Eight games into the 2026-27 Championship, the bottom of the table has an unfamiliar look. None of the three clubs promoted from League One, Lincoln City, Bolton Wanderers and Cardiff City, sits in the bottom three. Before reading too much into the Championship relegation odds, look at who is down there: clubs that finished clear of trouble last season or came down from the Premier League. These are the five sides whose starts nobody predicted.
Burnley
Burnley went down from the Premier League in April with 22 points, alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United. Those two sit fourth and second in the Championship.
Burnley are bottom and are the only club in the division without a league win, drawing four and losing four under Nicky Hayen, appointed on 10 July. They have conceded 17 goals, joint most in the league, including a 4-1 defeat at Norwich City. After a 1-1 home draw with Derby County on 19 September, a game he had called a must-win, Hayen said he did not know whether he would still be in charge after the international break.
Derby County
Derby finished eighth in 2025-26 on 69 points under John Eustace. This season they have one league win, 2-0 at Portsmouth on 1 September, and five defeats, including 3-0 losses at home to Swansea City and away at West Ham. Derby are 22nd on five points. They needed a late Mohamed Fuseini equaliser to draw 1-1 at bottom club Burnley. Eustace, the coach who took them to eighth, is still in charge, which makes this the hardest slump in the bottom three to explain.
Preston North End
Preston were 14th last season, safe on 60 points. Six defeats in their first seven league games cost Paul Heckingbottom his job on 13 September. Their only win came at home to Blackburn Rovers, with Callum Lang scoring twice. Preston are 23rd on four points, level with Burnley. They appointed former right back Graham Alexander on 28 September, taking him from League One leaders Bradford City. His first game is at home to Millwall on 10 October.
Norwich City
Norwich finished ninth in 2025-26 on 65 points, closer to the play-offs than the drop. Under Philippe Clement they have yet to draw a league game, winning three and losing five. Their defence is the issue. Norwich have conceded 17 goals, level with Burnley, and lost 4-3 at Middlesbrough before losing 4-3 at home to newly promoted Bolton on 20 September. They sit 17th, four points clear of the bottom three.
Sheffield United
Sheffield United were 13th last season and are 18th now under Chris Wilder on nine points, also four clear of the zone. They sold Gustavo Hamer to Coventry City and Callum O'Hare to Wrexham in the summer, and took Kalvin Phillips on loan from Manchester City. Two wins from eight league games is a slow return for a club that was in the Premier League in 2023-24. The 3-1 home defeat to Norwich on 5 September was their heaviest so far.
