The Premier League season is underway and we’re set for one of the most exciting relegation battles ever.
Last season, for the first time since 1998, all three promoted teams dropped straight back down to the Championship, but how will the new sides fair this time?
Despite avoiding a points deduction for PSR issues, Leicester City are the most likely candidates to go down, with Ipswich Town and Southampton expected to struggle as well.
Wolves surprised many with a 10th placed finish last season, but just one point from the first four could put them in the mix alongside troubled Everton, who have made a pretty dire start.
You can find all the Premier League odds on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app, otherwise here’s a rundown of the teams that are expected to be in the fight.
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Southampton
It’s no surprise that the play-off winners are among the favourites to go down. Russell Martin has never coached in the top flight before so it will be a big test of his coaching credentials.
The Saints have some Premier League experience in their squad, but it will be a tough ask to finish above some of the better-quality sides around them.
They’ve failed to pick up any points in their first four Premier League games, scoring just one goal against Brentford. A defeat against Nottingham Forest is also troubling given the East Midlands side could also be battling the drop.
Leicester City
Not only did they lose their manager from last season’s Championship-winning campaign, but Leicester also saw key midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall follow Enzo Maresca to Chelsea.
The Foxes showed plenty of fight in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham on the opening weekend and picked up a well-earned point against Crystal Palace recently.
However, two points from the opening four games isn’t great so it’s not a surprise they are one of the favourites to go down.
Ipswich Town
Ipswich were the surprise package in the second tier last season to earn back-to-back promotions under highly-rated manager Kieran McKenna.
The Northern Irishman has coaching experience in the Premier League with Manchester United, but similarly to Luton last season, it will be tough for them to adapt to this level.
They lost in their opening game to Liverpool but put on a good performance before taking the lead at Manchester City but ultimately conceding four times to the champions.
They then bagged their first two points courtesy of a 1-1 home draw with Fulham and a 0-0 result away to Brighton.
Everton
The Toffees remain in turmoil. It’s the final Premier League campaign at the iconic Goodison Park as they prepare to move into their new stadium next year.
Fans will be hoping they’re still a top-flight side by then, but the early signs are not great after four defeats from four.
Everton were thumped 3-0 by Brighton and 4-0 by Tottenham in their opening two games before throwing away a two-goal lead in the last 10 minutes to lose 3-2 to Bournemouth.
They lost to Aston Villa in their most recent match despite going 2-0 up again and will need to produce much better performances if they are to survive.
Wolves
Wolves were one of the most surprising sides in the Premier League last season, finishing 10th under boss Gary O’Neil despite being tipped to struggle.
While they weren’t expected to be in trouble this time around, their season has started poorly with just one point registered in the first four games.
A heavy defeat to Chelsea and losses to Newcastle and Arsenal were perhaps expected though, so they have time to turn things around.
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