The best promoted teams in Premier League history

One of the most refreshing things about this Premier League season has been the performances of the three promoted sides. 

A worrying trend had started to appear in England's top flights, with the three teams from the Championship being relegated in both the last two campaigns - the first time that's happened in three decades of the league. 

However, Leeds, Burnley and particularly Sunderland are thankfully bucking that trend in 2025-26, with the Black Cats making the best start from a promoted side in seventeen years. 

With relegation fears already almost erased, will Regi Le Bris' team rank among the Premier League's best ever promoted teams? DAZN News' Ash Rose looks at the best the league has seen so far. 

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2018-19 

Wolves' fans will go all misty-eyed at the thought of their return to the Premier League in 2018 under Nuno Espirito Santo 2018, especially given the current predicament of the club. 

Wanderers, fuelled by their Portuguese boss and a plethora of fellow countrymen, won the Championship with 99 points and carried that momentum into their return to the top flight. 

They finished seventh in the league, their highest position since 1980 and best performance by a promoted side for 18 years, with notable wins against Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal at Molineux. 

It was good enough to see them qualify for the Europa League, where they went all the way to the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Seville. 

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Sunderland 1999-00 

The Black Cats are actually no strangers to making a splash when coming up from the second tier, having set the standard themselves in this campaign at the turn of the millennium.

After missing out in 1998's dramatic play-off final, Pete Reid's Sunderland rallied and won the First Division the following year at a canter with 105 points. 

They began their Premier League return with a 4-0 defeat to Chelsea, but would then go on to only lose two more games before Christmas, largely thanks to the fruitful partnership up front of Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn. 

Phillips finished the season with 30 goals and the European Golden Shoe, as the Wearsiders finished seventh in the table and even got revenge on Chelsea by giving them their own spanking at the Stadium of Light. 

Blackburn Rovers 1992-93 

Rovers, backed by local businessman Jack Walker, timed their promotion perfectly, as they secured a place in the first-ever Premier League season by beating Leicester in the Play-off Final, and once they were there immediately showed they meant business. 

They spent a British record transfer fee to bring Alan Shearer to Ewood Park, and after netting twice on his debut, he'd go on to score 16 goals in 21 games before an ACL injury as Kenny Dalglish's men revelled in being part of England's whole new ball game by finishing fourth.

The season, though, was just the entree for the club, because two years later, with Shearer now the league's shining light, they amazingly lifted the Premier League trophy in one of the league's most dramatic finishes. 

Nottingham Forest 1994-95

For fans of a certain vintage, the mid-90s Forest team were the hipster choice of the era and those vibes came from their return to the top flight under Frank Clark. 

Having been relegated in Brian Clough's last season, a rejuvenated Forest bounced straight back with automatic promotion and a team led by the goals of Stan Collymore, but featuring the likes of Steve Stone, Ian Woan and Lars Bohinen. 

Upon their return, Collymore continued to flourish with 22 goals, while Bryan Roy was added to the attack to further glam up a side that would go twelve games before tasting their first defeat. 

Clark's men finished the season in third place and brought European football back to the City Ground by qualifying for the UEFA Cup. 

Ipswich 2000-01

Ipswich were founding members of the Premier League, but having been relegated in 1995, they finally made a return in 2000 after a Play-off Final win over Barnsley.

They were then expected to struggle in their top flight comeback, but instead George Burley's Tractor Boys enjoyed one of the most memorable campaigns in the club's history. 

Aided by the goals of Marcus Stewart, who netted 19 times, and with a supporting cast that included Matt Holland and Martin Reuser, Ipswich finished 5th and qualified for the UEFA Cup. 

Unfortunately, it all went wrong the following season, as they failed to cope with European football and were relegated. They then had to wait 24 years for another Premier League jaunt. 

Newcastle 1993-94 

Kevin Keegan had taken just eighteen months to turn Newcastle from second-tier relegation candidates to a Premier League side, after leading them to the First Division championship in 1993.

Keegan took the free-flowing football he'd cultivated into the top flight and turned the Magpies into one of the most exciting teams of the era, who'd go on to be known as 'The Entertainers'. 

In that first season back in the big time, Peter Beardsley returned to the club and alongside Andy Cole, the pair netted 55 goals between them as Cole won the Golden Boot and was named PFA Young Player of the Year. 

United finished the season in third place, qualifying for the UEFA Cup, and it wouldn't be long before they were eyeing the big prize and an iconic title battle with Manchester United. 

How to watch the Premier League in Canada

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With Fubo Sports on DAZN, Canadians can catch Premier League action as well as Serie A. Additionally, DAZN is the home of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Bundesliga, and more.

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