31 Points Recorded as Promoted Trio Defy Early Relegation Odds
Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Hull City have gathered a combined total of 31 points from their opening nine Premier League matches. The early returns across all three newly promoted clubs have established solid foundations outside the relegation zone following difficult initial fixture schedules.
Every promoted club that has collected at least 11 points from its first nine matches since the 2010, 11 campaign went on to avoid immediate relegation back to the Championship. Hull City and Ipswich Town both sit on 11 points, while Frank Lampard’s Coventry City side reached nine points after recovering from four straight opening defeats to win three of their last five matches.
Coventry
clubDefensive Turnarounds and Targeted Attack Shape Early Success
Coventry City’s initial transition to the top flight involved major squad reconstruction, with the club spending over £140m on 12 permanent transfers during the summer window. After failing to score and conceding 10 goals across four opening defeats against Arsenal, Manchester City, and Brighton, manager Frank Lampard adjusted his tactical setup to yield victories over Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United, and Sunderland.
At Ipswich Town, Gary O’Neil has relied on creative contributions from 22-year-old attacking midfielder Julio Enciso. Returning to Portman Road after a prior loan stint, Enciso generated assists against Sunderland and Manchester United before scoring in back-to-back Premier League matches against Nottingham Forest and Hull City.
Hull City
clubHull City began their campaign under Sergej Jakirovic by securing a 2-0 opening weekend win over Manchester United, followed by a 1-0 away victory against Coventry City and draws against Aston Villa and Chelsea. Despite collecting three points from their last four fixtures, Hull retain 11 points from nine outings.
| Club | Manager | Matches Played | Points Total | Recent Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull City | Sergej Jakirovic | 9 | 11 | 3 points from last 4 matches |
| Ipswich Town | Gary O’Neil | 9 | 11 | Back-to-back draws in recent outings |
| Coventry City | Frank Lampard | 9 | 9 | 3 wins in last 5 matches |
“Our lads have some character and we just need to keep it up. Hull are a very good side and I’m really pleased with how we did against them.”
Data compiled for this tactical analysis was provided by BBC Sport.