The lowest Premier League points totals

With 10 games to spare in this season, Wolves avoided registering the lowest points total in Premier League history.

Barring one of the most miraculous escapes the competition has ever seen, the West Midlands side are going to be relegated – but just how badly will their campaign go down in the history books?

Let’s take a look at, statistically, the worst teams of the Premier League era and where Wolves rank among them.

What is the lowest Premier League points total?

Derby County hold the record for the lowest-ever Premier League points total, managing just 11 points as they finished bottom in 2007/08 – some 25 points from safety and 24 points behind even 19^th-placed Birmingham City.

A truly miserable campaign saw Derby win just one of their 38 games – 1-0 at home to Newcastle United in September – and lose 29. Their finally tally of 11 points broke the unwanted record previously set by Sunderland, who came bottom with 15 points in 2005/06.

In a 38-game Premier League season – the league had a 42-game campaign from its inception in 1992/93 until 1994/95 – eight teams have failed to reach the 20-point mark, the most recent being Southampton (12) in 2024/25.

Teams who finished a Premier League season with fewer than 20 points[TH1]

*Deducted nine points for entering administration

How many more points will Wolves get this season?

Currently 12 points from safety and with a goal difference twice as bad as 17^th-placed Nottingham Forest, Wolves’ fate has all but been sealed – they are almost certainly going to be playing Championship football next season.

But there is still pride at stake, and they will want to avoid the ignominy of being remembered as one of the very worst sides the Premier League has ever seen. So, could they rack up at least four more points in their final right games?

Well, following a draw with leaders Arsenal then back-to-back wins over Aston Villa and Liverpool, Wolves – who have improved considerably since sacking head coach Vitor Pereira and replacing him with Rob Edwards in December – will be confident of pushing past the 20-point mark.

And anything over that would represent a respectable return given the fact they sat on just three points at the halfway stage of the campaign.

Does being bottom of the Premier League at Christmas always mean relegation?

Wolves propped up the Premier League table at Christmas, which usually means a team is doomed to relegation – but not always.

Until the 2004/05 season, no side bottom of the Premier League at Christmas had ever gone on to survive – but since West Bromwich Albion’s great escape to finish 17th that campaign, four teams have done it in all.

Sunderland went on to finish 14^th in 2013/14, as did Leicester City the very next season – while Wolves themselves were the most recent team to stay up having sat bottom of the pile at Christmas, ending the 2022/23 campaign in 13^th.

Unfortunately for Wolves this time around, they’d need at least 13 points from here on in to pull of an unthinkable escape act.

What is the earliest Premier League relegation?

The aforementioned 2024/25 Southampton side suffered the earliest-ever Premier League relegation in terms of games left, having their fate sealed with seven matches still to play. Wolves' impressive recent results mean that they will avoid that unwanted record.

Earliest Premier League relegations by games left to play[TH2]

*42-game season

[TH1]https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cg4nvp4qqdpo

[TH2]https://theanalyst.com/articles/premier-league-earliest-relegations