Premier League Table: Bottom Sticks, Top Doesn't Settle — SkimNews
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- Manchester City sit top with five wins from five, but the league leader after five games has won the title in just one of the past six seasons and three of the past eleven.
- Tottenham are bottom of the table after five games — a position that has ended in relegation in six of the past seven seasons, though Spurs finished eighth the last time they started this low (2008-09).
- After five games last season, 13 of 20 teams (65%) finished within four places of their position at that early stage; across the past 10 seasons, 138 of 200 teams (69%) finished within four places.
- The eventual champion has been in the top two after five games in each of the last four campaigns — the last exception was Manchester City in 2021-22, who were fifth with 10 points.
- Manchester City carry a "huge asterisk" after being found guilty of the majority of Premier League financial charges; they've appealed, but potential sanctions could still reshape the table.
- Last season's top eight after five games finished as the top eight at season's end, and in each of the past three seasons all three relegated sides were in the bottom six at this stage — suggesting Bournemouth, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace are already in the mix.
Why it matters: For Tottenham, Fulham, and Coventry — the current bottom three — early-season form is historically a strong relegation signal, with at least one bottom-three team going down in each of the past eight seasons. Meanwhile, Arsenal fans can take comfort that the last four champions were all in the top two at this stage, even if leading outright after five games rarely lasts.
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