The Premier League has always been a hive of drama and passion mixed with nail-biting action from the top to the very bottom.
Whilst the title battles and fights for a top-four finish are usually the ones that take precedent, the competition to survive in the greatest league in the world often supplies us with plenty of drama too, and some teams have completed survival missions that few expected.
Here are five teams that have pulled off the greatest relegation escapes…
Sunderland 2013/14
It became a common thing for Sunderland to be broiled in a Premier League survival battle for the last couple of seasons of their recent spell in the top flight. The 2013/14 season was no different, and it was probably the most impressive survival season they managed. It was a chaotic start to the campaign, with Paulo Di Canio losing his role as manager after one point in eight games.
In came former Brighton manager Gus Poyet, but after reaching the League Cup final things in the league were looking bleak for the Black Cats. Seven points from safety with only six games remaining suggested the Championship was on the horizon, but Sunderland had other ideas. After drawing against Manchester City, Poyet’s side secured four wins, including away at Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, and their survival was confirmed on the penultimate game.
Leicester City 2014/15
Leicester City winning the Premier League was a miracle but the Foxes’ previous campaign was perhaps just as miraculous. The midlands outfit entered the 2014/15 seasons as winners of the Championship, but after a modest start to their return to the top flight, things slowly began to unravel.
Under the management of Nigel Pearson, who became embroiled in controversy through his behaviour on the touchline and in press conferences, Leicester were rooted to the bottom of the table at Christmas. However, with the likes of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez and Kasper Schmeichel, the Foxes won seven of their last matches and like Sunderland, their safety was confirmed on the penultimate game.
Wigan Athletic 2011/12
Whilst the 2011/12 season will be remembered for the dramatic ending in Manchester, the relegation battle had just as many people on the edge of their seats. Wigan Athletic under Roberto Martinez had already survived a Premier League relegation battle during the previous campaign and this season was no different for the Latics. Martinez’s side sat on 15 points after 19 games, which included an eight-match losing streak between September and November.
But after the New Year, Wigan turned a corner and with the likes of Shaun Maloney, Victor Moses and Franco Di Santo, the Lancashire outfit found themselves on a late surge to survival. Wins against their relegation rivals along with impressive victories against Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester United saw Wigan take it to the final day, when a 1-0 win over Stoke City saw the Latics incredibly stay up.
West Bromwich Albion 2004/05
The original survival miracle story. Bryan Robson’s West Brom had been rooted at the bottom of the league for much of the campaign, and it looked as if a return to the second division was on the cards. At one point, the Baggies were eight points off safety, but after defeating local rivals Birmingham City 2-0 in early March, their form began to slowly turn around.
Coming into the last game of the campaign, four teams still had a chance to survival, and none of the relegation places had been confirmed. West Brom were joined by Norwich City, Crystal Palace and Southampton, and after a final day win against Portsmouth, coupled with favourable results, the Baggies safety was confirmed in the most dramatic of circumstances.
West Ham United 2006/07
20 points after 20 matches and ten points adrift of safety with nine matches remaining had West Ham destined for the drop. But under the leadership of Alan Curbishley and led by the controversially signed but brilliant Carlos Tevez, the Hammers began to pick up valuable points and quickly gained momentum towards the end of the campaign.
A crucial victory against Wigan on the penultimate day saw West Ham presented with a lifeline, but their opponent on the final day was the imperious Manchester United. However, a piece of Tevez brilliance saw Curbishley’s men survive by the skin of their teeth at Sheffield United’s expense. It was an against all odds survival mission completed.
