The Premier League is often hailed as the most competitive league in the world. Its unpredictability and drama make it a spectacle for fans worldwide. But in a league full of surprises, it’s to be expected that some teams will suffer the embarrassment of relegation despite their lofty standing within the beautiful game. Here are the three most shocking teams to have fallen through the trap door.
Leicester City
Leicester City’s meteoric rise to stardom with their unforgettable Premier League title win in 2016 captured the world’s imagination. The Foxes were mighty 5000/1 underdogs to top the pile that year, but they managed to upset the odds as they claimed the championship in awe-inspiring fashion. Fast-forward to 2025, however, and they are no longer in a title battle, with the latest Premier League title odds instead favouring table-topping Liverpool, pricing them as a 1/4 favourite.
Instead, the former champions are looking over their shoulders. They currently sit at the foot of the table, and Premiership relegation odds makers price them as a 1/4 frontrunner for the drop. Much of that pricing is because two years ago, the Foxes suffered an astonishing fall from grace, ending a nine-year spell in the top flight and becoming the second Premier League winner ever to suffer relegation.
The 2022/23 season was riddled with mismanagement, lacklustre performances, and missed opportunities. Brendan Rodgers led FA Cup glory just two years prior, as well as masterminding deep runs in both the Europa League and Conference League. However, miserable form cost the Northern Irishman his job, and that spelt the beginning of the end.
Dean Smith was brought in as a firefighter, but by then, Leicester’s fortunes were already unravelling. Despite having top-tier players like James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, the team struggled to find consistency, hampered by defensive vulnerabilities and an alarming inability to close out games. Crucial defeats toward the end of the season, including a 5-3 loss to Fulham, left their fate hanging by a thread.
Even a heroic win over West Ham on the final day wasn’t enough, as Everton secured survival by a single point. The Foxes managed to secure an immediate promotion back to the top flight, but they may well fall through the trap door once again in five months’ time.
Everton stay up on a dramatic #PL final day, while Leicester City and Leeds United are relegated pic.twitter.com/N88QxOVNKy
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 28, 2023
Newcastle United
Newcastle United’s relegation in 2009 felt like the football equivalent of an earthquake. The club has one of the biggest fanbases in England and was featuring in the Champions League barely half a decade prior. Yet, in the 2008/09 season, they crumbled under the weight of instability and chaos.
Managerial turmoil was central to their downfall. Four different managers—Kevin Keegan, Joe Kinnear, Chris Hughton, and Alan Shearer—helmed the team in less than a year. The inconsistency at the top filtered down to the pitch, where a disjointed squad failed to gel. Big names like Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, and Damien Duff failed to deliver, and dressing-room issues only made matters worse.
A devastating 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on the final day confirmed their relegation. The financial implications stretched beyond a single season, forcing the club into restructuring. Yet, the fans stayed loyal, and Newcastle bounced back in 2010. They have dropped down and risen again since then, but following their Saudi-backed takeover in 2021, the Magpies have become a powerhouse once again.
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