Predicting who will win the Premier League can easily be whittled down to just a few teams, but it is a much tougher task when it comes to the relegation fight.
As usual, the Championship’s promoted sides will likely struggle, but there are a few other contenders who are being backed to face the drop in 2024-25.
Read on as we preview the battle at the bottom and look at the favourites with the bookies.
All prices were correct at the time of writing on 10 August and were available on bet365.
📰 Table Of Contents
Leicester (2/5)
It seems like a lifetime ago that Leicester won the league at 5000/1 odds.
Eight years after their historic triumph in the top flight, the Foxes are back after winning the Championship last season.
Their initial relegation in 2023 was a shock as it was so it is perhaps surprising to see them at such low odds to head straight back down.
The loss of head coach Enzo Maresca and star man Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to Chelsea will have undoubtedly had an impact on their survival chances but they do have experience in their squad.
Harry Winks, Wilfried Ndidi and Jamie Vardy all have plenty of Premier League minutes under their belt, but admittedly they are lacking in certain areas of the pitch.
Watch the whole interview as Steve Cooper discusses pre-season and our Premier League return 🎙️
— Leicester City (@LCFC) August 9, 2024
Ipswich (8/11)
New boys Ipswich have returned to the Premier League for the first time since 2002.
They are everybody’s favourites when it comes to watching a new team this term, thanks in part to the work done by Kieran McKenna.
The Tractor Boys earned back-to-back promotions from League One and are keen to show everybody what they can do, especially in front of a noisy crowd at Portman Road.
However, they are still one of the favourites to go down, mainly because they do not have the resources – like Luton Town before them – to compete with the big hitters.
Ipswich have still recruited smartly. Omari Hutchinson and Jacob Greaves have been their two most expensive signings, as well as Liam Delap from Manchester City and goalkeeper Arijanet Muric from Burnley.
Southampton (5/4)
Whenever Southampton do drop back into the Championship, they almost immediately come back up.
The Saints are a household name in the Premier League and that is likely why they are priced as the favourites of the promoted sides to stay up.
Russell Martin has been busy on the South Coast and will need to hit the ground running if he is to keep the Saints ship floating in 2024-25.
Adam Lallana has made a return to St. Mary’s and 22-year-old Taylor Harwood-Bellis has made the switch from City.
More work may need to be done to improve before the transfer window shuts though, especially if their rivals continue to explore the market.
Inside Access: 2024/25 #PL Media Day 🎬
Go behind the scenes 👇
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) August 9, 2024
Everton (7/4)
Everton’s future is still uncertain.
They have improved under Sean Dyche, but it may be another worrying campaign for the Toffees as they still wait for takeover news.
Fans will bid farewell to Goodison Park this season as the stadium on the docks nears completion.
But Everton will not want to tarnish the arena’s reputation by being relegated in it before it shuts down for good.
Dyche always produces a defensively sound side, but scoring goals remains a problem and it could come back to haunt them if they are not careful.
Nottingham Forest (2/1)
Nottingham Forest just about survived in 2023-24 and there are clear improvements to be made in the Midlands.
Nuno Espirito Santo is now fully settled in and expected to kick on as head coach, but it is easier said than done.
Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate have both left this summer, leaving two sizeable holes in their squad.
But Elliot Anderson has been recruited from Newcastle and will hopefully sure up the midfield for the Tricky Trees.
It may be another close call for Forest when it comes to beating the drop, but they have done it before and they will believe there are worse teams than them in the top flight this term.
Ending pre-season with a win! 👌 pic.twitter.com/KFY3iON73y
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) August 8, 2024
Wolves (7/2)
Wolves are a bit of an outside shot to go down, but they are worth a mention.
Gary O’Neil has just signed a new four-year deal with the club, but there is a bit of bad news.
Pedro Neto is joining Chelsea, stripping the Midlands side of one of their most talented attackers.
They do still have Hwang Hee-Chan up top though, who guarantees goals.
It would be a shock if Wolves did fall, but everybody thought Leicester would rescue themselves a year ago, and look what happened.
Brentford (5/1)
Thomas Frank is sitting comfortably as head coach at Brentford but it may not be smooth sailing this term.
The Bees are 5/1 outsiders to be relegated, but a bad start may drag them into the battle for the whole season.
Brentford’s only significant signing has been Igor Thiago, but he picked up an injury in pre-season.
And with Ivan Toney’s future still unclear, it leaves Frank with a very big problem at the top end of the pitch.
They should be fine with the likes of Yoanne Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo leading the line, but an injury to one of those two could derail their season.
💬 “We are progressing in the right direction now it is all about being ready for the first game”
Thomas Frank reacts to our final pre-season outing@pensionbee | #BREWOB pic.twitter.com/fwwdS4FYam
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 9, 2024
Prediction
It’s very tough to pick three teams to go down this season.
Everybody wants Ipswich to stay up, but the level may just be too high for them to survive.
The same could be said for Nottingham Forest, who rely on the brilliance of one or two players to pick up points.
Southampton may also struggle, due to their lack of squad depth and inexperienced manager at this level.
