Wolverhampton Wanderers face a monumental challenge to preserve their Premier League status after a disastrous start to the season. With the campaign nearing December, the Old Gold find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table, without a top-flight victory in seven long months.
A Statistical Nightmare
The situation at Molineux appears dire. Wolves have amassed just two points from their opening 12 matches, losing ten of those games. Their goal difference paints a bleak picture, with a mere seven goals scored while conceding 27. They are currently nine points adrift of safety, a gap that seems daunting with their eight-year Premier League stay on the line. New manager Rob Edwards, who replaced Vitor Pereira, has a colossal task on his hands to orchestrate a turnaround.
This points tally is the third-worst in top-flight history after 12 games, behind only Manchester United in 1930-31 and Sheffield United in 2020-21. Both of those clubs finished the season in last place. However, the Premier League era has witnessed several miraculous survivals that Edwards and his squad can look to for inspiration.
Historic Premier League Great Escapes
Wolves 2024/25
Ironically, the first source of hope comes from the club's own recent history. Many of the current players were part of a similar crisis just last season. After a winless first ten matches and a brief resurgence, a four-game losing streak cost Gary O’Neil his job. Vitor Pereira then took over a team in 19th place, four points from safety. A dramatic second-half of the season saw Wolves secure survival with 42 points, taking 32 points from the final 18 matches. A formation change, Matheus Cunha's contract extension, and the signing of Emmanuel Agbadou were pivotal in a run that included a six-match winning streak.
Newcastle United 2021/22
When Eddie Howe arrived at St James' Park, Newcastle United were in a deep crisis. After 14 matches, they were winless with only seven points, sitting bottom of the table and six points from safety. At the time, no team had ever survived after such a long winless run. Through improved tactics, shrewd signings like Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, and the revitalisation of players like Joelinton, the Magpies not only survived but soared to an 11th place finish.
Fulham 2007/08
Roy Hodgson masterminded one of the most dramatic late survivals in Premier League history. Fulham had won just two of their opening 20 games before Hodgson's appointment. The revival seemed unlikely, with the team picking up only nine points from his first thirteen league games. However, a stunning run of 12 points from the last five games, including a famous comeback from 2-0 down to beat Manchester City 3-2, secured their status. Survival was confirmed on the final day with a 1-0 win over Portsmouth, courtesy of a Danny Murphy header.
Against All Odds
Sunderland 2013/14
Gus Poyet took over a Sunderland team in crisis after a seven-match winless start. By mid-April, the Black Cats were rock-bottom and six points from safety, facing a nightmare run-in. What followed was extraordinary. They took points from Manchester City, ended Jose Mourinho's 77-game unbeaten home record with Chelsea, and beat Manchester United. They won four and drew one of their last six games to complete a remarkable escape.
West Brom 2004/05
This season rewrote the history books. Before 2005, no team bottom of the table on Christmas Day had ever survived. Bryan Robson's West Brom changed that. After failing to win in his first 11 games, form gradually improved. Going into the final day, the Baggies were still bottom and needed a win against Portsmouth, plus other results to go their way. In a day of high drama, everything fell into place and West Brom stayed up with a 2-0 victory, breaking the Christmas curse.
For Rob Edwards and his Wolverhampton Wanderers squad, these stories prove that while the challenge is immense, a great escape is never beyond the realms of possibility in the unpredictable world of the Premier League.
