Norwich City midfielder Bradley Johnson has claimed that he expected the Canaries to struggle over the course of the season.
Manager Chris Hughton's side, who have drifted towards the bottom of the table in the last few weeks, are just four points away from relegation with six games remaining in the campaign.
"We knew it was going to be tough from the beginning of the season," Johnson told Sky Sports News. "The Premier League is the hardest in the country and we knew it was going to be hard from the get go and we would love to have been safe now but we aren't and now every game we go into is a cup final."
Norwich's next four fixtures include a trip to Arsenal and clashes with relegation battlers Reading, Stoke City and Aston Villa.