The gap between the Premier League and the Championship seems to be widening, as the riches attracted by the top-tier clubs mean the best players in the world play in the elite competition.
Meanwhile the second-tier clubs do all they can to reach the promised land; some bet the ranch and fail, falling into oblivion, other spend big and succeed…but it is a tightrope to walk.
And then, the promoted clubs need to find a way to live with Manchester City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea!
It’s all about Premier League 2022 results for the new boys and, in reality, they must win the games against the teams around them to survive in a dog-eat-dog world. Last season Brentford managed to earn a second season at the top but, once again, the three teams newly back in the top flight are the most likely to go straight back down.
Bournemouth: Odds of relegation 1.58
The Cherries have a chance to get off the mark with a home game against Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa with odds of 1.58 on a Double Chance win or draw. But the relegation Premier League 2022 betting odds don’t hold out a lot of hope for Scott Parker’s Bournemouth.
There are players at Dean Court who played in the Premier League under Eddie Howe, including David Brooks and Junior Stanislas, but with just Ryan Fredericks arriving from West Ham so far this summer, the Cherries look lightweight.
Nottingham Forest: 1.70
Forest open their 21st-century Premier League account with an away game against moneybags Newcastle United and it’s a clash their fans have been waiting for ever since Steve Cooper led them to promotion through the play-offs.
The owners have splashed some cash already with three £17m purchases. Neco Williams from Liverpool, Moussa Niakhate from Mainz and Taiwo Awoniyi from Union Berlin are all unproven at this level and Cooper needs to get them up and running quickly.
Fulham: 2.10
In Marco Silva the Cottagers have a man with Premier League experience to lead them through a tough campaign ahead. Managing Hull City, Watford and Everton in the top flight, Silva knows his way around the division and he will relish the challenge again.
They stormed to the Championship title, fired by the goals of Aleksandar Mitrovic, and they too have Premier League experience in their squad. Tom Cairney and Anthony Knockaert will provide calm assurance when the going gets tough, while Silva has brought in Andreas Pereira in a £10m deal from Manchester United to add more quality to the midfield.
Fulham start with a home game against Liverpool and are at a SBOTOP price of 7.96 to win. That will be a fascinating contest but won’t tell us much about the Cottagers’ prospects.
I agree with the odds that they have the best chance of the three newcomers when it comes to survival next May.
Leeds United: 3.25
Only a dramatic last-day win away to nine-man Brentford saved Leeds from relegation last season and the Whites’ passionate fans will pray that’s the ‘second season syndrome’ out of the way.
Striker Patrick Bamford will hope for an injury-free campaign, but the loss of defensive midfielder Kalvin Phillips to Manchester City as well as the departure of creative spark Raphinha will leave the Yorkshire club short on star quality.
The steadfast influence of Liam Cooper, Stuart Dallas and Luke Ayling could be crucial.
Brentford: 3.50
Very few neutrals really expected the Bees to survive last season but they started with a stunning victory over Arsenal on the opening day. Their early season form continued but, by January, a long run of defeats left Thomas Frank’s side in peril. The signing of Christian Eriksen in the winter transfer window proved to be a masterstroke as the Danish wizard added the Premier Brentford needed to survive.
Frank is a fine manager but he will know only too well how unforgiving this league can be if the Bees fail to start as they did in their debut campaign.
Other relegation candidates:
While I suspect that two of the three relegation places will be filled by the new boys, they will all believe they can survive and will be looking for the teams they can finish above.
It used to be the 14 outside the ‘Big Six’ who were potential candidates for the drop. But the establishment of Leicester City and West Ham as top eight teams, as well as the money landing in Newcastle and the arrival of Gerrard as Aston Villa manager, have cut the field down to around ten.
So the teams expected to make up the bottom half are Southampton, Everton, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Brighton.
The Toffees somehow escaped from a near impossible position last season, with late victories over Manchester United, Leicester and Chelsea. The loss of their only dangerous player, Richarlison, might leave them short on firepower but I suspect they’ll have enough to survive.
In Patrick Vieira and Graham Potter, Palace and Brighton have astute young coaches and plenty of creative players, so I have a feeling the Saints and Wolves might be in the mix come May.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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