Staying in the Premier League is always a challenge for promoted clubs but the class of 2022/23 are suggesting they may have what it takes.
In fact, they could achieve a rare hat-trick.
With Fulham sitting ninth in the table and AFC Bournemouth 14th, Nottingham Forest are the lone member of the trio inside the bottom three at Christmas, and they are only one point behind 17th-placed Everton.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 |
Brentford
BRE
|
38 | +12 | 59 |
| 10 |
Fulham
FUL
|
38 | +2 | 52 |
| 11 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
38 | -9 | 45 |
| 12 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
38 | -9 | 44 |
| 13 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers
WOL
|
38 | -27 | 41 |
| 14 |
West Ham United
WHU
|
38 | -13 | 40 |
| 15 |
Bournemouth
BOU
|
38 | -34 | 39 |
| 16 |
Nottingham Forest
NFO
|
38 | -30 | 38 |
| 17 |
Everton
EVE
|
38 | -23 | 36 |
| 18 |
Leicester City
LEI
|
38 | -17 | 34 |
If Steve Cooper's side can climb out of the bottom three, this could be the fourth Premier League season when all three promoted clubs stay up, after 2001/02, 2011/12 and 2017/18.
When all three clubs have stayed up
| Season | Clubs | Final pos. |
|---|---|---|
| 2001/02 | Blackburn | 10th |
| Fulham | 13th | |
| Bolton | 16th | |
| 2011/12 | Swansea | 11th |
| Norwich | 12th | |
| QPR | 17th | |
| 2017/18 | Newcastle | 10th |
| Brighton | 15th | |
| Huddersfield | 16th |
Fulham could go one step further by securing a top-half finish, maintaining a recent trend.
In the 10 seasons between 2007/08 and 2016/17, only two promoted clubs ended up in the top 10 spots.
But in the last five campaigns it has happened four times, with Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Sheffield United and Leeds United all doing so.
Promoted teams with top-half finishes
| Team | Pos | Team | Pos | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92/93 | BLB | 4 | 05/06 | WHU, WIG | 9, 10 |
| 93/94 | NEW | 3 | 06/07 | RDG | 8 |
| 94/95 | NFO | 3 | 09/10 | BIR | 9 |
| 96/97 | LEI | 9 | 12/13 | WHU | 10 |
| 98/99 | MID | 9 | 17/18 | NEW | 10 |
| 99/00 | SUN | 7 | 18/19 | WOL | 7 |
| 00/01 | IPS, CHA | 5, 9 | 19/20 | SHU | 9 |
| 01/02 | BLB | 10 | 20/21 | LEE | 9 |
| 02/03 | MCI | 9 | |||
In a 20-team Premier League season, the Ipswich Town side of 2000/01 boast the best performance by a promoted team.
They finished fifth and qualified for Europe, playing in the UEFA Cup group stage the following season.
Also in this series
Part 1: Does being Christmas No 1 lead to the title?
Part 2: Man City hunting Man Utd's record for best festive form
Part 3: How much does your club enjoy Christmas?
Part 5: Festive duels can shape relegation battle
Part 6: Kane targets goal records for Boxing Day and festive period
Part 7: League leaders set for tough festive schedule