WhoScored Tipster: Analysing the Early Season Relegation Candidates

While Chelsea are racing clear of the teams that most expected to be challenging at the top of the Premier League this season, most notably reigning champions Manchester City (now sit 8 points adrift), the battle to avoid relegation seems to be taking shape at the other end.

Here we take a closer look at the early indications of the sides that will be fearing the drop after a slow start to the campaign.

Ahead of the international break Burnley picked up their first win of the season against Hull but they remain bottom of the pile, joined in the relegation zone by fellow promoted sides QPR and Leicester. Despite victory last time out The Clarets are unsurprisingly odds on favourites for the drop with Betfred (2/9) and it isn't hard to see why.

Sean Dyche's side have the worst goal difference in the league (-13) having scored just 6 times all season. Perhaps more worrying, however, is the fact that only one side have produced fewer tackles in the Premier League thus far, calling into question whether Burnley really have the fight required to stay in the top-flight.

QPR, who sit one place and one point above the Lancashire outfit, will be disappointed with their points haul (8) thus far but have certainly began to string together some encouraging performances. Perhaps a little unfortunate in defeat against Chelsea and considerably more so when going down to Liverpool, Harry Redknapp's side could easily have taken all three points against City last time out but had to settle for just one.

The Hoops' odds for relegation at the time of writing (11/10) aren't the most attractive then, but when you consider they've lost all 5 of their away games to date they may have to pull up trees at Loftus Road to stay up.

Leicester complete the bottom three at present and, after a strong start to the season, are currently on the longest losing streak in England's top tier (4). Having come through a tough opening run of fixtures already, however, they are undoubtedly best placed of the bottom three to claw their way out, with odds of 2/1 from Betfred reflecting as much.

 
The odds are indeed shorter on Neil Warnock's Crystal Palace right now (11/8), and it's understandable given that they have to face the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and City before Christmas, not to mention high-flying Swansea. The Eagles have averaged the lowest amount of possession this season (39.4%) and secured the worst pass accuracy (68.7%), so they'll need to take more care with the ball to ensure that they don't slip back down to the Championship at the second time of asking.

There's a significant jump in the odds thereafter, and this is unquestionably where the best value lies. Presently the team with the lowest statistical rating from WhoScored.com (6.72), Aston Villa have plummeted down the table following a run that saw them lose 6 successive matches, halted by a point at West Ham last time out.

The Villans have netted just once in their last 7 league matches and are the lowest scorers in the Premier League in turn (5 goals), having mustered the fewest total shots and shots on target in the division. The one fact that undeniably plays in the favour of Paul Lambert's men is that they have already faced each of last season's top 5 but, nevertheless, the way they are playing at the moment make odds of 3/1 tempting.

Elsewhere, after just 1 win from their last 10 league matches, Hull sit just 2 points above the relegation zone at the time of writing. Steve Bruce appeared to make a number of shrewd signings in the summer but the team chemistry, particularly in the defensive phase, has perhaps been jeopardised. The Tigers have conceded the most shots in the Premier League (188) and with Tottenham, United, Everton and Chelsea to play in their next 5 league matches expect odds of 4/1 to have shortened by Christmas. 

Whoever you think will be unable to beat the drop this season, make sure you make the most of this great deal from Betfred, who are offering users a free £25 matched bet right now!