Just five games into the Premier League season, the table may be more settled than it appears. Statistician Chris Collinson notes that in the past decade, over two-thirds of teams finished within four places of their position after five games. However, a huge asterisk hangs over the table after Manchester City were found guilty of Premier League charges, with potential sanctions pending appeal.
Last season, 13 of 20 sides finished within four places of their early standing. Exceptions included Aston Villa and Tottenham, which swapped ends of the table. Over the last 10 seasons, 138 of 200 teams finished within four places, while only 12 moved by double digits.
The top spot is less settled: the leader after five games has won the title in just one of the past six seasons (Manchester City in 2023-24). Yet the eventual champion has been in the top two in each of the last four campaigns, suggesting Manchester City or Arsenal will likely lift the trophy.
Being bottom after five games is a strong relegation indicator, as the last-placed team has been relegated in six of the past seven seasons. This could spell trouble for Tottenham, who finished just above the drop in recent campaigns.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing