Optimism at the start of the football year can be intoxicating. Regardless of how the previous season ended, the summer brings a wealth of hopes: fresh transfers, an ambitious manager, and grand aspirations. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out by mid-September, absolutely everything can go awry. The rainbow expectations have quickly turned into an uncomfortable anxiety, and the end of May feels like a distant memory.
Amid this gloom are several clubs facing dire straits. Coventry City made their long-awaited return to the Premier League for the first time since 2001 after clinching promotion from the Championship. One would think they would ride high on the wave of success. However, the harsh realities of the Premier League have hit home, and manager Frank Lampard's side is desperately trying to stay afloat, remaining the only team in the league yet to register a point or score a goal after four matches.
The fixtures haven't been kind to Coventry; two of their away games were against heavyweight clubs like Arsenal and Manchester City. Yet, against the Cityzens, Lampard's men performed admirably and deserved points. The real blow came at home at the Coventry Building Society Arena, where they suffered a narrow loss to fellow promoted side Hull City (0-1) and a humiliating defeat to Brighton (0-5). The sending off of Taiwo Awoniyi in the second half put the final nail in the coffin, although they were already down 0-2 by that point. When Lewis Dunk is curling in goals from thirty yards, it's clear the day is not going to plan.
Coventry become the eighth team in Premier League history to lose their opening four matches after gaining promotion from the lower divisions. The historical precedent is harsh—of the previous seven, only Southampton in the 2012/13 season managed to survive.
However, if we widen the lens to view all elite clubs that have started with four losses, the outlook becomes far more optimistic: eight out of 18 clubs that preceded Coventry managed to retain their top-flight status. Everton is the most recent example, pulling off a remarkable escape in the 2024/25 season.
Lessons in survival: from Hodgson's miracle to the Wolves' collapse
The prime example of a stunning turnaround is Crystal Palace from the 2017/18 season. Under Frank de Boer, the Eagles failed to earn a single point and scored no goals in their first five matches. The Dutchman was sacked, and Roy Hodgson was brought in. Things did not improve initially, with seven consecutive defeats without scoring, but the shake-up worked. Not only did the Eagles survive, but they remarkably finished 11th that season. No one is suggesting Lampard should be sacked; he has earned endless credit for leading the club back to the Premier League, and persuading the 79-year-old Hodgson to un-retire would be quite the task.
Portsmouth in 2009/10 also holds a grim record of seven straight losses. Unfortunately for Pompey, they could not rally and finished bottom with just 19 points (they were docked nine points for financial bankruptcy, but they would still have been relegated). Norwich City lost their first six matches in the 2021/22 season and plummeted down with 22 points. Three other clubs have lost five of their first matches: Southampton in 1998/99 managed to survive (finishing 17th), while Sunderland (2005/06) and Wolverhampton last season suffered relegation from the bottom spot.
Coventry's next chance to find their footing comes with an away match against Nottingham Forest. However, they're not the only newly promoted side struggling.
De Zerbi's drought and Tottenham's historic struggles
Tottenham were expected to undergo a grand transformation this season. After two dreadful campaigns finishing a dismal 17th, Roberto De Zerbi miraculously saved the North London club from relegation last spring. The summer saw generous backing from the hierarchy in the transfer market, but the reset has hit a major snag.
Like Coventry, Tottenham have yet to score a single goal in their first four outings. They sit on two points, courtesy of lacklustre goalless draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton, leaving supporters with an eerie feeling of impending doom.
This is the first time in the club's history that Tottenham have failed to score in their opening four league matches. The only longer goal drought to start a season belongs to Crystal Palace (seven games). The Lilywhites have now gone 407 minutes without scoring in the Premier League, a run they haven't experienced since September 2006.
However, history does provide some hope for North London. Apart from Tottenham and Coventry, five clubs in Premier League history have started with four matches without a goal: Crystal Palace (2017/18), Sheffield Wednesday (1994/95), Newcastle (2005/06), Swansea (2011/12), and Aston Villa last season. The encouraging sign is that none were relegated. The worst finish came from the Villans, who ended up in 13th place thirty years ago.
Emery awaits another miracle, while Arbeloa fights for life
Aston Villa only managed to score in their fifth match last season but then had a fantastic year, finishing fourth in the league and lifting the Europa League trophy.
Yet, alarms are sounding again in Birmingham. Unai Emery has pulled off miracles at Villa Park, but he now faces the task of rebuilding after a summer sale of key players. After four games, the Villans have scraped just one point from a goalless draw against Hull City. Losses to Brighton, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest have plunged them into the relegation zone, now one point worse off than last season.
This marks the fourth time in the club's history that Villa has failed to win any of their first four Premier League matches (after 1992/93, 1997/98, and 2025/26). On a brighter note, their barren run was broken by Alisson scoring against Forest last Saturday.
Fulham are showing some signs of life, too. After three consecutive defeats to Chelsea, Sunderland, and Crystal Palace, Alvaro Arbeloa's side fought for their first point in a hard-fought battle at Anfield, drawing 2-2 with Liverpool.
With four matches behind them, there are still 34 more to play this season. Coventry desperately need their first points, while Tottenham merely need to find the net to unshackle themselves. There’s plenty of time until the end of May, and for clubs truly in jeopardy, they may not yet even realise the gravity of their situation.
