Who have been the biggest Premier League underachievers of this 2025/26 season?
With 31 rounds of matches played so far, which teams have been the biggest disappointment?
The Athletic have asked five of their journalists a number of questions ahead of Premier League football restarting after the March 2026 international break.
It is West Ham v Wolves on Friday night set to restart things.
Amongst the questions asked of the five journalists.
Who are the biggest Premier League underachievers of the season so far?
Liam Tharme: “Newcastle United. I’m ignoring Spurs in this because they were so poor in the league last season, too. It feels like a repeat of 2023-24 for Eddie Howe’s side where they fail to adjust — and learn lessons — of balancing European football with domestic matches. A talented squad who are unplayable on their day, but were abject in away matches early in the season.”
Nick Miller: “You could make a good case for Forest, having spent £200million last summer only to be in the same position as they were a year ago, with a decent first XI but alternatives they can’t really trust. Or Newcastle United. Or Liverpool. But let’s not overthink this. Lads, it’s Tottenham.”
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor: “Spurs, and there’s nobody else in the conversation. There have been injuries, of course, and that has clearly had a profound effect on squad balance and performance, but a core of (available) senior players have consistently let themselves down, while also pointing fingers at absolutely everybody else — the first head coach, the board, the fans, the second head coach, the media.”
Stuart James: “My instinct is to say Liverpool, mindful of their spending spree in the summer, which included breaking their transfer record twice. But, ultimately, it’s hard to look beyond the terrible mess that is Tottenham Hotspur.”
Carl Anka: “When Match of the Day releases its end-of-season montage, there will be some clips of Liverpool’s fast start to the campaign. Four consecutive wins had us thinking they’d “won the transfer window” and it was the start of a new dynasty.”
Some interesting replies from the journalists above.
A lot of it is down to opinion of course.
What about using this measurement though….
How many points have certain Premier League teams got after 31 league games this season, compared to how many they had after 31 PL matches of the 2024/25 season?
Here are four interesting cases, number of Premier League points after 31 games of the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons :
73 points (2024/25) Liverpool 49 points (2025/26)
56 points (2024/25) Newcastle United 42 points (2025/26)
57 points (2024/25) Forest 32 points (2025/26)
37 points (2024/25) Tottenham 30 points (2025/26)
Using this measurement, it is actually Forest edging out Liverpool, with 25 points less at this point compared to last season, the scousers next worst with 24 points less.
Newcastle United with 14 points less than they had last season after 31 games.
Tottenham are actually only seven points worse off than at this stage last season.
A word of warning for Spurs though. They have picked up only five points from the last possible 39, no PL wins in their last 13 league matches to leave them only one point above the drop. Last season, Tottenham only picked up one point from their last seven Premier League matches, if they repeat that this time then they will be relegated for sure.