The early weeks of the Premier League 25/26 season have raised a compelling question: have promoted sides genuinely improved, or have established teams regressed?
Over the past three seasons, every promoted club has gone straight back down. That pattern reinforced the widening gulf between the Premier League and the Championship. Yet this year, that trend has flipped. Burnley, Leeds United, and Sunderland, all newly promoted last summer, sit above the relegation zone. The bottom three—Wolves, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest—survived last season.
That reversal challenges long-held assumptions about competitiveness. If promoted sides can now compete with established Premier League teams, does it mean the Championship’s best have caught up, or that the Premier League’s lower tier has fallen behind?
Premier League Leeds: Survival Through Resilience
Leeds currently sit 15th after nine matches, clear of the relegation zone thanks to steady, all-around performances. They’ve not excelled in attack or defence. However, their strength lies in balance.
With seven different goal contributors, Leeds rely on collective effort rather than individual brilliance. It’s a pragmatic shift from their chaotic previous stints in the top flight. As a result, they’ve built a stronger foundation for survival.
In a season marked by uncertainty, struggling teams have found stability to be their greatest strength.
Premier League Sunderland: Defensive Solidity Setting the Standard
If Leeds have found balance, Sunderland have found discipline. Fourth in the table after nine games, they’ve kept four clean sheets and conceded just seven — the third-best defensive record in the division.
Their organisation has frustrated more experienced opponents. Consequently, they’ve shown that tactical clarity and hard work can compensate for limited resources. It’s not explosive football, but it’s efficient, and for a newly promoted side, it looks sustainable.
Premier League Burnley: Attack-Minded but Exposed
Where Sunderland have thrived by shutting games down, Burnley have gone the opposite way, attacking bravely but struggling defensively.
Burnley currently sits 16th, above the relegation zone, but is still a work in progress. Of the three newcomers, Burnley have scored the most goals (12) and rank 10th in the league for total goals scored.
However, despite their attacking comfort, Burnley have conceded 17 goals, the joint-third worst in the league. With clear defensive issues, the three promoted teams may be the most likely to slip back.
Regression Below the Line
While the newcomers impress, last season’s survivors have faltered. Wolves, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest occupy the bottom three and share similar problems. West Ham have conceded 20 goals, Wolves 19, and Forest 17, the worst defensive records in the league. In attack, Forest have scored only five, while West Ham and Wolves have managed just seven each.
Instability has only worsened things. West Ham sacked Graham Potter and replaced him with Nuno Santos, a move that underscored growing panic after a disjointed start. Yet the sudden shift in philosophy deepened uncertainty, leaving players caught between contrasting tactical demands.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest have been even more chaotic. Nuno out. Ange Postecoglou in. Then Ange was dismissed after just 39 days and replaced by Sean Dyche. Three managers. Nine games. One club in freefall.
A Changing Dynamic
The picture forming this season is one of dual truths. The Championship’s best have clearly raised their level tactically and structurally, but the Premier League’s lower half has equally stagnated. Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland’s survival instincts highlight how preparation and unity can outweigh experience, while Wolves, West Ham, and Forest serve as warnings against complacency.
For the first time in years, the gap between the two divisions isn’t just narrowing from below, it’s collapsing from above.
Below you can watch the match highlights of Wolves VS Burnley, by SkySports.
