Hull, Coventry and Ipswich have collected 24 points between them after six games, and that start has already bent the Premier League relegation race in a different direction. Hull City and Ipswich both have nine points, while Coventry have six after a start that looked far less convincing.

The promoted clubs at the top of the warning signs

Sky Sports' feature put the shift plainly: "The relegation equation has certainly changed." The historical marker behind it is strong. No newly promoted Premier League club since 95/96 with at least 10 points after their first six games has subsequently been relegated, and the last nine newly promoted teams to get nine or more points from their first six matches have all survived.

Hull's nine points have been built on a more restrained profile than Ipswich's, who have scored nine goals. Hull have conceded six across those six games, which suggests a team doing more than simply riding a run of good results. Hull are also eighth after six games, a position that would have looked far less likely before the season began.

Fulham and Tottenham carry the early pressure

The shift matters because some of the established names below them have started badly. Fulham are bottom with two points, and Tottenham are 19th with three. Sky Sports also highlighted the risk that poor form and added workload can pull established sides into trouble when confidence drops.

Coventry are the one club in this group whose start still needs the most caution. They opened with four defeats and no goals, then beat Newcastle 4-1 and followed it with another victory, which is enough to change the mood without pretending the work is done. Frank Lampard's side have six points and a recent run that reads WWLLL, so the recovery is real, but the consistency question is still there.

The early evidence points in one direction. The promoted clubs have put enough points on the board to make the bottom half look less settled than expected, and the more immediate danger now sits with clubs such as Fulham and Tottenham. That may still change as the season develops, but after six games the promoted trio have done enough to make the established sides feel the heat.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →