Leeds United and Sunderland, and maybe even Burnley, might finally break the Premier League “promotion curse,” putting an end to the streak of newly-promoted clubs crashing straight back down.

While the gap between established Premier League sides and the rest of England has grown in recent seasons, this year’s promoted trio, propelled by smart recruitment, resilient attitudes, and shifting tactics, is reshaping the expected narrative and offering genuine hope that survival is possible for all three.​

New Faces, New Hopes: Will Leeds United, Sunderland, and Burnley avoid Premier League ignominy?

Promotion to the Premier League should be an exhilarating triumph, a reward for months of hard work and dreams cultivated over seasons. Yet for the last two seasons, the journey from the EFL Championship glory to Premier League survival has been a cruel conveyor belt, bouncing clubs straight back to obscurity almost as soon as they arrive.

Fans, pundits, and directors alike enter each campaign well aware of the daunting statistics, grim realities, and growing chasm that has come to define the Premier League-Football League gulf.​ So, Leeds United, Sunderland, and Burnley entered the fray in August with expectations muted.

Their supporters had witnessed the wreckage of recent campaigns, haunted by the knowledge that getting promoted often turns quickly into the agony of record-low point hauls or defensive collapses. The air was heavy with caution; it was hard to ignore what happened to Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United in 2023/24 or Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton the season after. With so much recent failure, hope had grown fragile.​

But as the autumn fixture list unfolded, a subtle shift took place. Leeds United secured points in tough match-ups against teams poised to be in the bottom half of the Premier League table, Sunderland soared briefly up the table, and Burnley stole crucial victories against potential relegation contenders.

Gameweek nine saw all three win, a feat not managed since November 2020, or December 2018 if we exclude the pandemic season’s empty stadiums. The promoted clubs have tallied a combined 38 points after nine games, outpacing even some Premier League mainstays and setting new records for the post-promotion landscape.​ Along with results, the mood inside stadiums is different.

Elland Road and the Stadium of Light are pulsed with self-belief rather than dread. Fans have celebrated, teams have played with composure, and “the curse” has stopped feeling inevitable. Even Burnley, viewed by most as the weakest of the promoted trio, have shown discipline, a refreshing contrast to Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, whose own Premier League campaigns have looked shaky amid turnover and defensive woes.​

This opening to the season offers a glimmer of hope for those desperate to see the glass ceiling shattered. The odds, of course, remain stacked against newly-promoted clubs. But this time, they are not just making up the numbers. For Leeds United, Sunderland, and Burnley, the story is about rewriting expectations, about audacity, adaptability, and the belief that survival no longer means clinging by your fingernails but building strong enough sides to compete and thrive.

The Ghost of Premier League Relegations Past

Recent seasons have transformed Premier League promotion from triumph into cautionary tale, a reality that every EFL Championship side now fears as much as they crave. The dreaded fate is statistical, organisational, and brutally impersonal: parachute payments were meant to ease the pain, but instead, have entrenched a cycle where promoted clubs yo-yo and fade.​

In 2023/24, Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United earned their places among England’s best. By May, all three had returned to the Championship, scoring a combined 66 points (among the lowest together for relegated sides), unable to cope with the step up in pace, skill, and financial muscle.

The subsequent campaign heaped even greater misery on newcomers. Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton failed to survive through all nine months, with Southampton infamous for an astonishingly early relegation, a record-low points tally, and less than half of the league goals scored by Brentford, a mid-table side.​

The consequences rippled outward. Directors changed course, fan bases shrank, and the stigma of the “promotion curse” gained strength. In two years, six promoted teams had failed to avoid relegation, with most going down before April.​

Attempts to bridge the gap involved spending big, hiring managers with Premier League savvy, and clinging to the hope that a new signing might deliver survival. Instead, parachute payments have pushed teams to gamble away core identities, leading to rushed squad overhauls and inevitable disappointment. The Premier League is a financial colossus, pulling away from the rest, and the promoted sides are forced to outspend and outthink rivals just to have a chance.​

Yet 2025/26 hints that the spell might finally be broken. Leeds United, Sunderland, and Burnley have already captured more points than relegation-haunted trios at the same stage over the previous two seasons.

They have been competitive, resilient, and clever, proving that smart management, a focused summer window, and unshakeable self-belief can challenge the status quo. The curse may persist in memory, but reality now seems softer, more hopeful. a chance to prove that the Championship does not always send clubs to the abyss.​

Leeds United: Building a Foundation

Leeds United’s return is remarkable not because they dominated the EFL Championship, but because of how well they have adapted to the Premier League. Back under the stewardship of Daniel Farke, the Whites stand six points clear of relegation, relying on “hard yards” and tactical discipline as much as any individual brilliance.​

Results That Matter

Wins over Everton, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and fighting draws, especially at home, have been pivotal. The West Yorkshire outfit have avoided the heavy defeats that sap morale, displaying resilience in tough matches against top-four sides.

On top of that, they have notched three early victories and two draws from nine games. These are not flukes; each point has come from gritty, composed performances and a refusal to capitulate when behind. Their tally of eleven points after nine weeks exceeds the pace of most predecessors and sets a solid platform for survival.​

Smart Spending, Midfield Steel

Leeds United were thoughtful in their summer strategy. Midfield anchor Anton Stach arrived from Hoffenheim for £17 million, while Sean Longstaff added energy and know-how beside him. The addition of Dominic Calvert-Lewin brought experience up front, and signings like Jaka Bijol and Lucas Perri added depth in key positions.

Rather than splurge recklessly, Leeds reinforced their core, maintaining squad cohesion from the previous promotion drive. Bornauw and other arrivals give them more tactical options, letting Daniel Farke experiment without the risk of destabilizing the XI.​

Fortress Elland: Home Comforts

One secret to Leeds’ resilience has been their home form. Crowds at Elland Road have been electric, driving the team on and forcing errors out of visiting sides. Their ability to turn tight games into wins owes much to this support, throughout 2025, Leeds have been among the best at home in both the Championship and Premier League. That advantage transforms each fixture into an occasion, where the players believe they can deliver, and the fear of relegation is kept firmly at bay.​

Sunderland: From Survival to Surging

Sunderland have set the Premier League alight not just by surviving, but by soaring. Currently sitting in the top four, they trail only Arsenal in points and have produced the most successful start by any promoted team since West Ham in 2012/13.​

Outrageous Results

Eleven points in six matches, seventeen by week nine, and victories over Chelsea and other giants bear witness to real progress. The club’s consistency has surprised even seasoned pundits, with the Black Cats now possessing a comfortable buffer between themselves and the drop zone. Their mix of high-scoring wins and disciplined away draws signals a blend of defensive resolve and attacking ambition.​

Smart, Strategic Spending

Sunderland’s impressive run owes much to a well-executed transfer window. Granit Xhaka, brought in to steady the midfield, has delivered experience on the pitch and leadership in training. Talented arrivals such as Habib Diarra and Brian Brobbey add flexibility and a sense of future growth, while Enzo Le Fée balances work rate with creativity. New boss Regis Le Bris prioritized calculated risks, investing over £150 million on players who fit a system rather than make a spectacle. That restraint and foresight has paid off with points and tactical clarity.​

Battling Toward the Miracle Mark

The forty-point milestone remains the “magic number” for survival in Premier League folklore. With Sunderland’s current trajectory, they could cross that line far earlier than most expect, having already surpassed the best starts of recent promoted sides. The team’s efficiency—scoring ruthlessly with modest possession, defending with uncommon unity—shows that their early surge is no fluke. Maintain focus, and they could soon swap survival talk for dreams of European football.​

Do not sleep on Burnley

Burnley’s campaign is instructive for another reason. Arriving with the least fanfare, their disciplined defence and knack for vital goals have set them apart from rivals seen as automatic relegation fodder. Five points clear of the drop zone, Burnley’s victories have come against both direct rivals and stubborn mid-table opponents.​

Scott Parker has alternated tactics, from back-five solidity to more adventurous 4-2-3-1 setups, depending on the opposition. Midfield star Josh Cullen and wing threat Jaidon Anthony have energized the attack, their interplay producing crucial assists and goals. Burnley’s defending remains a concern—their xGA is among the highest in the division—but their ability to score in multiple ways (set-pieces, counters, crosses) offers welcome unpredictability.​

Most importantly, Burnley have looked better than both West Ham and Wolves. Where those sides have been plagued by inconsistency, Burnley have shown they can target rivals, grind out draws, and steal points in high-pressure matches. Outperforming just one more club could deliver survival and cement their reputation as the season’s unlikely escape artists.​

Counterpoint: The Danger of Inexperience

For all the momentum, a caveat remains. None of the managers at Leeds, Sunderland, or Burnley, Regis Le Bris, Scott Parker, or Daniel Farke, holds a long track record in Premier League survival. Farke, for his part, led Norwich City through two relegations. Parker, having managed Fulham, knows how tough the league is but has never steered a side to safety. Le Bris is adapting on the fly, learning game-by-game.​

Their rivals, however, are guided by seasoned tacticians. Nottingham Forest, after some managerial churn, boast Sean Dyche, well known for keeping Burnley and Everton alive in the top flight. West Ham’s Nuno Espirito Santo has guided Wolves through tough campaigns, understanding exactly what’s required to nab survival scraps. Wolves’ Vitor Pereira also knows the drill: gritty matches, tight scorelines, and tactical battles that reward experience over pure optimism.​

As history shows, veteran managers exploit rookie mistakes, adapting more quickly to the pressure and fatigue of a relegation fight. But inexperience doesn’t always guarantee defeat; freshness and hunger can blindside complacency, and new faces often spark new solutions.

So, will the curse be broken?

Leeds United and Sunderland have, so far, upended expectations with dynamic signings, resilient tactics, and an energy that belies their recent history. If they continue their current pace, both could not only end the Championship promotion curse but reset the blueprint for Premier League newcomers.​

Burnley are still outsiders, but their disciplined, adaptable approach and clever squad rotation hint at a chance to outperform struggling, established sides like West Ham, Wolves, and Nottingham Forest. Should all three survive, it would rewrite what is possible for promoted clubs and shake perceptions across England’s pyramid.​

What began as another season of survival now looks like the start of a new chapter—a chance for hope, invention, and a challenge to the fate of “just making up the numbers.” The curse isn’t gone yet, but Leeds, Sunderland, and Burnley have proven it can be broken. If Premier League newcomers keep planning, believing, and performing, history won’t just be rewritten – it could be erased.