The October international break halted the Premier League at seven matches, but it returns this weekend with a London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United getting us going in Saturday’s early kick-off.
To give us a refresher of where domestic football stood when the pause button was pushed, we asked our writers to take a look at the league table and let us know what it does (and does not) tell us about each club’s season so far.
A club may have far outperformed where they were at this stage last season, or they may be lagging behind their position back then. New signings may be struggling to fire, injuries may be taking their toll — and which teams are over- or under-performing their expected goals (xG) values?
Follow the Premier League on The Athletic
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
It shows the transition from one era to another at Anfield has been a lot smoother than anyone anticipated. Yes, being top after seven matches doesn’t mean much, but there has been a lot to admire about the opening months of Arne Slot’s reign. Six wins out of seven is impressive, with the only blip coming at home against Nottingham Forest straight after the September international break when Liverpool delivered a sluggish display. They have been playing with a lot more control under Slot and that’s reflected in the fact they have conceded just two league goals — the best defensive record in the division.
What doesn’t it tell us?
The underlying numbers are excellent. Liverpool are also top when it comes to their non-penalty xG difference per game of 1.27. Those six victories have been thoroughly deserved with them packing a punch at one end and being miserly at the other. However, for context, all the teams they have beaten so far currently sit in the bottom half of the table. We will learn a lot more about what’s realistic for Slot’s side in the coming weeks as the calibre of opposition improves. Sunday’s visit of Chelsea is followed by a trip to Arsenal next weekend. There are also league games against Brighton and Aston Villa on the horizon.
James Pearce
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
They have not been at their best and so probably would not expect to be top, but are still good enough to be challenging (one point behind leaders Liverpool). The last time they did not win the title, they were noticeably not as good as normal and finished well behind champions Liverpool, but still had the Premier League’s most clean sheets and scored over 100 league goals. So that in-built guarantee of generally good results (five wins from seven, no defeats), at the very least, is still going strong.
What doesn’t it tell us?
The table does not tell us this but history does: even if City were well down the table, you could be confident they will come roaring back to win the title. They have won the past four Premier Leagues. Considering it is early in the season, and in recent years their form has stuttered far closer to the run-in, it is probably not worth getting too concerned, but they do look a little susceptible to counter-attacks and do concede some soft goals. Just like much of last season, then.
Thom Harris
Arsenal
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Arsenal will know the exact standings do not matter at this stage of the season, but sitting level on points with Manchester City and one behind Liverpool, their consistency as title challengers is clear. They have the same goal difference as City (nine), with the separator being that the champions have both scored and conceded two more goals (17 and eight to 15 and six). Arsenal may be slightly more contained, but they are on par with the competition.
What doesn’t it tell us?
The context in which Arsenal have maintained an unbeaten record has been more difficult than most would have expected at the start of the season. Mikel Arteta was forced to approach matches more pragmatically, with the absences of midfield trio Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino and Declan Rice, but his side still managed to get results. Liverpool and Chelsea will provide major tests before November’s international break, but coming away from trips to Aston Villa, Tottenham and City with seven points from the nine available has shown solidity.
Art de Roché
Arteta’s side are on par with rivals this season (Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Chelsea
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
You could say Chelsea have simply continued where they left off under former head coach Mauricio Pochettino. Statistics showed they were the fourth-best team (by points accrued) in the Premier League from late December until the final game of last season, and fourth is where they sit after seven league games under Enzo Maresca. Chelsea are six points better off than they were at this stage last year, which suggests Maresca has got his message across quicker than Pochettino — now the USMNT head coach —managed.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Chelsea’s home form has been a disappointment. Losing at home to four-in-a-row title winners City in their opening match is perhaps understandable, but 1-1 draws with Crystal Palace and Forest at Stamford Bridge were missed opportunities. Goals have been easy to come by (16) but a shortage of clean sheets — two in the seven games — indicates Maresca is still working on finding the best balance between defence and attack.
Simon Johnson
Aston Villa
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
There were concerns Aston Villa could drop off in the league this season after qualifying for the Champions League, but Unai Emery’s side can be happy with a start which yielded four wins from seven games. They sit outside the top four on goal difference. As last season, the table shows they are not quite in the group of Liverpool, City and Arsenal but should once again be heavily involved in the battle to finish fourth, with a rejuvenated Chelsea looking like their stiffest competition.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Not many clubs can boast two strikers with the quality of Ollie Watkins and supersub Jhon Duran, with nine of Villa’s 14 points having come through decisive goals by the latter. Their only loss came against Arsenal but more defensive stability is needed after only one clean sheet. Emery has had to deal with injuries to key players John McGinn, Amadou Onana, Jacob Ramsey and Ezri Konsa, while Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings will help when they return from lengthy absences following knee injuries as Emiliano Buendia continues to get eased back in after his.
Eduardo Tansley
Duran’s goals have been crucial for Villa (Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images)
Brighton & Hove Albion
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Fabian Hurzeler has made a smooth transition from the German second division to the Premier League as he looks to improve on last season’s 48-point, 11th-place finish under Roberto De Zerbi. It is early days, but sixth in the table shows he’s made an impressive impact. In the 12 points Brighton have accrued, the 31-year-old has also pulled off some eye-catching results (wins over Manchester United and Spurs are among their three victories, plus a draw at Arsenal).
What doesn’t it tell us?
Brighton have already played half of last season’s top eight and only lost against Chelsea, but there is scope for improvement. Summer signings Matt O’Riley and Brajan Gruda, bought for £25million each, have only managed three minutes combined playing time in the league. Midfielder O’Riley suffered ankle ligament damage early into his debut against Crawley Town in the Carabao Cup and is yet to return. Gruda made a fleeting late appearance from the bench against Tottenham in the final game before the international break. The former Mainz winger’s Brighton debut had been delayed by a calf issue. Fellow newcomers Mats Wieffer and Ferdi Kadioglu have also been limited by injuries.
Andy Naylor
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Newcastle are challengers for European qualification, which is the stated goal of their hierarchy. Seventh place and 12 points after seven matches is a decent, if not spectacular, return, given they have had arguably their kindest start to a season, fixtures-wise, in a decade. Having failed to make a summer signing who materially strengthened the first XI, it is unsurprising that Newcastle are in the same league position where they finished the 2023-24 season.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Their underlying metrics feel unsustainable. Newcastle have scored the second-fewest goals (eight) in the top 12 and have conceded the fourth-fewest (seven) in the division. Yet, while the xG is 10.4 meaning they have scored 2.4 fewer goals than “expected”, the xG against figure is 10.3, meaning they have conceded 3.3 goals less than “expected”. Head coach Eddie Howe has also used the fewest players in the Premier League this season (19), which points to a lack of depth. There is a strong core of players, but the quality drop-off still feels significant.
Chris Waugh
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
No Joao Palhinha, no problem. Fulham were expected to struggle after selling their midfield talisman to Bayern Munich for €51million (£42.7m, $55.5m at current exchange rates) in the summer but Marco Silva’s new-look midfield, led by Sasa Lukic, has gelled quickly and his team are eighth. Newcomer Emile Smith Rowe has provided flashes of attacking flair and at the back, the addition of Joachim Andersen’s leadership has helped, with Fulham conceding just eight goals — the same as Tottenham, Chelsea and champions City.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Considering five first-team regulars left in the most recent transfer window, Silva’s selections have been remarkably consistent — he has named an unchanged starting XI in four of the seven games and only Newcastle United (19) have fielded fewer players than Fulham’s 20. The performances and underlying metrics are promising but Fulham have only faced one team from the top five (City, a 3-2 away defeat). They have reduced their expected goals against (xGA) per game from 1.7 to 1.2, showing how they are restricting opponents’ chances. With Villa, Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool among their next nine opponents, this period will test just how far Fulham have come.
Justin Guthrie
Tottenham Hotspur
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Spurs have lost three of their opening seven games, which underlines that they are still a work in progress in year two under Ange Postecoglou. A dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester United filled everybody with confidence… until they surrendered a two-goal half-time lead in a 3-2 defeat at Brighton a week later in their final match before this break. Dominic Solanke’s summer arrival and Brennan Johnson’s electric recent form have helped to solve their problems up front but they are still guilty of costly defensive errors.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Tottenham had a dreadful record from defensive set-pieces last season and Gabriel’s header from Bukayo Saka’s corner in the north London derby in September suggested it was still an issue. But apart from that incident, they have looked much more secure in those situations. Former Central Coast Mariners and Hibernian manager Nick Montgomery joined the coaching staff this summer and he can be seen dishing out instructions at set pieces.
Jay Harris
Solanke and Johnson have helped address Spurs’ attacking problems (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is capable of helping Forest to take another step in the right direction. Their start to the season and current top-half position underline how much they strengthened this summer. The additions of Nikola Milenkovic, Elliot Anderson, James Ward-Prowse and Alex Moreno have given Nuno enough strength in depth to be able to expect an improvement on last season’s 17th-place finish.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Forest have addressed some of their problems. They have only conceded one set-piece goal, having shipped 22 of them last season. They have even scored three themselves. Nuno has made Forest tougher to break down. They have the third-best away record (eight points), having collected only five away wins in 38 tries across the previous two campaigns combined. They are yet to win at home, but they will hope to sort that out when Palace visit on Monday.
Paul Taylor
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Despite selling star striker Ivan Toney and losing his newly-signed intended replacement Igor Thiago to a long-term knee injury, Brentford have made an encouraging start. Bryan Mbeumo has been in excellent form with six goals in seven games, summer arrivals Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg have settled in well and Mikkel Damsgaard is finally fulfilling his potential in his third year at the club. Thomas Frank’s side flirted with relegation last season but the evidence suggests they will not be in any trouble this time.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Brentford’s first three away games were against Liverpool, City and Tottenham. They made life difficult for their opponents on each occasion but lost all of those fixtures. Next up is a trip to Manchester United on Saturday. The last time they visited Old Trafford, Scott McTominay scored twice in stoppage time to pinch a dramatic 2-1 home win. Brentford will be eager to gain revenge — and claim their first major scalp of this campaign.
Jay Harris
West Ham United
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Having taken eight points from the seven games, the table reflects where West Ham should be, but Julen Lopetegui’s camp knew it would be a slow start to his first season in charge, due to some tough fixtures against Villa, City and Chelsea. The squad are still adapting to his methods, but the 4-1 win against Ipswich last time out was a much-needed turn in the right direction.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Summer signing Niclas Fullkrug has missed the past five games with a calf injury, meaning Michail Antonio and captain Jarrod Bowen have had to take turns in the lone striker role. West Ham have scored three fewer league goals than at this stage last season, when they had 13. It is an area in which Lopetegui will be keen to see improvement, with the next two matches being against Tottenham and Manchester United.
Roshane Thomas
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Even though their talisman, Dominic Solanke, moved to Spurs in the summer, others, notably current top scorer Antoine Semenyo (three goals, one assist), have picked up the mantle. A 4-0 home defeat against Arsenal left them second-bottom with three points after seven games last season. Even if the same scoreline befalls them on Saturday when Arsenal visit again, they are well ahead of that sluggish start on eight points. Yet having scored eight goals and conceded 10, that negative goal difference is something to address.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Bournemouth have been fortunate with a lack of injuries across the squad, which has been pivotal for coach Andoni Iraola. USMNT captain Tyler Adams is the only long-term absentee. While the injury gods have been kind, the clean-sheet ones have not. Bournemouth are yet to record one this season. Perhaps this is down to having played three different goalkeepers — Neto before his loan to Arsenal, Kepa Arrizabalaga after he joined on loan from Chelsea and Mark Travers when Kepa was unable to play against his parent club.
Caoimhe O’Neill
Manchester United
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
A little over a decade ago, a David Moyes press conference inspired this tweet.
David Moyes says #mufc must improve in a number of areas, including passing, creating chances and defending.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 9, 2013
United’s lacklustre league position (14th) and feeble goal difference (-3) after seven games suggest they suffer from a bad case of deja vu. Despite (minor) improvement in injury luck, they have continued displaying many of the same weaknesses from the disastrous 2023-24 season. Manager Erik ten Hag likes to remind people he has won a trophy in each of his first two seasons at United, but his team will have to improve in several areas if he wishes to lift a third in the months ahead.
What doesn’t it tell us?
There is still head-scratching over how Ten Hag corrects this. He has been in charge since summer 2022, making him the seventh longest-serving current manager/head coach at a Premier League club. But there is a lack of clarity over what sort of football he’s trying to implement with his squad. “Game model” is a term Ten Hag has begun to use more frequently in press conferences, but his explanations of “the plan” he repeatedly refers to are vague and sometimes contradictory. Reinforcements from the medical room could solve some issues (United could really do with having a left-back), but the journey to the Premier League summit is a bumpy one.
Carl Anka
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
The table never lies, as the saying goes, and Leicester knew it would be a difficult start to a challenging first season back in the Premier League. They find themselves in 15th after seven matches, with a three-point buffer above the relegation zone. The 12 goals conceded look reasonable, though goalkeeper Mads Hermansen has been key to keeping that figure respectable. Their position and points total look significantly better following their first victory, 1-0 against Bournemouth in the final match before the international break.
What doesn’t it tell us?
They could have had two more points on the board but for a controversial VAR decision against Palace that Leicester sought clarification over, while key figures in Enzo Maresca’s possession-based side which won the 2023-24 Championship have slowly been replaced by more athletic individuals. Leicester passed their way to promotion last season, but new manager Steve Cooper seems to want them to run their way to Premier League survival.
Rob Tanner
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Getting out of the blocks slowly is nothing new for Everton manager Sean Dyche, who has a win rate of 12 per cent in August — the second lowest of anyone to take charge of at least 10 Premier League games during that month. But even he must have been concerned by his team’s start to 2024-25. Everton have been surprisingly leaky, with only last-placed Wolves (21) conceding more goals than their 15. A strength last season has been an Achilles’ heel so far this time around.
What doesn’t it tell us?
If last season’s sloppy start could be explained by bad luck and poor finishing, this version of Everton are exactly where they deserve to be after seven games. They are 16th in the table, and are also 16th based on xG difference — a measure of the quality of chances they are creating versus the ones they are conceding. Injuries have taken their toll, with Jarrad Branthwaite in particular a huge miss in defence. But now they have a chance to pull clear of trouble, with Ipswich, Fulham, Southampton, West Ham and Brentford as their next five opponents before a tricky December.
Patrick Boyland
Branthwaite’s injury absence has not helped Everton (Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Ipswich Town
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Ipswich are winless after seven games but sit oh-so-narrowly outside the relegation zone. Their return to the Premier League after 22 years in the EFL has produced positive draws and fortuitous ones, encouraging defeats and defensively inexcusable ones, but no win yet. Ipswich’s net spend of £104million was the second-highest in the Premier League following last season’s surprise promotion, but this remains a new-look and inexperienced squad at this level. Their position in the table reflects this, while also demonstrating that Kieran McKenna’s side have been competitive.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Worryingly, Ipswich are bottom of the xG difference table — the quality of opportunities they are creating is considerably lower than the quality of chances they’re conceding, while six of the 14 goals they’ve shipped have stemmed from individual errors. However, the club’s tough start should be taken into consideration; Opta rates Ipswich’s opening seven fixtures the second most difficult in the 2024-25 Premier League — only last-placed Wolves have had it worse.
Ali Rampling
Crystal Palace
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Sitting in the relegation zone, winless and below two of the three promoted sides is disappointing after the sugar-rush of the end to last season for Palace. A minus-five goal difference tells us that defensive changes — seven different centre-back trios in the seven matches — have been disruptive, while selling gifted star man Michael Olise to Bayern Munich is proving a significant loss (just five goals scored — only Southampton have managed fewer).
What doesn’t it tell us?
Tactically, Palace are not pressing or attacking with the same intensity and purpose as during that storming end to last season, and look more open on the counter-attack. Injuries (Cheick Doucoure) and fitness issues after an exhausting summer (Adam Wharton, Jean-Philippe Mateta), have hampered cohesion. They were also unlucky with refereeing decisions against Brentford and Everton, and in a 1-0 loss against Liverpool. Things should improve in the mid-to-long term as key players recover and new signings including Eddie Nketiah get up to speed.
Max Mathews
Southampton
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
Things look as painful as they have been. One point, no wins and the fewest goals scored in the Premier League (four) makes May’s play-off final win feel like a long time ago. The table tells the tale of pre-season optimism fast becoming cynicism and the big question of whether sticking with the current style of play is a bit naive.
What doesn’t it tell us?
Southampton are underperforming in front of goal and have made individual errors at the other end. Their expected goals figure of 8.2 far exceeds the actual number they have scored — and is better than that stat for six of the other 19 teams. Five individual errors (not including collective generally poor defending) have led to goals conceded. It also does not tell us that, even if things had gone to plan, this sort of tough start was predictable.
Nancy Froston
Wolverhampton Wanderers
What does the table tell us about your club’s season?
At the risk of stating the obvious, it tells us Gary O’Neil’s side have not been good enough. They have conceded too many goals, not scored enough of them and picked up just one point. It tells us the change of system and style O’Neil sought to implement for his second season in charge have not paid off and Wolves now face the likelihood of a season-long fight to stay out of the bottom three.
What doesn’t it tell us?
That Wolves have had the toughest start of any Premier League side. All three home games have been against clubs currently in the top seven including those in first and fourth and they have yet to meet a side currently placed lower than 11th. Some of the goals conceded have also been unfortunate. But the last game before the international break — a 5-3 away defeat against Brentford — brought some worrying signs that the repeated defeats have eaten away at the belief within the camp.
Steve Madeley
(Top photos: Getty Images)
