20th Place Norwich Now -400 for EPL Relegation, While Sheffield United Only +730

• Norwich on a horrendous run and odds-on for relegation at -400 odds
• Sheffield United defy the odds and now up to fifth in the EPL
• Watford at -110 also odds-on for the drop

It’s been a roller-coaster start to the Premier League season for newly promoted Norwich City. An astonishing win over Manchester City has been followed by a miserable run from which they have collected a single point from a possible 21.

As a result, the Canaries’ EPL relegation odds have shifted massively. On October 8, they averaged -120 but are now -400. Fellow promoted team Sheffield United have, meanwhile, gone in the opposite direction. In moving up to fifth in the table, their odds have gone out from +170 to +730.

EPL 2019/20 Odds to Be Relegated

Odds taken Nov. 11.

So, can City still avoid the drop? And could the Blades’s fine run be short-lived? We’ll take a look and see which teams we think are the best bets to be relegated?

Struggling Canaries

The odds make grim reading for Norwich fans, who began the season with genuine hope that this was the start of something big for the club, but just 12 games in the brutal realities of English Premier League life have already started to bite.

Traditionally, promoted teams spend the summer bolstering their squad in readiness for the massive challenge ahead, and Aston Villa and Sheffield United stayed true to this model by spending £150 million and £40 million respectively. Norwich – a club with no wealthy benefactor and who are self-funded – reportedly spent less than £1 million.

They are now, metaphorically, paying the price.

Injuries Hitting City Hard

Norwich coach, Daniel Farke, has also had to contend with a terrible injury list and has operated for most of the season so far with one fit center-back. As a result, he has had to use makeshift central defenders while discovering, in the process, that anything ‘makeshift’ doesn’t work in the Premier League.

Farke’s biggest problem, however, is how this poor run of form has impacted badly on his team’s confidence, and so even when he has more defenders fit, there’s still the underlying issue of lack of belief. If, once he has a full(er) squad to pick from, his team can find something like the form of last season then 17th place is not yet out of the question. If they can’t they’re doomed.

So, the international break is huge for Farke on three fronts: 1) he needs his players who have gone away on international duty to return healthy, 2) he needs to get a couple of his injured center-backs fit ahead of their trip to Everton and, 3) he needs to somehow re-instill the mentality that saw them smash last season’s Championship.

Number 3) is, of course, by far the hardest to achieve.

Blades on the March

For Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United, it’s been a much smoother ride. Buoyed by some impressive summer signings, the Blades have been successful in implementing their unique playing style, which involves playing three at the back and using overlapping centre-backs.

United have been unphased by their Premier League surrounding and, unlike Norwich, have been able to carry on where they left off last season when they finished runners-up in the Championship. With 17 points already on the board and a solid defense, they are already well on their way to prolonging their stay in the league.

Hornets Stung Into Action

Despite Watford’s win at Norwich at the weekend, they still have a tough season ahead. A poor run at the back end of last season has continued into this and has seen the Hornets part company with manager Javi Gracia. His replacement, Quique Sánchez Flores, has so far had limited impact and they look set to be in the relegation mix, but an improving defensive record may be what ultimately saves them.

Southampton too have done little to suggest anything other than a season of struggle, and their recent 9-0 humiliation by Leicester City has had a damaging impact on the club and its players. Eight losses in their 12 games to date is a worrying stat for coach Ralph Hasenhüttl, whose job is under severe pressure.

Villa and West Ham Enter the Fray

As things stand, Aston Villa are the pound-for-pound under-achievers of the season. A mammoth summer spending spree by manager Dean Smith has so far failed to produce the results that Villa fans were expecting and they find themselves just four points ahead of Norwich. It’s a team that’s hugely reliant on the mercurial Jack Grealish, without whom they lack spark or creativity, and his tendency to pick up niggly injuries will be a concern for Smith.

Other than Norwich and Watford, the team that currently appears to be in freefall is, surprisingly, West Ham. Only one point from the last 15 available is a worrying return on any level and the Hammers have so far struggled to make the most of an expensively assembled squad that is packed with quality.

West Ham should be fine but, almost regardless of the quality of the squad, once a team is sucked into the relegation mix, it can be hard to extricate itself. They should, however, have enough to survive.

My picks: Norwich, Southampton & Aston Villa to be relegated