• Swindon Town 1993-94 - W1 D6 L9 Pts 9 GD -21. Finished bottom with 30 points
    Swindon Town 1993-94 - W1 D6 L9 Pts 9 GD -21. Finished bottom with 30 points
  • Queens Park Rangers 2012-13 - W0 D7 L9 Pts 7 GD -16. Finished bottom with 25 points. Getty
    Queens Park Rangers 2012-13 - W0 D7 L9 Pts 7 GD -16. Finished bottom with 25 points. Getty
  • Aston Villa 2015-16 - W1 D3 L12 Pts 6 GD -17. Finished bottom with 17 points. Getty
    Aston Villa 2015-16 - W1 D3 L12 Pts 6 GD -17. Finished bottom with 17 points. Getty
  • Sheffield Wednesday 1999-00 - W1 D3 L12 Pts 6 GD -26. Finished second bottom with 31 points. Getty
    Sheffield Wednesday 1999-00 - W1 D3 L12 Pts 6 GD -26. Finished second bottom with 31 points. Getty
  • Derby County 2007-08 - W1 D3 L12 Pts 6 GD -32. Finished bottom with 11 points. Getty
    Derby County 2007-08 - W1 D3 L12 Pts 6 GD -32. Finished bottom with 11 points. Getty
  • Sunderland 2005-06 - W1 D2 L13 Pts 5 GD -18. Finished bottom with 15 points. EPA
    Sunderland 2005-06 - W1 D2 L13 Pts 5 GD -18. Finished bottom with 15 points. EPA
  • Sheffield United 2020-21 - W0 D2 L14 Pts 2 GD -19. EPA
    Sheffield United 2020-21 - W0 D2 L14 Pts 2 GD -19. EPA

Ranked: Worst starts in Premier League history - and Sheffield United are setting new records


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Winless Sheffield United's dreadful Premier League season continued as they were beaten 1-0 at Burnley on Tuesday.

Burnley captain Ben Mee rose to head home a Robbie Brady corner in the 32nd minute as Sean Dyche's side secured a victory which moved them up to 16th place on 16 points, five points above the relegation zone.

Bottom placed United have just two points from their opening 16 games – the worst ever start to a top flight season in English football.

Manager Chris Wilder – whose side finished ninth last season after winning promotion to the top flight – has an increasingly remote ambition of keeping the club in the Premier League.

"It has always been a fighting test right the way through. We had a perfect storm last year, it is the complete opposite this year," he said. "It is a big arm wrestle and a big struggle for us."

While the Blades  have struggled, there have been some other terrible starts in the Premier League. To see the worst after 16 games, in reverse order, swipe on the gallery above.