Following the closure of the transfer window, I’m going to be taking a look at the current odds on offer for teams to be relegated from the Premier League. I will be using Ladbrokes as my bookmakers for this preview as they offer some of the most competitive odds available out there.
Huddersfield Town started the Premier League season as the favourites to go down at odds of 4/6, but a strong start from the Terriers has seen them pick up seven points from their first three games and their odds have now moved out to 7/4. I think this is a huge move considering that the quality of their squad has not really changed since the beginning of the season and once the early hype dies down, I do think they will struggle.
One team who look like a sure bet for relegation are Brighton & Hove Albion; the South Coast club are taking part in their first ever Premier League campaign and they look painfully short of the quality required to compete. The club have failed to score a goal in any of their opening three games, despite playing the majority of the game versus Watford against only 10 men. Brighton are now 10/11 to be relegated and I would be all over them at that price as I think they will finish at the bottom of the table unless they go on a miraculous run of form, something which looks highly unlikely at the moment.
Crystal Palace started the season as 7th favourites to go down, but a poor start has seen them slide to 3rd favourites at odds of 13/8. Frank de Boer has struggled so far as he has tried to crowbar his Ajax tactics on to this Palace team. I think de Boer will find himself out of a job sooner rather than later and once he does, Palace will improve as a team. There’s no doubting the fact that they have a much better team than most of the sides around them and in Christian Benteke they have a proven Premier League goalscorer.
I think one side who could find themselves right in the mix for relegation are Newcastle United. The Magpies had a horrible transfer window and they look short of the required quality to compete in the Premier League. If Rafael Benitez walks away from the club, then I think their odds will come right down as the Spaniard is about the only good thing they have going for them at the moment. Mike Ashley promised Benitez that he would have funds to improve his squad this summer, but that simply has not been the case. Newcastle look short of goals in attack and the £5m signing of Stoke City reserve team player, Joselu, has done nothing to change that thinking.
Sean Dyche’s Burnley side picked up an unlikely victory in their first game of the season away at the Premier League champions, and they have looked solid in all of their games so far. The odds of 6/4 are very short and they definitely will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, but what we do know is that any side managed by Sean Dyche will battle to the end to try and stay safe.
As you can see, all of last season’s promoted sides will struggle this season due to a real lack of Premier League quality. Newcastle United have the best chance of staying up, but only if they can convince manager Rafael Benitez to stay, something which they may struggle to do following this transfer window. If I had to pick which three teams I think will be relegated right now, I would go with Brighton, Huddersfield and Burnley.