Premier League 2018/19: 5 Teams Most Likely To Be Relegated This Season
Each season in the Premier League usually differs considerably from the last. It's one of the most unpredictable and competitive leagues in the world, meaning that one slip-up - even from the giants (Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City) - could see all their work come tumbling down.
Take West Bromwich Albion, for instance; the Baggies looked set to be on the up after having finished their 2016/17 campaign in 10th place with a respectable 45 points. They strengthened their team over the summer and many expected them to challenge for Europe. However, by the end of the 2017/18 season, they had been relegated after a rock-bottom finish. This is just one of the many examples that illustrate the erratic nature of the league.
Newly-promoted sides often find themselves in a relegation scrap from the get-go, trying for the rest of the season to scramble out of the pit. When one of these sides does make it out, however, another team must take their place. We've seen some Premier League veteran sides face the drop in recent years (Newcastle United, West Ham, etc.) and we could be set to see that happen once more, based on how things are shaping up this year.
With that being said, let's take a look at the five teams most likely to be relegated from the Premier League.
#5 Cardiff City
Cardiff City have started off the season very poorly, yet to pick up a single win from their seven games played.
The month of August was a chance for everyone to gauge what level Cardiff were at, but two uneventful draws against Newcastle and Huddersfield saw heads begin to drop. There was a grain of hope going into the Bournemouth match at the end of the month, but this time they suffered a 2-0 defeat. The score was a real kick in the teeth to Neil Warnock's men, and has perhaps been the cause of their low morale since then.
It hasn't been any easier for the Bluebirds, though, with comprehensive defeats to the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City. Their most recent game against a floundering Burnley was seen as a real opportunity for Cardiff to show everyone what they're made of, but they lost 2-1.
There has been some complaints from fans regarding Neil Warnock as manager. Most people believe that his tactics are antiquated and easy to counter. With their lacklustre results so far this season, you can see why fans might think that.
Despite the fact that six players were signed in the summer, they were all mediocre at best. When you make the transition from the Championship to the Premier League, everybody knows that it's imperative that the manager strengthens the side as much as he can. Cardiff haven't done this, and are now facing the consequences.
Cardiff were always going to be at a disadvantage as they're the newly-promoted side adjusting to life in the Premier League. But with a start as dreadful as this, it will take a lot for them to fight back now. And with a long stretch of tough games ahead of them, one can only hope that their morale lifts sometime soon in order to see them through.