A new year has arrived, and Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping it brings a long-overdue fresh start.

The reality, however, is bleak. Wolves have now gone 251 days without a Premier League victory, a staggering run that has spanned two managers, two sporting directors and a technical director — a period of upheaval that mirrors their collapse on the pitch.

A historically bad start

The Black and Gold have conceded 48 goals during that run, 40 of them coming this season alone, as they endure one of the worst starts to a Premier League campaign on record. Without a swift change in fortunes, head coach Rob Edwards risks presiding over a season remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Edwards’ appointment itself raised eyebrows. He arrived at Molineux in November after leaving a Middlesbrough side flying high in the Championship, just months after taking the role on Teesside. While his past as a Wolves player carried emotional weight, questions were inevitably asked about the timing of his move — and why he would step into a club rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.

“My best years as a player were here,” Edwards said at his unveiling. “This is a job I’ve always dreamed of. I understand the supporters’ anger and frustration. I won’t tell fans how to behave, but effort and commitment have to be seen.

“This is the toughest league in the world, and we’re coming into a team that hasn’t won since April. I’m not expecting a quick turnaround.”

Still winless at the halfway point

At the halfway stage of the season, Wolves remain without a single league win. Their entire points tally — just three — has come from draws, the latest a 1–1 stalemate against Manchester United at the end of 2025.

Brighton and Tottenham are the only other sides to have failed to beat Wolves this season, both matches also ending 1–1 back in September and October. Prior to the Old Trafford draw, Wolves’ points total after 15 games was joint-worst in the entire history of the top four divisions of English football.

Unless January brings dramatic reinforcements or an unlikely surge in form, Wolves are heading toward the unwanted label of the worst Premier League side since the competition’s rebrand in the early 1990s.

Chasing Derby’s unwanted record

That grim distinction currently belongs to Derby County’s 2007/08 side, who finished with just 11 points. If Wolves were to mirror their first-half form across the remaining 19 matches, they would end the season with a scarcely believable six points.

To put their predicament into perspective, Wolves are currently averaging just 0.16 points per game — significantly worse than Derby’s 0.29 during their infamous campaign. No team in Premier League history has ever had fewer points at the turn of the year.

History offers little comfort. Every team to have collected nine points or fewer at the start of a calendar year — including Sheffield United (twice), Derby, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Southampton, Sunderland, Bolton and West Brom — went on to be relegated.

Defeats piling up

Points totals aren’t the only records under threat. Wolves have already lost 16 of their 19 matches. Thirteen more defeats would see them match Derby’s all-time Premier League record of 29 losses in a season.

Watford lost 27 times in 2021/22, while Huddersfield Town (2018/19) and Sheffield United (2023/24) each fell to 28 defeats. Wolves’ current trajectory suggests they could surpass them all — an outcome no one associated with the club would want etched into history.

There is also the risk of relegation arriving embarrassingly early. Should Wolves be mathematically relegated by March 29, they would eclipse Derby’s record for the earliest drop into the Championship by date. While Southampton were relegated on April 6 last season, they currently hold the record for the earliest relegation by games remaining.

Edwards under pressure

Edwards’ own managerial future hangs in the balance. Since his arrival on November 12, Wolves have scored just four goals in eight matches. A more generous reading points to narrow defeats — four by a single goal — and matches against teams currently in the top four.

The loss at Arsenal, for example, hinged on two own goals, including a decisive strike deep into stoppage time after Wolves had equalised in the 90th minute.

Fine margins, perhaps — but margins that continue to go against them. As Wolves enter the new year, hope remains, but history, numbers and form all suggest that time is running out fast.