Burnley showing the way

There is not much between the three clubs that came up from the Championship, and although just one of them reside in the relegation zone, a poor run of results for any of them could result in trouble and an immediate return to the Championship.

Burnley were the first club to guarantee Premier League football, having secured their place at the top after finishing top of the Championship. Middlesbrough were to follow after a 1-1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion meant they could finish no lower than second. The last club to join them had to come through the notoriously difficult and high-pressured play-off route and Hull City, despite finishing fourth in the Championship, celebrated as they defeated Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final.

Burnley splashed out on Jeff Hendrick, Steven Defour and Charlton Athletic duo Nick Pope and Johan Berg Gudmundsson among others on their return to the Premier League. They are faring best of the newcomers and have accumulated ten points after nine matches and if they keep up that win rate they shouldn’t be too far from safety come the end of the season.

Middlesbrough brough in nine new players upon promotion including Adama Traore, Antonio Barragan and the highly rated Vikto Fischer (from Anderlecht). After a start of three matches unbeaten with two wins and a draw, they are beginning to struggle and plummeting down the table. They sit just outside the relegation zone, but on current form must be among the favourites for the drop unless they start getting some wins under their belts.

Hull City splashed out a rumoured £13 million on Tottenham Hotspur player Ryan Mason as well as securing the services of goalkeeper David Marshall with Jams Weir and Will Keane coming in from Manchester United. They have amassed seven points from their nine games so far, but have been on the receiving end of some heavy defeats, namely a 6-1 thrashing from Bournemouth and a 5-1 beating from title hopefuls Liverpool.

So as the season begins to take shape, it’s looking likely that at least one from the three promoted clubs will be relegated this season. Both Hull City and Middlesbrough are looking vulnerable and the games against each other could be crucial to their survival. Sean Dyche has Burnley carving out some decent results, most notably a 2-0 win over Liver pool and if they keep that up they should have no trouble securing Premier League football for next season.