The three promoted clubs are holding their own, with Leeds United, Sunderland, and Burnley all collecting points at a better rate than last year’s trio.
Leeds United will be keen to put two defeats in four games behind them after the international break, with Burnley their next opponents at Turf Moor. The Clarets’ only win this season came against Sunderland as well.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 9 |  SunderlandSunderland | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 11 | -2 | 10 |
| 11 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| 12 |  BrightonBrighton | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 9 |
| 13 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | -1 | 9 |
| 14 |  FulhamFulham | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 11 | -3 | 8 |
| 15 |  LeedsLeeds | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 8 |
| 16 |  BrentfordBrentford | 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 12 | -3 | 7 |
| 17 |  Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | -7 | 5 |
| 18 |  BurnleyBurnley | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 15 | -8 | 4 |
| 19 |  West HamWest Ham | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | -10 | 4 |
| 20 |  WolvesWolves | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 14 | -9 | 2 |
Leeds’ points total compared with recently-relegated sides is impressive, especially when you consider the fact Sunderland and Burnley outspent Leeds and their £100 million+ spend in the recent summer window.
Irrespective of that, it’s fair to say that each of Leeds, Burnley, and Sunderland have had positive starts back to life in English football’s top flight again. They are dispelling the myth of Premier League promotion.
20 football agents assess Leeds’ Premier League survival chances
One interesting wrinkle is that even without Burnley, Sunderland and Leeds have been setting records in terms of their points totals. It’s early days, but many are fancying at least one team to survive.
It could be more than just one, and Opta believe Leeds are a better side than Sunderland. That probably goes some way to explaining that Opta are now expecting Leeds to survive relegation as well.
Pundits are changing their minds on the newly-promoted trio from these early-season performances. However, another group of experts still expect two of the three to face the drop.
The Athletic conducted a survey with agents on the best and worst deals of the window, but also regarding which clubs will be relegated to the Championship.
They named eight different Premier League sides as relegation candidates, but three received the most votes from the 20 agents they surveyed: Fulham, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, Brentford, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the promoted trio.
Brentford were considered more likely to go down than Sunderland, according to the agents surveyed. Leeds have been voted as the third most likely team to go down.
Burnley were handed 18 of 20 votes, Wolves 13, and Leeds had half with 10. Brentford (seven), Sunderland (five), and West Ham (four) were the next most, while Fulham and Forest had just a few votes between them.
Jamie Carragher’s relegation verdict of Leeds
Jamie Carragher’s view of Leeds’ survival chances before a ball was kicked was that they would be the one side to stay up. He said: “I think Leeds have got the best chance out of the teams that came up.
“I just think the atmosphere at Leeds, they’ve got to make that a fortress, make it a place where teams don’t want to go, and now you’ve asked me, I’m going to say yes, Leeds, they’re the one I think can stay up.
“I don’t want to predict that the three promoted teams are going to go straight back down because that will depress me if that happens again, so I’m going to go for Leeds staying up.
“I think Leeds are one of those teams that maybe if you’ve got a big rivalry with them, maybe Manchester United, I think a lot of supporters up and down the country want Leeds back in the Premier League, they feel like a Premier League team, and hopefully they will stay.”
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