The four Premier League clubs competing in the lesser European competitions face each other on Sunday, with three of them struggling domestically. Brighton are thriving, while Palace, Bournemouth, and Sunderland are not.
Sunderland's European Adventure
Sunderland fans enjoyed their first European away game in 53 years against Torreense in Portugal. The sun shone, the temperature was in the high 20s, and there was a mood of great conviviality. Fans could email the president of Torreense to get tickets, sit anywhere in the stadium, and even found free beer in hospitality seating.
Locals in Leiria were bewildered but accommodating. A beer pump was installed outside a patisserie, and a meeting at the town hall explained that Sunderland fans were not hooligans. The owner of a radical leftist flammkuchen restaurant said, "They told us the club comes from the labour movement and I found that very interesting." She found the fans "Noisy, but with a quirky sense of humour."
Ask any of the 5,000 or so Wearsiders who made the trip if the Europa League was worth it, and the answer would be unanimous. Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, and Brighton fans would say something similar: European football is a joy and an adventure, even if the risk of relegation goes up.
Domestic Struggles
Palace were 12th before the weekend fixtures but not playing well. Bournemouth against Sunderland is a battle of third- and fourth-bottom. Thursday's was only the second round of Europa League league games, and the clubs involved bypassed a round of the Carabao Cup, so fatigue may come but shouldn't be an issue yet.
Sunderland have already played Manchester City, Arsenal, Brighton, and Brentford, the top four going into this weekend. They missed a penalty against Arsenal and registered an xG of 2.72 in losing 5-3 at Manchester City. In the equivalent six games last season, Sunderland took only one point; they are three points better off this campaign.
Four points from six games leaves them beginning to fret. After Bournemouth, they are home to Leeds, then away to Coventry. Sunderland's transfer business left a question on the right of the forward line unresolved. Injuries to Brian Brobbey and Habib Diarra have exposed a lack of depth.
Bournemouth have also lost key players to injury. Eli Junior Kroupi, who scored 13 league goals last season, has not played this campaign. Alex Scott has been ruled out with a thigh injury after impressing for England against Croatia.
Financial Considerations
The transition away from Andoni Iraola was always likely to be disruptive. Saturday's 5-1 defeat at Chelsea was a jolt, but their other losses were to Manchester City and Liverpool. The concern is if decent displays that have yielded disappointing results curdle into disappointing performances.
Palace are in a slightly different position. Seven points from six games would constitute comfortable survival if extrapolated, but Opta's expected points table has them 18th. A new manager is settling in, Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Múñoz were sold, and Jean-Philippe Mateta hasn't played since the opening weekend.
Over the past five years, teams who did not play in Europe the previous season see their league position fall when they do play in Europe: Palace dropped from 12th to 15th, Nottingham Forest from seventh to 16th, Newcastle from fifth to 12th, Brighton from sixth to 11th, West Ham from sixth to seventh.
Winning the Europa League would bring the vast rewards of Champions League football, but losing in the final would probably bring in not much more than £20m for a Premier League club. That's roughly the difference between finishing ninth and 14th in the Premier League.
While fans revel in trips to Milan, Prague, or Lyon, for club executives a few nice mini-breaks do not balance out the potential financial headaches.
