PL after 10 weeks

We move into the next international break this weekend so a good time to see how things have gone in the first 10 weeks of the PL season.

Before the season started, with the departure of Pep from Manchester City, my view was that Arsenal would walk the PL since their main challengers were likely to take time to adjust to the change in coach plus big changes in midfield and no-one else looked to be close enough to sustain a meaningful title challenge. I have not changed my mind despite City starting strongly under Enzo Maresca, winning their opening 7 PL matches, but, as both Leicester City and Chelsea fans will tell you, Maresca teams often start well but then suffer a mid-season slump. Having lost their past 3 PL matches it seems this slump may have started early this season. I do expect them to regain form but by then it may be too late. Certainly, the two matches between City and Arsenal will be pivotal for City’s potential title challenge given that they have fallen 6 points behind the defending champions. Arsenal has also finally broken their title drought and the pressure of that drought brings, especially following 3 second place finishes, which means that mental block has been removed. They are not necessarily playing that well currently but are still winning matches and look like a side that knows they are the best.

The one exception was the 3-0 loss away to Brighton & Hove Albion where they were completely outplayed and it is the Seagulls that are their closest challengers, 5 points behind after their best ever start to a top flight season. They have played especially well so far but the question is whether they can sustain that level of performance across a full season, not forgetting they are also competing in the UEFA Conference League, although in a strange way that might actually help when considering the low level of opposition in that competition allows them to field back up players to give them game time and match fitness so they should be ready to go when needed in the PL.

Liverpool and Chelsea sit 4th and 5th respectively but neither look anywhere near close enough to put up a credible title challenge. The Reds would be the ones if it were to happen. The Blues are woefully inconsistent with coach Xabi Alonso still seemingly no closer to knowing either his best starting XI or his best formation. CL qualification is their most reasonable aspiration and even that looks unlikely. Behind those two sit Everton, AFC Bournemouth, Brentford, Leeds United and Aston Villa to make up the top 10. Of these, only Villa may be a little disappointed to be in 10th place. For the others a top 10 finish and potential European qualification would represent a good season.

The bottom half of the table sees 3 under performing sides in Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Manchester United. Spurs’ form has definitely picked up in recent weeks with 3 straight PL wins to move them up the table but the weekend’s 1-0 loss at Leeds United pushed them back down to 11th place. The Magpies have won just 1 of their past 5 matches in the PL, losing 3. There is definite frustration amongst the fans who do not seem convinced about the ability of new coach Matthias Jaissle to move the club forward. They are still just 4 points off 5th place though so still well in touch. Conversely, they are only 4 points ahead of the bottom three should things turn in the wrong direction. As for Manchester United, where do we start? It has been a largely disastrous season to date with just 1 win in the PL and that coming in week 3. They did have two dramatic comebacks this week just gone to overturn 2 goal deficits against AS Roma in the CL to win 3-2 and twice coming from 2 goals down to snatch a 4-4 draw at home to Aston Villa in the PL but, despite those shows of fight, things look bleak for coach Michael Carrick and have for a while. It does seem that he has only stayed in his role whilst the club secure his replacement. Whoever takes over will need to focus on their defence which has been really poor. United surely the biggest underachievers so far this season.

The 3 promoted sides all sit in the bottom half now after promising starts for both Hull City and Ipswich Town are beginning to fade. Both are still picking up useful points and performing well but the wins have dried up with just 1 between them across the past 12 PL matches. Last season’s Championship title winners, Coventry City, started with 4 straight defeats in the PL but have since won 3 of their past 6 and can consider themselves extremely unlucky to go down at Everton last time out when they could (probably should) have had 2 penalties awarded to them with James Tarkowski seeing red for the first of those as well for the first one. Neither given, Tarkowski stayed on the pitch and the Toffees came from a goal down to run out 3-1 winners. In-between the three promoted clubs sit Fulham and Nottingham Forest. Both have spent time in the bottom three this season but both are currently just outside with Fulham unbeaten in their past 4 PL matches whilst Forest just put Manchester City to the sword at the City Ground in a thoroughly convincing 3-1 win.

The bottom three consists of the aforementioned Manchester United in 18th place followed by Sunderland in 19th, fresh off a 1-0 home win over the hapless Chelsea, and bottom of the pile Crystal Palace, now on a run of 4 straight PL defeats and seemingly looking at Thomas Frank to replace incumbent head coach Pierre Sage. All three clubs will have expected better starts. It is hard to see Manchester United staying in relegation trouble but the same was true of Tottenham last season and they only survived on the final day so who knows. Sunderland may be feeling the effect of playing in Europe for the first time in over 50 years but they retain a strong, well organised team which I expect to slowly rise up the table. Probably not to the heights of last season but enough to stay up. Palace look the most vulnerable of the three but surely have too much to stay there, especially if Frank takes over. The three promoted clubs still look the most likely fill the bottom three places at this stage.

Premier League Prediction Competition 2026

Session 2 ended at the weekend. Steve came charging through the field in the second half of the session with POTW performances in weeks 3 and 4, almost making it 3 in a row in week 5 but missing out by a point to John S. Stefan pipped Peter by a single point for the session runners up prize.


DON’T FORGET THOSE PREDICTIONS!

PLEASE INVITE ANYONE YOU KNOW WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN TAKING PART.

CONTACT ME AT… contact.sytykf@gmail.com

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