Premier League Matchday 5 featured a full slate of games, including Manchester United’s 2-1 crazy upset victory against Chelsea and Arsenal’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against Manchester City.
With those results in the books, let’s take a look at our updated PL power rankings and see where each club stands ahead of Matchday 6.
20. West Ham (–1)
West Ham aren’t bottom of the table, but they really should be. They only lost by one goal to Crystal Palace at the weekend. It could’ve been much worse. Palace created 2.31 xG from 18 shots to the Hammers’ 0.66 xG from 8 shots.
Graham Potter’s side have lost five of their six competitive matches this season, including three London derbies. I’m frankly stunned he still has a job. If recent reports are true, he might not have one for much longer.
19. Wolves (+1)
Wolves jumping a place in our Premier League power rankings isn’t because I was impressed by their 3-1 loss to Leeds. I just have less faith in Graham Potter and West Ham than Wolves, which is saying a lot because Vitor Pereira’s team have been really bad.
Like Potter, it’s clear that Pereira doesn’t know his best team. He’s consistently shuffled his back line and subbed out two of his three center-backs against Leeds. Jose Sa has started all five games this season, but I’m not sure how much longer that will last. It’s going to be a long year for Wolves fans.
18. Burnley (=)
Burnley put on another solid defensive performance on Matchday 5. Unlike their 1-0 loss to Liverpool on Matchday 4, the Clarets were actually able to get a point from their match against Forest. They had just 37% possession, but Scott Parker’s men more than deserved the 1-1 draw at home.
17. Brentford (–1)
The win against Aston Villa on Matchday 2 and the 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Matchday 3 had many Brentford fans feeling optimistic about their chances of staying up this year. The loss against Fulham this weekend though, has sent them crashing back down to Earth.
The Bee’s intense style of play and set-piece dominance gives them a chance against most teams. But as the season goes on, it’s clear that they don’t have enough talent to consistently compete at the top level.
16. Aston Villa (–2)
After drawing 1-1 with a 10-man Sunderland, it’s safe to say Aston Villa are in the midst of a crisis. Unai Emery seems to be growing more exasperated with every result. The Basque manager called his team “lazy” after the draw, which is fair if you watch the game. Sunderland clearly had more energy, but the biggest issue is that the Villans are not creating enough chances.
Villa’s goal against Sunderland came from their only shot on target. It was also just their first goal of the season. In case you think they’ve just been unlucky, Villa only created 3.6 xG this season, the fewest in the Premier League.
15. Leeds (+2)
Leeds bounced back from their 1-0 loss to Fulham with a dominant 3-1 win against Wolves. I don’t think beating Wolves is that impressive considering their form, but picking up three points here could be pivotal for the Whites’ survival chances this season, so that has to be rewarded with a boost in our power rankings.
14. Brighton (–3)
Brighton took a 2-0 lead against Tottenham on Saturday, before giving up two goals and drawing 2-2 with Spurs. This is the third time in five matches this season that the Seagulls have dropped points. To say they’ve been unwhelming would be an understatement. Overall, the team lacks energy and key players have failed to show up in big matches.
Lewis Dunk was once one of the most reliable players in the PL, but he’s now a borderline liability. Carlos Baleba has transformed from arguably the best defensive midfielder in Europe to a player who gets yanked at half-time. The only bright spot in this Brighton team right now is Yankuba Minteh. Unfortunately for Seagulls fans, Minteh alone will only get you so far.
13. Nottingham Forest (=)
Nottingham Forest picked up their first point of the Ange Postecoglou era in their 1-1 draw with Burnley. The Reds scored two minutes into the match, but conceded an equalizer just 18 minutes later. Forest were the better team from that point on, but they never really looked like they were going to get the winning goal they needed.
12. Manchester United (+3)
Manchester United benefited from the earliest red card in Premier League history after Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute. Even if you put that card aside, the Red Devils looked very good in Matchday 5. The only reason Sanchez was sent off was because Man Utd’s press put him in a position to make his rash challenge.
It’s too early to say whether this result will jump-start Man Utd’s 2025-26 campaign, but I think this is the first time I can confidently say that they were the better team after a match this season.
11. Fulham (+1)
Fulham have quietly put together a solid start to the 2025-26 Premier League season. After their 3-1 win against Brentford, the Cottagers have won two straight matches. They have lost just one of their six matches in all competitions. There’s not much else to say, really. Marco Silva has Fulham on track for another respectable mid-table finish this season.
10. Everton (–2)
Everton will feel upset by the fact that they were given just three minutes of added time in their 2-1 loss to Liverpool on Saturday, but they were deserved losers against their Merseyside rivals. Even with that result, the Toffees have been solid this season.
David Moyes’s side have a positive expected goal differential through five matches, and the fans at the new Hill Dickinson Stadium seem just as passionate as they were at Goodison. I don’t know their ceiling yet, but I’m not worried about Everton at all this season.
9. Sunderland (=)
This year is shaping up to be a banner year for newly-promoted Premier League teams, and Sunderland are the best of them. The Black Cats went down to 10 men just 33 minutes into their match against Aston Villa and still managed to come back to secure a 1-1 draw.
Sunderland are now unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions. Even more impressively, they’ve already racked up 8 points — half of what would have been enough to stay up in the PL last season.
8. Bournemouth (–2)
Bournemouth are an incredibly coached side, and there’s no shame in drawing 0-0 with Newcastle. However, all the talk so far this season has been about whether the Cherries will be this year’s Nottingham Forest. That could end up being the case, but they are too inconsistent in front of goal for me to buy in just yet. They created just 0.46 xG from 11 shots against Newcastle.
7. Crystal Palace (+3)
Crystal Palace’s dominant 2-1 win over West Ham brings their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17 games. The Eagles are in their best form since 1969. It’s even more impressive, considering their lackluster transfer window in the summer.
Oliver Glasner is working magic at Selhurst Park. I’m optimistic that Palace will finish higher than 12th, but I don’t want to go too crazy just yet. They haven’t really been tested so far. Their two wins came against Aston Villa and West Ham, the 18th and 19th-ranked teams this season.
6. Newcastle (+1)
It feels strange moving a team up in the power rankings after a 0-0 draw —especially when it’s their third straight goalless away fixture— but Bournemouth are a good side, so a draw away from home is a solid result for Newcastle. The fact the Magpies got it done without Anthony Gordon and new signings Yoane Wissa and Jacob Ramsey is also worth commending.
5. Manchester City (–1)
Manchester City snapped their two-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw at the Emirates against Arsenal. It wasn’t exactly a convincing performance, though. Erling Haaland looked dominant, and Tijjani Reijnders impressed. The team performance overall was more mixed.
The match was the most pragmatic we’ve ever seen a Pep Guardiola team be. City parked the bus as soon as they took their 1-0 lead. They ended the match in a back three, with four natural center-backs on the pitch. Their 33% possession was the lowest possession Man City has had since Guardiola took over in 2016.
4. Chelsea (–1)
Chelsea are still in a good position to challenge for the Champions League places this season, but the cracks are starting to show. Obviously, the biggest issue is the goalkeeper. Robert Sanchez again proved this weekend in Chelsea’s 2-1 loss to Man Utd that he is not a top-quality goalkeeper. Enzo Maresca’s cautious nature also reared its head, when the Italian subbed off Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto, and Estevao within the first 30 minutes at Old Trafford.
The Blues have one of the best squads in the PL, so I can’t drop them too far. That said, the loss to Man Utd should raise some alarm bells in BlueCo headquarters. At the very least, it should cause them to look for a new goalkeeper.
3. Tottenham (+2)
Brighton at the Amex is always a tough task for Big 6 clubs, but Tottenham should feel disappointed to only come away with one point. Spurs were the better side and just ran out of time.
Xavi Simons especially impressed. He was an absolute game-changer for Tottenham and provided instant energy off the bench. If Thomas Frank can figure out where to play him, Spurs are going to be really fun to watch this season.
2. Arsenal (=)
After their 1-1 draw with Man City, I’ve heard people criticize Arsenal for not being brave enough. On one hand, this is fair. The Gunners have consistently preferred to play on the back foot against City and Liverpool over the last three seasons. That said, this was still a good result against a good team that could make the difference down the stretch.
It was also a historic result. Mikel Arteta is now the first manager in history to go five consecutive matches unbeaten against Pep Guardiola.
1. Liverpool (=)
Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Everton was the fourth time in six matches this season that they have gone up two goals and allowed the opponent to score. This doesn’t matter, though because the Reds have yet to drop points this season.
To be serious, this is a bit of a worrying trend. Liverpool’s luck has to run out at some point, right? On the other hand, the fact that they are still so dominant despite their inconsistency could mean that Arne Slot’s side has the potential to get a lot better.
Whatever the case, as things stand now, Liverpool are by far the best team in the Premier League.
