The Sides Expected to Fall Behind in This Season’s Premier League Race

It took just four games of the new Premier League season for the English top flight to take shape. With maximum points on the board, Liverpool and Chelsea scooted away in front and they were joined by surprise package Watford, who also banked a dozen.

The usual suspects were also in the frame with the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham making up the top five but there was an early warning for followers of both Manchester United and Arsenal.

Jose Mourinho is beginning to feel the strain at Old Trafford and two defeats in four – back-to-back losses vs Brighton and Spurs – saw the ground beneath the special one shift.

Source: Sun Sport via Twitter

The Red Devils have plenty to work on in the coming weeks, having been left clinging on to a top ten place heading into the international break, but their problems are nothing compared to what’s facing West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini.

The Hammers have never really taken to their new home following the shift from Upton Park to the London Stadium and they started the 2018/19 campaign with no points to show for their first 360 minutes of competitive football.

The East Londoners were battered 4-0 by Liverpool at Anfield on week one and that seemed to knock the stuffing out of the squad. That heavy reverse was followed by defeats to Bournemouth at home, Arsenal across the city and newly promoted Wolves in Stratford.

It may have been a slow start from the team, but bookmakers haven’t been sluggish out of the traps, quickly cutting The Hammers’ price to be relegated. Punters checking the latest Premier League relegation odds on the Betfair Exchange will find 3.9 available on them taking the plunge back down to the Championship come spring. Fair, but there still appears to be value there.

That quote places United fourth in the pecking order behind Cardiff, Huddersfield and Burnley. The Bluebirds were promoted from the Championship last season, of course, and traders have had them chalked up as jolly to head straight back down again since the market was first published.

Source: Mark Stevens via Twitter

A little harsh, perhaps, especially with the division’s sole Welsh representatives picking up two points to sit 16th in the rankings. Neil Warnock is as experienced as they come at this level, but he could do nothing for his troops as the curtain went up with a 2-0 reverse at Dean Court on August 11th.

They dusted themselves down to fire back with a pair of draws, holding Newcastle to a 0-0 at the Cardiff City Stadium before rolling up their sleeves to end goalless away to Huddersfield. Two sides they really ought to be beating but if Warnock is able to build on that determination they’ll have every chance of retaining their place.

Huddersfield should spend the bulk of the fixture list down at the wrong end of the league and they started with a pair of defeats before scratching back two points from six. Burnley went down 2-0 at home to Man Utd before the break and that was their third loss on the spin.