They say the league table never lies, and this is of course true. What they don’t tell you is that during the dog days of an international break, when nothing falls or rises and hopes and fears are put on temporary hold, the narrative becomes a bit less compelling.
You get sick of looking at the same thing, in other words, although Burnley, Brighton, Watford and Huddersfield will probably never tire of waiting for winter and the real meat of the season from a position in the top half of the table. As far as the first third of the season goes, some of those clubs are among the big winners, simply for delighting their fans by doing better than expected.
How long will it last? Who knows? Instinctively one feels the present top six will still be the top six at the end of the season, though anything could still happen. Burnley are level on points with Arsenal and Liverpool and have kept more clean sheets than either.
Sean Dyche’s side look as strong and prepared for the next chunk of the season as anyone, and unlike the half dozen teams above them will not have to cope with the extra complication of European football. So with apologies to Manchester United, Arsenal and a few others, Burnley take a place in the upper echelon of an alternative table based on early-season health and vigour. Please do not write in and say the following classification is unfair or unduly subjective, because quite clearly fans of Burnley or newly promoted sides such as Brighton or Huddersfield will be easier to please than perennially restless and somewhat over-entitled audiences at the Emirates or Anfield, but at the moment the smaller grounds are where the happiness resides, not to mention the element of surprise.
Top five: really going well this season
1) Manchester City
No one can argue with nine wins in a row, an excellent new goalkeeper, a potential player of the season in Kevin De Bruyne and a 100% record in Europe. Just about the only possible cloud on the horizon is the old Cityitis worry, but any doctor would tell you that is superstition rather than science. Reason to be cheerful De Bruyne is still only 26 and getting better.
2) Tottenham Hotspur
Fractionally behind Manchester United in the actual table but gathering more plaudits for style and attacking flair. Appear to be the real deal at last under Mauricio Pochettino, with worries about Europe and Wembley simultaneously conquered and England becoming reliant on Spurs for several key players. Reason to be cheerful The amount of cleverness within the Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen triumvirate.
3) Burnley
Hard to believe now that Sean Dyche’s side had to wait so long for an away win last season. Already on around half the points they will need to survive, which is not bad going at a club only two seasons out of the Championship. Dyche’s enthusiasm and work ethic are key at Turf Moor, which makes his popularity elsewhere a slight worry. Reason to be cheerful Dyche might not be going anywhere after all, though clearly he will one day.
4) Brighton & Hove Albion
Relegation certainties for most people at the start of the season – this column included – few would have expected to see them in the top half of the table. Whether that says more about Brighton or the strength of the Premier League will be revealed in the next few months but the Seagulls have made a good start and just need to keep going. Reason to be cheerful Glenn Murray is already showing a few others how to keep going.
5) Huddersfield Town
Ditto all the above, here is another club with no Premier League history happily confounding the critics and doubters. Huddersfield keep things simple, tight and economical. They don’t make that many chances but they don’t give much away either. Five clean sheets so far is as good as Burnley and Chelsea, and one better than David Wagner’s pal at Liverpool can boast. Reason to be cheerful Aaron Mooy’s midfield scheming.
The next five: pretty good, but no cigars
6) Manchester United
Don’t all shout at once. They are currently higher and will almost certainly finish higher than three of the teams above, but not everything is blissful in the Old Trafford garden. There was that defeat at Huddersfield a few weeks ago, the cautious tactics at Liverpool and the apparent acceptance of Chelsea’s superiority at Stamford Bridge. Plus, as per usual, the odd indication that José Mourinho may not be around for the long term. Kudos, though, for eight clean sheets in 11 games. Reason to be hopeful Paul Pogba’s return should make a big difference.
7) Chelsea
The only side in the real top five to have lost three times already, beginning with a dreadful start at home to Burnley, Chelsea’s habitual inconsistency appears to have come back to haunt them. Antonio Conte seemed to find selection easy last year; now he is in danger of turning into Tinkerman II. Is it too late for a title defence? Chelsea are nine points off the top and Manchester City are setting quite a pace. Reason to be hopeful Eden Hazard may be saving his best until last.
8) Liverpool
On paper one of the strongest, most exciting and entertaining squads around, even if some glaring defensive deficiencies remain. But players don’t pick up injuries on paper, and neither do they have their heads turned by Barcelona. Most teams would miss players of the quality of Sadio Mané, Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne, and Liverpool are no exception. Frustrating. Reason to be hopeful Mo Salah and Mané together are almost unplayable.
9) Watford
Might have been even higher in this table but for losing their past three matches, the latest that almost unbelievable defeat at Everton. Marco Silva certainly seems to have something – he appears to have overtaken Dyche as the manager most likely to move upwards in the near future – although it should be remembered he did not quite work the full miracle at Hull last season. Watford are probably not going to get relegated, though they cannot take anything for granted. Reason to be hopeful Troy Deeney’s cojones.
10) Arsenal
Occupying this place in the table so as to be as near the middle ground as possible. Arsenal are now boring, and not in the way they used to be under George Graham. Their football no longer takes the breath away, at least not on a regular basis, and Arsène Wenger has turned from a manager with bright ideas into a serial moaner who seems incapable of handling the personalities in his team or playing the transfer market effectively. Reason to be hopeful No immediate likelihood of being savaged by Bayern Munich.
Five looking over their shoulders
11) Newcastle United
Not a bad start from Rafa Benítez’s boys, in all honesty, and better than many imagined given the arguments over transfer budgets that seemed to indicate the manager might be looking for a way out at the beginning of the season. Solid mid-table will do for the moment. Newcastle do not really expect any joy to return until the owner moves on but Benítez could do with a more reliable goal threat. Biggest worry Mike Ashley’s plan to sell up could hit a snag.
12) Leicester City
Most of the ingredients are still there from two years ago, bar the important N’Golo Kanté and Danny Drinkwater contributions from the back of midfield, but Leicester are no longer mean in defence and lethal on the counter. It was probably always going to be this way – they did well to hang on to Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy – and after the pendulum swings of recent seasons a quiet life has some appeal. Biggest worry King Power corruption allegations in Thailand, which it denies.
13) Southampton
Although the comfort and solidarity of recent seasons have gone in a flurry of managerial changes, a side who were playing in Europe last season do not look like turning into relegation candidates just yet. That said, three wins from 11 games is not great, and neither is nine goals, though in terms of safety there are probably three more troubled sides below them. Biggest worry Bournemouth get their act together.
14) Stoke City
Once a reliably doughty mid-table presence, Stoke’s standards have slipped in the last couple of seasons, and although Peter Crouch’s attempts to rival Stanley Matthews for longevity can be applauded it says a lot when your top scorer is a 36-year-old who cannot get a regular start. Mark Hughes rarely gets mentioned in connection with managerial vacancies these days – he seems to have joined the old guard overnight. Biggest worry Xherdan Shaqiri becoming homesick.
15) Bournemouth
Lucky to be in this group based on the way they have started this season, because Eddie Howe’s often timid side are definitely not too good to go down. Yet considering the size of the club things could be worse, there have been recent signs of improvement and Bournemouth expected to be fighting for their life most seasons in the Premier League. Biggest worry It is not just Jermain Defoe who is short of goals, Bournemouth have hit only seven all season, the lowest total outside the bottom three.
Five teams in trouble
16) Everton
Unlikely to go down but no longer as well-equipped for a scrap as they used to be, so don’t bank on it. Need to get their managerial situation sorted out one way or the other and then look for a goalscorer in January. Won’t be challenging for Europe any time soon, though based on this season’s results that may be no bad thing. Biggest disappointment Europa League campaign, summer spending, training-ground bust-ups, where do you want to start?
17) West Bromwich Albion
Pep Guardiola keeps giving the Baggies and Tony Pulis lots of respect, as if playing Albion was as difficult and draining as taking on Stoke circa 2010, though the truth seems to be that the manager’s magic formula no longer seems to be working. Two wins out of 11, three clean sheets, defeats in their last three games. Pulis kept Stoke buoyant, was inspired when keeping Crystal Palace up three years ago but is now looking at a different situation. Biggest disappointment Losing to 10-man Huddersfield.
18) West Ham United
Fair play to the club owners for giving Slaven Bilic every possible chance, but it didn’t work. The summer transfer activity similarly failed to spark a West Ham revival and now the Irons are in the mire. Whether David Moyes is the man to pull them out remains to be seen, though it is difficult to imagine his roundhead brand of football going down well with supporters. Biggest disappointment Marko Arnautovic has yet to impress and Moyes is likely to be a sterner judge than Bilic.
19) Swansea City
With two wins, two draws and seven goals the Welsh side would be propping up the table but for Palace’s continuing underachievement beneath them. If Paul Clement really is a bright young manager with a big future then now would be the time to prove it, because so far this season he could easily be mistaken for someone who does not know his best side and has little clue how to put together a run of results. Biggest disappointment Renato Sanches, after the buildup he received, though like Wilfried Bony he has been out injured. Both should be back at Burnley on Saturday.
20) Crystal Palace
No one else could be quite as firmly on the bottom, just as no one is seriously rivalling Manchester City for the spot at the top. Roy Hodgson took a lot on when he replaced Frank de Boer after the almost impossibly bleak start of four defeats without scoring a goal, and in fairness the former England manager has brought about a modest improvement. Modest is the word, though, and with four points after almost a third of the season Palace need to get moving. Preferably this Saturday against Everton. Biggest disappointment Apart from the opening-day fiasco against Huddersfield, giving Swansea their only away win of the season.
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