We’ve priced all three of last season’s relegated Premier League sides, Leicester City, Southampton and Leeds United, at 7/4 to win promotion in 2023/24.
Now there’s no doubt that relegated clubs from the Premier League are typically far better equipped to sustain a promotion push the following season.
Boasting bigger budgets, often higher quality squads and benefitting from parachute payments, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s a relatively common affair for clubs to make an immediate return to the big time.
But, as history has proven, that’s not always been the case.
Since the re-structure of the English football pyramid, and formation of the Premier League, back in 1992, there has yet to be a season whereby all three sides to have slipped through the top-flight trap door have bounced straight back up.
In fact, in 12 of the 30 full seasons since the reformation, none of the relegated sides have subsequently won promotion.
But, at least one club has made an instant return in each of the four past campaigns, and we are 7/4 that current table-toppers Leicester City, together with in-form Southampton and Leeds break new ground this time around.
The Foxes were heavily backed to ensure their stay in the Championship was a brief one during the summer, but bigger questions were asked as to whether Southampton or Leeds could reacclimatise themselves quickly enough to challenge for a top two or top six spot in 2023/24.
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But following slow starts, the two sides are now odds-on to be joining the runaway leaders back in the top-flight next season.
Leicester’s promotion, you’d think, is all but rubber-stamped given their 12 point cushion over third place, and with Southampton and Leeds now really starting to flex their muscle, it’s difficult to look beyond them when discussing which other two sides will be celebrating promotion come May.
It’s intriguing as to who will secure the second automatic promotion spot, with just four points separating Southampton, Leeds and Ipswich Town.
The Tractor Boys, who won promotion from League One last season, had their backers last summer, and were odds-on themselves to be celebrating a second successive promotion prior to their form just starting to tail-off in recent weeks.
As a consequence they have drifted to 15/8 for promotion, with Southampton available at 4/11 and Leeds a slightly longer 2/5.
bet365’s Steve Freeth said: “For so long it looked like Ipswich were going to spoil the party but now the three relegated teams look in pole position to make an instant return.
“Leicester are all but home and dried, Southampton just can’t be beaten, although Huddersfield did give them a scare at the weekend, and Leeds have won six on the spin!
“It’s going to take something special to stop the three of them winning promotion.”
In total, 25 teams have won promotion after suffering relegation from the Premier League the season prior, an average of less than one club per season.
Relegated sides to have won promotion from the Championship - season-by-season:
Season: | Promoted sides: |
1993/94 | Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest |
1994/95 | N/A |
1995/96 | Leicester City |
1996/97 | Bolton Wanderers |
1997/98 | Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest |
1998/99 | N/A |
1999/00 | Charlton Athletic |
2000/01 | N/A |
2001/02 | Manchester City |
2002/03 | Leicester City |
2003/04 | West Bromwich Albion |
2004/05 | N/A |
2005/06 | N/A |
2006/07 | Sunderland, Birmingham City |
2007/08 | N/A |
2008/09 | Birmingham City |
2009/10 | Newcastle United |
2010/11 | N/A |
2011/12 | West Ham United |
2012/13 | N/A |
2013/14 | Queens Park Rangers |
2014/15 | Norwich City |
2015/16 | Burnley, Hull City |
2016/17 | Newcastle United |
2017/18 | N/A |
2018/19 | N/A |
2019/20 | Fulham |
2020/21 | Norwich City, Watford |
2021/22 | Fulham |
2022/23 | Burnley |