By Joseph Plunkett
It feels rather harsh discussing relegation from the Premier League when we are just one game into the new season. However, with the financial muscle England’s top division now holds, never has relegation been such a feared fate among the twenty competing clubs than it is today. The price of failure, capable of ruining clubs, has never been higher.
So, who’s considered fodder for staying up with the big boys and who, after just one week, is already fighting for their lives?
The three favourites to go down
Without any shadow of a doubt, the best of today’s free betting tips on www.BettingInstitute.co.uk is to back newly promoted Cardiff City to make a swift return to the league they came from.
The Bluebirds have made little movement in the transfer window with the loan capture of Bournemouth’s Harry Arter the only real signing of note.
Cardiff look like a Championship side and simply do not have the quality to last a full campaign (as highlighted against Bournemouth in their opening fixture) therefore a best price of 4/7 for the drop is one of the best prices you will get on an almost near certainty.
Second favourites for the drop are the Terriers of Huddersfield Town.
After head coach David Wagner masterminded their survival last time out, one would have thought they have taken the chance to firmly establish themselves with a stellar signing or two.
However, that has not been the case despite six new faces heading to Yorkshire. The highest profile of these is the £18 million capture of Terence Kongolo from Monaco but Wagner may need more quality than blind luck if he is going to keep his side in the division once again.
Brighton are third favourites to go down and can be backed at a best price 5/2.
Chris Hughton’s Seagulls ended seven points clear of the drop last term largely thanks to 13 draws, but this time looked lackluster in their opening 2-0 loss to Watford.
Surprise contenders for the drop
One game in and it is West Ham United who sit bottom of the table after Liverpool proved their title credentials against them with a crushing 4-0 win.
Superstar manager Manuel Pellegrini is the man at the Hammers helm and a host of star names have been brought into the club such as Jack Wilshere, Lucas Perez and Felipe Anderson.
Surely West Ham have too much quality but if protests against the owners continue and the players fail to gel, 8/1 may not be a bad price.
Another club in crisis with their owner is Newcastle United.
Manager Rafael Benitez is the glue that holds the club together but if he goes, expect serious trouble on Tyneside making 4/1 a worthy price for the drop.
The Rest
It is widely regarded that this is the most open bottom half of the Premier League that we have ever seen, and it is hard to argue against that.
Newly promoted Wolves and Fulham have spent heavily, but an opening day defeat to Crystal Palace made for worrying viewing for the Cottagers.
Bournemouth, Southampton, Burnley, Watford, and Crystal Palace will all be wary with the Premier League relegation fight well and truly on with 37 games still to go.