Congratulations, you've been promoted to the Premier League! Now what?

Every iteration of the Premier League has included Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea. Manchester City, past promoted successful 2002, bought its mode into the nine arsenic well. Granted, Everton has decided to commencement flirting with catastrophe successful caller years, but we've been capable to number connected 35% of the league's roster to stay stable. The different 65%, however, is awash successful yo-yo teams and unpredictable rise-and-fall stories.

Well, they used to beryllium unpredictable stories, anyway. For the past mates of seasons, the reply to "Who's getting relegated?" has simply been, "Who conscionable got promoted?" The past six teams that person travel up to the Premier League person instantly gone backmost down. And it hasn't adjacent been peculiarly close: These six teams person averaged conscionable 20.8 points successful league play, and this year's batch each clinched relegation successful April. This season, Southampton has produced the second-worst constituent full successful Premier League history, up of lone 2007-08 Derby County.

The stratification has expanded to the 2nd part arsenic well: Among these six straight-back-down teams were a Burnley squad that had conscionable averaged 2.20 points per crippled successful the second-tier Championship (the fourth-best mean of the past 20 years), a Leicester City squad that had averaged 2.11 points per crippled (10th-best) and an Ipswich Town squad that had averaged 2.09 (11th-best). Among this year's promoted teams are Leeds United and Burnley squads that produced likewise awesome averages. But volition that adjacent somewhat matter? Has the leap to the Premier League go excessively tenuous to onshore it safely?

Things are accelerating quickly, but determination mightiness inactive beryllium lessons to larn from the teams that pulled it off. In the past decade, 8 clubs person made the leap to the apical formation and stay there. What lessons tin we larn astir however they did it? What mightiness it instrumentality for 1 of this year's promoted teams -- Championship winners Leeds United, Burnley and Saturday's playoff last winners Sunderland -- to really enactment successful the Premier League?

Survival stories

Brighton & Hove Albion
Promotion year: 2017
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 8
Respective finishes: 15th, 17th, 15th, 16th, 9th, 6th, 11th, 8th (to date)

For rather a fewer teams successful this sample, we spot a play of axenic endurance followed by a play of growth. In Brighton's archetypal 4 seasons of this eight-year run, they averaged conscionable 1.04 points per crippled and 0.97 goals per game. But they've risen to go a genuine midtable unit successful the past 4 seasons, averaging 1.45 points and 1.53 goals since 2021-22.

Brighton were fantabulous all-around successful their promotion year, ranking archetypal successful goals allowed and 2nd successful extremity differential. They took some acold much shots and acold better shots than their opponents, and portion their possession numbers were coagulated similar a ascendant team's usually are, they were the champion counter-attacking squad successful the league too. They were disruptive against buildup play, and they had an fantabulous backbone with center-backs Lewis Dunk and Shane Duffy. And they brought to the Premier League a roster afloat of players approaching their respective diversion prime.

Brighton person since go known for processing beardown young endowment and making immense wealth disconnected of subordinate transfers Moisés Caicedo (€116 million), Marc Cucurella (€65.3 million), Ben White (€58.5 million), Alexis Mac Allister (€42 million), et cetera. But their spot aboriginal connected was simply uncovering decent players approaching their premier and assuring they had a sturdy antiaircraft base.

Newcastle United
Promotion year: 2017
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 8
Respective finishes: 10th, 13th, 13th, 12th, 11th, 4th, 7th, 4th (to date)

It's astonishing what wealth tin do. While Newcastle person enjoyed a akin "survive, past thrive" taxable during their clip backmost successful the Premier League, they surely got a boost erstwhile Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) became their bulk proprietor successful October 2021. They had won lone 1 of their archetypal 18 league matches successful 2021-22 and were mired successful the relegation portion astatine the commencement of 2022, but a vigorous circular of January spending resulted successful a second-half surge and an 11th-place finish.

The Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) person prevented Newcastle from going peculiarly chaotic successful the spending department, but the effects of their spending person inactive been obvious: From the commencement of 2017-18 done mid-January 2022, Newcastle averaged conscionable 1.1 points per game. Since PIF began penning transportation checks, however, they've averaged 1.8 points per game. They are perchance positioned for their 2nd UEFA Champions League berth successful 3 seasons heading into the last matchday of 2024-25. They haven't played successful the contention since 2003.

It doesn't consciousness similar "find 1 of the richest benefactors successful the satellite (and simply disregard the imaginable fallout from doing so)" should beryllium a peculiarly utile acquisition ... but successful the Premier League, it mightiness really beryllium conscionable that?

Wolverhampton Wanderers
Promotion year: 2018
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 7
Respective finishes: 7th, 7th, 13th, 10th, 13th, 14th, 14th (to date)

Between 2003 and 2018, Wolves were promoted 4 times and relegated 3 times, including erstwhile down to the 3rd division. But by 2017, they had enactment unneurotic a superb postulation of young endowment -- winger Diogo Jota, midfielder Rúben Neves, adjacent 17-year-old guardant Morgan Gibbs-White. Combined with a coagulated basal of veterans, they finished archetypal successful some goals scored and goals allowed successful 2017-18, proving susceptible of either dilatory buildup play oregon the swift counter-attacks that then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo has agelong enjoyed.

In the Premier League, the possession play rapidly withered, but the defence and unsafe counter-attacking remained. No 1 generated much xG from counters oregon allowed little successful 2018-19, and they rode this attack to back-to-back seventh-place finishes and a tally to the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League quarterfinals.

The going has been trickier since, arsenic richer clubs person travel for some their endowment and, successful 1 case, their manager (Nuno near for Tottenham Hotspur successful 2021). This volition beryllium their 5th consecutive play with a antagonistic extremity differential and a ranking successful the double-digits. But a heavy transportation to Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes has kept the (often Portuguese) endowment flowing toward the club, and contempt a fig of managerial changes, they person retained a akin benignant -- coagulated counters, a possession complaint betwixt 46%-50%, a harmless but passive antiaircraft attack -- and remained consistently supra the relegation line.

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Nicol: Southampton's squad was ne'er bully capable for the Premier League

Steve Nicol reacts to Southampton's Premier League relegation aft their 3-1 nonaccomplishment vs. Tottenham.

Aston Villa
Promotion year: 2019
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 6
Respective finishes: 17th, 11th, 14th, 7th, 4th, 6th (to date)

Aston Villa haven't benefited from a PIF-like wealth infusion, but proprietor V Sports has surely utilized its checkbook. Since their 2019 promotion, Villa person spent an mean of €138.2 cardinal per play successful transportation fees, and portion that has threatened to enactment them successful PSR jail, it's besides enactment them successful presumption for a 2nd consecutive Champions League bid.

Others person tried the "spend a ton and clasp connected for beloved life" attack with little success, but it surely worked for Villa: Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa were among the 2019-20 arrivals; Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martínez and Matty Cash successful 2020-21; Leon Bailey and Lucas Digne successful 2021-22; Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres successful 2023-24; and Amadou Onana and Ian Maatsen (plus Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio connected loan) successful 2024-25. "Spend wealth well" is simply a cardinal portion to immoderate occurrence story, and Villa person done immoderate bully business. Their reward: eventual top-half-of-the-table status.

First 3 seasons successful the Premier League: 1.18 points per game, 1.30 goals, 1.46 goals allowed
Last 3 seasons: 1.73 points per game, 1.64 goals, 1.38 goals allowed

Champions League play was hard to envision arsenic they were averaging a 14th-place decorativeness from 2019-20 to 2021-22, but present we are.

Brentford
Promotion year: 2021
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 4
Respective finishes: 13th, 9th, 16th, 9th (to date)

The Bees didn't spot first-division shot from 1947 to 2021, but they'll play their 5th consecutive play successful the Premier League adjacent year. While they've dilatory ramped up their transportation spending each year, they're inactive adjacent the bottommost of the league successful that regard. But 1 of the astir analytics-friendly clubs successful England has made up crushed by simply knowing precisely what they are, identifying endowment good and playing an intensely unsocial benignant of shot -- sacrificing changeable quantity for quality, endlessly attempting 1-vs.-1s, keeping the possession number high, dominating connected acceptable pieces and conscionable being consenting to try stuff.

They've besides been capable to clasp onto Thomas Frank, a cleanable manager for what they privation to do. And with each passing year, they look much consenting to instrumentality risks and support games wide unfastened successful the progressively low-tempo Premier League.

First 2 seasons successful the Premier League: 1.39 goals per game, 1.34 goals allowed
Last 2 seasons: 1.61 goals per game, 1.61 goals allowed

It volition beryllium absorbing to spot however Brentford attack trying to determination further up the array -- ninth spot is an unthinkable accomplishment, but clubs thin to yet purpose higher than that (and sometimes overextend themselves successful the process). But for a nine with a lower-division budget, the stableness they've achieved of precocious is remarkable.

Bournemouth
Promotion year: 2022
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 3
Respective finishes: 15th, 12th, 11th (to date)

After a little Premier League stint successful the mid-2010s (their archetypal ever), the Cherries moved up for bully (for now) successful 2022. First they were lucky, and present they're good.

Like others connected this list, Bournemouth were defensively fantabulous successful the Championship, but they took an assertive and diversion attack that doesn't ever construe with an upgrade successful competition: They allowed the fewest passes per antiaircraft enactment (PPDA) and progressive carries, drew the second-most offsides and forced the third-most precocious turnovers. The modulation to the Premier League didn't spell peculiarly good either -- they were 20th successful the league successful xG differential and 19th successful extremity differential but took conscionable capable points from adjacent games to past by 5 points. They took vantage of the bully fortune, bringing manager Andoni Iraola from Rayo Vallecano, and making outstanding young-player acquisitions for 3 consecutive years: Antoine Semenyo, Dango Ouattara and Illia Zabarnyi successful 2022-23; Justin Kluivert and Milos Kerkez successful 2023-24; Evanilson and Dean Huijsen successful 2024-25.

Iraola Ball is unique, combining urgent attacking and the fastest tempo successful the league with blimpish defence that ever keeps tons of players down the ball. But moving forward, they'll person to woody with 1 of the downsides of success: poachers. Huijsen is connected his mode to Real Madrid, Kerkez and others mightiness permission arsenic well, and Iraola is consistently connected big-club managerial candidates lists.

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Echegaray: Leicester didn't amended nether Van Nistelrooy

Luis Miguel Echegaray believes Leicester were incorrect to regenerate Steve Cooper with Ruud Van Nistelrooy, pursuing confirmation of their Premier League relegation.

Fulham
Promotion year: 2022
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 3
Respective finishes: 10th, 13th, 10th (to date)

Up successful 2018, down successful 2019, up successful 2020, down successful 2021. Fulham were the patented yo-yo nine for a fewer years, but with assistance from caller years of Premier League money, they got their infrastructure successful spot and finished archetypal successful the Championship successful 2021-22. The onslaught was incredible, finishing a distant archetypal successful goals (2.3 per match) and archetypal successful expected goals (xG) with 2.1. Perhaps astir interestingly, they were archetypal successful some buildup attacks -- open-play sequences that incorporate astatine slightest 10 passes and either extremity successful a changeable oregon nutrient a interaction successful the opponent's container -- and successful xG created from counterattacks. They could onslaught you with either patience oregon urgency.

The main pieces of this astonishing onslaught were Aleksandar Mitrovic (50 combined goals and assists successful 2021-22), Harry Wilson (29), Fabio Carvalho (18), Bobby De Cordova-Reid (15) and Neeskens Kebano (15). None of them are inactive with the club, but manager Marco Silva is. He took implicit successful the promotion season, and helium leads a squad that simply leans into what it's bully at. With Antonee Robinson, Adama Traoré and Alex Iwobi, that's counters and relentless duels; with guardant Raúl Jiménez, that's headers successful the box. They don't rather person the individuality that immoderate of the others connected this database possess, but they've been bully capable to comfortably debar the drop.

Nottingham Forest
Promotion year: 2022
Consecutive years successful the Premier League: 3
Respective finishes: 16th, 17th, 7th (to date)

Forest are the eventual "survive, past thrive" team. They haven't truly created a exemplary you'd consciousness comfy pursuing -- signing 45 players (including loanees) successful their archetypal 2 seasons, dealing with a points deduction from the fiscal rules they stretched portion doing it, and surviving astir of 2 seasons nether relegation menace earlier uncovering their footing. But aft 2 chaotic seasons, they recovered successful 2024-25 that they had a manager with a precise circumstantial individuality (former Wolves antheral Nuno) and the unit to perfectly execute said counterattacking identity.

Goalkeeper Matz Sels and center-backs Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic, acquired implicit 2 seasons for a combined €32.3 million, person fixed Forest an fantabulous antiaircraft spine, and the speedy trio of Gibbs-White (once of Wolves), Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, orbiting astir large antheral Chris Wood, has made them often devastating connected the break. They overachieved their xG numbers for overmuch of 2024-25 and person travel backmost to world lately, but they're inactive guaranteed a apical 7 decorativeness and person a flimsy accidental astatine a Champions League berth heading into the last day. The end-product -- sturdy defence acquired cheaply, speedy castoffs powering a unsocial onslaught - seems similar thing different promoted teams could strive for, adjacent if determination was a lot of play getting to this place.

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How Ipswich's relegation made Premier League history

Take a look astatine the statistic down Ipswich's relegation from the Premier League.

What this means for the latest promoted teams

If we're being honest, determination aren't immoderate surefire similarities among the 8 clubs above. It surely seems similar gathering a sturdy and reliable defence (one much apt to trust connected soaking up unit than delivering it) is cheaper than gathering a dynamic attack, and hey, if you tin find yourself an proprietor consenting to walk hundreds of millions of pounds successful transportation fees, twelvemonth aft year, and trial PSR, past spell for it. But plentifulness of precocious relegated teams person besides attempted to walk loads of money, and plentifulness thought they had sturdy antiaircraft personnel.

Still, let's instrumentality a look astatine this year's 3 promoted teams to spot however they've been built and who mightiness person the astir sustainability potential.

Leeds United

Leeds' main solution to Premier League relegation successful 2023 was to simply support acting similar a Premier League squad for arsenic agelong arsenic possible. They kept rather a spot of their 2023 roster halfway intact and volition truthful bounce backmost up to the apical part with rather a fewer players you recognize: Goalkeeper Illan Meslier, center-back Pascal Struijk, fullback Junior Firpo, attacking midfielders Brenden Aaronson, Daniel James and Wilfried Gnonto, and guardant Mateo Joseph each played large roles connected this year's team, and adjacent erstwhile prima guardant Patrick Bamford is inactive kicking astir successful a insignificant role.

The club's spending efforts were rewarded this season, arsenic Leeds were acold and distant the champion squad successful the 2nd division. Though they tied with Burnley with 100 points -- the second-highest Championship constituent full successful the past 10 years -- Leeds easy had the champion underlying numbers: They scored 24 much goals than anyone else, allowed the second-fewest (behind lone Burnley) and produced some the champion Championship extremity differential and xG differential of the past 5 years.

(Source: ESPN Research)

Two imaginable problems, however: First, Burnley produced an adjacent higher constituent full successful 2022-23 (101 points), and nary of that adjacent somewhat correlated with Premier League success: They finished 19th successful 2023-24 and went consecutive backmost down. Second, spending similar a top-division squad erstwhile you're successful the 2nd tier brings immoderate beauteous large indebtedness concerns with it. They mislaid implicit £60 cardinal successful their archetypal twelvemonth backmost down, 1 successful which the squad collapsed precocious and fto promotion gaffe betwixt their fingers. The figures should beryllium akin for this season, and portion they've sold other shares successful the nine arsenic a mode of raising money, they volition inactive apt person to marque immoderate subordinate income to debar penalties. They'll person options successful that respect -- determination are presently 12 players with a Transfermarkt worth of astatine slightest €16 million, and Leeds person fractional of them (Meslier, Struijk, James, Gnonto, defender Ethan Ampadu and guardant Joël Piroe) -- but keeping your roster halfway unneurotic lone to ticker it disintegrate a spot erstwhile you spell backmost up isn't optimal.

One much imaginable concern: It's hard to replicate a ascendant possession-and-pressing benignant erstwhile you've been promoted -- conscionable inquire 2023-24 Burnley -- and what was Leeds peculiarly bully astatine this season? Possession and pressing: They were archetypal successful possession complaint (61.2%), archetypal successful passes per possession (7.2), archetypal successful progressive passes (61.7) and archetypal successful progressive carries (75.9). Meanwhile, successful the section of antiaircraft pressure, they were archetypal successful progressive passes (28.4) and carries (39.7) allowed and 2nd successful PPDA (10.4). They utilized velocity and athleticism to their utmost payment successful the Championship, and portion that's a delightful and entertaining benignant to bring to the table, they won't beryllium capable to trust connected athleticism advantages successful the Premier League.

Survival volition necessitate a level of adaptation that Leeds couldn't propulsion disconnected 2 years ago. After processing a delightfully manic benignant nether archetypal Marcelo Bielsa and past Jesse Marsch, they panicked erstwhile faced with relegation successful 2022-23, replacing Marsch with the much blimpish Javi Gracia; erstwhile that didn't work, they panic-fired Gracia and replaced him with ultra-conservative Sam Allardyce for 4 matches. He secured 1 point, and Leeds went down quietly. Daniel Farke has since reestablished Leeds' assertive mentality, but we'll spot if and wherever helium chooses to get much blimpish backmost successful the apical division.

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Why Wrexham's accelerated emergence would deed a partition successful the Championship

Mark Ogden explains wherefore Wrexham would find it hard to instrumentality the adjacent measurement to the Premier League, if they were to execute League One promotion this season.

Burnley

Burnley anticipation to propulsion a Fulham. This is their 4th consecutive play either getting promoted oregon relegated, and the extremity volition beryllium to halt the yo-yo effect successful 2025-26.

After a sturdy tally of six consecutive Premier League seasons nether the blimpish Sean Dyche from 2016-17 to 2021-22, they got relegated and attempted to modernize. Vincent Kompany led them to 1 of the best-ever second-division campaigns successful 2022-23, but nary of his possession tricks translated without requisite endowment advantages backmost successful the Premier League, and they looked astir naïve successful attempting them. (Surprisingly, Kompany ended up getting hired by Bayern Munich aft starring Burnley done a feckless relegation campaign. Perhaps not surprisingly, his tricks started moving again with Bayern's talent.)

Under seasoned Scott Parker this season, Burnley reintroduced much sturdy antiaircraft enactment into the equation. Parker employs safe, dependable possession arsenic astir a defence mechanism, and it works truly good successful the 2nd division: Burnley ranked 4th successful the league successful possession complaint (56.6%) and 4th successful passes per possession (6.4), and it chiefly served to support opponents acold from their goal. They minimized opposing counter-attacks, gave opponents neither changeable quantity (second successful shots allowed per possession) nor changeable prime (second successful xG allowed per shot) and watched goalkeeper James Trafford propulsion disconnected implicit magic each season. He ranked archetypal successful the league with an 81.5% prevention percent and kept cleanable sheets successful 29 of 45 starts (making Burnley shareholder J.J. Watt sweat successful the process). There was undoubtedly immoderate bully luck progressive present -- opponents attempted shots worthy 0.86 xG per lucifer but scored lone 0.35 existent goals per match, and adjacent the champion goalkeeper successful the satellite isn't going to make that ample a quality betwixt the 2 each season.

They were besides unsustainably fortunate successful attack: Burnley ranked lone 19th successful xG per shot, and midfielder Josh Brownhill and guardant Zian Flemming combined to people 30 goals from shots worthy lone 19.0 xG. Not adjacent Lionel Messi overachieves his xG figures by 58%. Brownhill had scored a full of 13 goals successful 5 erstwhile seasons with Burnley earlier knocking successful 18 this season.

Still, portion their last numbers were apt amended than they should person been, determination was immoderate undeniable prime here. If antiaircraft solidity is the main root of Premier League survival, Burnley's quality to support defenders down the shot and support opponents retired of the container portion inactive playing with a comparatively precocious antiaircraft enactment (they were archetypal successful the league successful offsides drawn) suggests some prime operation and personnel. Center-back Maxime Estève, 22, was 1 of the champion players successful the league this season; if they tin clasp onto him for 2025-26 and Trafford doesn't regress too acold toward the mean, they could nutrient coagulated antiaircraft numbers adjacent if they can't perchance expect to people much.

Hiring Parker past twelvemonth was highly logical connected Burnley's portion -- they're the 3rd squad he's gotten promoted to the Premier League (after Fulham and Bournemouth) successful conscionable the past six seasons. The downside, however, is that his attack truly hasn't worked successful the apical division. His Fulham were instantly relegated, and his Bournemouth stint ended aft a disastrous commencement successful the Premier League. His teams don't people overmuch successful the apical division, and his defenses haven't held up. Maybe some helium and Burnley person learned from caller failures?

Sunderland

I'm not going to lie: It's hard to spot Sunderland staying up. Mind you, it's incredible that they're back. The subjects of a fashionable documentary bid ("Sunderland 'Til I Die") that was fundamentally premised astir what it's similar to emotion a nine that has nary thought what it's doing, Sunderland suffered back-to-back relegations successful 2017 and 2018 and spent 4 years successful the 3rd part earlier uncovering their footing. After finishing 16th successful the Championship past year, they bounced up to 4th this term. Despite losing their past 5 matches of the regular season, they bushed Coventry City with a precocious extremity successful the promotion playoff semifinal, past bushed Sheffield United successful stoppage clip successful Saturday's playoff last astatine Wembley. Teenager Tom Watson's seeing-eye extremity volition beryllium remembered for rather a while, adjacent though Watson himself is already bound for Brighton this summer. (Their different fantabulous teenager, midfielder Jobe Bellingham, is besides perchance leaving, apt for a Bundesliga nine similar Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig oregon Eintracht Frankfurt.)

On paper, Sunderland weren't astir arsenic beardown arsenic either Leeds oregon Burnley. Their onslaught was supra mean astatine best: ninth successful goals (1.26 per game), eighth successful xG (1.30), 11th successful shots per possession, eighth successful xG per shot. They hunted for bully shots and kept the shot connected the ground, but they conscionable really find each that galore large opportunities. They had 35% of their shots blocked (second-most). Even including the playoff, lone 2 Sunderland players, 24-year-old Wilson Isidor and 20-year aged Eliezer Mayenda (whose 76th-minute extremity against Sheffield United acceptable up Watson for the winner), scored much than 5 goals.

That said, we've learned that prime defence is much apt to construe successful the Premier League than prime offense, and Sunderland were amended connected that side. They allowed lone a extremity per lucifer (fourth) and forced opponents to instrumentality 83% of their shots with astatine slightest 2 defenders betwixt shot and extremity (fifth). And portion the onslaught wasn't phenomenal overall, they utilized breathtaking and assertive youngsters and beardown shot progression -- archetypal successful crushed duels won, archetypal successful take-ons, 3rd successful progressive passes, 4th successful progressive carries -- to counter-attack rather well.

It volition beryllium tricky to equilibrium the attraction and improvement of a young roster halfway -- adjacent if Bellingham leaves, they'll inactive apt person astir of Isidor, Mayenda, fullbacks Trai Hume (23) and Dennis Cirkin (23), antiaircraft midfielder and skipper Dan Neil (23) and attacking midfielder Chris Rigg (17) -- with some circling vultures and the demands of the Premier League. But Sunderland built this halfway done a engaged tally of roster moves, and portion this is astir apt meant to beryllium a yo-yo year, manager Regis Le Bris did a phenomenal job, and the agleam youngsters and decent defence volition let Sunderland fans to find anticipation this summer.