The worst teams in Premier League history

As we move into the final nine matchdays of the English Premier League season, Norwich City looks likely to be relegated. Currently six points and twelve goals away from safety, Norwich still has hope of escaping, but it will need a lot of help.

Some teams in EPL history, though, were eliminated from hope at this point in the season, dreaming of getting of the 21 points the Canaries possess.

It’s time to look at the five worst teams in the Premier League era.

5. Sunderland 2002-2003 (4W-7D-27L)

The team secured safety the year before by a mere four points, after it finished seventh in the league the two seasons prior.

Things started off decently for the Black Cats. They took a win and two draws in their first four matches, before a trio of shutout losses in a row. Manager Peter Reid was sacked in October, after their fifth loss in six matches, and while they had a short spell of success, the turn of the calendar saw that vanish.

New manager Howard Wilkinson — who appointed himself as part of a recruitment process — lasted less than four months, and replacement Mick McCarthy helped oversee a crash landing into the Championship.

Sunderland scored only 21 goals on the season a d was outscored 20-2 over its last 10 matches. It also lost the last 15 matches of the season, a Premier League record for most consecutive losses.

4. Aston Villa 2015-2016 (3W, 8D, 27L)

The Villans flirted with relegation the three years prior, so their relegation shocked few, but how badly they fell apart was a bit of a surprise. Captain Fabian Delph left the club in mid-July, as Manchester City activated his release clause, and Villa lost Christian Benteke five days later, when Liverpool triggering his release clause. The two departures crippled the club, and it was unable to recover.

Tim Sherwood was removed as manager in late October, after his sixth consecutive defeat. Villa lost eight of its first 10 matches, with only one victory. Remi Garde took over, but there was little he could do. The club went 19 matches without a win, between opening day and January 12, and had an 11-match losing streak over the final months, during which Villa was outscored 32-7.

3. Huddersfield Town 2018-2019 (3W, 7D, 28L)

Huddersfield finished 20 points below the drop zone, but it was obvious by midseason its fate was sealed. The Terriers escaped relegation the season before, their first season in the Premier League, but did not win any of their first 10 matches in the second season and earned only three draws in the process.

They conceded nine goals in the first two matches, and conceded three or more goals in 12 matches. They scored only 10 goals at home, a Premier League record low.

Huddersfield fired manager David Wagner in January. Wagner had led them out of the Championship, but it did not matter. The Terriers won only one time after the change, with three draws, as they had zero answers at either end of the pitch.

The team was in last place for 23 of the 38 weeks of the season, and it is unlikely to return to the Premier League anytime soon. The club sits just three points away from being relegated again, this time to League One.

2. Sunderland 2005-2006 (3W, 6D, 29L)

Sunderland returned to the Premier League two years after the season we discussed earlier. It then extended the EPL record for consecutive defeats with losses in the first five matches of the season. Mick McCarthy was still in charge, but by Valentine’s Day he was gone.

Sunderland was out of the relegation zone just one week of the entire season and was in last place for 33 of the season's 38 weeks. The club returned to the Premier League after one season in the Championship, and remained for the next 10 seasons, but suffered relegation in consecutive years and now plays in League One.

1. Derby County 2007-2008 (1W, 8D, 29L)

Some of our lists have a bit of room for debate. This one does not. Derby set numerous records, including fewest wins (one), fewest points (11), the longest winless streak (32 matches), and the earliest relegation in the Premier League era. The Rams also had a stretch of seven matches, from October into December, where they failed to score a goal, and scored in only four of their first 15 matches.

Derby added 19 new players over two transfer windows, but nothing it did seemed to make a difference.

The Rams made a managerial change in late November, but they took only five points from their final 19 matches. Perhaps if they could have faced Newcastle more than twice, things might have been different, as the Magpies suffered the embarrassment of being the only side to not defeat Derby County that year.

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