The 10 lowest Premier League points totals

Which teams have achieved the worst Premier League points totals? Learn about which clubs have the lowest points in a Premier League season and how they faired.

The English top flight has produced some remarkable success stories over the years, but it’s also witnessed teams suffering from extremely difficult seasons, resulting in some of the lowest Premier League points totals ever. Whether it’s promoted sides struggling to adapt to the step up in quality, clubs overwhelmed by injuries, poor recruitment, or managerial instability, some seasons have quickly spiralled into relegation battles with unwanted records attached.

The race to avoid the lowest Premier League points total in history has become a storyline in itself whenever a struggling team makes a poor start to the season. Whilst Derby County’s infamous 2007/08 campaign still holds the record for the lowest ever Premier League points tally, several other clubs have come dangerously close to recording the same total.

In this article, we’ll provide an overview of the teams that totalled the fewest Premier League points, examining the circumstances behind these totals being recorded and revisiting the seasons supporters would rather forget.

The lowest ever Premier League points tallies

Below is a summary of the teams that have recorded the worst Premier League points totals, including their league position and the season it occurred:

* Portsmouth were deducted nine points during the 2009/10 season

**42 games

Which team has the lowest points total in Premier League history?

Derby County’s 2007/08 campaign remains the obvious starting point when it comes to discussing the lowest Premier League points total recorded. The Rams finished the season with just 11 points from 38 matches, a record that still stands as the lowest points tally the Premier League has ever seen.

Derby won only one match all season, beating Newcastle United 1-0 in September before failing to record another league victory. Billy Davies had guided the club to promotion through the Championship play-offs the previous year, but the squad struggled badly with the jump in quality.

After Davies departed in November, Paul Jewell was unable to reverse the decline. Derby scored just 20 goals throughout the campaign whilst conceding 89. Even narrow defeats gradually damaged the team’s confidence as the season wore on.

The psychological pressure surrounding the record also became impossible to ignore. By the final months of the season, avoiding the title of the team with the lowest points in a Premier League season had become Derby’s only realistic target. Ultimately, they failed and broke Sunderland’s previous record of 15 points.

Other Premier League teams who’ve recorded the fewest points

Sunderland feature heavily when discussing the worst Premier League points totals. Their 2005/06 side finished with just 15 points after winning only three league matches all season, and their 2002/03 campaign ended with 19 points and a 15-match losing streak.

In both seasons Sunderland struggled badly in front of goal, finding themselves trapped in a cycle of low confidence and mounting pressure. Once momentum disappeared, survival quickly became unrealistic.

Huddersfield Town found the 2018/19 season a particularly difficult one. After successfully avoiding relegation the year before, the club managed only 16 points in their second Premier League season. Goals proved to be a major issue once again, with Huddersfield scoring just 22 times across the campaign.

The 2015/16 season for Aston Villa also stands out among the lowest Premier League points totals, ending in their relegation. Villa had spent years battling against decline before finally finishing bottom with 17 points. Supporters grew increasingly frustrated as multiple managerial changes failed to improve performances.

Sheffield United collapsing in 2020/21 was particularly surprising given how impressive they had been during the previous season. Chris Wilder’s side had narrowly missed out on Europe in 2019/20, but they started the following campaign with just one point from their opening 17 matches before eventually finishing on 23 points.

Many of the teams associated with the fewest Premier League points shared similar problems. Factors such as thin squads, poor recruitment, injuries, and a lack of Premier League-level attacking quality often left clubs struggling to recover once confidence disappeared.

Teams who’ve bounced back after a poor points total

Although some clubs struggled for years after relegation, others eventually recovered after recording one of the lowest ever Premier League points totals.

• Aston Villa are perhaps the clearest example. After finishing bottom in 2015/16, they rebuilt in the Championship before returning to the Premier League and eventually qualifying for European competition under Unai Emery.

• Sheffield United also bounced back relatively quickly following their difficult 2020/21 season, earning promotion back to the top flight within two years.

• It took Sunderland far longer to recover, though, with the club suffering further relegations before rebuilding momentum in recent seasons and coming back to the Premier League.

For Derby County, however, the 2007/08 campaign remains an enduring part of Premier League history. Whenever a struggling side makes a disastrous start to the season, comparisons to Derby’s unwanted record are never far away.

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