Football
Worst Premier League Teams in History
The Premier League has produced some of the greatest sides in football history – but it has also witnessed campaigns so bad they have become part of league folklore. From chaotic dressing rooms to historically low points totals, these seasons live on as tales of what happens when everything goes wrong. Here is a top five of the worst Premier League teams ever, including a current Wolves side threatening to join the hall of shame.
Derby County 2007/08
Derby’s 2007/08 campaign remains the gold standard for Premier League disaster. They collected just 11 points, the lowest total in league history, with a record of one win, eight draws and 29 defeats. Chaos in the dugout, a mismatched squad and constant defensive collapses left them relegated by March and miles adrift of safety, setting a benchmark no one has yet matched.
Southampton 2024/25
Southampton’s 12‑point haul in 2024/25 is the closest anyone has come to Derby’s disaster in the 2000s. A young, unbalanced squad and constant tactical shifts left them brutally exposed, as they won only twice all season and finished bottom with a goal difference that showed how out of their depth they were at the elite level.
Sunderland 2005/06
Sunderland’s 2005/06 side managed just 15 points, losing 29 of their 38 matches and finishing 23 points from safety. What was meant to be a triumphant return to the top flight turned into a nightmare of repeated heavy defeats, with a blunt attack and fragile defence combining to create one of the most miserable seasons the Stadium of Light has ever seen.
Huddersfield Town 2018/19
Huddersfield followed an uplifting survival story in 2017/18 with a brutal comedown the following season, finishing on only 16 points. They won three games all year, struggled badly for goals and were relegated with weeks to spare, their lack of Premier League quality exposed once the initial momentum of promotion had faded. They are yet to reappear in the top flight of English football.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2025/26 (so far)
Wolves’ current campaign is still in progress, but the numbers after 19 games already place them in historically grim company. With just three points on the board and no wins, they sit bottom of the table and are tracking at a pace that would leave them challenging Derby’s record if things do not improve dramatically. An unthreatening attack, open defence and repeated late collapses have drained belief at Molineux, and metrics-based analysis now openly prompts the question of whether this could become the worst Premier League team of all time.
For Wolves, the second half of the season is about avoiding joining – or even topping – this list. But a vital point at Old Trafford before the turn of the year might prove crucial and act as a base for improvement. Furthermore, with the recent sacking of Vitor Pereira and appointment of Rob Edwards, Wolves fans will be hoping that this change starts to bear fruit.
For everyone else, these five campaigns are a stark reminder that, in the Premier League, failure is remembered just as clearly as success.
