What We Have Learned From the Premier League So Far

Five games into the new Premier League season, the table has already thrown up plenty of things to talk about.

Manchester City are the only team with a perfect record. Arsenal sit three points behind them after a damaging defeat at Brighton. Liverpool remain unbeaten, but three draws have kept them away from the top. Brighton, Brentford, Leeds and Everton have all started strongly, while Hull City have adapted remarkably well to life in the top flight.

At the other end, Tottenham are bottom, Fulham are still searching for a first win, and Manchester United have five points from their opening five matches.

The international break gives everyone a chance to take stock. Here is what the opening couple of months have told us.

The early pace setters

Manchester City have made the strongest start, winning all five games and opening a three-point gap at the top.

Enzo Maresca inherited the difficult job of following Pep Guardiola, but City have attacked the transition with confidence. They have scored 18 goals in five matches, with Erling Haaland already on five and Rayan Cherki making an immediate impression.

A problem remains at the other end. Sunderland scored three times at the Etihad in City's final game before the break, with Brian Brobbey completing a hat-trick. City won 5-3, but Maresca will have seen enough defensive problems to know where the work starts during the international break.

Arsenal's start has been strong overall. Four wins from five and only one defeat keeps them within touching distance of City, although the 3-0 loss at Brighton exposed some weaknesses that had been hidden during the opening weeks.

Brighton have been one of the stories of the season. Fabian Hurzeler's side have scored 12 goals, have a +11 goal difference and sit third with 10 points. The win over Arsenal was especially impressive, with Brighton pressing aggressively and attacking with purpose.

Brentford have also gone unbeaten. Two wins and three draws have put Keith Andrews' side fourth, while Leeds are fifth after collecting nine points from their first five matches.

Leeds deserve particular attention because they have combined organisation with attacking ambition since returning to the Premier League. They have not lost yet and have already taken points from several difficult fixtures.

Liverpool are also unbeaten, although their start looks different from City's. Two wins and three draws leave Andoni Iraola's side on nine points. Alexander Isak scored the winner at Bournemouth in Gameweek 5, giving Liverpool a much-needed victory before the break.

Everton have quietly joined that group with nine points of their own. David Moyes' side have lost only once and have conceded just five goals.

Hull City deserve their own paragraph. The promoted side won their opening two matches and have remained competitive since. They now sit eighth with eight points after five games. Sergej Jakirovic was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August after guiding Hull to victories over Manchester United and Coventry.

The clubs already looking for answers

Tottenham are bottom of the table with two points.

Roberto De Zerbi has inherited a squad assembled at huge cost, yet Spurs struggled to create anything in their opening matches and did not score a league goal until the fifth game. Aston Villa eventually won 3-2 after Tottenham fell 3-0 behind.

The summer spending has raised expectations, but the football still lacks clarity. De Zerbi needs to establish his preferred structure quickly because Tottenham have already given themselves ground to recover.

Fulham are also winless, with two points from five matches. Their 1-1 draw against Manchester United at least provided something positive before the break, but Alvaro Arbeloa's team have not yet found enough attacking threat.

Manchester United have five points, and only one league win. Michael Carrick's side have struggled to turn promising moments into results, and the defensive issues remain a concern. United also threw away a two-goal lead against Brighton in the League Cup before drawing with Fulham.

Chelsea's seven points look respectable until you examine their defensive record. Xabi Alonso's team have conceded 12 goals in five matches. The 3-0 defeat at Brentford was particularly revealing, with Chelsea struggling to control the game after the interval.

Aston Villa have also had a difficult start. One win, one draw and three defeats leave Unai Emery's side 16th, although the comeback victory at Tottenham showed that there is still plenty of quality in the squad.

Crystal Palace have four points and sit 15th. Sunderland are 14th on four points after losing three of their opening five, although their attacking display at Manchester City showed they can cause problems.

Nottingham Forest have five points, while Ipswich have six after two wins. Bournemouth remain without a victory but have collected three draws.

Coventry are 18th with three points and the league's worst goal difference at -9. Their win at Nottingham Forest was important, but they have already conceded 13 goals.

The promoted clubs have therefore produced very different starts. Hull are flying, Ipswich are competitive, Sunderland have shown flashes, while Coventry have struggled to keep games under control.

Haaland leads, but the scoring race is already interesting

Erling Haaland has five goals from five matches and leads the Golden Boot race.

Alexander Isak is second with four after scoring Liverpool's winner at Bournemouth. Six players are currently on three goals: Bruno Fernandes, Bukayo Saka, Brian Brobbey, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Kevin Schade and Marcus Tavernier, while Chelsea's João Pedro is also on three.

Haaland remains the obvious focal point at City, but his five goals have come in a team creating chances at a high rate. Premier League data has him top for expected goals at 4.43, followed by Isak on 3.54 and Brobbey on 3.50.

Isak's four goals are important for Liverpool because they show the value of having a genuine central scorer in a side still adjusting to a new manager.

Brobbey has been one of the more interesting stories. His hat-trick at City took him to three league goals and showed Sunderland have a striker capable of causing serious problems against elite opposition.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has also started well for Leeds, while Kevin Schade has contributed to Brentford's unbeaten run.

Bruno Fernandes being on three goals is significant for United, but also insignificant because a hat-trick in one game has him on three goals. He remains central to almost everything they create, although the wider problem at Old Trafford is turning individual production into consistent team results.

The managers getting it right, and those under pressure

Sergej Jakirovic has the clearest early case. Hull were promoted through the Championship play-offs and immediately beat Manchester United before defeating Coventry. Their organisation has carried into the Premier League, and they have collected eight points from five games.

Keith Andrews deserves credit for Brentford's unbeaten start. His team have taken nine points without losing and have already shown they can punish bigger sides. The 3-0 victory over Chelsea was their strongest result so far.

Enzo Maresca has also handled the transition at Manchester City well. Five wins from five is the obvious evidence. The defensive record needs work, but City's attacking football has remained productive after Guardiola's departure.

Mikel Arteta has Arsenal competing near the top again. The Brighton defeat was poor, but the opening four wins showed a side that remains difficult to break down. Arsenal conceded only one goal across those victories before Brighton exposed them.

Andoni Iraola's Liverpool deserve mention too. Three draws have prevented a stronger start, but five matches without defeat and a winning goal from Isak at Bournemouth give Iraola something solid to build on.

At the other end, De Zerbi has the biggest immediate problem. Tottenham's two points and six-goal deficit leave them bottom, and the club's huge summer investment has increased the pressure surrounding every poor performance.

Carrick faces similar scrutiny at Manchester United. Five points from five games is a poor return for a club that expected to challenge much higher up the table. United need better defensive organisation and more consistent possession.

Xabi Alonso's Chelsea have a different problem. They have shown attacking quality, but conceding 12 goals in five matches has made every good attacking performance harder to convert into points.

Unai Emery also has work to do at Villa, although the win at Tottenham gives him a useful result heading into the break.

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