Sitting at the foot of the table so early in a campaign was not always a sign of impending relegation. From 2013-14 to 2018-19, just one of the six teams occupying last place after five matches was eventually relegated: Newcastle in 2015-16. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, recovered to finish 11th in 2017-18.
Tottenham supporters can also draw encouragement from the club’s previous experience in this position. Spurs had only two points and were bottom after five games in 2008-09, but they replaced Juande Ramos with Harry Redknapp three matches later and recovered to finish eighth.
The wider relegation picture is less reassuring. In each of the past eight seasons, at least one team in the bottom three after five games has gone down, suggesting that Tottenham, Fulham or Coventry could be playing in the Championship next May.
This season’s group of relegation candidates may already be emerging. Over the previous three campaigns, every team that ultimately dropped out of the division had been among the bottom six after five fixtures. On that basis, Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace could also face a difficult battle.
Leeds and Southampton were the most recent clubs to be relegated despite sitting outside the bottom six at this stage. Both were in the top half, occupying seventh and ninth respectively, in 2022-23. Hull and Ipswich fans will therefore hope their teams can remain clear of danger after currently reaching eighth and 11th place.
Although the campaign is still in its opening stages, the Premier League standings are already beginning to develop a recognizable pattern.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
