The Premier League is one of the best football leagues in the world, with guaranteed thrills and spills every weekend from the world’s best players.
The Covid-19 outbreak has meant we’ve been denied our fix of top-flight action, which has led us to look at the very best, and worst, the division has had to offer in recent years. We’ve looked at the very best sides the division has produced, but now it’s time to review the four worst teams ever to grace the Premier League.
Aston Villa (2015/16)
After Tim Sherwood led Villa to a great escape in the previous campaign, hopes were high for the exciting young manager to show his true potential in 2015/16. Despite an opening day win, Villa collapsed, and Sherwood was replaced by Remi Garde as early as November.
In a side brimming with quality, they struggled to impose themselves in games and stuttered to relegation and a three-season absence from the top flight. Losing Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke in the summer didn’t help, but the attitude of some players angered fans towards the end. The BBC reported that Joleon Lescott infuriated supporters after tweeting a picture of an expensive car after a thrashing by Liverpool, exasperating their woeful season.
Huddersfield (2018/19)
Huddersfield surprised everyone in earning promotion to the Premier League in 2018 under the former Borussia Dortmund Under 23 manager David Wagner. They played lovely, free-flowing football to get there, but once they found their way into the elite, they were taught a firm lesson.
Wagner ended up being dismissed, and replaced by Jan Siewert who failed to stop the rot. In total, they amassed just 16 points, six of which came from two games against Wolves. They limped out of the division 20 points adrift of safety and have struggled back in the Championship since.
Sunderland (2005/06)
When dealing with single seasons, the Black Cats campaign in 2005/06 was a disaster, but overall Sunderland have an unwanted record. Of the worst ten seasons ever by clubs in the Premier League, they take up three spots. In 2002/03 they got just 19 points, whilst they were also relegated in 2016/17, despite the presence of big-money signings such as Jack Rodwell. Despite being a big-money signing, Bwin notes how Rodwell has spent 52.6% of his Premier League career sat on the bench. Even £70,000 per week for five years couldn’t help him inspire them to a swift return the following season. In fact, they were relegated again to the third tier and had to cut Rodwell loose to survive.
Their 2005/06 season was by far the worst though. Mick McCarthy was the man at the helm and despite bringing in the likes of Jon Stead, Kelvin Davis and Anthony Le Tallec, they finished 15 points adrift of West Brom in 19th.
Derby (2007/08)
Derby’s failed attempt at survival in 2007/08 is the stuff of legends. A solitary victory against Newcastle was their only maximum haul all season and came sandwiched between a 5-0 hammering and a 6-0 thrashing.
Manager Billy Davies had taken over in 2006 promising to earn them promotion to the top flight in three seasons and managed it in one, but the speed of their ascent was also their downfall. 19 new faces arrived during the two transfer windows, one of the few cases where a manager has amassed more new signings than he has points during a season.
