Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 3-1 defeat at home to Leeds United on Saturday extended their losing streak to five games at the commencement of their Premier League campaign.
A new three-year agreement had been presented to Vitor Pereira the day before the match; however, considering the departure of essential players, questionable player acquisitions, and a dismal series of results, a battle against relegation seems practically guaranteed.
This places Wolves in a tie for fourth place when it comes to the worst beginnings in Prem history. But which teams have experienced equally or more challenging starts to a Premier League season, marked by a string of losses? And did those teams manage to avoid relegation?
=4. Sunderland, 2005/06: five defeats
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This marks the initial instance of two squads Pereira’s team has matched, experiencing five successive defeats at the onset of a season following 1992. Notably, both of these squads were under the guidance of future Wolves managers.
Mick McCarthy steered Sunderland to a stylish Championship title in 2005. However, their transition to the Premier League proved considerably more difficult, as they conceded nine goals and managed to score only two, resulting in zero points from their initial five matches. This, in conjunction with their 15 losses at the conclusion of the 2002/03 season, amounted to a top-flight record of 20 successive defeats.
The losing run ended with a 1-1 draw against West Brom, followed by an eagerly awaited victory over rivals Middlesbrough. Nevertheless, these four points represented almost a third of their then-record low of 15 points as they ended up in last position.
=4. Southampton, 1998/99: five defeats
Similar to McCarthy a few years later, Dave Jones guided Wolves to promotion to the Premier League in 2002/03, putting an end to a 19-year absence from the top division.
Before that, he took charge of Southampton and orchestrated a “Great Escape” that rivals any other. Saints were defeated in their first five matches, scoring two goals like Sunderland but conceding 16, and didn’t secure a victory until their 10th match.
Despite not winning a match until late-October, Southampton surpassed the essential 40-point threshold by winning their last three games, ultimately securing 17th place ahead of Blackburn Rovers.
Saints stand out as the sole club on this list that didn’t dismiss their manager during the season; however, Wolves might join them considering recent developments.
3. Norwich City, 2021/22: six defeats
Norwich City moved rapidly to dismiss Daniel Farke following a disastrous start to the 2021/22 season, which followed another promotion for what many consider one of the quintessential yo-yo clubs.
Much like Southampton in 1998/99, they conceded 16 goals and scored just two in their initial five matches, failing to secure a win in their first 10, which included a 7-0 defeat against Chelsea.
Farke was dismissed rather unfairly after securing their first victory. Dean Smith took over for the remaining part of a campaign that unsurprisingly ended with a 20th-place finish and a mere 22 points, a significant 16 points away from safety. Despite possessing one of the top 100 most expensively constructed squads in the sport, they have not made a comeback since.
=1. Portsmouth, 2009-10: 7 defeats
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