Which club first avoided Premier League relegation after being bottom at Christmas, in 2004-05?

West Bromwich Albion were the first club to avoid Premier League relegation after being bottom at Christmas, achieving it in 2004–05.

At Christmas, West Brom had only 10 points and sat bottom of the table. Historically, every Premier League side in that position had eventually gone down, making their recovery one of the competition’s most famous escapes.

Managed by Bryan Robson, West Brom improved during the second half of the season. They won their final match, beating Portsmouth 2–0, and finished 17th with 34 points. The result lifted them above Crystal Palace and Norwich City, while Southampton also went down.

The achievement is often called the “Great Escape.” A common mix-up is confusing West Brom’s Christmas position with their final-day standing: they were still bottom before the last round of matches, but the victory and rivals’ dropped points secured survival.