Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland All Predicted to be Relegated

There were wild scenes of celebration at Wembley a weeks ago as Sunderland claimed a dramatic play-off final victory against Sheffield United. The Black Cats are now gearing up for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign along with fellow new boys Leeds United and Burnley. However, the latest betting odds suggest that the trio will be back in the Championship this time next year.

Sunderland 80% Likely to be Relegated Next Season

Sometimes you wonder why fans celebrate a promotion from the Championship. After all, they’ve gone from a division where they win the majority of matches to a league where they’re likely to see their team lose most of the time. The actual relegation odds for Sunderland are as short as they come. The bookies have them at 1/4 for the drop and that implies an 80% chance of going back down again.

Regis Le Bris has made the signing of Enzo Le Fee a permanent one and has also captured Habib Diarra from Strasbourg. However, Tom Watson has moved on to Brighton already and the departure of Jobe Bellingham to Dortmund is also a big loss. At this point in time, it’s hard to see the team finishing above one other side, let alone three.

Can Burnley’s Strong Defence Help Them Land Survival?

Scott Parker’s Burnley side were incredible from a defensive point-of-view last season. They conceded just sixteen goals in the space of forty-six games, something that led to the Clarets losing just two of their Championship matches. They also managed to rack up a massive 100 points, with the Lancashire outfit winning twenty-eight of their games to seal promotion in style.

There has been brisk transfer business at Turf Moor this summer. All of the signings have arrived for a modest fee, including Marcus Edwards from Sporting. He joins Jaidon Anthony, Bashir Humphreys, Zian Flemming, Max Weiss, Quilindschy Hartman and Axel Tuanzebe.

James Trafford was not just the best goalkeeper in the Championship last season, the England Under-21 stopper was arguably the best player in the division. His stopping ability was unmatched and he’s a firm reason why Burnley might be able to continue keeping clean sheets at a rate of knots.

However, we are talking about the Premier League here. There were sixty-nine goals scored by Parker’s men last term and that number should drop significantly when meeting against superior opposition. They are regarded as having a slightly stronger chance of success than Sunderland but the odds suggest a 70% likelihood of the drop.

Can Leeds Centurions March On Together?

Leeds were arguably the best team that the Championship has ever seen last season. The Yorkshire side racked up 100 points under Daniel Farke, with the side scoring 95 goals in the process. Joel Piroe led the way with nineteen goals, with Ethan Ampadu having bossed the midfield and Dan James offering a threat from out wide.

The bookies think they have a decent chance of staying up. There have been some new captures in the form of Lukas Nmecha, Jaka Bijol and Sebastiaan Bornauw arriving at Elland Road. However, they’ll need more reinforcements to stay afloat.

If the Promoted Three Don’t Drop, Who Will?

In the past two seasons, the promoted sides have all gone down. It means that the seventeen remaining sides are now established in the top flight. We can rule out several sides from the prospect of the drop. Liverpool, City, Arsenal, Newcastle and Chelsea will be nowhere near danger.

In reality, there are probably six other teams vulnerable to dropping. That includes Brentford who have to cope with the departure of Thomas Frank to Tottenham. There is also Wolves who were rejuvenated under Vitor Pereira although they have one of the lowest wage budgets in the division.

West Ham and Fulham might also struggle next term, although the latter haven’t been near the drop zone in recent seasons. Crystal Palace and Everton could also be vulnerable.