Every summer, before a ball has even been kicked, the same question starts doing the rounds in pubs and group chats up and down the country: who’s going down this season? Predicting the Premier League table predictions from top to bottom is always a mug’s game, but the relegation battle 2026 conversation is already well underway, and this year it’s shaping up to follow a familiar pattern. With the new campaign fast approaching, here’s a breakdown of who’s most at risk, based on early form, squad depth, and how bookmakers are already pricing the drop.
Why the Promoted Clubs Always Start as Favourites
If you’ve followed the Premier League for any length of time, you’ll know the story by heart. Newly promoted clubs almost always dominate the bottom three predictions before a single match has been played, and this season is no exception. Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Hull City have all secured their return to the top flight via the EFL Championship promotion route, and all three currently sit at the top of the relegation betting.
It’s a brutal trend. In the past couple of seasons, promoted sides have found it increasingly difficult to bridge the gap to established Premier League clubs, with the financial gulf between the divisions growing wider every year. That said, it isn’t always doom and gloom for the new boys — last season’s promoted trio of Sunderland and Leeds United defied the odds entirely, finishing seventh and fourteenth respectively, proof that survival is far from mission impossible with the right recruitment and management.
Hull City: The Early Favourites for the Drop
Hull City go into the season as the bookmakers’ clear favourites to make an immediate return to the Championship. Their route back to the Premier League came via a dramatic play-off final win over Middlesbrough, but the summer that followed hasn’t been straightforward. The club has had to sell several key players to stay on the right side of Profit and Sustainability Rules, which has left manager Sergej Jakirović working with a squad that’s already thinner than most would like heading into a top-flight campaign. Hull’s promotion story was built on experience and resilience rather than standout individual quality, and replicating that against Premier League opposition is a considerably taller order.
Coventry City: Big Ambitions, Bigger Test
Frank Lampard’s Coventry City stormed to the Championship title and return to the top flight for the first time in 25 years, and there’s genuine excitement around the club. But that title-winning form doesn’t automatically translate to Premier League survival, and Coventry are currently second favourites in the relegation market. One concern heading into the season is between the posts, with last season’s first-choice goalkeeper having returned to his parent club, leaving a gap that needs addressing before a ball is kicked. Lampard will need shrewd business in the transfer market if Coventry are to avoid becoming the latest Championship champions to struggle at the higher level.
Ipswich Town: Bouncing Back, But Under New Management
Ipswich Town’s story is slightly different from their fellow promoted sides, having secured an immediate return to the Premier League after being relegated the previous season. That kind of yo-yo pattern can go either way — some clubs use the Championship season to reset and come back stronger, but Ipswich enter this campaign with a new manager in place following their previous boss’s departure, adding an extra layer of uncertainty. A talented but top-flight-inexperienced squad, combined with a fresh managerial setup, puts Ipswich firmly in the conversation among the bottom three predictions for another tough season.
Can Any of the Promoted Trio Beat the Odds?
History says it’s unlikely all three promoted clubs will survive, but it happens more often than people assume. Smart recruitment in the final weeks of the transfer window, an early confidence-boosting result or two, and a settled defensive unit can be the difference between survival and an immediate return to the Championship. Fans of all three clubs will be hoping their side becomes this season’s version of Sunderland or Leeds rather than a cautionary tale.
Established Clubs to Watch
While the promoted trio understandably dominate early relegation predictions, it’s worth remembering that established Premier League sides aren’t immune either. Several clubs narrowly avoided the drop last season and will be desperate not to find themselves in the same position again. A slow start, a managerial change mid-season, or a run of injuries to key players can quickly drag a mid-table club into a relegation battle that looked unthinkable back in August. It’s a reminder that while the bookmakers’ early favourites are a useful guide, the Premier League has a habit of throwing up surprises by the time May rolls around.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the favourites for Premier League relegation in 2026/27?
The three newly promoted clubs — Hull City, Coventry City, and Ipswich Town — are currently the bookmakers’ favourites to be relegated, with Hull priced as the most likely to go straight back down.
Do promoted teams always get relegated?
Not always, though it’s a common outcome. Last season, both promoted clubs that avoided an immediate return to the Championship finished comfortably clear of the drop zone, proving survival is possible with the right approach.
How many teams get relegated from the Premier League each season?
Three clubs finish bottom of the 20-team Premier League table and are relegated to the EFL Championship, while three clubs are promoted the other way to replace them.
Can established Premier League clubs get relegated too?
Yes. While newly promoted sides are usually favourites for the drop, established clubs have been relegated in past seasons after poor form, managerial upheaval, or a squad that simply underperformed expectations.
Final Thoughts
Relegation predictions this early in the season always come with a health warning — plenty can change once fixtures start coming thick and fast. But based on current form, squad depth, and how the betting markets are shaping up, the newly promoted trio of Hull, Coventry, and Ipswich look set to be at the centre of the relegation battle once again. Whether one of them can break the recent trend and beat the drop, in the mould of last season’s survivors, will be one of the more compelling subplots of the 2026/27 campaign.