Sunderland off to worst start in Premier League history after 10 matches
David Moyes' time at the Stadium of Light is coming, in all likelihood, to a historic end.
The Black Cats' 4-1 defeat at the hands of Arsenal on Saturday leaves Sunderland with a pitiful two points from the opening 10 matches of the season, which, combined with a minus-13 goal differential, is the worst mark the Premier League has ever seen at this stage of the campaign.
While the point total matches the dire start to the season endured by the 1995-96 Manchester City side, the inferior goal difference leaves Moyes' men at the bottom of the all-time heap.
Worst-ever Premier League starts after 10 matches
| Club | Season | Record | Points | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | 2016-17 | 0-2-8 | 2 | -13 |
| Manchester City | 1995-96 | 0-2-8 | 2 | -12 |
| Swindon Town | 1993-94 | 0-3-7 | 3 | -18 |
| Crystal Palace | 2013-14 | 1-0-9 | 3 | -15 |
| Everton | 1994-95 | 0-3-7 | 3 | -15 |
Both Manchester City and Swindon Town were ultimately relegated, while Crystal Palace and Everton recovered from their dreadful starts to remain in the top flight.
The type of recovery now required to keep Sunderland afloat is not unfamiliar to the club, as the Black Cats survived last season despite going winless in their first nine matches.
Should this run of ineptitude continue, however, it may be time to start bringing up the all-time Premier League record for futility: Derby County's 11-point year in 2007-08 remains the worst performance the English top flight has ever seen in a single season.