The six teams to be promoted from the Championship in 2022/23 and 2023/24 have been immediately relegated and they averaged just 21 points, with the 18th placed team coming up double digits points short each season. Which poses the question, is the gap between the two leagues getting bigger ? We could get the answer this season as Leeds United and Burnley the two automatically promoted sides both picked up 100 points and that has never happened before, four other teams have collected 100+ points in the Championship era and three of those survived and did well, Reading finishing 8th, Newcastle 12th, Leicester City 14th and a season later were EPL champions! However, the most recent were actually Burnley and they were relegated with 5 wins and 24 points in 2023/24.

 

Having said that, the Clarets and Leeds both have recent experience of the EPL and come up as "elite" and, playoff winners Sunderland are, by any definition, a "big club" with average crowds of well over 39,000 in the second tier and over 33,000 in League 1 in 2021/22. Leeds are equally "big" and even more widely known on the world stage and now owned by 49ers Enterprises, who also own the San Francisco 49ers.Therefore, we should get a good idea if the gap has increased and if all three again struggle, should ask if it is even becoming insurmountable.

 

The first problem teams have coming up to the EPL is just getting used to losing games, most have been promoted losing a handful or double handful of games (from 46) at most and to then try and get heads around perhaps viewing losing 20+ (from 38) as success, is not easy. In Aston Villa's first season back in the top flight they lost 21 games and look where they are now! Also, you just have to get that first win ASAP and hopefully in the opening 2-3 games . The last seven teams to survive all did so and all bar one , won one of their first two games. Brentford beat Arsenal 2-0 in their first ever EPL game in 2021 and have not spent a single day in the bottom three subsequently. You need that early confidence boost and if it doesn't come, trying to play catch up against the best clubs in Europe, when you are not sure you even belong, is a recipe for disaster.

 

The fixture list comes out on Wednesday this week, which is always a great day for promoted clubs and supporters, but as soon as the euphoria has died down United, Burnley and Sunderland should be targetting a very early win and be all guns blazing to go and get it!

 

Good luck!