Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland have taken a combined 23 points from their opening six games, making it the best start to a Premier League season by the promoted sides since 2017-18. In fact, only five times in Premier League history have the promoted sides made a better start to a season. Sunderland have made the best start of the three, accruing 11 points from their opening six games, which is the most any promoted side has taken in 13 years, since West Ham United did the same in 2012-13.
Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland have taken a combined 23 points from their opening six games, making it the best start to a Premier League season by the promoted sides since 2017-18.
In fact, only five times in Premier League history have the promoted sides made a better start to a season.
Sunderland have made the best start of the three, accruing 11 points from their opening six games, which is the most any promoted side has taken in 13 years, since West Ham United did the same in 2012-13.
So why have this season's trio started so much better than Leicester City, Ipswich and Southampton 12 months ago?
Because they have been much more successful at keeping Premier League opposition at bay, conceding eight fewer goals and giving up 32 fewer chances between them.
While this season's promoted sides haven't actually created much more than last season's trio, they have been more clinical so far, scoring three more goals despite only taking nine more shots and generating a similar quality of chances in terms of expected goals.
So after years of conventional wisdom telling us that a reliable goalscorer was the key to surviving in the Premier League, might Burnley, Leeds and Sunderland prove that defensive solidity is actually more important?
Category: General Sports
