The Favourites for Premier League Relegation

With the 2024-25 Premier League season just around the corner, the anticipation and excitement are palpable. Yet, for some clubs, this season heralds a daunting challenge - the fight to avoid relegation.

A crowded Premier League pitch

From newly promoted teams bracing for the top-flight test to established clubs aiming to rebound from previous disappointments, we highlight the favourites for relegation and the hurdles they must overcome to secure their Premier League survival.

Leicester City

Crowned champions of England in 2015-16 and FA Cup winners in 2021, Leicester City had built a reputation for being more than just a mainstay in the top flight. That’s why it came as such a shock when the Foxes were relegated from the Premier League two years ago, finishing 18th in a disappointing campaign.

Leicester have bounced back to the promised land at the first attempt, but their stay in the Premier League might not last long as they are the favourites in the relegation odds. The Midlands outfit are set to start the season with a hefty points deduction, which will leave them with an uphill battle, while Enzo Maresca and Kieran Dewsbury-Hall have both left for Chelsea.

Leicester City’s King Power Stadium

Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town fans must be in dreamland, as their club achieved back-to-back promotions to climb from League 1 to the Premier League in just two seasons. The 2024-25 campaign will be the first time the Tractor Boys have featured in the top flight in 22 years, but staying up will be no easy feat for the Suffolk side.

Ipswich will likely not have the squad depth or finances to improve their squad enough to compete against England’s elite. However, the fact that their highly-rated manager, Kieran McKenna, committed his future to Portman Road despite interest from Chelsea and Manchester United is a massive boost.

Portman Road Stadium

Southampton

All three newly promoted sides - Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United - went straight back down again last year, and lightning could strike twice, as Southampton join Leicester and Ipswich as favourites for the drop in the Premier League outright odds.

The Saints were stalwart in the top flight for over a decade after earning promotion back to the Premier League in 2012, but after successive 15th-place finishes, they capitulated and ultimately finished rock bottom in 2022-23.

Russell Martin steadied the ship after three different managers took to the dugout in their final Premier League season, winning the Championship play-offs with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United at Wembley. However, this will be Martin’s first taste of Premier League football as a coach, and it will be interesting to see how he fares in unfamiliar waters.

St Mary’s Stadium

Everton

While Everton are still one of the select few sides to never be relegated from the Premier League, it’s fair to say that the Toffees have clung on by the skin of their teeth in recent seasons. Saved by just a matter of points in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, Sean Dyche’s side deserve credit for successfully navigating a difficult season that included points deductions to finish in 15th.

That may be just three places above the relegation zone, but Everton were comfortable 14 points clear of Luton Town and would have finished much higher had it not been for their rule breaches. If the Toffees can emulate the season they just had, they should avoid relegation comfortably and start the 2025-26 Premier League campaign in their new stadium.

Goodison Park

The relegation battle is always intense, and this season will be no different. These four teams will need all their guile and determination to avoid the dreaded drop. Will they be able to overcome the odds and secure their Premier League survival, or will they succumb to the pressure of top-flight football?

Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure - the 2024-25 Premier League season promises to be an enthralling ride.

About the author

A journalist with a passion for Premier League football, I have been following the beautiful game for over two decades. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for storytelling, I bring you the latest news and insights from the world of English football.