Rising Stars and Dark Horses: The Premier League’s Underdog Heroes

Throughout its nearly 150-year history, the English Premier League has long been dominated by the same teams. As of today, established titans like Manchester City and Arsenal control the top of the table. Yet, the league has also showcased its unsung heroes: underdogs who consistently defy expectations. These underdogs have added excitement to the Premier League, as seen in Brighton and Hove Albion’s remarkable top-six finish last year, or Leicester City’s shock Premier League champion season in 2016. Now, the question arises: Which Premier League clubs are the underdogs to watch out for this season, and which team might emerge as the unexpected dark horse? Let’s delve into this Premier League campaign’s potential surprises.

Brentford

Brentford was one of the surprises last year—finishing only two points away from European and showing increased consistency since their promotion to the Premier League in the 2020-21 season. Since the appointment of manager Thomas Frank in 2018, Brentford are becoming a more promising team. In the last two years, they have experienced a slow but steady climb in the table, with a 10th-place finish last year. They hope to capitalize on this long-term momentum, having been somewhat active in the transfer market, spending nearly $70 million altogether. Mark Flekken will temporarily replace longstanding goalkeeper, David Raya, while young and promising newcomers CB Nathan Collins from Wolves and RW Kevin Schade from SC Freiburg could become foundational players for the team.

From the start of the season, Brentford seem to be on the right track at ninth, but with only one win and three draws, there is still much to be desired. Duo Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo lead a strong attacking front, combining for six goals already and Mbeumo being the second top scorer in the league. Brentford’s exciting 2-2 clash with Tottenham demonstrated their quality to keep up with the Big Six and improve their standing on the fringes of European football. That being said, it all comes down to consistency. If Brentford can keep their current form throughout the year, it will be no surprise to see them in the Conference League next year, but if their form falters, a lower-middle-table finish might be the result. However, as of now, Brentford is a team whose future looks promising and thrilling.

Nottingham Forest

Since their acquisition by Evangelos Marinakis in 2017, Nottingham Forest have been on a remarkable climb. After a decade of languishing in the Championship, they finally achieved promotion to the Prem in the 2021-22 season. Manager Steve Cooper, who was brought into the club in 2021, played a substantial role in their progress. Last year, they adopted an unsustainable transfer strategy, spending a combined €195 million over the year, an astounding amount for a Premier League newcomer. They have continued this spending pattern, spending €120 million in the summer alone. CDM Ibrahim Sangaré from PSV Eindhoven looks promising and has the ability to significantly contribute to the team, yet one must wonder if his transfer fee is out of the ordinary. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest signed American GK Matt Turner for £10m from Arsenal, which is an exciting development that could signal the beginning of the USMNT’s growth into a more competitive team.

Nevertheless, like Brentford, Nottingham Forest are off to a decent start, and, after just barely surviving relegation last year, that is a much-needed improvement. ST Taiwo Awoniyi is performing well, racking up four goal contributions in four games, while new signing LW Anthony Elanga from Manchester United hit the ground running, offering a goal and an assist in four games. These performances have led to a 12th-place position––offering considerable relief from relegation. With another season of Premier League football on the horizon, Nottingham Forest hopes to finish with a high-middle table finish, which would bring them a long way to establishing themselves as a competitive regular in the league.

Luton Town

Luton Town’s journey over the past decade has been nothing short of remarkable. In 2014, they were competing in England’s fifth tier. However, they achieved an astonishing four promotions, reaching the pinnacle of their journey in the 2022-23 season with a dramatic playoff final victory over a devastated Coventry City. Luton’s win came after Coventry’s Fankaty Dabo missed his penalty, securing Luton’s place in the Premier League. In fact, Luton Town’s stadium would have been the Premier League’s smallest, had they not made significant investments of £10 million to bring it up to Premier League standards. These enhancements included the addition of a TV gantry and improvements to the away team’s locker rooms, signaling a new era in Luton Town’s history. Town’s achievement will serve as a blueprint for aspiring teams like Wrexham, sending a message that smaller clubs can have great success with hard work. 

During the summer, Luton Town overhauled their squad, spending roughly £20 million on around 10 new players. Nevertheless, as the current season unfolds, Luton Town’s new signings haven’t yet made the desired impact––leading to four straight defeats to open the season.

Luton Town undeniably stands as the Premier League’s ultimate underdog, with most, if not all, bookmakers predicting their relegation. The question on everyone’s mind is whether they can defy these expectations and bounce back from their early setbacks. Only time will tell.

Honorable Mention: Brighton

Brighton is no longer perceived as an underdog by many, given their recent results and achievements. However, it wasn’t always that way. In 2017, after spending 45 years in England’s second and third divisions, Brighton stepped back into the limelight. Coach Graham Potter guided them to a ninth-place finish in 2022 after five seasons in the Premier League. However, in the following season, he departed to join rivals Chelsea, hurting his career more than it did his former team. Fortunately for Brighton, they secured the services of Roberto de Zerbi, a manager who led them to a sixth-place finish and European football, a remarkable achievement that would have seemed unimaginable to Brighton fans a decade ago when they were in League One.

Over the summer, Brighton continued their tradition of flipping players. They saw the departure of two of their top midfielders: Moisés Caicedo, who moved to Chelsea for a staggering £115 million, and Alexis Mac Allister, who joined Liverpool for £35 million. These transfers left some Brighton fans doubtful for the new season, but some eye-catching replacements restored faith: Brighton signed the likes of João Pedro from Watford, Mahmoud Dahoud from Ajax, and most notably Ansu Fati on loan from Barcelona. So far, Brighton have been a force to be reckoned with, having won four out of five their games, scoring 15 goals, and most recently beating Manchester United in a fierce 1-3 away win. With Brighton playing their first Europa League game in their history against AEK Athens on September 21, it’s safe to say that Brighton have an exciting season and future ahead of them.

Overall, it’s safe to say that the 2023-24 Premier League season will be nothing short of exciting. We have the regular favorites, as well as the unassuming underdogs we’ve delved into, all of whom are contributing to the anticipation and excitement surrounding the league. And let’s not forget about the other underdogs in the mix, with teams like Aston Villa, West Ham, and Fulham poised to leave their mark on the season. So, let’s sit back, enjoy the journey, and relish the surprises that the 2023-24 Premier League season undoubtedly has in store for us.