We are now eleven games into the new Premier League season, and as November rolls around, we once again have to endure another international window. While that is beyond frustrating, I thought I would take the time to review the entire league and provide you all with a roughly one third of the way through the season power ranking.
These rankings are based on who I think are the best teams overall, not necessarily on the current table. We are going to take everything into account today, including talent, form, strength of wins, and everything in between, so strap in because this one should be good.
No. 20 Wolves
Current Table Position: 20th | Team Tier: Relegation Strugglers
Eleven games in, and Wolves find themselves at the bottom of the Premier League table. They have already sacked their manager, and as a unit they lack the talent in my opinion, to keep themselves afloat in the Premier League this season. The only potential saviour for the club could be if they get a massive manager bounce when the new boss is appointed.
No. 19 Burnley
Current Table Position: 17th | Team Tier: Relegation Strugglers
The newly promoted Burnley have managed to get themselves out of the relegation zone for now. However, I don’t think they have done a whole lot to make their fan base feel confident about their chances of staying up. The biggest worry is that teams like West Ham and Nottingham Forest, who are below them, may find themselves with new managers who are better suited to get the job done that’s in front of them now.
No. 18 Leeds United
Current Table Position: 16th | Team Tier: Relegation Strugglers
Another newly promoted side finds itself in the bottom three in my power rankings, as Leeds continue to struggle at the start of this Premier League season. So much so, they are potentially about to join Wolves in firing their manager during the first third of the campaign. The fact that this rumour is flying around the media tells you exactly what kind of position they are in.
No. 17 Fulham
Current Table Position: 15th | Team Tier: Just Hanging On
The sputtering side from South West London are somewhat underperforming compared with where they generally sit on these lists and the tables. They still have some solid players, such as Alex Iwobi and Antonee Robinson, but something hasn’t quite clicked this year, which leaves them near the bottom of the rankings.
No. 16 West Ham
Current Table Position: 18th | Team Tier: Just Hanging On
The decision by Forest to sack Nuno was strange in my view, but West Ham ensured they made the most of that decision by bringing him in to replace Graham Potter. They looked lifeless until then, but now they’ve had a few wins on the bounce and look like they could survive after this treacherous start to the season.
No. 15 Nottingham Forest
Current Table Position: 19th | Team Tier: Just Hanging On
The Trees have had one of the most bizarre starts to a season that I have ever seen, sacking two managers and already appointing their third permanent one, Sean Dyche. I think if their new goal is simply to hang on after what has been a terrible start to their campaign, they have the right man at the helm.
No. 14 Everton
Current Table Position: 13th | Team Tier: Meh
The Toffees have been fine to start the season, and most of the positivity surrounding their team relates back to the loan acquisition of Jack Grealish this summer. What they are missing, which they have had in the past, is the ability to play the big clubs tough and steal a few results. This season, that doesn’t seem to be the case, which is why they find themselves this low.
No. 13 Newcastle
Current Table Position: 13th | Team Tier: Meh
Newcastle have a 130 million pound sized hole in their lineup, and they are certainly playing like it. That is nothing against Nick Woltemade, but without Isak they just seem toothless and I think their table position to this point reflects that.
No. 12 Bournemouth
Current Table Position: 9th | Team Tier: Meh
The Cherries have a great manager and a couple of outstanding players who make up the spine of their team. While they are generally punching above their weight, I’m not sure I 100% buy into them being a top-10 team on the table, which is why they land here at 12.
No. 11 Brentford
Current Table Position: 12th | Team Tier: Mid-Table
The Bees have been an exemplary mid-table side, and I think that’s pretty special considering their squad from last year was gutted. No Thomas Frank or Bryan Mbuemo? No problem, as they are clearly a team that no matter who they are coming up against that side will be weary of their ability.
No. 10 Brighton
Current Table Position: 11th | Team Tier: Mid-Table
The Seagulls are once again a team made up of great young players that their scouting department have signed, who on any given day could give all kinds of teams a run for their money. However, while they can take on any side at their best, they also have extremely low points that keep them a team that falls right in the middle of the power rankings.
No. 9 Crystal Palace
Current Table Position: 10th | Team Tier: Mid-Table
They lost Eze, which means they lack any attacking flair. However, Palace are set up to defend for 90 minutes and very rarely concede bags goals. I think the fact they lack the ability to score limits their ceiling as a whole, but their ability to keep teams out certainly raises their floor.
No. 8 Sunderland
Current Table Position: 4th | Team Tier: Europe Contender
The Black Cats have been the darlings of the EPL season so far, generating major wins in the early portion of the campaign. However, I just need to see a bigger sample of time before I anoint them as a legitimate European football contender.
No. 7 Tottenham
Current Table Position: 5th | Team Tier: Europe Contender
Spurs have looked much better under Frank compared with how they performed last season in the league. However, they seem to lack this winning gene to really take it to the other big clubs around the league, as shown in that Chelsea game where they were blown away performance wise at home.
No. 6 Aston Villa
Current Table Position: 6th | Team Tier: Europe Contender
Villa have been good but not great, and I think they are very much overperforming on the table given the level of football they have shown so far this season. They do have a good squad and a good coach, so they will generally find themselves in this upper mid-table area, but I’m not particularly bullish on them being top four anytime soon.
No. 5 Manchester United
Current Table Position: 7th | Team Tier: Europe Contender
Yes, United find themselves in the top five, although I will preface this by saying I think there is still a large gap between the top four and the rest of the league. Regardless, United have found some new life, which you would expect after all the money they invested this summer. I am still waiting for one or two of their players to become force multipliers, but they have certainly been better than expected to start the year.
No. 4 Liverpool
Current Table Position: 8th | Team Tier: Potential Title Contenders
After winning the league last year and then winning the transfer window by breaking the British transfer record twice in the same summer, many expected Liverpool to reign supreme once again. However, their big-money signings haven’t hit the ground running, and it seems like, as a unit they are a bit discombobulated. That isn’t to say they are a bad team, because they aren’t, but they might just be digging themselves quite the hole in the early going.
No. 3 Chelsea
Current Table Position: 3rd | Team Tier: Potential Title Contenders
The Blues will be kicking themselves because their inexperience has let them down on a few occasions, not taking smaller clubs as seriously as they should have. This inconsistency has caused them to drop a few too many points for their fans liking. However, generally speaking the product they have been putting out has been solid, and I think they deserve that third spot on the table.
No. 2 Manchester City
Current Table Position: 2nd | Team Tier: Title Contenders
Pep Guardiola and his side are generally always fighting for top honours, and it seems like this season will be no different. They just had a trademark win this past weekend over Liverpool and are right on the heels of Arsenal, posing the biggest threat to the Gunners title charge.
No. 1 Arsenal
Current Table Position: 1st | Team Tier: Title Contenders
The Gunners have been made out to be the bridesmaids of the league over the past few seasons, and rightfully so generally coming runner-up. This year they seem like a different beast, ensuring so far that they haven’t had any big slips or dropped points in games they shouldn’t. Whether it will continue is the question that many of their fans will be asking, but for now all things are going swimmingly in North London.