Finishing 17th of 20 teams in the English Premier League last season, Everton avoided relegation to the Championship by the narrowest of margins. The Toffees had only Leicester City, Leeds United, and Southampton beneath them in the pecking order. Stats of eight wins, twelve draws, and eighteen defeats meant Everton collected 36 points in the 2022/23 campaign. That’s just two better than the Foxes, who dropped to England’s second tier of professional soccer.
Regulars at Goodison Park hoped their team would take a leaf out of West Ham’s book and bounce back at the first time of asking. But Everton’s problems continue into this term, quickly sinking towards the danger zone. They’re third from bottom after four games played and have yet to secure their first win of 2023/24. Fans are already reaching for the panic button, and major sportsbooks like betonline offer odds and markets on Everton’s relegation.
If Sean Dyche’s troops can’t find the improvement needed to climb the EPL rankings, fans know they face the real prospect of watching Championship fixtures this time next year. That’s something everyone connected to Everton wants to avoid at all costs. And if you think the once successful club going down is unlikely, remember 2016 Premier League winners Leicester City now plays in the Championship.
Everton certainly isn’t too big a club to suffer the embarrassment of relegation. And to prove it, we list a few other big names who finished in the bottom three of the EPL to the shock and disgust of their loyal supporters.
Fulham
Based in London, Fulham has a history of fluctuating between the Premier League and the Championship. The club dropped from the EPL in the 2018-2019 season. Despite having brief spells of success in the top flight, including a Europa League final appearance in 2010, the Cottagers lacked the consistency needed to stabilize themselves in the EPL.
Relegation meant financial challenges for the club, as they had to adjust to the lower revenues of the Championship. However, under new ownership and management, Fulham secured promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2019-2020 season. They are currently back in the top tier, and fans hope the board has learned lessons from past mistakes. They must invest in the playing squad and coaching staff to help keep the bottom three places at arm’s length. Fans of the Londoners hope the future is a little brighter.
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion, commonly called West Brom, is another team that has experienced the yo-yo effect between the Premier League and the Championship. They sunk from the Premier League at the end of the 2020-2021 season. But that was nothing unusual as WBA often dominates the Championship but struggles at the highest level.
They may have passionate fans and a rich history, but West Brom struggles to maintain their top-flight status due to inconsistent performances. Relegation was a setback for the club, but they’ve been here before. It rarely pays to write West Brom off, although serious investment is required if they are to secure a regular spot in the EPL.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa is one of the founding members of the Premier League and has a proud history. However, they suffered relegation at the end of the 2015-2016 season. The club had been battling against relegation for several seasons, and their fate was sealed after a brutal campaign. A major blow to Aston Villa, financially and in terms of prestige, but setbacks paved the way for success.
Villa had to rebuild from the Championship, which they successfully did by winning promotion back to the Premier League in the 2018-2019 season. Despite a failed experiment when appointing former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard as manager, Villa is now a force again in the Premier League. They finished a respectable seventh last season and are now playing European soccer. It has been quite the turnaround for Aston Villa, and teams relegated from the EPL to the EFL can take heart from the Villa story.
Newcastle United
Newcastle is a club with a massive and passionate fan base. Despite their strong support, they were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2015-2016 season. The club had experienced a series of managerial changes and ownership issues, which contributed to their struggles. Relegation was devastating for Newcastle, as they were one of the more established clubs in the Premier League, but fans stuck by the team through thick and thin.
The Magpies secured promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt by winning the Championship in the 2016-2017 season. And what happened next shocked all English soccer followers, including the most experienced pundits. Newcastle secured a top-four finish in the 2022/23 season and now competes in the UEFA Champions League. Less than a decade after being in the lower leagues, Newcastle competes on European soccer’s biggest stage. It’s not exactly a fairytale, but it’s not far off.
Norwich City
Based in East Anglia, Norwich City has had several stints in the Premier League but has often struggled to maintain their top-flight status. They were relegated from the top tier at the end of the 2019-2020 season. Relegation presented a challenge for Norwich, but they were determined to return to the Premier League swiftly.
The club’s approach was to develop young talent and build a squad capable of securing promotion from the Championship, which they accomplished at the end of the 2020-2021 season. The Canaries are fast becoming one of England’s yo-yo clubs, and they seem too good for the Championship but miles off the pace needed to protect a place in the Premier League.
Have your say
Which team will be relegated after the 2023/24 Premier League season? You can have your say at the leading sportsbooks that offer odds on teams to fill the bottom three places after 38 games.
You can choose just one side to suffer relegation or shoot for the jackpot and predict which three teams will fill the relegation zone and in which order.
