By Gabriel Mills
Following back-to-back seasons of all three promoted teams dropping back down to the Championship, Leeds and Sunderland have put a stop to the growing trend.
Prior to the 2023/24 season, all three promoted sides being relegated at the first time of asking had only occurred once, (1997/98) since the Premier League’s induction in 1992.
Immediate relegation for Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United in 2023/24 and Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton in 2024/25 sparked plenty of conversation around whether the gap between Premier League and Championship was too great.
It is little surprise that at the beginning of this season, the three promoted clubs in Ipswich, Leeds and Sunderland were all heavy favourites to be relegated and for the trend to continue.
The reality has been far from expectation however – Sunderland and Leeds have enjoyed successful campaigns while only Burnley have suffered the drop back to the Championship.
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Growing gap between Premier League and Championship
With last season being the second straight occurrence of 100% relegation for promoted sides, there was plenty of discourse around whether this was becoming an issue for English football.
From the Premier League’s induction until 2017/18, two or more newly promoted sides were relegated in around 35% of seasons (nine of 26).
Not including the current campaign, that figure has doubled in the most recent seven seasons to 70% (five of seven).
This suggests that the previous two seasons of relegated sides may not be an anomaly but a sign that survival is proving a more difficult task in recent years.
The money within the Premier League is unreplicatable anywhere else in Europe – relegated sides receive heavy parachute payments which has caused controversy in the EFL since it began in 2006.
Is the gap too big between English football’s top two divisions and if so, how have Sunderland and Leeds navigated around it?
A welcome return for Sunderland
After beating Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final, Sunderland had many doubters to prove wrong.
Finishing in fourth place and a hefty 24 points behind Leeds and Burnley, a squad rebuild was needed for Regis Le Bris’ team.
Brian Brobbey was brought in from Ajax to lead the line while Granit Xhaka and Habib Diarra arrived to bolster the midfield.
A speedy start and a strong home record have Sunderland sat comfortably in midtable – a push for a European place looks difficult however, following disappointing recent results.
Effective business in the transfer market and a clear identity and style of play are all things the likes of Coventry and Ipswich can take note of in the coming season.
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Daniel Farke’s resilient Leeds
With the German head coach, Leeds United could almost guarantee success in the Championship but many were skeptical about whether the Premier League was a step too high after his previous seasons with Norwich.
Following a torrid time in October and November where the Whites fell to six defeats in seven league matches, Farke’s time looked to be running out.
A huge 3-1 victory at home against Chelsea at the beginning of December set Leeds back on track however – survival in the Premier League is now all-but secured with three matches remaining.
Like their fellow newly promoted friends in the North East, Leeds have also made their home a fortress having lost just five times and conceded just once in the last three home matches.
Throw an FA Cup semi-final in the mix and the majority of the Leeds faithful will be very satisfied with the first season back up.
Is money still the key?
When making the step up to the Premier League, the figure that most look to is the amount spent by those sides.
Sunderland smashed the spending record for promoted sides with £155million paid for new signings last summer while Leeds splashed out almost £100million.
History suggests spending big does not always equate to Premier League survival – smart recruitment is equally crucial.
Fulham spent £103million in 2018, Southampton £102m in 2024 and Burnley £97m in 2025 – all three were relegated.
This makes the 2025/26 season a change of fortunes for newly promoted sides and a refreshing shift back to a more competitive Premier League.
Next season will prove to be a real sign as to whether promoted sides still have a fair shot at survival or whether this season’s success for those making the step up is only temporary.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan