Coventry City, Ipswich and Hull City have been awarded a place in the Premier League, but statistics show how difficult survival is for newcomers to English football. In the past two seasons, all six promoted teams have been relegated back to the Championship just a year after promotion. Over the past decade, 16 of 30 newcomers have failed to stay in the elite, Reuters reports.
However, the example of Sunderland shows that there is another possibility. The team not only survived, but also finished seventh last season and secured a place in the Europa League.
The difference is in the financial capabilities and the way in which the clubs use the funds from the Premier League. The newcomer receives a huge financial bonus just for being in the top flight, but wages and transfer costs also skyrocket.
The three new teams approach the challenge differently. Coventry will rely on Frank Lampard and his Premier League experience. Ipswich has appointed Gary O'Neill, while Hull City start the season under the management of Sergey Yakirovich.
The first round immediately puts the newcomers under enormous pressure. Coventry travel to champions Arsenal, Hull host Manchester United and Ipswich face Sunderland.
An additional factor could be the unusual instability among the other clubs - as many as nine teams start the season with new managers. This could even things out somewhat and give one of the newcomers a chance to repeat Sunderland's path.