When you think of the worst clubs, you probably picture the teams that sank without a trace, the ones whose seasons were defined by record-breaking losses, dreadful defending, and an overwhelming lack of hope.
Over the years, the Premier League has seen plenty of clubs rise and fall; only a few have endured campaigns so poor that they’re remembered more for their failures than anything else.
Sometimes it’s down to financial chaos.
Other times, it’s poor recruitment, bad luck, or simply being hopelessly outclassed week after week. Whatever the cause, these clubs have printed their names into the history books for all the wrong reasons.
Today, we’ll walk through the Worst clubs in Premier League history, based on points, performances, goal difference, and sheer misery.
- The Worst clubs in EPL history
- 15. Swindon Town — 1993/94 Season
- 14. Ipswich Town — 1994/95 Season
- 13. Bradford City — 2000/01 Season
- 12. Queens Park Rangers — 2012/13 Season
- 11. Watford — 2021/22 Season
- 10. Norwich City — 2021/22 Season
- 9. Norwich City — 2019/20 Season
- 8. Sunderland — 2002/03 Season
- 7. Portsmouth — 2009/10 Season
- 6. Aston Villa — 2015/16 Season
- 5. Sheffield United — 2023/24 Season
- 4. Huddersfield Town — 2018/19 Season
- 3. Sunderland — 2005/06 Season
- 2. Southampton — 2024/25 Season
- 1. Derby County — 2007/08 Season
The Worst clubs in EPL history
The Premier League is widely regarded as the most competitive football league in the world, but not every team that graces its stage leaves a lasting positive impression.
15. Swindon Town — 1993/94 Season
Points Tally: 30
Premier League Record:
Wins: 5 | Draws: 15 | Losses: 22
Goals For: 47 | Goals Against: 100 | Goal Difference: -53
Swindon Town’s first and so far only Premier League season was one of the leakiest campaigns ever recorded. Conceding 100 goals throughout the season, they finished rock bottom, despite occasionally putting up a spirited fight.
Their defensive collapse was epitomized on the final day of the season, when a late goal from Leeds United’s Chris Fairclough brought up their unwanted century of goals conceded.
14. Ipswich Town — 1994/95 Season
Points Tally: 27
Premier League Record:
Wins: 7 | Draws: 6 | Losses: 29
Goals For: 36 | Goals Against: 93 | Goal Difference: -57
Ipswich Town’s 1994/95 campaign is best remembered for their historic 9-0 thrashing by Manchester United, still the biggest margin of defeat in Premier League history.
After a horrid start, John Lyall was dismissed and George Burley took the helm, but the damage had been done. Ipswich conceded an eye-watering 93 goals over the season and were relegated from a 22-team Premier League, finishing bottom of the pile.
13. Bradford City — 2000/01 Season
Points Tally: 26
Premier League Record:
Wins: 5 | Draws: 11 | Losses: 22
Goals For: 30 | Goals Against: 70 | Goal Difference: -40
Bradford’s debut Premier League season had ended with an incredible escape, but the magic didn’t last. The following year, manager Paul Jewell departed, and his replacement, Chris Hutchings, struggled from the outset.
Despite marquee signings like Benito Carbone and Stan Collymore, the team lacked cohesion and firepower. A 26-point finish saw the Bantams drop back to the second tier.
12. Queens Park Rangers — 2012/13 Season
Points Tally: 25
Premier League Record:
Wins: 4 | Draws: 13 | Losses: 21
Goals For: 30 | Goals Against: 60 | Goal Difference: -30
QPR had one of the most underwhelming and expensive flops in Premier League history in 2012/13. Big-money signings like Julio Cesar, Esteban Granero, and José Bosingwa arrived amid great fanfare, but the squad never clicked.
Mark Hughes was sacked after failing to register a single win in the first 12 games. Harry Redknapp stepped in, but even his managerial savvy couldn’t salvage the season. The team finished rock bottom, managing just four wins all year.
SEE ALSO | 10 Clubs with the Most Relegations in EPL History
11. Watford — 2021/22 Season
Points Tally: 23
Premier League Record:
Wins: 6 | Draws: 5 | Losses: 27
Goals For: 34 | Goals Against: 77 | Goal Difference: -43
Watford’s return to the Premier League in 2021 was met with cautious optimism, especially after a strong start that included an opening-day win over Aston Villa.
The club’s notorious trigger-happy ownership didn’t waste time pulling the plug on manager Xisco Muñoz after just seven games.
Claudio Ranieri came and went, and Roy Hodgson was left to oversee a sinking ship. Despite some memorable high points, including a stunning 4-1 demolition of Manchester United, Watford’s inconsistency, porous defense, and managerial instability condemned them to relegation with just 23 points.
10. Norwich City — 2021/22 Season
Points Tally: 22
Premier League Record:
Wins: 5 | Draws: 7 | Losses: 26
Goals For: 23 | Goals Against: 84 | Goal Difference: -61
Two years after their previous relegation, Norwich were promoted again under Daniel Farke, but the same problems persisted: poor recruitment and a lack of Premier League-quality depth. Despite replacing Farke with Dean Smith, the Canaries failed to turn the tide.
Their 2021/22 campaign featured some of the lowest offensive and defensive stats in recent memory, and they dropped straight back to the Championship, finishing dead last for the second time in three years.
9. Norwich City — 2019/20 Season
Points Tally: 21
Premier League Record:
Wins: 5 | Draws: 6 | Losses: 27
Goals For: 26 | Goals Against: 75 | Goal Difference: -49
When Norwich City earned promotion in 2019 under Daniel Farke, fans hoped for another fairytale, much like their 2018/19 Championship triumph. The Premier League is an entirely different beast, and the Canaries’ optimism was short-lived.
Operating on a shoestring budget, Norwich failed to bring in the caliber of players necessary to survive, and it showed week after week.
Despite the odd flash of brilliance, notably a memorable win against Manchester City, they crumbled under the relentless pressure of top-flight football.
The season ended with Norwich rooted to the bottom of the table, having won just 5 matches and scoring a mere 26 goals, the joint-lowest in the league that year.
Their relegation marked their fifth demotion from the Premier League, making them the division’s most relegated club.
8. Sunderland — 2002/03 Season
Points Tally: 19
Premier League Record:
Wins: 4 | Draws: 7 | Losses: 27
Goals For: 21 | Goals Against: 65 | Goal Difference: -44
Sunderland’s 2002/03 season was a perfect storm of poor decisions and worse performances. The Black Cats sacked long-time boss Peter Reid early in the season, and his replacements, Howard Wilkinson and later Mick McCarthy, couldn’t stop the slide.
A record-equalling low of 19 points and the lowest goals tally in Premier League history at the time (21) made this a season to forget.
7. Portsmouth — 2009/10 Season
Points Tally: 19 (after 9-point deduction)
Premier League Record:
Wins: 7 | Draws: 7 | Losses: 24
Goals For: 34 | Goals Against: 66 | Goal Difference: -32
Portsmouth’s decline was as much a financial tragedy as it was a footballing one. Having won the FA Cup just two years prior, the club imploded under the weight of debt, forcing them to sell key players and limp through the season with a thin, inexperienced squad.
The turmoil culminated in a 9-point deduction for entering administration, sealing their fate well before the season’s end. Despite a run to the FA Cup final, Pompey ended the league campaign at the foot of the table.
SEE ALSO | EPL: 10 Fastest Title Wins of All Time
6. Aston Villa — 2015/16 Season
Points Tally: 17
Premier League Record:
Wins: 3 | Draws: 8 | Losses: 27
Goals For: 27 | Goals Against: 76 | Goal Difference: -49
Aston Villa, one of the founding members of the Premier League, suffered a dramatic fall from grace in 2015/16. The departure of key players like Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph left them exposed, and the replacements failed to deliver.
Despite changing managers from Tim Sherwood to Remi Garde and then interim boss Eric Black, Villa couldn’t escape their fate.
They finished the season with just three wins and a humiliating 17-point haul.
5. Sheffield United — 2023/24 Season
Points Tally: 16
Premier League Record:
Wins: 3 | Draws: 7 | Losses: 28
Goals For: 35 | Goals Against: 104 | Goal Difference: -69
Sheffield United’s 2023/24 season will go down in history for all the wrong reasons. Their defense was so porous that they conceded a record-breaking 104 goals, setting a new unwanted Premier League benchmark.
The Blades endured heavy defeats week after week, including an 8-0 Home loss to Newcastle and a 6-0 thrashing by Arsenal.
Their goal difference of -69 underlines just how outmatched they were at this level.
4. Huddersfield Town — 2018/19 Season
Points Tally: 16
Premier League Record:
Wins: 3 | Draws: 7 | Losses: 28
Goals For: 22 | Goals Against: 76 | Goal Difference: -54
Huddersfield’s first Premier League campaign ended in survival, but their second was a textbook example of second-season syndrome. Despite the best efforts of David Wagner and later Jan Siewert, the Terriers only managed three wins all season.
Relegation was confirmed in March, one of the earliest in Premier League history, and the club has struggled to recover ever since.
3. Sunderland — 2005/06 Season
Points Tally: 15
Premier League Record:
Wins: 3 | Draws: 6 | Losses: 29
Goals For: 26 | Goals Against: 69 | Goal Difference: -43
Two years after setting a record for the lowest points tally, Sunderland returned to the Premier League and, incredibly, managed to be even worse.
Mick McCarthy’s men won just three games all season, and a mid-season managerial change failed to lift the gloom. Despite scoring slightly more than in 2002/03, their 15 points were an embarrassment.
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2. Southampton — 2024/25 Season
Points Tally: 11 (as of April 21st)
Premier League Record (so far):
Wins: 2 | Draws: 4 | Losses: 26
Goals For: 24 | Goals Against: 78 | Goal Difference: -54
Southampton’s return to the Premier League in 2024 was a nightmare from start to finish. With only two wins and a historically early relegation confirmed in April, the Saints looked lost and ill-equipped for the demands of top-flight football.
Unless a late miracle run boosts their points total, they’re on course to surpass Derby County’s record and finish with one of the lowest tallies in Premier League history.
1. Derby County — 2007/08 Season
Points Tally: 11
Premier League Record:
Wins: 1 | Draws: 8 | Losses: 29
Goals For: 20 | Goals Against: 89 | Goal Difference: -69
No team has ever had a more disastrous Premier League campaign than Derby County in 2007/08. The Rams managed just one win all season and were relegated by mid-March.
From the start, the squad looked woefully out of its depth, and even the signings of Premier League veterans in January couldn’t prevent them from earning the lowest points total in league history.
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