With the new Premier League campaign just around the corner, anticipation is building at both ends of the table. While Manchester City are favourites amongst the Premier League betting to win the title for a fifth consecutive season, there is uncertainty around the relegation spots, with three new teams arriving from the Championship with aspirations of beating the drop.
Last season, all three newly promoted sides fell victim to relegation at first time of asking, with Sheffield United, Burnley, and Luton Town unable to cope with the demands and ruthless nature of the English top flight.
The opening day brings fresh optimism for those sides returning to the Premier League, and while there are plenty of challenges to navigate throughout a gruelling nine-month campaign, the new boys will be hoping to establish themselves as mainstays for years to come.
In this article, we assess the three new teams in the Premier League for the 2024/25 season and their chances of surviving relegation.
Leicester City
We begin with Championship winners Leicester City, who despite returning to the Premier League with 97 points in the second tier, are the favourites for relegation this season.
The Foxes, who lost manager Enzo Maresca to Chelsea, have appointed former Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper to oversee what could be a challenging season in the East Midlands due to a potential points deduction.
Leicester are at risk of beginning the campaign with a negative points tally as they await their penalty for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules. It’s a state of affairs that leaves the club with an uphill battle before a ball is even kicked at the King Power Stadium – hosting Tottenham Hotspur on the opening week of the season.
Only time will tell if the 2015/16 Premier League champions can once again overcome the odds, with Cooper’s defiance crucial to Leicester’s survival, although we think they could be heading back to the Championship.
Ipswich Town
A potential dark horse for this season is Ipswich Town, who could surprise a few after consecutive promotions sees the Tractor Boys return to the top flight for the first time since 2002.
The key to Ipswich’s survival will be determining whether they can implement their possession-based style under Kieran McKenna against a higher standard of opposition in the Premier League.
McKenna ensured a second-place finish last term, but it will be interesting to see if Ipswich can maintain that philosophy, especially if they have to deal with regularly losing games. The squad lacks experience and many fear that they will fall victim to what Burnley experienced last term – where the Clarets’ style was quickly nullified and lacked the cutting edge to put teams away.
The crowd at Portman Road will need to create a bearpit atmosphere to support the side each week, with the opening game against Liverpool a perfect chance to make a statement to the rest of the league.
Southampton
Finally, we look at play-off final winners Southampton, who returned to the Premier League following their relegation in 2023 with a victory over Leeds United at Wembley.
The Saints have invested heavily in their squad to avoid another relegation, having played in the top flight for a decade and developing the likes of Adam Lallana – who returns to the south coast this summer after his departure in 2014 – as well as Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, and Luke Shaw.
Amongst the summer shopping spree are Taylor Harwood-Bellis, a key component in Russell Martin’s defence last term, signing permanently from Manchester City, alongside Flynn Downes from West Ham United and Yukinari Sugawara from AZ Alkmaar. Che Adams joined Torino though, meaning the search for a new striker will likely persist until transfer deadline day.
Southampton are the side best equipped for survival out of the three newly promoted, with their blend of experience and youth, meaning they can cope with a busy schedule which begins away to Newcastle United.