Brighton and Manchester City lead BBC's early Premier League rankings; Spurs last
September 21, 2026 09:40
BBC Sport has rated Premier League teams after five matches of the season. Brighton and Manchester City sit highest on 9, while Tottenham are placed last on 2.
NOTABLE TAKEAWAYS
- Brighton (9): Described as the "kings of entertainment" after scoring 16 goals in five top‑flight games, with BBC calling them "a joy to watch." They also beat champions Arsenal.
- Manchester City (9): Five wins from five league games; they won at Manchester United despite being reduced to 10 men in the first half. Erling Haaland is already the division's top scorer, according to the BBC summary.
- Brentford (8): Began the season unbeaten and "demolished Spurs and Chelsea without fuss," earning high praise for their start.
- Hull City (8): Have eight points from five fixtures, including a win over Manchester United and draws with Aston Villa and Chelsea.
KEY CONTEXT AND MIDTABLE ASSESSMENTS
(The BBC's rating for each club follows in parentheses.)
- Arsenal (7): A solid start to their title defence until suffering a heavy defeat by Brighton; they had earlier survived a penalty scare at Sunderland.
- Leeds United (7): Fifth in the league, unbeaten and with the joint‑best defensive record; highlighted by a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
- Aston Villa (6): Signs of improvement after losing many players during the transfer window.
- Bournemouth (6): Noted for conceding late goals—"If games lasted 80 minutes the Cherries would be near the top."
- Chelsea (6): Began strongly under Xabi Alonso but BBC notes two defeats in three and being picked apart by Brentford.
- Everton (6): Despite what the BBC calls a difficult transfer window, David Moyes's side are made hard to beat.
- Liverpool (6): Unbeaten but judged to be "far from their best," with three successive clean sheets.
- Newcastle United (6): A mixed set of results under Matthias Jaissle, including a comfortable win at Tottenham and a poor loss at Leeds.
- Coventry City (6): Earned a relieving away win at Nottingham Forest; BBC asks whether they will build on it.
- Ipswich Town (5): Defensively vulnerable but have earned six points from two late winners.
- Fulham (5): Had decent draws with Liverpool and Manchester United but still need a win; BBC lists upcoming fixtures as Ipswich (away), Hull (home), Coventry (away) and Crystal Palace (home).
- Nottingham Forest (5): Better away than at home; yet to score at the City Ground and have one point from three home matches.
- Sunderland (5): Gave good accounts against Arsenal and Manchester City but lost both matches.
- Crystal Palace (5): One win and three defeats leave room for improvement.
- Manchester United (4): Disappointing performances included a loss at Hull and a draw at bottom‑placed Fulham; their only win was against Ipswich.
- Tottenham Hotspur (2): After spending heavily in the summer, Spurs had failed to score in their opening four league matches; BBC says supporters will be demanding an instant improvement after the international break.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
There is a three‑week international break with no Premier League games until 10 October, when the league resumes.