Wolverhampton Wanderers find themselves in a position few clubs have ever escaped. After 18 Premier League games, their campaign has reached a bleak point in statistics that puts them alongside (and in some cases below) the most infamous players in the division. While a change of management often provides a reset, Wolves’ first season numbers suggest this season could go beyond the relegation battle and into a historically bad place.
The appointment of Rob Edwards was framed as a long-term commitment rather than a quick fix. His emotional connection to the club and willingness to leave the stable project of the Championship underlined how important the chance is inside. However, emotions rarely change the league tables, and Wolves’ early comeback shows that the scale of the challenge may be greater than expected.
Management change that hasn’t moved the needle yet
Edwards inherited a struggling team and was tasked with tying up a momentum that had already begun to slip. Unfortunately, early signs have provided little encouragement. Wolves remain winless under his leadership after seven games, extending a run that has left them rooted to the bottom of the table.
For fans, that frustration often extends beyond the field, with many fans who follow football through a betting lens turning to wider industry news where results are becoming more predictable, engaging with broadcast platforms that follow developments across the sports betting landscape, regulations and wider gambling news sites.
From a results point of view, the problem was not limited defeats per se but a continued inability to compete at all levels of the game. The defensive structure has weakened, the attack is slow and confidence has clearly eroded. While managerial changes often take time, survival in the Premier League rarely allows for more time to adapt, especially when the points total is this low.
The bleak reality of Wolves’ numbers after 18 games
After 18 games, Wolves have collected just two points and have a goal difference of minus 29. Those figures have never happened at this stage of the Premier League season. No previous team has reached the quarterfinals of December with such a meager return.
To illustrate the extent of the problem, Sheffield United’s worst start to 18 games in the 2020/21 season, when they had five points and a goal difference of minus 20. Other struggling teams have managed six points in the same division, including Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton and Sunderland, all of whom have endured relegation seasons.
Even Derby County’s infamous 2007/08 campaign, widely regarded as the Premier League’s bench mark, saw them pick up seven points after 18 games, despite a difficult campaign.
How do Wolves compare to the worst start in Premier League history?
Looking at the wider historical picture, Wolves’ situation is even more worrying. Among the ten worst starts to a Premier League season after 18 games, each team ended up relegated. That list includes clubs such as West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers and Sheffield United in various seasons.
What separates Wolves from those teams is not just league standing but the depth of their underperformance. Many relegated teams are still showing signs of resilience, occasional wins or promising periods of form. Wolves, in contrast, failed to build any momentum, leaving them isolated statistically and competitively.
Historical precedent suggests that teams in this situation rarely recover and none avoid setbacks.
An overview of Derby County’s record season
Derby County’s 2007/08 season remains the lowest in Premier League history, with just 11 points accumulated from 38 games. That record has long stood as an outsider, but Wolves’ current form puts it in serious danger.
Based on their first 18 games, the Wolves are averaging 0.11 points per game. Taking a full season into account, that level would result in a total of four points, a figure that would not only break Derby’s record, but render it obsolete.
Recent seasons have shown how difficult it is to surpass that record. Southampton, for example, came very close last season but reached double figures towards the end of the campaign. Sunderland and Sheffield United also endured difficult seasons but finished well above Wolves’ current predictions.
The fix gives little immediate relief
While statistical projections rarely hold for the rest of the season, the Wolves’ upcoming schedule offers a limited chance of recovery. Trips to Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium are among the next fixtures, along with other games against clubs competing at the bottom of the table.
For teams in crisis, a positive fix can provide breathing room or a spark of belief. Wolves, however, face the opposite situation, with upcoming opponents likely to expose existing weaknesses rather than hide them. Without a sudden improvement in performance levels, the gap between Wolves and safety could widen quickly.
More than a reduction is at stake
Relegation alone would be a difficult result for Wolves, but the wider concern is the popularity of the competition. Being the Premier League’s lowest scorer has long-term consequences, shaping the narrative surrounding the club for decades.
Such seasons often cause structural change, from ownership strategies to recruitment philosophy and can leave lasting scars on supporters’ behaviour. For Edwards, the challenge is not just to survive the short term but to restore a fundamental level of competitiveness that prevents the season from becoming historically defining for the wrong reasons.
A small window of intervention
The Premier League rarely forgives slow starts, and Wolves’ margin of error has effectively disappeared before the halfway mark of the campaign. While improvements are still theoretically possible, the evidence so far suggests the side is struggling to arrest the decline.
If results do not improve soon, discussions will shift from survival to damage limitation. Wolves still have time to change the narrative, but as the details stand, they are flirting with a place in Premier League history that no club wants to occupy.
