The 2026/27 Premier League season is back in action after the September/October international break, and now that the cobwebs are clearing and our minds are getting integrated back into thinking about club football, it’s time to take a step back and grade how all the Big Six clubs have been doing so far this season.
Arsenal
Honestly, even though Arsenal are not in first place right now. I have been blown away by the job Mikel Arteta has done thus far, and I really like how the attack looks with Greek star Christos Tzolis out on the left as compared to Gabriel Martinelli. On paper, Tzolis is less dynamic, but I don’t really think Martinelli was doing enough to take players on and stretch the pitch anyway. So that small drawback is nothing compared to the huge benefit of having a player who can actually consistently finish and create.
Arsenal are still amazing defensively even with all the injuries, and they are only going to get stronger once William Saliba comes back around December. I think the fact that Arsenal are not undefeated and in second after a terrible loss to Brighton prevents them from getting an A plus, because they are far from spotless. At the same time, that defeat, terrible as it was, should not shroud the fact that the reigning champions are still, by my estimation, title favorites.
Chelsea
Meanwhile, rivals Chelsea are having a bit of a nightmare start in 10th, and I actually think how they rank in the Premier League table flatters them a bit. Their defense is still a mess, the midfield looks visibly worse without Enzo Fernandez, and while the attack is actually even better with Morgan Rogers banging home goals and Danny Welbeck as a quality depth option, I’m just not seeing enough organization and quality from this team.
Chelsea literally hired Xabi Alonso so that they could be strong in possession and control games with some fluidity, matching Arsenal in that aspect. I think Brentford’s blowout win over the Blues really exposed Alonso’s coaching and how far off this club is from getting back into the top five. Aside from Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, and Rogers, there’s not a single player I’d want in my squad. Moises Caicedo can’t come back soon enough. Final grade? I think I’m going to give Chelsea a D. They are a mess.
Liverpool
Liverpool aren’t in the top four and still have a lot of work to do, but they look a lot better this season than they did last season under Arne Slot. Andoni Iraola has struck gold before in two very different leagues and environments in Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth, and he’s gotten most of his players to perform better than they were. Florian Wirtz seems to be an exception, but I just don’t think he fits how Liverpool play. Which is fine, because Iraola is getting more mileage out of the Jurgen Klopp DNA.
Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo look like studs when healthy, and all of this progress is without the Reds best player from last season, Hugo Ekitike. Jeremy Jacquet is a revelation next to Virgil van Dijk, and while I still think Liverpool could be doing a better job in midfield and haven’t dominated their opponents like Manchester City, for example, it’s been a positive start. I think a B minus is fair for a team in sixth, tied with rivals Everton.
Manchester City
Manchester City fell short of the Premier League title last season, and they are back with a vengeance now, sitting first and the only team without a loss or a draw through the first five games. I love what Enzo Maresca is doing with how Man City control possession and defend the width of the pitch, because they really suffocate teams and don’t give them much time to move on the ball, which is going to make the Citizens score more goals.
As it stands, they are second in the league in goals scored while still being solid defensively. Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland look like the league’s best attacking duo in terms of a creator and striker partnership, and Antoine Semenyo is a brilliant winger sidekick to Haaland. I just can’t give Man City an A plus either despite being in first, because I think they do have cracks when they defend transitions through the middle. I also don’t love the attacking depth with Jeremy Doku out, as Phil Foden is still lukewarm and I don’t believe Iliman Ndiaye is a Manchester City level player. An A will have to suffice.
Manchester United
I feel bad for Michael Carrick, who did an amazing job of turning things around for Manchester United to get them back to the Champions League, but something always felt a bit, well, off and not quite sustainable. United are back to being what they have always been since Sir Alex Ferguson left more than a decade ago – mediocre. The Football Heritage is too strong with these Red Devils, and I think more fans have to be honest with how the team running through Bruno Fernandes does everyone else a disservice. His stat-padding is not really helping Man United, and it’s becoming arguably more egregious than Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid.
The rest of the midfield lacks depth, and Kobbie Mainoo is the one player in the middle of the park who can actually defend and progress the ball at a Premier League level. Defensively, Man United have a lot of castoffs who really shouldn’t be playing at the highest level anymore, and it’s troubling that nostalgia is holding onto the likes of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, and Diogo Dalot in key roles. Man United lack quality and have always felt like a randomly cobbled together team. They get a D as well.
READ MORE: The biggest takeaway for each Premier League Big 6 club before 2026/27 season resumes in October
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur are dead last in the Premier League and couldn’t buy themselves a goal in league competition until they put two past Aston Villa, but that game was already lost at 3-0 anyway. Spurs haven’t even gotten a goal out of a forward in any game against any Premier League level opponent between the League Cup and the actual English top flight.
Even so, what saves Spurs and gives them that almost the same D grade as Chelsea and Manchester United despite being a lot lower in the table is the fact that they are at least playing well otherwise. There are real signs of growth under Roberto De Zerbi, and they are now dominating shots and possession with a lot of hard luck that is not sustainable. Winning and scoring are the most important things, regardless of luck, but with a small sample size of five games, you can factor in luck a bit and soften the blow. That being said, Spurs are so low in the table that I can’t justify saying they have been as bad as Man United and Chelsea. They’ve still been a bit worse, so they get a D minus as the worst Premier League Big Six club, yet again.
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THE TRIVELA EFFECT
Purveyor of footy since the 90s. Favor the Premier League and old school Serie A with a touch of Bundesliga. More than a touch. Professional writer for 20 years, covering every sport but now focused on the Premier League and world football. You won’t be able to guess my favorite team.