How good is the three clubs that were promoted compared to previous years?

The last two seasons have highlighted how difficult it is for a team that was promoted to survive in the Premier League.

After Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United were deployed in 2023/24, after just appearing, Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton were all down 12 months later.

However, this season feels different, like Sunderland, Leeds United, and, at a rather lower level, Burnley has begun well.

But how did their performance measure against the team that was promoted from previous years?

Overall note

Sunderland, Leeds and Burnley have 23 combined points in Gameweks 1-7.

In the same stage in 2024/25, Leicester, IPSWich and Southampton only took 11 points from their seven opening matches.

Two of the three, Ipswich and Southampton, haven’t won.

The previous season, the team that was promoted was worse, because Luton, Burnley and Sheff Utd could only collect nine points.

So, while the size of the sample is small, the initial signs are good.

Side points promoted after seven matches

*Premier League Since 2016/17 only

In fact, since the 2016/17 season, the promoted teams have reached a better start only once, when Newcastle United, Huddersfield Town and Brighton and Hove Albion collectively get 26 points in their first seven matches.

In particular, the three teams managed to avoid the decline in the season.

Best starts with the promoted side since 2016/17

Since 2016/17, only two teams have been promoted – Brentford (2021/22) and Wolverhampton Wanderers (2018/19) – have made a better start for the Premier League season than Sunderland.

In addition, every team that has been promoted who has started the season with as many points has managed to survive.

At this point, it is important to note that Regis Le Bris’s side has the second start according to our equipment.

Nevertheless, the initial results promised:

Graphics from whoscored

Defensive solidity offers hope

2025/26 after seven matches

2024/25 after seven matches

2023/24 after seven matches

One of the common weaknesses among the newly promoted teams in the last season is the lack of defensive solidity.

However, this season, Sunderland and Leeds look much stronger, which gives them a platform to secure important points.

Together, they only conceded 17 goals in 14 matches, and given that five of them were defeated by Leeds to Arsenal at Gameweek 2, it showed that they had the capacity to avoid degradation.

Indeed, Regis Le Bris and Daniel Farke both stressed the importance of clean sheets in the last few weeks.

“We cannot expect anything if we don’t survive well. So, it is clear that we come here we have to survive very well, mid-block, low block and even a little higher in the first round, we do it well, imperfect but enough to keep the sheet clean.” – Regis Bris

“We are a newly promoted person [side] And clearly normal that we will not take the league with a storm. The first step is to be a solid rock behind and hard to beat, and that’s us. ” – Daniel Farke

Conversely, Burnley is far more open, ranked 20th for the expected goal (XGC) and sent 15 actual goals, a trend that reminded the struggle seen in the last two campaigns.

However, it is important to remember that Clarets have found a very difficult schedule (tot/sun/mun/liv/nfo/mci/AVL), which, in reality, is the second hardest of any team according to our equipment.

Returning to Sunderland, which occupies the peak of Ticker in Gameweeks 1-6, they have more difficult challenges in front. The December schedule, for example, including away matches against Liverpool and Manchester City, was followed by a derby match against Newcastle United.

This situation is more complicated by the upcoming African Cup (Afcon), where Le Bris can without seven first team players.

Even so, Sunderland’s appearance at the beginning of the season certainly shows that they can break the trend to immediately retreat.

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