It’s that time of year again. It’s dark before 5:00 p.m, Christmas paraphernalia is displayed way too early, and Premier League managers dress like eskimos. This means we have a better idea of which teams are contenders and who are pretenders. Hotspur HQ’s monthly power rankings below sort those clubs accordingly. No surprise, Arsenal are leading the pack, but where does Tottenham’s undefeated October place the team?
Title contenders
1. Arsenal
The United States leads the world in defense spending. Number two is Arsenal. What else explains their 0.77 expected goals conceded per game? There is no debate. Arsenal are the class of the Premier League right now, regardless of their inexplicable Carabao Cup loss at Fleetwood.
2. Brighton and Hove Albion
A 4-0 victory over Aston Villa in the season opener. A 5-0 demolition of Coventry City and a 3-0 domination of Arsenal in September. In October, a 5-0 dismissal of poor Crystal Palace and now a 1-0 win over Manchester City. Brighton are steamrolling opponents, and they’re doing it with 57-year-old journeyman Pascal Gross running the show in midfield. Wait, steamrolling isn’t the right word. They’re pecking opponents.
oh ffs pic.twitter.com/S3ihqOqI6W
— ☘️ (@ffsjb0) September 16, 2026
Manchester City
3. Manchester City
Last week, The Athletic published an article titled, “How the Man City case threatens the Premier League: ‘Asterisks are not good for the brand.’” It explores how Manchester City’s punishment for financial breaches and how the possibility of asterisks on their achievements could affect English soccer. But the horse has left the barn.
In the mind of football fans—at least those who don’t support Man City—everything the club has done and will do is tainted. It’s hard to place them in anything but their own category since, pending appeal, they might be forced into relegation. Anyway, they’ve lost their last two league games.
European glory
4. Liverpool
It’s not embarrassing to have losses only to Arsenal and Man City. Liverpool have even beaten Brighton this season. But their inability to take points off their fellow heavyweights is why title contention is slipping away from Andoni Iraola’s side.
5. Brentford
Brentford didn’t lose a game until October 17, and that was probably only because of a Yeho Yarmoliuk red card. Liverpool scored twice in the second half after Yarmoliuk was sent off to finally quell the pride of west London (sorry, Chelsea fans). The only other team with just one loss is Arsenal. Brentford are legit.
6. Tottenham
Do you smell that? Yes, that’s the sweet, sweet scent of European competition, for our Tottenham Hotspur sit eighth in the Premier League table. Last month, I placed Tottenham 19th and my comment was, “No comment.” I’m glad the boys used my piece as inspiration.
7. Chelsea
Chelsea are much higher than this in the Premier League standings, but in a power ranking you can’t lose to a resurgent Tottenham team and be above them. You also can’t beat this season's Manchester United team and expect extra credit. I also can’t believe in Chelsea with this version of Cole Palmer. He needs to do a Michael Jordan-esque retirement and come back fully healthy.
8. Bournemouth
I wrote this last month:
"Bournemouth are one of three Premier League teams without a win, though they possess just a -2 goal differential. They’ll be fine this season, especially when wunderkind Junior Kroupi returns from a foot injury. However, you can’t rise in these esteem rankings if you can’t garner three points. You play to win the game. "Me
Lo, their points total aligned with their goal differential, they’ve rattled off three consecutive victories, and Junior Kroupi returned recently and last weekend made an all-world assist. They’ll be fine.
9. Aston Villa
Is Unai Emery the best manager in the Premier League? Take a look at this lineup from the season opener against Brighton. Now, Villa are unbeaten since September 19 (and haven’t dropped points in the Champions League). What’s more, Nicolas Jackson is proving how insane it was for Chelsea to banish him for Liam Delap two seasons ago.
Midtable slop
10. Fulham
I honestly don’t know how manager Alvaro Arbeloa turned around Fulham's season. Heading into mid-September and after losing to Crystal Palace, his team was arguably the least inspiring side in the league and he himself was a proverbial dead man walking. Oh wait, I know how he turned around the season. Fulham got to play in succession the imploding Manchester United, the three promoted sides, and an Aston Villa team leggy from a Champions League game. I think Fulham are still one of the worst in the Premier League this season, but points are points. They had a good month.
11. Coventry City
Coventry City took zero points from their first four games. That is very bad. In the five games since, they have three victories. That is very good. If Coventry City’s season so far is a gif, then it would be this one:
12. Hull City
Hull City’s four-game unbeaten streak to start the season was as surprising as their recent comedown has been expected. In October, they took just three points from four games. Still, they are competitive and taking points where they can.
13. Leeds United
Leeds United have been constructed and managed so expertly since winning promotion before last season, it seems they’d always been in the Premier League. That’s not true, of course, and it’s also not true that they can sail into safety this season. Like Hull, Leed didn’t win a game in October.
14. Newcastle United
Newcastle United are somehow good, average, and bad at the same time. They drew with Liverpool! They dominated Tottenham! They also lost 4-1 to both Leeds and Coventry City. Those are what baseball fans call crooked numbers, and not surprisingly their expected stats place them last in the Premier League table. Should we have expected anything less after exiling Nick Woltemade and selling Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes?
15. Ipswich Town
The depth of football in England is symbolized by Ipswich Town. As a newly promoted side in a small city, they should be getting battered, but in October their only loss came away at Manchester City. Even then, it was an entertaining 3-2 affair in which Ipswich didn’t quit. Now, if you ask me who Ipswich Town’s leading scoring is, then I’d recede into the bushes like Homer Simpson.
16. Everton
As of this writing, Everton are 14th in the Premier League table and 14th in expected points. Everton are the most midtable team that’s ever midtabled.
Manchester City relegation watch
17. Nottingham Forest
The streets won’t forget that Fantasy Premier League season when an “Assistant Manager” chip was introduced and everyone picked Oliver Glasner, who was then leading Crystal Palace’s golden age. It’s a shame that, after a winless October, Glasner is now mired at the bottom of the table at Nottingham Forest. Their expected table position is third—that’s not a typo. Glasner’s players need to step up for him and Forest supporters. He and they deserve better.
18. Manchester United
Sure, Manchester United technically aren’t in the relegation zone, but that’s only because of goal differential. Sure, Manchester United have four losses, fewer than several teams above them in this ranking, but they are one of three teams with just one victory. Sure, team captain Bruno Fernandes was benched recently, but is he even good anymore?
This is to say United are a mess. The players have seemingly quit on Michael Carrick, with much being made about how little the team runs. Carrick can’t figure out tactics for a roster that doesn’t fit together. And the supporters are (rightfully) incensed at the club’s management. The hair challenge guy should get a trim if they lose five straight.
Crystal Palace
I was tempted to place Crystal Palace last in these esteemed rankings, but that’s difficult when A) they have two more points than Sunderland, and B) I watched a spirited win at Selhurst Park against Nottingham Forest a few weeks ago. That makes it all the more unbelievable that they possess a negative-12 point differential. The wooden statue that is manager Pierre Sage isn’t helping, and they desperately need Ismaila Sarr and Jean-Phillippe Mateta to play serious minutes again, but the fault ultimately lies with ownership. They didn’t replenish a roster bereft of talent after the sales of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, and Daniel Munoz.
Sunderland
I wrote last month that Sunderland’s expected data and points sells the team short, and that’s still true. Their expected position in the Premier League table is 13th, a place that, right now, would put them closer to Champions League qualification than relegation. That’s little solace, though, when Sunderland have taken just five points from nine games and now face a winter fighting for survival. No one’s waiting more fretfully for the Man City verdict than the Black Cats.
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