Could the Three Promoted Teams Achieve an Uncommon Premier League Feat?

The Premier League has only just begun, but two of the three newly promoted clubs have already sent out an early warning that they have no intention of simply making up the numbers.

Could 2026/27 be the season in which all three promoted teams survive the drop?

It is a feat that has happened just four times since the Premier League was formed, making survival for Coventry City, Hull City and Ipswich Town a genuine challenge. However, the opening weekend has certainly given supporters of two of those clubs plenty of reason for optimism.

A Mixed Opening Weekend

Coventry City had perhaps the toughest assignment of all three promoted teams, travelling to face reigning champions Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Frank Lampard’s side were ultimately beaten 3-0, with Arsenal demonstrating why they are expected to be among the leading contenders for the title once again. Coventry were competing in the top flight for the first time in 25 years, so it was hardly a surprise, with all football betting sites predicting a comfortable home win.

For Hull City, however, the return to the Premier League could hardly have started better.

The Tigers travelled to Old Trafford and produced one of the opening weekend’s biggest shocks, defeating Manchester United 2-0. It was Hull’s first league victory over United in 52 years and immediately provided evidence that they could be capable of competing with established Premier League opposition.

Ipswich Town also enjoyed a winning return to the top flight, defeating Sunderland 2-1. That meant two of the three promoted sides began their campaigns with victories, while Coventry were the only newcomers to suffer defeat.

It is, of course, far too early to read too much into one weekend. But for Hull and Ipswich, those results could provide valuable confidence.

Only Four Times Before

The difficulty of what these three clubs are attempting becomes clear when looking at the history of the Premier League.

There have been only four seasons in which all three promoted teams have survived their first season back in the top flight. The most recent was 2022/23, when Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest all avoided relegation.

The four occasions were:

The fact that this has happened only four times illustrates just how difficult the transition from the Championship to the Premier League can be.

Newly promoted teams are generally expected to be involved in the relegation battle, with the financial strength, squad depth and experience of established Premier League clubs presenting a significant challenge.

Indeed, the three promoted clubs have all been relegated together on only one occasion, when Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace went straight back down in 1997/98.

The 2001/02 Trio Set the Standard

The 2001/02 season provides perhaps the most impressive example of newly promoted clubs making themselves at home in the Premier League.

Fulham, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers all survived, and their subsequent Premier League longevity made that achievement even more remarkable.

Blackburn and Bolton would both remain in the Premier League for 11 seasons after promotion, while Fulham spent 13 seasons in the top flight before eventually being relegated in 2014.

That trio therefore did more than simply survive. They established themselves as Premier League clubs for many years.

Could History Repeat Itself?

There are reasons to believe Coventry, Hull and Ipswich could potentially challenge the established pattern.

Hull have already demonstrated that they are capable of producing a result that few would have predicted. Beating Manchester United away from home is the kind of result that can transform the mood around a newly promoted club.

Ipswich have also started positively, although their circumstances are particularly interesting given their recent history of promotion and relegation. Their immediate objective will be to establish themselves in the division rather than becoming a yo-yo club.

Coventry, meanwhile, should not be judged too harshly for losing at Arsenal. They were facing the defending champions in their first Premier League game for a quarter of a century, and the season will ultimately be decided by how they perform across the other 37 matches.

Perhaps most importantly, the three clubs will have opportunities to take points from one another. Those fixtures could prove particularly significant when the relegation battle begins to take shape.

The Road Will Be Long

Of course, one successful weekend does not suddenly make survival likely.

The Premier League is a marathon rather than a sprint, and promoted clubs often discover that maintaining their early momentum over 38 games is the real challenge.

There will be injuries, difficult runs of fixtures, pressure-filled relegation six-pointers and periods when confidence inevitably dips.

For Coventry, Hull and Ipswich, the key will be collecting points consistently against teams around them in the table while taking advantage of any opportunities against the division’s bigger clubs.

Hull have already shown that such opportunities can arise.

An Uncommon Feat Could Be On The Cards

It would be premature to predict that all three promoted teams will survive. History suggests that at least one of them is likely to find the Premier League too difficult.

But that is precisely what makes the prospect so interesting.

Only four times have all three promoted clubs avoided relegation, with the most recent occasion coming in 2022/23. The fact that Hull and Ipswich have already secured opening-day victories means two of this season’s newcomers have made an immediate statement.

Coventry, meanwhile, have 37 matches remaining to prove that the defeat at Arsenal was merely a difficult introduction rather than a sign of things to come.

If all three can stay up, they will join a very select group in Premier League history.

Could 2026/27 become the fifth season in which every promoted team survives?

After the opening weekend, it certainly feels like a possibility worth watching.