it was 19 – can be put down to the ruthlessness of the big guns when tackling the bottom six.

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In 41 meetings, 32 have gone the way of those chasing a Champions League place with Stoke City’s victory over Arsenal the sole triumph by any of those residing at the wrong end of the table. Put in such a context, Huddersfield’s 2-1 triumph over Manchester United looks even more impressive than it did in October.

Graphic: Graeme BandeiraGraphic: Graeme Bandeira
Graphic: Graeme Bandeira

What this dominance by the top teams underlines is that survival this term is, more than ever, going to be decided by meetings between those battling the drop.

Hence why Saturday is likely to be so important to Town’s prospects, along with a four-game run of home games from February to early April that brings Bournemouth, Swansea City, Crystal Palace and Watford to the West Riding.

All are eminently winnable, as it should be said are the trips to West Brom, Newcastle and Brighton around the same time. If Huddersfield do extend their stay in the Premier League beyond the end of May, these fixtures are the ones that will make all the difference.

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Ten victories are usually what keep a club up in a 38-game Premier League, meaning Huddersfield need another four.

For Aaron Mooy, the key to staying clear of trouble will be not getting worked up about how Town’s rivals are getting on.

“We focus on ourselves,” said the Australian. “You can’t control what is happening elsewhere and how the other teams are doing.

CONFIDENT: Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PACONFIDENT: Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PA
CONFIDENT: Huddersfield Town goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. Picture: Daniel Hambury/PA

“At the end of the day, we have to perform if we want to stay in the Premier League. All the games are big, not just Stoke.”

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Mooy may be able to remain indifferent to what is happening elsewhere but supporters are often not so calm.

It is why Bournemouth’s win against Arsenal last Sunday brought groans all around Huddersfield, in contrast to the cheers that greeted Stoke losing at Old Trafford the following night.

Plenty more twists and turns will follow in the coming weeks and months, pushing emotions and nerves to the edge. Lossl, however, believes no-one should lose sight of what a great place to be the Premier League is.

The Danish international, one of three ever presents for the Terriers in the league, added: “This season is still a fantastic experience, and we are in the middle of it.

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“The feeling was horrible on Saturday night. A result like that is not good. But we cannot be down after any result. We have had defeats before. Some have been very disappointing. But now we have to look forward and forget West Ham.

“We need to work harder. From Sunday when we came back in for training, it was all about Stoke and the rest of the season.

“This is a new week and one where we have to get it right.”