article: With six games to go - five for QPR and seven for Leicester - there are just four points separating the bottom five sides in the Premier League. As things stand the three promoted clubs, Leicester, Burnley and QPR, would make an immediate return to the championship, but Hull and Sunderland are teetering on the brink. Even Aston Villa and West Brom are not quite out of the dogfight, although our reporters are confident that the relegated clubs will come from the five teams currently at the foot of the table. Charlie Austin is hoping to fire QPR to safety, but will his goals be enough to save them? Can any of the bottom three climb to safety? Or will the clubs above them succumb to fiendishly difficult fixture lists? Sportsmail's reporters give their verdicts on the closest relegation run-in for years... Lee Clayton . Leicester, QPR and Sunderland. Can I add an IF? IF Danny Ings starts scoring regularly again. If not, Sunderland will stay up by the skin of their teeth and the bottom three go down, which should act as a warning to Bournemouth, Norwich, Watford, Middlesbrough and the rest involved in the Wacky Races at the top of the Championship. Sunderland's fans deserve better. So do Newcastle fans. But don't get me started on that. Danny Ings has nine Premier League goals so far, but he'll need to start scoring again for Burnley to stay up . Sunderland's fans, who were dejected after their defeat to Crystal Palace last week, deserve more . HULL . Liverpool (Home) - April 18 . Crystal Palace (Away) - April 25 . Arsenal (Home) - May 2 . Burnley (Home) - May 9 . Tottenham (Away) - May 16 . Man United (Home) - May 24 . ASTON VILLA . Man City (Away) - April 25 . Everton (Home) - May 2 . West Ham (Home) - May 9 . Southampton (Away) - May 16 . Burnley (Home) - May 24 . *QPR (Home) - Date to be arranged . SUNDERLAND . Stoke (Away) - April 25 . Southampton (Home) - May 2 . Everton (Away) - May 9 . Leicester (Home) - May 16 . Arsenal (Away) - May 20 . Chelsea (Away) - May 24 . BURNLEY . Everton (Away) - April 18 . Leicester (Home) - April 25 . West Ham (Away) - May 2 . Hull (Away) - May 9 . Stoke (Home) - May 16 . Aston Villa (Away) - May 24 . QPR . West Ham (Home) - April 25 . Liverpool (Away) - May 2 . Man City (Away) - May 9 . Newcastle (Home) - May 16 . Leicester (Away) - May 24 . *Aston Villa (Away) - Date to be arranged . LEICESTER . Swansea (Home) - April 18 . Burnley (Away) - April 25 . Chelsea (Home) - April 29 . Newcastle (Home) - May 2 . Southampton (Home) - May 9 . Sunderland (Away) - May 16 . QPR (Home) - May 24 . Note: Fixtures in May subject to change for television schedule. The bottom seven in the Premier League as it stands, with Leicester City bottom, but holding a game in hand . Matt Barlow . QPR, Hull and Sunderland . Burnley to survive as they have made it through a nightmare sequence of fixtures with their spirit and desire intact. They can take points from any of their final six games - even though only two are at home and they have won only once away this season. Leicester's fixture list gives them a chance with five home games plus away fixtures at Burnley and Sunderland. There may be too much to do but they suddenly have a chance having found the winning formula and it may supply the required inspiration. Sunderland and Hull face the double whammy of flagging form and brutal fixtures and QPR are running out of games. Steve Bruce (left) and Dick Advocaat are feeling the strain as their teams slide towards relegation . With their improvement under Tim Sherwood, none of our reporters think Aston Villa will go down . Riath Al-Samarrai . Hull, Burnley and Leicester . Hull have a dreadful run-in and simply look awful. That's not to say QPR have been much better but at least against Chelsea they showed they are still fighting. When I saw Hull at Swansea earlier this month, they were spineless. Burnley have a reasonable run of fixtures but they and Leicester have been in the mess all season - I can't see why that would change in the next few weeks. Burnley have been in the bottom three for most of the season, and they'll need a big improvement to stay up . Rob Draper . Hull, Leicester and QPR . Hull's run-in is just awful whereas Burnley's looks manageable. At this stage of the season it's usually about momentum. Hull have lost theirs. QPR and Leicester have gained some but it looks too little, too late. QPR have gained a little bit of momentum under Chris Ramsey, but it is too little too late for them . Dominic King . QPR, Hull and Sunderland . This is a big call but I can see both Leicester and Burnley dragging themselves out of the mire. Whenever I've seen Leicester this season, they have competed until the last kick and the same goes for Burnley. They look ready to fight for their lives. Hull have a taxing run in and simply aren't playing well enough. Sunderland, meanwhile, have been wretched all season and, to this observer, look bereft of the unity and resilience you need to get out of such a hole. Leicester have always fought until the final whistle, and that will go for the relegation run-in as well . Sunderland have been abject all season and look bereft of ideas as they struggle to stay in the top flight . Chris Wheeler . Leicester, QPR and Hull . Burnley have a much easier run-in than QPR, Hull and Sunderland, and I’m backing Sean Dyche to pull off the great escape after being written off from the start. Leicester also have a decent set of fixtures – not to mention a game in hand – but I think they will drop out and Dick Advocaat will keep Sunderland up - just. Jermaine Defoe celebrates his goal against Newcastle, and he could do enough to keep Sunderland up . Mike Keegan . Hull, Sunderland and QPR . Hull's run-in looks horrendous with relegation a fitting reward for a side that has underperformed all season. Dick Advocaat is not the man to save Sunderland. Yes, they beat John Carver's Newcastle (who doesn't?) but normal service was resumed when Crystal Palace trounced them 4-1 on home turf. Final-day defeat at Leicester will condemn QPR and complete Nigel Pearson's great escape while Danny Ings will rediscover his shooting boots to hand Burnley the perfect parting gift and cap a fairytale year for the brilliant Sean Dyche. Sunderland boss Advocaat watches on as his side lose to Crystal Palace - he is not the man to save them . Leicester's final day game at home to QPR will be crucial as Nigel Pearson looks to keep his side up . Joe Bernstein . Sunderland, Burnley and QPR . I can't see Sunderland getting a single point from their remaining away games at Stoke, Everton, Arsenal and Chelsea. Burnley haven't turned draws into wins and QPR go to Leicester on the final day. It looks winner-takes all in that one. Leicester have five of their seven fixtures at home plus trips to Sunderland and Burnley. I think they can provide the 'miracle' and ensure one promoted team stays up. QPR and Leicester will battle it out for survival, but the London club will not have enough to stay up . Sam Cunningham . Leicester, Burnley and Hull . Hull's final run-in is the worst of any of the relegation-threatened clubs, facing Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United in four of their remaining six, and I believe they're doomed. Of the three already in the relegation places, I feel QPR showed against West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea they have what it takes to stay up helped by Charlie Austin's goals. Leicester and Burnley are not strong enough to beat the drop. Leicester have shown signs of pulling off a miracle, but do they have the quality to stay up this season? QPR have shown enough to suggest they will beat the drop, and Charlie Austin's goals can prove decisive . Sami Mokbel . Leicester, QPR and Hull . Leicester and QPR have shown an improvement in recent weeks, but I fear they've left themselves too much to do. Hull have got some awful fixtures ahead. They still have to play: Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United. Their other two games are against Crystal Palace - who are flying under Alan Pardew - and fellow relegation scrappers Burnley. I'm not sure there's enough points in those games for Steve Bruce's side to escape. Hull City lack momentum and have the most difficult run-in of any of the sides left in the relegation scrap . Craig Hope . Burnley, Hull and Sunderland . Yeah, that's right, Leicester City and QPR both escape the drop. As outlandish as it once seemed, the pair now have a little bit of momentum - a lot of it in Leicester's case - and that cannot be said of Sunderland and Hull. QPR will beat both West Ham and Newcastle at home, while a draw at Leicester on the final day could prove enough to see them both to safety. Leicester also face Newcastle - and that is the biggest guarantee of three points as there is at the moment. Sunderland, meanwhile, simply are not capable of saving themselves and, with trips to Arsenal and Chelsea to sign off the season, their final home game with Leicester will determine their fate. Lose and they will probably be relegated with a points total in the region of 32. Hull have lost three on the spin and have a horrendous run-in during which they'll be lucky to win another game. As for Burnley, they have winnable matches but the goals have dried up and that could cost them dear. Sunderland are in danger of being brushed aside in the battle to avoid relegation, and look likely to go down .
highlights: Leicester, Burnley and QPR hoping to avoid going straight back down .
  Hull City and Sunderland also in danger of going down .
  Aston Villa and West Brom are closer to safety, but could get sucked in .
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