The 2024/25 Premier League season has produced an extraordinary yet sobering narrative: for the second consecutive year, all three newly promoted sides have suffered immediate relegation—a rare occurrence in the history of English top-flight football.

Relegation: A Brutal Return to Reality

Southampton, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town all earned promotion with high hopes last season, but their Premier League campaigns quickly unraveled. With Ipswich’s recent defeat to Newcastle United, their demotion was mathematically confirmed, capping off a season where all three promoted teams failed to find their footing. This marks only the second time since the Premier League’s inception that a full trio of promoted clubs have gone straight back down. The first instance occurred in 1997/98.

Even more staggering is the fact that such an event didn’t happen at all between the introduction of automatic relegation in 1898 and the 1997/98 season. It remains an anomaly in a league where newly promoted sides are often expected to struggle, but rarely all succumb together.

Last season’s trio—Luton Town, Sheffield United, and Burnley—set an unfortunate precedent. Their collective total of just 66 points was the lowest ever amassed by a group of relegated teams. However, the 2024/25 group is set to underperform even further. Based on current points-per-game projections, Southampton, Leicester, and Ipswich are on track to finish with just 56 points combined—a new historic low.

Southampton’s fate was sealed earlier than any team in Premier League history, relegated with the most games left to play on record. Leicester and Ipswich didn’t fare much better, both having their demotion confirmed with four matchdays remaining. This is the first time in Premier League history that all three relegation slots were locked in with such a large portion of the season still to go.

The statistics reflect just how far off the pace these sides have been. Sheffield United conceded a record 104 goals last season, but this year’s relegated trio has collectively underwhelmed on every front—attack, defense, and consistency.

Promotion: Leeds and Burnley Reclaim Premier League Status

While three clubs prepare for life back in the Championship, two familiar faces are heading the other way. Leeds United and Burnley have secured automatic promotion to the Premier League for the 2025/26 season.

Leeds thrashed Stoke City 6-0 in a commanding performance that set the tone for their return. Dutch striker Joel Piroe was the star of the show, netting four goals in the first half alone. His prolific form puts him at the top of the Championship scoring charts, edging Norwich’s Borja Sainz by two goals.That result meant Leeds needed Burnley to take points off Sheffield United to confirm their promotion, and the Clarets delivered with a 2-1 win thanks to a brace from Josh Brownhill.

The victory not only confirmed Burnley’s immediate return to the top flight but also marked yet another successful promotion campaign for head coach Scott Parker, who previously led Fulham and Bournemouth to the Premier League.

For Leeds, this promotion also represents a personal triumph for manager Daniel Farke. The German tactician has now achieved three Premier League promotions in his career, adding this success to his previous stints with Norwich City in 2018/19 and 2020/21.

The Playoffs: One Spot Left Up for Grabs

With Leeds and Burnley already through, attention now turns to the Championship playoffs, which will determine the final team to join the Premier League next season. The semi-finals kick off on 8 May, with the final scheduled for 24 May at Wembley Stadium. Four teams are still in the mix, and one will earn the golden ticket to the Premier League, hoping to avoid the fate that befell this year’s relegated trio.