We take a look at the three teams who came down.
Ahead of the Sky Bet Championship fixture release day on Wednesday 26th June 2024, we’ve taken a look at the six new teams who will join the league next season.
Coming down from the Premier League will be Luton Town, Burnley and Sheffield United. You can see an in depth break down below of everything you need to know, ahead of facing them.
Luton Town - 18th placed finish
Returning to the Sky Bet Championship after a year in the Premier League, Luton Town finished 18th last season and that ultimately saw them relegated. The Hatters were promoted in 2022/23 after a stunning campaign, which initially saw them finish third in the league table, before winning promotion in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Wembley.
From there, Rob Edwards built a side for the top-flight which was full of exciting young prospects and they battled hard, but were unable to stay up as they finished behind 17th placed Nottingham Forest.
A stat in Luton’s favour during their time in the Premier League last season was goals scored. They were a constant threat, down to the attacking powers of both Carlton Morris who scored 11, alongside Elijah Adebayo who netted 10. A number of other players contributed in attacking areas with goals and assists to their names too, so defences will need to be aware of their abilities next season.
The last time we met Luton Town was home and away in the 2019/20 league campaign. A 2-1 win at Kenilworth Road for the Whites came after Patrick Bamford opened the scoring, before a 90th minute own goal from Matty Pearson sealed the three points. Back at Elland Road, Harry Cornick’s strike was cancelled out by Stuart Dallas in a 1-1 draw.
Burnley - 19th placed finish
Having become champions of the Sky Bet Championship during the 2022/23 season, the Clarets were well tipped to take their newly found style into the Premier League and surprise teams. A tough start saw them fall behind many of their competitors and ultimately end in relegation, despite a strong run towards the end of the season offering hope.
Vincent Kompany left his role as manager this summer, having been at the helm for two years, as he took up the head coach role at German giants Bayern Munich. The search for a successor is continuing, with Burnley looking to find someone who can offer the same qualities as the former Belgium international, in their pursuit of an instant top-flight return.
We last faced Burnley when both sides were in the Premier League during the 2021/22 campaign. A 1-1 draw at Turf Moor saw Patrick Bamford equalise in the final five minutes of the game to secure the point. At Elland Road, the Whites took an important three points to help steer them towards safety. The game was level at 1-1 approaching the final 15 minutes, before goals from Stuart Dallas and Dan James in the final stages of the game secured a big win.
Sheffield United - 20th placed finish
The Blades have spent three of their last five league campaigns in the Premier League, so have the knowledge and experience of top-flight football, as well as that same knowledge of what it takes to win promotion. Despite that, a disappointing 2023/24 season ended in relegation for the South Yorkshire outfit, who finished bottom of the table with just three wins in 38 games.
Back in the Bramall Lane dugout, popular manager Chris Wilder oversaw the rise up from League One to the Premier League from 2016-2019, and is now tasked with rebuilding a squad which can rise again. He gave opportunities to younger players at the back end of last season, promoting the club’s academy prospects into the first team ahead of a return to the second tier.
Like with Burnley, the last time the Whites met the Blades was also in the Premier League, but these two outings were in 2020/21. Patrick Bamford was again amongst the goals, heading home an 88th-minute winner in South Yorkshire. In another tight clash later in the season at Elland Road, the game was level at 1-1 until Phil Jagielka put through his own net just after the break to give Leeds the points.
