Second-season syndrome is a well-established concept within Premier League football. Clubs promoted from the Championship often thrive off their underdog mentality and upset the odds in their first top-flight season, only to fail to replicate it the following year.
Sheffield United’s innovative style saw them finish just five points off European football in the 2019/20 season but after the worst start in English top-flight history the next campaign, they were rooted to the bottom of the table and relegated.
