Premier League
Great Teams That Fell: Premier League Relegations Reconsidered
Four Premier League sides that combined quality and chaos yet still finished below the survival line.
Relegation can feel like a blunt instrument. Across Premier League history several sides packed with genuine quality still slipped into the second tier, undone by instability, bad luck or a failure to cohere.
Blackpool arrived in the top flight with a bold identity. Ian Holloway, having taken charge at Bloomfield Road in 2009, adopted an attacking philosophy influenced by Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side. With a young Charlie Adam pulling the strings in midfield, DJ Campbell leading the line and Gary Taylor-Fletcher supplying support, the Tangerines played with verve. Their top-flight learning curve was steep and, in terms of individual pedigree, the squad was the weakest on this list. Still, Blackpool finished on 39 points, just one short of safety.
Newcastle’s collapse was chaotic and public. By the end of the 2008-09 season the club had managed just seven wins, passed through four managers and suffered relegation from the Premier League for the first time in their history. Kevin Keegan resigned in September after a dispute over transfer control, Joe Kinnear was appointed and became as notable for an expletive-laden press conference and for mistakenly referring to Charles N’Zogbia as “Insomnia.” Kinnear was replaced by Chris Hughton in February, and Alan Shearer took over in April tasked with keeping his boyhood club up. Passion was not enough; the talent at the club included Michael Owen, Obafemi Martins, Mark Viduka, Geremi Njitap, Damien Duff and Nicky Butt, yet relegation followed.
Blackburn Rovers went from title winners to relegated in four seasons. In 1998-99 they collected just 35 points. Only a year earlier Rovers had finished sixth, and several members of their title-winning squad remained, including Chris Sutton, Jason Wilcox and Tim Flowers, alongside emerging talent Damien Duff. A lack of goals was decisive: Kevin Gallacher and Ashley Ward were joint top scorers with five league goals apiece and the team won only five matches all season.
Middlesbrough’s 1996-97 campaign combined individual brilliance and misfortune. Juninho dazzled and Fabrizio Ravanelli scored 31 goals in all competitions, but the side finished on 39 points, two short of safety. Boro reached both the FA Cup and League Cup finals and supporters still recall a three-point deduction for failing to fulfil a fixture as a key factor in their relegation.
Arsenal
Arteta’s Konsa concern eases Arsenal wait ahead of Hull City
Arteta has confirmed Ezri Konsa had issues against Slavia Prague, with tests due before Hull City.
Mikel Arteta has admitted Ezri Konsa is carrying an issue after Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Slavia Prague, leaving the defender’s availability in doubt ahead of the meeting with Hull City on Saturday.
The Arsenal manager did not offer a reassuring update after the final whistle, saying the summer signing was withdrawn because of a problem and because of the heavy load he has been asked to manage in recent weeks.
“He is obviously playing a lot. He’s played so many games in the last few weeks,” Arteta said of Konsa.
“He had some issues and we decided to take him off.”
Konsa is now set to undergo further checks before Arsenal face Hull City, and any sign of a genuine injury would likely lead to a cautious approach from Arteta. With the November international break approaching, the club may have some breathing space if recovery is required.
The defender has already passed the 1,000-minute mark in all competitions during his debut Arsenal campaign, having featured in all but two of the team’s matches in 2026-27. Those two absences came in August, before his move from Aston Villa was completed.
His impact has been immediate, with Konsa emerging as Arsenal’s strongest summer addition and one of the standout new arrivals in the Premier League. He has filled the role left by William Saliba without disrupting the team’s rhythm.
If Arsenal do need to manage his minutes, Mosquera is available to step in alongside Gabriel, while Saliba is also back in contention after missing the start of the season with a back injury. The French defender travelled to Czechia and was an unused substitute, though a recall straight into the XI may be considered too soon.
Declan Rice also remains central to the discussion around Arsenal’s workload. He again influenced the win in midweek, but his minutes have been watched closely after a demanding run that included last season, the 2026 World Cup and the current campaign.
Arteta brushed aside concerns when asked about Rice completing the full 90 minutes. “The game required it, and he did,” he said. “He was as well rested against Fleetwood so he had a very good week to recover before Liverpool.
“It’s his second game in a week and not the fifth one. We expect our players to be able to do that and I think he had some very good moments throughout the game.”
Arsenal
October Premier League award nominees announced
Premier League October award nominees include standout performers and managers across the division.
The Premier League has named the contenders for its October 2026 Player and Manager of the Month awards, with eight players and six managers included on the respective shortlists.
Bournemouth forward Evanilson enjoyed a productive month, finishing October with four goals and one assist from four appearances as his team beat Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United after a slow opening to the season.
Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson also reached four goals in the month. The former Chelsea player scored twice in the 2-1 win over Manchester City and also found the net in draws against Brentford and Fulham.
Arsenal are represented by Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice after a perfect month. Konsa impressed in defence while William Saliba was absent, keeping two clean sheets in three outings and scoring his first goal for the club. Rice contributed two important assists at the other end.
Jack Rudoni’s form has helped Coventry City. The newly promoted side took two wins from four matches in October, with Rudoni scoring three times as they moved further away from the relegation zone.
Tottenham Hotspur also had an unbeaten month, and Jan Paul van Hecke played a key role in wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No player attempted or completed more passes than the Dutch defender last month.
Brighton have two nominees in Luka Vušković and Bart Verbruggen. Three clean sheets in four matches brought recognition for the Seagulls’ defence.
On the managerial shortlist, Chelsea scored more goals than any other team in October with nine, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta guided his side to the top of the table. Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery, Fabian Hürzeler and Marco Rose complete the list after strong runs during the month.
Month
Player
Club
August
João Pedro
Chelsea
September
Pascal Groß
Brighton
Month
Manager
Club
August
Sergej Jakirović
Hull
September
Aston Villa
Villa signal long-term Emery backing amid United speculation
Villa reinforce Emery’s future as reports link the manager with Manchester United again this week.
Aston Villa have moved to underline Unai Emery’s future at the club at a time when links with Manchester United continue to circulate.
Emery has been central to Villa’s rise, guiding them into the Champions League and delivering their first major trophy in 30 years last season with the Europa League. That track record makes him a natural fit for a club of Manchester United’s stature, especially given his history of success at Sevilla and Villarreal, as well as his experience at Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.
However, Villa’s position around their manager is clearly a sensitive one. The club recently threatened legal action against pundit Jamie Carragher over remarks made on the Stick to Football podcast last month. In his comments on Emery and Manchester United, Carragher suggested the Spaniard might want the chance to “manage a giant again,” while also saying, “There is a chain in football, whether you like it or not. Shut the f— up, Aston Villa fans. Aston Villa will never be Manchester United.”
After a public apology in which Carragher described his wording as “clumsy and wrong,” the matter was dropped.
Reports earlier this week stated Emery is “happy” at Aston Villa, has no release clause in his contract, and is not expected to leave. Villa have now added further weight to that view by publicising a meeting focused on “the club’s long-term strategic direction.”
One outcome from that meeting was “establishing a clear commitment beyond 2029” under Emery’s leadership. While the club stopped short of announcing a new deal, his current contract expires in 2029, and the wording strongly suggests a longer partnership is being prepared. The Athletic report that such an agreement is close.
Villa said: “The meeting brought together Nassef Sawiris, the club’s Chairman, and Unai Emery alongside President of Football Operations Roberto Olabe and Director of Football Operations Damián Vidagany.”
