In the history of the Premier League, some teams have really been simply out of their depths. Not only did they not pick up enough points to beat the drop, but they have carved out a niche for themselves as some of the worst teams the league has seen.
One indicator that a team has been poor over a season is if they concede an unbelievable number of goals. However, which teams have conceded the most goals in a single Premier League campaign?
Sheffield United (Season 2023/24, 104 goals conceded)
The somewhat dubious honour of the most goals conceded in one Premier League campaign falls to Sheffield United in season 2023/24 when the Blades conceded 104 goals and finished bottom of the table.
The Yorkshire outfit’s implosion that season was even more of a shock, as the Blades had enjoyed a stellar return to the English top flight the previous campaign, finishing seventh place in the table.
Sheffield Utd stats are ending me 😭😭😭😭
What you mean they conceded 104 goals this season 😭😭😭😭— Tariro (@tary04) May 19, 2024
A 1-0 defeat at Everton’s Goodison Park in May courtesy of an Abdoulaye Doucoure goal saw United go into the record books.
The Blades conceded the most goals in the English top-flight since Ipswich Town in season 1963/64 when the Tractor Boys conceded an eye-watering 121 goals in the old First Division. It’s not the last time Town will be talked on our list.
Swindon Town (Season 1993/94, 100 goals conceded)
Until the Blades’ calamitous campaign, Swindon Town held the record for most goals conceded in one Premier League campaign in season 1993/94. The Robins, in their first and only Premier League campaign to date, conceded a century of goals.
Over their 42 games in the English top flight, Town managed to keep just five clean sheets as they made an instant return to the second tier.
The Wiltshire outfit was hit for five by Aston Villa, Liverpool and Southampton while also conceding six at Everton’s Goodison Park and seven at Newcastle United. A 5-0 home defeat against Leeds United on the final day of the season saw them reach the 100 goals conceded mark.
Unsurprisingly, considering their calamitous defensive displays during the campaign, Swindon finished rock bottom of the Premier League table.
Ipswich Town (season 1994/95, 93 goals conceded)
The Tractor Boys endured a nightmare campaign in season 1994/95, conceding 93 goals in their 42 games in the Premier League.
Their biggest defeat of the season came in a now-infamous 9-0 defeat at Manchester United, which still stands as the joint biggest margin of victory in Premier League history.
However, the Suffolk outfit didn’t concede more than four goals in any of their other games, apart from their eventful trip to Old Trafford. Their keeping just two clean sheets in the league all season certainly illustrated their defensive deficiencies.
Like Sheffield United and Swindon, Ipswich finished the campaign bottom of the Premier League table.
Derby County (Season 2007/08, 89 goals conceded)
It is not a massive surprise that the Rams team from season 2007/08 is so prominent on our list, as County endured the worst season of any team in the history of the top-flight, picking up just 11 points from their 38 league games.
The team from the Midlands took some bad beatings during the campaign. Early results did not bode well for County that season, as in the first seven league matches of the campaign, they lost 4-0 at Tottenham Hotspur, 6-0 at Liverpool and 5-0 at Arsenal.
It didn’t get much better for County, as they suffered a 6-1 defeat at Chelsea, a 6-0 home loss against Aston Villa and a 6-2 hammering at Pride Park. Rather aptly, considering their awful form all season, they ended the campaign with a 4-0 home humiliation by Reading.
Fulham (Season 2013/14, 85 goals conceded)
The Cottagers are the only team on our list so far not to finish bottom of the table. However, they conceded 85 goals in season 2013/14 and ended the campaign by finishing 19th place in the table.
It was a season of turmoil at the Cottage, with three managers, including Felix Magath, unable to prevent the club from slipping into the abyss. The biggest defeat of the season came in a 6-0 hammering at Hull City.
Before the year was out, the Cottagers had conceded four goals against both Everton and Manchester City. The latter went one better in the reverse fixture, scoring five past the hapless side from south west London. They had proven over the campaign they were not good enough defensively to beat the drop.
Luton Town (Season 2023/24, 85 goals conceded)
The 2023/24 Premier League campaign was the highest scoring since the league’s rebranding in 1992. Luton’s generous defending in their first season in the Premier League really did contribute to that record, even if they didn’t quite match Sheffield United’s calamities from the same season.
They conceded 85 goals in their 38 matches, which was only going to spell danger when it came to their survival chances.
However, the Hatters actually had a realistic chance of beating the drop for much of the season. However, their poor defensive displays and just one win in their last 17 league outings saw Rob Edwards’ team finish the campaign in 18th place in the top-flight table.