Sunderland will equal the worst start to a Premier League season if they lose to Arsenal... but how did the competition's most inept teams fare during their opening 10 games?

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David Moyes and Sunderland are on the brink of equalling an unwanted Premier League record as they prepare to face Arsenal this weekend.

The Black Cats have picked up just two points from their first nine games of the season, meaning defeat by Arsene Wenger's Gunners will ensure their place alongside Manchester City, in 1995-96, as the worst team in league history through the opening 10 matches.

But does a bad start always result in relegation? Are Sunderland destined to be one of the worst teams in the history of the league?

Here, Sportsmail takes a look at the five worst teams of the Premier League era and how they fared during their opening 10 matches.

David Moyes has overseen a disastrous start to the season since taking over at Sunderland

Sunderland were beaten by a last-minute Winston Reid goal at West Ham on Saturday

Derby County - 2007-08 - relegated with 11 points - six points from first 10 games

The Rams were always destined to struggle once they secured promotion through the Championship play-offs, but nobody could have anticipated just how heavily Paul Jewell's side would flop.

Six points from their first 10 games did little to suggest they would do anything other than scrap to avoid relegation, but when they claimed just five from their remaining 28 matches they secured their spot as the worst team in Premier League history.

Their one and only victory came within those first 10 games, as Kenny Miller's goal secured a 1-0 victory over Newcastle, but that was as good as it got for a side which conceded 89 goals and scored just 20.

They've not been back in the big time since.

Manager Paul Jewell sums up the misery which surrounded Derby as they won just 11 points

They won just one match that season, which came against Newcastle thanks to Kenny Miller

Sunderland - 2005-06 - relegated with 15 points - five points from first 10 games

Victory over Arsenal would only serve to help Moyes and the current Black Cats match their own worst start to a Premier League season.

That came in 2005-06 when Mick McCarthy's side won only one of their opening 10 games, with two draws taking their total to five.

Sunderland stuck largely with the side which won promotion the previous season, with the likes of Jon Stead, Nyron Nosworthy, Gary Breen and Dean Whitehead never really standing a chance. They signed Rory Delap ahead of the season, but the Ireland international had yet to discover his ability at long throws by this point.

McCarthy was sacked before the end of the campaign, which ultimately led to the beginning of Roy Keane's management career.

The likes of Jon Stead and Nyron Nosworthy could not save Sunderland from relegation

Mick McCarthy was sacked in March before Roy Keane took charge in the summer

Aston Villa - 2015-16 - relegated with 17 points - four points from first 10 games

Villa's dire 2015-16 campaign is certainly fresh in the memory and proved to be a new low for a club which flirted with the drop for the four preceding seasons.

Both Tim Sherwood and Remi Garde were sacked as the former European champions lurched towards the relegation trap door.

The writing was on the wall early as they claimed just four points from their first 10 games, despite winning at Bournemouth on the opening day, with the fans finally put out of their misery in April after a defeat away at Manchester United.

Relegation was the exclamation point on a season which saw the Villa supporters disconnected from their players more than ever before, highlighted by Joleon Lescott 'accidently' tweeting an image of his £121,000 Mercedes following an embarrassing 6-0 loss away at Liverpool.

Joleon Lescott's 'accidental' car tweet summed up a torrid season as Villa were relegated

Relegation was the lowest point of a decline which led fans to feel disconnected from the club

Sunderland - 2002-03 - relegated with 19 points - eight points from first 10 games

Another entry for Sunderland in this hall of shame, but after 10 matches things were looking reasonably promising.

Following a £20million spending spree, which saw Tore-Andre Flo, Marcus Stewart, Mart Poom, Stephen Wright and Matt Piper arrive at the Stadium of Light, the Black Cats picked up eight points from their opening 10 matches.

But Peter Reid was fired and replaced by the duo of Howard Wilkinson and Steve Cotterill, who then won just twice in 20 league games. Their lowest moment came in February of 2003, when their side scored three own goals in just eight minutes during a 3-1 home defeat by Charlton.

McCarthy was appointed in March amid a run of 12 straight-defeats which ended the season, which saw the Wearsiders well and truly plummet to relegation.

The strikeforce of Marcus Stewart and Tore-Andre Flo couldn't keep Peter Reid's side up

Michael Proctor, with Jonathan Woodgate, scored two own goals in a 3-1 home loss to Charlton

Watford - 1999-00 - relegated with 24 points - nine points from first 10 games

Watford reached the top flight in 1999 on the back of two successive promotions, but the step up to the top level proved a jump too far.

Managed by former England manager Graham Taylor, the Hornets recorded stunning 1-0 wins over Liverpool and Chelsea during the early weeks of the season, thanks to goals from Tommy Mooney and Alan Smart, but that's as good as it got.

They won just three more matches following the victory over Chelsea, as they went back to the First Division to rebuild.

The Hornets are now in their third Premier League spell and currently sit ninth after nine games. 

Tommy Mooney celebrates after scoring the winner at Anfield during the 1999-00 season

But it ended in relegation, much to the disappointment of Hornets manager Graham Taylor