Wolves, Sunderland, Luton and Swindon have all previously done what City hope to avoid this season and fallen from the Premier League into League One in two years
Jordan Blackwell
07:00, 19 Mar 2026
Paddy McNair after Sunderland suffered a second successive relegation in 2018
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Paddy McNair after Sunderland suffered a second successive relegation in 2018(Image: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images)
Leicester City are at risk of a double relegation, falling from the Premier League straight through to League One.
While it’s a rare occurrence, it has happened four times previously in the Premier League era. As City look to avoid joining their ranks, here’s a look at what became of those clubs.
Swindon
The Robins were perhaps punching above their weight to get into the Premier League, as the 1992-93 campaign was their first and only season playing in the top flight.
They were relegated having conceded 100 goals, and went straight down again into the third tier. They responded immediately, however, earning promotion as champions.
After three seasons in the second tier where they finished in the bottom half, they were then relegated back to the third tier in 2000, and haven’t been outside of League One or League Two since.
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Wolves
Wolves have perhaps had the best response to back-to-back relegations. Dropping out of the Premier League in 2012, they plummeted straight into League One, with neither Stale Solbakken nor Dean Saunders able to put a run of results together.
But appointing Kenny Jackett, Wolves surged back up to the Championship as League One champions, setting a points record for the division in the process, their tally of 103 only beaten by Birmingham last year.
They then had four seasons in the Championship, winning promotion as champions in 2018 after Fosun had taken over the year before and provided investment that saw them bring in a host of talents, including Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota.
Sunderland
The Black Cats’ tumble saw them finish bottom of both the Premier League and the Championship, and they became the first side not to immediately respond to the back-to-back relegations, finishing fifth in their first season in League One and losing in the play-offs.
They had been sold by owner Ellis Short following the Championship relegation, but would change hands a second time before they would be back in the second tier, Stewart Donald selling to Kyril Louis-Dreyfus.
In the end, it took them four seasons to get out of League One, earning promotion through the play-offs, but they only spent three in the Championship before rising to the Premier League, where they’ve performed impressively this term and look to have secured their status in the division.
Luton
Only last season did Luton do the double drop, their unlikely Premier League promotion followed by a swift fall down into League One.
And they don’t look like returning to the Championship this season. They’re on their second manager of the campaign with Jack Wilshere now in charge, and while they’re only four points off the play-off spots, they’re down in 11th, and so need to overtake a few teams to reach the top six.
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They are in the EFL Trophy final though, and will take on Stockport at Wembley next month.
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