How Wolves' 2025-26 season compares to the worst starts in Premier League history

Here, we take a look at six of the worst starters in Premier League history and how they eventually finished up.

Sheffield United - 1 point (2020-21) 

Finished 20th - relegated

Chris Wilder had exceeded expectations when he inspired Sheffield United to a ninth-place finish upon their return to the English top-flight in 2020. 

The second campaign started with a 2-0 home defeat against Wolves and culminated in a disastrous 17-match winless run. 

By this stage, the Blades had collected just a single point from their opening 12 games and would not pick up their first win until Match Day 18 - a 1-0 win over a 10-man Newcastle United. 

United did eventually scramble together 23 points to avoid breaking Derby County's unwanted record of 11 points, but they inevitably finished rock bottom and 16 points adrift of safety.

Burnley - 4 points (2023-24)

Finished 19th - relegated

Vincent Kompany, who is now spearheading Bayern Munich to new heights, had once done the same with Burnley in the Championship. 

They clinched the title with 101 points but failed to translate that level of dominance upon their return to the Premier League. 

By late November, Burnley sat bottom of the pile on four points, with their only victory coming in the form of a 2-1 triumph over fellow newly-promoted outfit Luton Town. 

They did climb above Burnley to avoid finishing the season at the foot of the table, but still ended up eight points behind 17th-place Nottingham Forest. 

Queens Park Rangers - 2012-13 (4 points)

Finished 20th - relegated

Queens Park Rangers had miraculously stayed up by the skin of their teeth in 2011-12, but they would have no such luck the following campaign. 

They lost eight of their opening 12 games and Mark Hughes was dismissed. His successor Harry Redknapp ended the Super Hoops' barren run with a 2-1 win over Fulham in their 17th game, although it would not prove the catalyst to a revival. 

Admittedly, Redknapp did lead QPR to a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge and draws against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United, but they eventually run out of steam towards the final stretch. 

QPR failed to win any of their final eight games and were relegated with three games to spare following a drab goalless stalemate at Reading.

Sheffield United - 5 points (2023-24)

Finished 20th - relegated

The Blades picked up just one point from their opening 10 games, before beating Wolves 2-1 at Bramall Lane and drawing 1-1 at Brighton the following weekend. 

Three successive defeats to Bournemouth, Burnley and Liverpool followed and Wilder was swiftly whisked into the building to replace Paul Heckingbottom.

His 'second debut' ended in a 1-0 win over Brentford, but only one more victory would follow, as they finished rock bottom on a mere 16 points.

Sheffield Wednesday (1999-00) 5 points 

Finished 19th - relegated

Crossing over the Sheffield divide, Wednesday also endured a shambolic start to the 1999-00 season under Danny Wilson. 

Their opening 13 games heralded just five points, although their only victory came in a 5-1 demolition of Wimbledon. 

Wilson hang on to his job until March when the Owls finally decided to part ways. Caretaker boss Peter Shreeves attempted to produce a miracle, but they eventually finished five points adrift of safety in 19th.

Derby County (2007-08) 6 points

Finished 20th - relegated

Remarkably, Derby actually had twice as many points as Wolves currently do at this stage of their infamous 2007-08 season. 

They started the campaign with a 2-2 draw against Portsmouth and beat Newcastle United 1-0 at Pride Park in their sixth game. 

It would prove to be their only victory throughout the entire season and the Rams were consigned to relegation by the end of March.