RANKED: The top five newly-promoted Premier League clubs by their final league position

Wolves have made a great start to life back in the Premier League, losing just one of their opening six games.

Stars such as Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez have helped Nuno Espirito Santo’s men take nine points so far, sitting 10th in the league.

Their early-season performances have had pundits purring, with Phil Neville even calling them the ‘best side ever to come up from the Championship.’

Steady on, Phil. There is no doubting Wolves have impressed so far, taking points from both Manchester clubs in the process, but it is still very early in the season and the Midlanders have a long way to go if they are to match some of the best newly-promoted sides the Premier League has seen.

And, with that in mind, Squawka has ranked the top five newly-promoted Premier League clubs by their final league position.

Get ready for some shocks, cult names and a sprinkle of nostalgia.

5. Sunderland, 7th (1999/00)

With a little and large striker partnership of Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn, captained by Steve Bould and managed by Peter Reid, the Sunderland side of 1999/00 is a 90’s football collector’s item.

Reid’s side annihilated the old Division One in the previous season, losing just three of their 46 games and racking up 105 points in the process.

And the Black Cats had absolutely no problem carrying that form into the Premier League, Kevin Phillips’ 30 goals in 36 games helping him to the European Golden Shoe and firing Sunderland to seventh in the Premier League.

The north-east side finished just 11 points off a Champions League place and also took four points from arch-rivals Newcastle United.

4. Ipswich Town, 5th (2000/01)

After beating Barnsley 4-2 in the playoff final the season before, Ipswich secured a return to top-flight football after a five-year absence with relatively low expectations.

However, their 2000/01 squad, which contained spring chickens and up-and-comers such as Titus Bramble, Hermann Hreidarsson and Richard Wright, punched way above their weight.

Ipswich feared nobody in the Premier League and notable home draws with Manchester United and Arsenal, as well as unlikely away wins at Liverpool and Leeds United, fired the Tractor Boys to fifth place and Uefa Cup qualification, missing out on the Champions League by just three points.

Ipswich also made the League Cup semi-final in 2000/01 but couldn’t sustain that form in the next season, suffering a heartbreaking relegation in 2001/02.

3. Blackburn Rovers, 4th (1992/93)

The 1992/93 season saw Jack Walker’s revolution at Blackburn Rovers hit full tilt.

After beating Leicester City in the Division One playoffs, Rovers spent big in the summer with Alan Shearer’s British transfer record move from Southampton the pick of the bunch.

Shearer hit 16 league goals in his first Premier League season with Blackburn as the north-west club finished fourth, just one point behind Uefa Cup qualifying Norwich City, who were actually put to the sword in a 7-1 thrashing at Ewood Park in that campaign.

This proved to be a real kick-start for Blackburn and Kenny Dalglish’s men were crowned Premier League champions within two years.

2. Nottingham Forest, 3rd (1994/95)

This is technically the joint-best newly-promoted side in Premier League history. However, Nottingham Forest’s 1994/95 side are edged out to second on goal difference, and Newcastle United’s 1993/94 team’s absolute cult status.

Fueled by Stan Collymore’s goals, this Forest side remained unbeaten in their first 11 games back in the big time, after finishing second in Division One in the previous season.

A tough run of results followed, but a famous away win over Manchester United, as well as a 7-1 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday, soon had the Tricky Trees flying back up the Premier League table where they finished third and qualified for the Uefa Cup.

1. Newcastle United, 3rd (1993/94)

After cruising to the Division One title in 1992/93, Newcastle United returned to the Premier League and swiftly became one of the most iconic sides of English football in the 1990s.

With Kevin Keegan at the helm, showing an absolute disregard for the ‘boring’ defensive facets of the game, Peter Beardsley returning to form a lethal strike partnership with Andy Cole, and those famous black and white stripes, Newcastle’s 1993/94 side kick-started every cult football fan’s absolute dream.

The Magpies did the league double over Liverpool that season en-route to a third-place finish and Uefa Cup qualification, turning them into perennial Premier League title challengers throughout the mid-90s.

The post RANKED: The top five newly-promoted Premier League clubs by their final league position appeared first on Squawka News.

From Squawka NewsSquawka News https://ift.tt/2zsqF1B