So long, Southampton. Sayonara, Stoke. Auf wiedersehen, West Brom. This season, three Premier League fixtures look like they are going to exit the top flight.

Few would have tipped any of them for the drop at the start of the season. A sudden exit like this does not happen too often, not least for three clubs in one go.

This will be the first time since the 2011-12 season that all three newly-promoted sides have beaten the drop. That campaign, Swansea, Norwich and QPR stayed up.

Southampton look as though they will be exiting the Premier League this campaign

Premier League stalwarts Stoke also look likely to drop down into the Championship

West Brom have had a diabolical season and are expected to join them in the second tier

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Southampton were viewed as the model club only a season or two ago but are dropping out of the top flight for the first time since arriving in 2012-13.

Stoke had established themselves in mid-table before this campaign and this is their 10th consecutive season in the Premier League.

And West Brom have been stalwarts too, occupying a place in the division since the 2010-11 season.

What, exactly, has happened to these three relatively well-established Premier League sides? Sportsmail has taken a look.

Southampton

Who has been to blame?

This is a million-dollar question — and one this 'model club' will be asking over and over again. The players have underperformed, but the blame really lies elsewhere.

You can't sell as many players as Southampton have since promotion and still expect success. The list is incredible — Nathaniel Clyne, Virgil van Dijk, Dejan Lovren, Luke Shaw, Morgan Schneiderlin, Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane, Calum Chambers, Jose Fonte, Victor Wanyama and Graziano Pelle.

Allowing Van Dijk's exit to hang over them for so long was a mistake. And sacking Claude Puel last season was arguably an even bigger one.

They still have talent in the squad but the hierarchy at the club have let them down. They are missing goalscorers and top central defenders.

Virgil van Dijk is just one of a number of top players Southampton have sold in recent seasons

What's happened with the managers?

Mauricio Pellegrino managed one of the more forgettable spells in the Premier League, winning just one of the 17 league games prior to his exit. He also continued an unfortunately staid style at St Mary's.

Mark Hughes, on the other hand, has not really had the time to make much of an impact but does not seem likely to have one between now and the end of the season.

Worst result of the season?

December 13, 2017 - Southampton 1-4 Leicester City

To lose 4-1 on your own patch is bad enough. To do it against a side who were, at that point, still in the relegation mix, is even worse. And when the manager you sacked in the summer is in the opposition dugout, it is even worse. This was a bad day all around.

Claude Puel returned to Southampton and led Leicester to a 4-1 victory at St Mary's

Problems off the pitch?

There have not been many. Charlie Austin's injury woes have deprived them of one of their best goalscorers, but there's been no usual crisis meetings and front-page problems that beset a relegation battle.

Any hope for the future?

Oddly, Southampton may be in a worse position than most next season. They have talented players while the team itself has problems, so the majority of those — James Ward-Prowse, Ryan Bertrand, Mario Lemina — will probably just get picked off by other clubs. They will need to invest well in the summer.

The likes of Ryan Bertrand are unlikely to stay at Southampton if they are relegated

Stoke City

Who has been to blame?

Stoke's recruitment in the summer was terrible, with too much money splashed on so-so players with reputations rather than genuinely reliable talent. Kevin Wimmer has struggled. Bruno Martins Indi has barely played in the second half of the season.

Free signing Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has only scored five goals. Loanee Jese Rodriguez has been a minimal figure in the squad.

And on the other hand, they let Marko Arnautovic join likely relegation rivals West Ham, and he has almost single-handedly kept them up. A good deal all round.

Letting Marko Arnautovic join West Ham was a terrible mistake from the Stoke City hierarchy

What's happened with the managers?

Hughes probably reached his limit at Stoke — his talent generally lies in taking a solid team and making them more exciting. After a while, his teams lose the defensive discipline that hopefully exists when he arrives.

Paul Lambert was an odd choice as manager, having previously been allowed to leave Championship Wolves, and he has had a minimal impact. They were too focused on the idea of appointing someone with Premier League experience.

Worst result of the season?

October 14, 2017 - Manchester City 7-2 Stoke City

Stoke scored two goals on this day but they were immensely forgettable. City were rampant and could have scored even more. If it marked Pep Guardiola's side out as likely champions, it also flagged up the fact that Stoke were probably heading down a one-way street called relegation.

The appointment of Paul Lambert relied too heavily on the idea of Premier League experience

Problems off the pitch?

Jese had a decent start to the season, scoring against Arsenal in a win in the second game of the campaign, but he has been absent without leave. He failed to turn up for three training sessions last week. Elsewhere, his youngest son Nyan was born prematurely and he underwent a very public break-up with his girlfriend Aurah Ruiz.

Saido Berahino has also been banished to the Under 23s for failing to turn up on time and has not scored in the Premier League since February 27, 2016.

Any hope for the future?

Some, but not much. They will be able to retain the majority of their players in the Championship, but only because so many of them are of a questionable standard. Berahino's £70,000-a-week deal will be a burden and a half in the second tier.

And Lambert has not exactly shown any ability to lift a team out of the Championship in the last few years.

Saido Berahino has had off-field problems and has still not scored since February 2016

West Brom

Who has been to blame?

Another club where recruitment in the summer was absolutely bizarre. Jay Rodriguez has impressed but he was a risk, given his injury problems. Oliver Burke was probably overvalued at £13.5m.

Chinese striker Zhang Yuning, signed for £6.5m, will go down as one of the oddest signings of the season. Yuning featured in zero games for the Baggies. He is now on loan at Werder Bremen, where he has not played either.

There have also been huge disappointments. Few would have expected Grzegorz Krychowiak to have as bad a season after joining on loan from PSG.

West Brom spent £6.5m on Zhang Yuning, who did not play for them before leaving on loan

What's happened with the managers?

Tony Pulis led his team to a good start, with two wins in two games. They did not earn another three points until Pulis was dismissed in November. Motivation was an issue, as was an overly defensive style of play.

Alan Pardew came in to replace him and it was the wrong appointment. The relationship between the manager and his players broke down. His tactics were criticised and there were serious off-field issues.

Worst result of the season?

November 18, 2017 - West Brom 0-4 Chelsea

There's always a defeat that suggests relegation rather than a struggle is coming. West Brom have actually not lost that many games heavily this season, but their 4-0 defeat by Chelsea in November was the worst of the lot. The fans watching at the Hawthorns will have undoubtedly realised this was the start of the end.

Alan Pardew had a difficult spell in charge of West Brom, with on-field and off-field issues

Problems off the pitch?

Where to begin? After Pardew's last game there was an argument in the dressing room. Chris Brunt criticised his tactics, Claudio Yacob joined in and assistant John Carver had to play peacemaker.

There were also criticisms of his methods and his approach to youngsters. Pardew himself thought the squad was not close enough and made too many excuses.

Barcelona also happened. West Brom were let down by Gareth Barry, Jonny Evans, Jake Livermore and Boaz Myhill, who allegedly stole a taxi during an early morning visit to McDonald's.

It reached the point off the field that even Barry, often seen as a model professional, was snapped visiting a student nightclub the night before a game.

Any hope for the future?

There is really only one — Darren Moore. The caretaker coach has worked his way up through the club and is now in charge of the first team. He has led the team to a victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford and the players clearly respect and rate him, based on their comments after that game.