The new Premier League season is almost upon us, and as football fans eagerly anticipate the return of England’s top flight, many have been assessing both the top and bottom end of the table.
Manchester City appear to be frontrunners as Pep Guardiola pursues a record-extending fifth consecutive Premier League title, while Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal and Liverpool, under new manager Arne Slot, will be hoping to sustain a challenge for the majority of the campaign.
The other end of the table looks very different, though. Uncertainty surrounding Leicester City’s point deduction, alongside Ipswich Town heading into the unknown and Southampton’s savvy spending in the transfer market give an unpredictable element to the Premier League relegation odds.
On one hand, all three sides could face relegation, as was the case for Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town last season, all plummeting back to the Championship. However, there is very little separating the entire bottom half of the table, and all it takes is some poor form for other sides to be dragged into a relegation dogfight.
In this article, we take a look at three sides who could struggle to survive if they don’t hit the ground running in the Premier League this season. While not the most conventional choices, these sides could easily face the drop if things go wrong.
Nottingham Forest
Throughout their time in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest have been defined by their big spending, which has ensured their survival in consecutive seasons under owner Evangelos Marinakis.
Despite chopping and changing managers, Forest have always had the squad depth to beat the drop. However, the league’s new profit and sustainability rules have left the East Midlands outfit reluctant to splash the cash this summer.
The four points they were deducted last season were merely a slap on the wrist, however, if results aren’t going the way of Nuno Espirito Santos’ side come the new year, and if Forest lose captain and playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, it could be a season that ends in relegation.
Brentford
Thomas Frank’s Brentford are one of the most entertaining sides to watch as a neutral and are often backed in Premier League betting for their ability to take on the big teams and score goals.
Though the Bees have proved to be a thorn in the side of many over the last three seasons, you wonder if they have overperformed at times, having dropped off significantly at the back end of last term.
Having finished 16th last season, they won just four games after the winter break, and if Ivan Toney is to leave the club, either before the summer or during the January transfer window, Frank will lack the cutting edge needed to avoid a return to the Championship.
Fulham
Another side that has struggled with player departures is Fulham. Known as a yo-yo club for years due to their inability to sustain Premier League status, the Cottagers have finally found some consistency since their return to the top flight in 2022, but find themselves in a period of transition.
After losing João Palhinha to Bayern Munich, plus Tosin Adarabioyo, Bobby De Cordova-Reid, and Tim Ream, the core of the squad will need replacing.
Emile Smith-Rowe represents an ambitious, creative signing for Marco Silva’s side, but they still lack a lot of experience and quality – something that will need repairing ahead of their opening day visit to Old Trafford against Manchester United.