Is 30 The New 40?

What is the actual number of points required to stay in the Premier League?

Sep 20, 2024

∙ Paid

By Patric Ridge

Forty points. That magical number needed to stay in the Premier League. Each season, teams who are scrapping it out at the bottom will set their sights on that holy grail — get to 40 points, and surely you will be safe.

There is no defined logic to that. There is no guarantee. It’s just always, seemingly, been that way, ever since the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams ahead of the 1996-97 campaign.

But, increasingly so in recent seasons, it looks like 40 points is actually way more than would be needed to guarantee a side’s top-tier status for another season.

So, what is the actual number that the teams who will be down there this season should be targeting?

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to More Than A Game to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.