Keep the faith

After defeats over the weekend, Southampton and Ipswich have become the 30th and 31st teams in Premier League history to be winless after the first eight games.

But it is not all doom and gloom for the two newly promoted sides.

Of the previous 29 teams to not taste victory in their opening eight fixtures, a third have still gone on to avoid relegation.

Newcastle in 2021-22 did not get their first win until their 15th game – a 1-0 win against Burnley in December – and ended the season in 11th!

Saints have even been in this position before in 1998-99. They had just one point and a worse goal difference of -18 after eight games and stayed up on the final day of the season.