There's no dressing up that failing to win any of the first seven games of the season is a poor start, no matter the team or division. For the bottom four clubs in the Premier League, it remains the case in the middle of October that they are still chasing a somewhat illusive first win of the season.
Promoted sides Ipswich Town and Southampton are still looking for their first wins back in the top flight while Crystal Palace and Wolves, veteran top flight sides, have failed to convert their vast experience into a Premier League win.
None of the four winless clubs have found themselves in this position through the same circumstances, but the common factor between them is a desperate need to win this weekend.
The numbers for teams without a win seven games into a season over the past ten years are not good; 12 of the 21 teams to have found themselves in such a situation have been relegated to the Championship.
That being said, when four sides went without a win in their first seven games in 2021/2022, two of those four sides survived.
Just last season Bournemouth went nine without a win under Andoni Iraola before a resurgent second half of the season guided the Cherries well clear of the bottom three, finishing 22 points above the drop zone.
Bournemouth became something of a rarity though, because once a team goes past eight games without a win, it becomes a much taller task to survive.
Newcastle United in 2021/2022 are the only other side to survive in the past five seasons after going eight without a win to start a campaign, with 11 of the last 15 teams in that position going down.
This doesn't bode well for Wolves, who take on Manchester City in their eighth game of the season. Gary O'Neil's side have won just one of their past eight against the champions, although that did come at Molineux last season.
Wolves are bottom of the Premier League with just a single point having conceded a disastrous 21 goals already. Despite this abysmal defensive record, there is plenty of optimism around the club.
In just seven games this season, Wolves have already faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Liverpool. Even Nottingham Forest has proven to be a very tough game so far this season, with the Reds losing just one of their opening seven matches; Wolves can be pleased with the point they earned at the City Ground.
The fixtures don't immediately get any easier for Gary O'Neil's team, with Manchester City and Brighton to come in the next two weeks. After that though come two huge games with a couple of other so-far winless sides.
First up on that run for Wolves is Crystal Palace, and the Eagles have had plenty of struggles of their own.
There are plenty of fingers that can be pointed at Crystal Palace but the biggest issue is the lack of killer instinct. Neither last season's star Jean-Philippe Mateta nor new signing Eddie Nketiah have started the season on fire for the Eagles.
Strange at it seems to say but it was bizarre that Crystal Palace didn't manage to get something out of their clash with Liverpool before the international break.
After Alisson's injury for the visitors, Palace dominated the game and had several chances in and around the Liverpool penalty area but the Eagles simply couldn't put the ball in the net against an unusually mistake-prone Liverpool backline.
Palace have squandered plenty of other opportunities for results before their lack of ruthlessness against the Premier League leaders.
Oliver Glasner's side, who finished last season in blistering form, threw away a lead against Everton and failed to score against a struggling Manchester United side in September having lost London derbies to Brentford and West Ham to start the season.
Crystal Palace's struggles though are not quite as severe as play-off winners Southampton, who have recorded just one fairly disappointing point since their return to the big time.
The Saints drew 1 - 1 with Ipswich at St. Mary's, but it's not a point to look back on fondly after Sam Morsy equalised for the Tractor Boys in the 95th minute.
The reality of Southampton's season is that their supporters haven't gone home happy after a Premier League game, aside from maybe a spirited performance in defeat at Arsenal.
Cameron Archer came off the bench to give the visitors an unlikely lead at the Emirates, but after Arsenal brought on Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, the Saints were blown away.
A defeat to title-chasing Arsenal is not a poor result for a team battling for Premier League survival, but the nature of Southampton's other defeats this season have created a desperation for points.
Russell Martin's side face an up-hill battle to kick-start their season, with deplorable performances against Manchester United and Brentford in the early parts of the season putting them on the back foot right from the off.
A disappointing derby performance away to Bournemouth really heaped the pressure on the Saints' manager and there will be nowhere to hide in the next couple of weeks.
Over their next four league matches, Southampton host Leicester and Everton, with a trip to Wolves to come at the end of that run. The other game in that four match run is at the Etihad against Manchester City.
These are enormous games for Southampton's survival prospects, and if they are to survive in the Premier League this season, they simply have to win a couple of these games.
The situation is not quite so bleak for Ipswich. Kieran McKenna's side finished runners-up to Leicester in the Championship last season, and despite starting the season with two defeats, they have lost just once since those opening defeats to Liverpool and Manchester City.
Granted, the Tractor Boys are yet to win, but they have taken credible points off of Fulham, Brighton and Aston Villa, all of whom are in the top eight.
The Aston Villa game in particular was impressive, with Liam Delap scoring a wonderful equaliser to secure a point in a thoroughly entertaining 2 - 2 draw.
Much like Southampton, the Tractor Boys have a kinder run of fixtures coming up having already faced Liverpool, Manchester City, Fulham, Brighton and Aston Villa in their opening seven fixtures.
An interesting run of matches in October and November bring fellow-strugglers Everton and Leicester to Portman Road either side of a trip to Brentford for Kieran McKenna's side.
After that Ipswich take on Ange Postecoglou's faltering Tottenham team in North London before hosting sleeping giants Manchester United.
The optimistic view of this for Ipswich would involve at least four points over their next three games against Everton, Brentford and Leicester, which could spur the Tractor Boys on to results against established big six teams either side of the next international break.
Make no mistake, these upcoming fixtures are just as important for Ipswich as the games the other winless sides have.
The difference however is that Ipswich will be optimistic. Their supporters will harbour genuine belief that they can win at home to Everton and Leicester because their players have put on good performances so far this season; the same can't be said of Palace, Wolves or Southampton.
Going seven without a win to start the season has a 57% relegation rate over the past ten years; going eight without a win has a 73% relegation rate in the same period.
This weekend then brings must win games for all four sides.
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