Hull, Coventry and Ipswich have already collected 24 points between them after six games, so the conversation is starting to shift from pre-season predictions about whether all three newly-promoted clubs will be relegated to which established Premier League names could be in the scrap for survival.
The Premier League's newly-promoted sides have often struggled to bridge the gap, with all three newcomers relegated in both 2023/24 and 2024/25 before Leeds and Sunderland helped buck that trend last season. The lesson teams are learning is that survival is possible when a promoted team gets its recruitment, organisation and mentality right.
Hull and Ipswich already have nine points, while Coventry, following their 4-1 hammering of Newcastle, are on six. No newly-promoted Premier League club since 1995/96 with at least 10 points after six games has subsequently been relegated, and the last nine newly-promoted teams to earn nine or more points from their first six matches have all survived, which bodes well for Hull and Ipswich.
Coventry's victory over Newcastle was particularly significant. Frank Lampard's side started the campaign with four defeats and no goals, but two consecutive wins have transformed the mood around the club. Ipswich, meanwhile, have shown the resilience that can make the difference over a 38-game season, snatching a late win against Fulham.
Fulham, Tottenham and Bournemouth fill the bottom three spots and are winless after six games, while Manchester City are considered third favourites for relegation, with a possible points deduction following an independent commission finding them in breach of the Premier League's financial rules. City have denied wrongdoing and lodged an appeal. With Hull, Coventry and Ipswich refusing to follow the script, the relegation equation has certainly changed.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing