Could Southampton suffer the earliest Premier League relegation ever?

Ivan Juric's side lost their ninth consecutive home game, becoming just the fourth top-flight English side to do so, and were regularly booed during and after the game.

Wolves moved further clear of the relegation zone—with Ipswich Town and Leicester City also losing on the weekend—and extended the gap between them and Saints to 17 points.

Relegated in waiting Southampton are staring down the possibility of becoming the worst team in Premier League history.

With only nine points to their name, they are running out of time to surpass Derby County's long-held record-low points total.

Joe Aribo admitted he is embarrassed by Southampton's season. (Image: Stuart Martin)

READ MORE: 'It's embarrassing' - Aribo calls on Saints to earn 'pride and dignity'

Saints have nine games remaining to win the three points required to beat Derby's 11-point tally from 2007/08, saving themselves from infamy. 

They could, however, break another unwanted record before then by becoming the team relegated from the Premier League in the fewest games.

Ipswich Town (1994/95)*, Derby (2007/08), Huddersfield Town (2018/19) and Sheffield United (2020/21) were all relegated after 32 games.

Ipswich were relegated during the Premier League's final 22-team, 42-game season, and are therefore not totally comparable with this Saints side.

With 27 points still to be won, defeat in their next two games—against Crystal Palace and Spurs—could see Saints demoted after 31 games, should other results go against them.

If Wolves, still without suspended Matheus Cunha, also win their next two games—against West Ham and Ipswich—it would be mathematically impossible for Saints to catch them.

Back-to-back wins for Vítor Pereira's side following the international break would see them climb to 32 points, 23 clear of Saints.

That would confirm Southampton as the earliest Premier League relegation as they would only have 21 points left to be won from seven games.

Armel Bella-Kotchap is on the verge of his second relegation at Saints. (Image: PA)

What happened to the early relegated teams in subsequent seasons?

The four teams relegated after 32 games experienced mixed fortunes in the seasons which followed their exit from the Premier League.

Ipswich returned five seasons later and lasted two more years in the division before spending more than two decades outside the top flight, a run that only ended this season.

Derby and Huddersfield have never returned to the Premier League, and like Ipswich did following their more recent relegation, have dropped down to League One since. 

Sheffield United are the most recent team to go down after 32 games and their subsequent history is therefore the most comparable to Saints.

The Blades bounced back two years later, having missed out on promotion via the play-offs in their first Championship season.

However, they were soon back in the second tier after suffering relegation upon their return to the Premier League, again finishing bottom of the table, this time with 16 points.

Sheffield United players react to being relegated last season. (Image: PA)

What is the earliest relegation Saints have suffered from the Premier League?

Saints have been relegated from the top flight on three occasions—1973/74, 2004/05 and 2022/23—with two of those coming in the Premier League era.

The St Mary's side were relegated on the final day of the 2004/05 season after a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United.

Their relegation in 2022/23 was wrapped up sooner (36 games) and was confirmed after a 2-0 home defeat to Fulham, which ended their 11-year stint in the Premier League.

Even if they avoid becoming the earliest team relegated from the Premier League, Saints are very likely to set a new club record.

They would need to kick the can down the road for seven more games, which would require them to discover a level of form not since this season.