If 2026 has proved anything, it’s that the Premier League is an unforgiving place even for some of its biggest clubs.
Chelsea are well versed in this fact, having been dealt their sixth consecutive top-flight defeat on Monday when a second string Nottingham Forest side crushed them 3-1 at Stamford Bridge.
That has taken the Blues to eight defeats since January, which is an awful lot in the span of just four months. But how does their record in the calendar year compare to the league’s biggest strugglers over that period?
The teams with the most Premier League defeats in 2026:
=4. Chelsea – 8
So Chelsea have not been the worst team in the Premier League this year, but they haven’t been far off it either. Their form since the New year would leave them sixth from bottom in the table, having won five, drawn three and lost eight of their matches.
They’ve scored 22 goals (and conceded 27) in that time, but only one of those goals has come in their last six outings, which was Joao Pedro’s acrobatic consolation against Forest this week.
Oddly, while things have been falling apart in the league, they reached the FA Cup final. Swings and roundabouts.
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=4. Sunderland – 8
It’s not at all surprising that, after making such a strong start, Sunderland’s form has tailed off since the midway point of the campaign. With safety secured, they can afford to drop a few points here and there.
=2. Newcastle United – 9
It’s been a pretty disappointing campaign overall for Newcastle, but the past few months have been brutal for the Magpies. Four consecutive defeats from the end of March into April effectively killed any chance of qualifying for Europe next season and they might not even finish in the top half.
Eddie Howe’s men are still capable of getting themselves up for big matches, exemplified by Saturday’s 3-1 win over Brighton. They’ve beaten Manchester United and Chelsea, and drawn with Barcelona this year, but they severely lack consistency.
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=2. Tottenham Hotspur – 9
Not exactly a shock to see this iteration of Spurs here, is it? But it is genuinely astounding how poor they have been this year.
It took Tottenham almost four full months to win their first game of 2026 in domestic competition, plunging them deep into the relegation battle. Roberto De Zerbi may have arrived in the nick of time, though; they are unbeaten in three, picking up seven points to take them out of the dropzone.
1. Burnley – 10
Remarkably, Wolves do not feature on this list. Unremarkably, Burnley are bottom. The Clarets have been dire all season long, which was pretty predictable given the lack of talent or investment in the squad.
After starting 2026 with just one defeat in four, they have lost all but three of the following 12 league matches. Their last win came against Crystal Palace in February, which was followed up by a shock defeat to Mansfield in the FA Cup just three days later.
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See Also – Premier League clubs with most away points in 2025/26