2016-17 Premier League Power Rankings

PL Power Rankings: Blues back where they belong

By Kyle BonnMay 4, 2017, 3:22 PM EDT

Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

It’s no surprise that, as the season draws to a close, the Power Rankings slowly begin to reflect the Premier League table positions more and more. Eventually, you are what the table says you are.

[ MORE: PL Player Power Rankings archive ]

Teams like Stoke City and West Brom, who benefitted from great starts to the year, are stumbling down the stretch. Teams like Manchester United, Southampton, and Manchester City appear better than their position at times, but can’t secure the points to prove it. We can move them appropriately in the Power Rankings, but only for so long.

So, where do we stand? Is the title race over? Can Hull City avoid relegation? Maybe the Power Rankings can be of some assistance…

TEAM	RANKING
	20 (20)		Sunderland: With the Black Cats officially relegated, David Moyes is now managing not just for his job, but for his career.
	19 (19)		Middlesbrough: There’s still hope. Barely. Chelsea’s up next, and that could spell doom.
	18 (18)		Swansea City: With Hull City matched up against Sunderland, the upcoming game against Everton feels like a must-win.
	17 (17)		Hull City: The Tigers seem to get points at all the right times. It’ll still be a scrap to the finish, but so far they’ve successfully warded off every effort by Swansea to outmaneuver them.
	16 (11)		Stoke City: Over their last five, they’ve lost to teams in 14th, 18th, and 3rd. Drew with the the team in 15th. Needed a goal of the season candidate to beat the team in 17th.
	15 (16)		West Ham United: Sure, they’re unbeaten in four. They beat Swansea by 1, and drew 0-0 with Sunderland and Stoke. The Hammers are still limping over the finish line. A season to forget for Slaven Bilic.
	14 (11)		West Bromwich Albion: That faint sound you hear is West Brom’s fabulous first half of the season fading into nothing more than a distant memory.
	13 (14)		Burnley: Beating Crystal Palace was a huge, huge boost against a team that was in good form. Little to worry about now.
	12 (15)		Bournemouth: Back in the win column, proved they’re 5 goals better than
	11 (11)		Crystal Palace: The 1-0 loss to Spurs was nothing to be ashamed of. The 2-0 loss to Burnley is. Didn’t see that one coming. Back down to Earth it is. Still seem quite safe.
	10 (8)		Watford: 1 goal in their last four is not going to earn any style points. Or actual points.
	9 (9)		Southampton: Every time we want to push this team up the rankings, they go and draw 0-0 with Hull.
	8 (10)		Leicester City: Tough to get this team figured out, but they’re not getting relegated, and that’s a significant upgrade from a few months ago.
	7 (7)		Arsenal: Thoroughly beaten by their arch-rivals, the FA Cup is all Arsene Wenger has to hold onto. It might not be enough.
	6 (6)		Everton: All season long they’ve hovered in this purgatory. Smoked the bottom teams, smoked by the top teams. Top 4 hopes are gone.
	5 (2)		Manchester United: A point back of wishy-washy Manchester City for 4th, and Jose Mourinho says he’s giving up on the league. Does anyone actually believe him?
	4 (4)		Manchester City: Just when we thought Pep Guardiola would finish the season strong, they go and drop points to Manchester United and Middlesbrough. A good team that struggles in crucial moments.
	3 (3)		Liverpool: They lost to Crystal Palace like so many other top teams, but
	2 (1)		Tottenham Hotspur: Sure, they’re in fabulous league form (9 straight wins). Maybe we shouldn’t drop them based on a game outside Premier League competition, but after being soundly beaten by Chelsea at Wembley, it’s tough to put them #1.
	1 (2)		Chelsea: Since losing to Manchester United, the Blues have scored 11 goals in three games. The defense has looked surprisingly shaky to finish the year, but given their soft stretch run, they should be fine.

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Premier League Power Rankings: Man Utd up, Arsenal slides

By Nicholas MendolaMar 20, 2017, 11:54 AM EDT

Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Leaps for Leicester City, Manchester United, and Bournemouth highlight our Power Rankings heading into this international break.

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TEAM	RANKING
	20 (20)		Sunderland: Jermain Defoe says he needs to play in the Premier League to represent England, which means the Black Cats would be hit extra hard by relegation.
	19 (19)		Middlesbrough: Finally scored a goal against Manchester United… but allowed three.
	18 (18)		Hull City: Once Tom Huddlestone was sent off, the Tigers essentially quit against Everton. That’s troubling for manager Marco Silva.
	17 (15)		Swansea City: A disappointing loss that threatens to halt Swans’ momentum toward safety.
	16 (11)		Watford: Losers of three in four, and by almost any manner possible. The latest? Troy Deeney‘s pinpoint header into his own goal.
	15 (16)		Crystal Palace: Another win! But it’s a bit alarming that it took an own goal for Palace to finish the job against Watford.
	14 (14)		Burnley: The Clarets haven’t won since the tail end of January.
	13 (12)		West Ham United: Slaven Bilic‘s future has to be in question as the Irons have regressed to below even Sam Allardyce era levels.
	12 (17)		Bournemouth: Winners of consecutive PL matches for the first time since March 2016, and not a moment too soon for Eddie Howe‘s Cherries.
	11 (13)		Leicester City: Six points clear of safety and facing Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
	10 (10)		Southampton: Lost to a fine Spurs side after winning two-straight, and probably was good enough to get a point.
	9 (8)		Stoke City: A gut punch to lose late to Chelsea.
	8 (5)		Arsenal: Matches-in-hand keep Top Four dreams in play, but the Gunners have been awful.
	7 (9)		West Bromwich Albion: Beating Arsenal after a pair of losses is the definition of rebounding in style.
	6 (3)		Liverpool: An Adam Lallana missed sitter away from a much improved feeling, but that’s the Liverpool season in a nutshell.
	5 (6)		Everton: Given a remaining Merseyside Derby and the inconsistent play of both Liverpool and Arsenal, the Top Five isn’t out of the question.
	4 (4)		Manchester City: Looked very much like a team nursing UCL wounds in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool, but it sure could have been worse.
	3 (7)		Manchester United: Last Premier League loss? October 23.
	2 (2)		Tottenham Hotspur: Scrapped a 2-1 win against tricky Southampton. Virtually identical season as Chelsea in terms of goals, goals conceded… just not wins.
	1 (1)		Chelsea: Have won 10 of 15 on the road in league play after wins at Stoke and West Ham.

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Premier League Power Rankings: Week 29

By Matt ReedMar 16, 2017, 11:20 AM EDT

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

If any club is going to catch Chelsea at the top of the Premier League, they better start their trek towards the top now.

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With 10 matches remaining for most teams, the Blues currently hold a 10-point advantage over second place Tottenham, and Antonio Conte‘s side has shown no signs of slowing down.

[ MORE: PST’s Player Power Rankings for Weeks 17 ]

Meanwhile, we’ve got a hearty battle at the bottom as four teams sit within six points of one another. Sunderland has occupied the basement position for much of 2016/17, but can the Black Cats pull off some magic as the season winds down?

TEAM	RANKING
	20 (20)		Sunderland: With 50 goals conceded and nobody other than Jermain Jones bagging goals for the Black Cats, Sunderland can only wait for its plummet to the Championship.
	19 (19)		Middlesbrough: 19 goals in 27 matches doesn’t spell success for the Boro, who sit 19 in the table.
	18 (18)		Hull City: The Tigers have fought valiantly, and their recent victory over Swansea could be what the team needs to propel itself out of the bottom three.
	17 (17)		Bournemouth: It’s been a rough second half for the Cherries but at least they should survive for another season.
	16 (16)		Crystal Palace: Winners of back-to-back matches, Palace may have found its form again as the relegation battle heats up.
	15 (15)		Swansea City: The Swans have risen under Paul Clement, and it might be just enough to keep them in England’s top flight come 2017/18.
	14 (13)		Burnley: The Clarets haven’t won since the tail end of January, and although they sit 12th, only seven points separate Burnley from 18th place.
	13 (14)		Leicester City: A UCL quarterfinal and a recent lift in form under Craig Shakespeare. It looks like the Cinderella story is back on!
	12 (9)		West Ham United: The Hammers haven’t won since Feb. 4, but a top 10 finish could still be in the cards.
	11 (12)		Watford: Only one win in five for the Hornets, and they must be wary of how tight the bottom of the table is.
	10 (11)		Southampton: The Saints have benefitted from other teams struggling, and with two matches in hand a top 10 finish is very possible once again.
	9 (10)		West Bromwich Albion: Two straight losses for the Baggies has put a damper on the team’s already bleak hopes of finishing top six.
	8 (8)		Stoke City: If Stoke could start picking up wins as opposed to draws, Stoke would have a shot at finishing top eight. Goals have been hard to come by for this club though.
	7 (4)		Manchester United: Three straight winless in all competitions pretty much sums up United’s season. The Red Devils have been good but not great under Jose Mourinho.
	6 (5)		Everton: The Toffees have quietly gone unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 and moved within two points of six place. If Ronald Koeman can get them there, could he be considered for Manager of the Year?
	5 (7)		Arsenal: The Gunners no longer have Champions League aspirations for this season after being pummeled by Bayern, and their PL title hopes are gone as well. All Arsene Wenger can hope for is to extend his team’s streak of top four finishes.
	4 (3)		Manchester City: Take City’s Champions League collapse out of it. Pep Guardiola‘s side will likely finish top four and possibly top two.
	3 (6)		Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp‘s backline continues to be this team’s Achilles’ heal and that showed recently with losses at Hull and Leicester. Top three is surely possible but the Reds attack has to continue to shine.
	2 (2)		Tottenham: Any other season Spurs would go on to win the title, but Chelsea has had their say. Still a tremendous showing thus far from Tottenham.
	1 (1)		Chelsea: Unbeaten in seven and closing in on the PL crown, the Blues can’t lose the top spot, right?

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Premier League Power Rankings: Brokedown Palace

By Nicholas MendolaFeb 7, 2017, 10:45 AM EST

Jonathan Brady/PA via AP

The Premier League’s Bottom Six was thrown into insanity last weekend, leaving six teams within two points from slots No. 20 to 15.

But the slides aren’t limited to the PL lowlands, as Liverpool has plummeted down our power rankings after looking like title contenders for much of the season.

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Here is the latest batch of Premier League power rankings…

TEAM	RANKING
	20 (18)		Crystal Palace: There are many questions for Big Sam to answer, and getting Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend going would help provide clues. Getting humiliated by former club Sunderland won’t help him get his mind right.
	19 (17)		Leicester City: When’s the last time a club still alive in the UEFA Champions League in February was 19th in any set of Premier League rankings?
	18 (20)		Sunderland: Thumping Allardyce had to feel amazing to supporters of the Black Cats.
	17 (15)		Bournemouth: It wasn’t too long ago Eddie Howe was headed to Arsenal and the Cherries were the darlings of England. Outscored 16-9 in last five matches.
	16 (16)		Middlesbrough: The last time Boro won a PL game, there were still eight more days to go before Christmas. That’s seven league games without a win.
	15 (19)		Hull City: The Marco Silva revolution looks quite real right now, and imagine how it will feel if the Tigers snare a point or more at stammering Arsenal on Saturday.
	14 (13)		Southampton: Battered at home by West Ham, Saints have to keep their eyes on the PL table and not just potential Wembley glory.
	13 (14)		Swansea City: Paul Clement is proving doubters wrong, and Gylfi Sigurdsson is really, really, truly good at striking a ball.
	12 (9)		Stoke City: Winless in three, granted against decent competition in Manchester United, Everton, and West Brom.
	11 (10)		Burnley: About as mid-table a team as you can find… which is fine given the goals of this season.
	10 (12)		Watford: Manager Walter Mazzarri must just be shrugging his shoulders right now; Who knows what you’ll get from the Hornets on a week-to-week basis, but they will work for it under captain Troy Deeney.
	9 (11)		West Ham United: Slowly, steadily approaching its level. Beat West Brom this week and find many new believers, Slaven Bilic.
	8 (6)		Liverpool: One win in 2017. One.
	7 (8)		West Bromwich Albion: Tony Pulis has done a job with this bunch, who is exceeding expectations in both form and style.
	6 (4)		Arsenal: Two-straight losses and a mainstay openly questioning his legendary boss in both players’ native land? Fun times, guys. Fun times.
	5 (5)		Everton: Boro and Sunderland are next. If the Toffees can handle their business, they’re a hair away from the conversation.
	4 (7)		Manchester United: Need more comfortable wins like the 3-0 victory at Leicester City.
	3 (2)		Manchester City: Gabriel Jesus, everybody.
	2 (3)		Tottenham Hotspur: You know that comfortable win we referenced in Manchester United’s space? One of those would be nice after four tight ones.
	1 (1)		Chelsea: They’re gonna win the league.They’re gonna win the league. You’re probably gonna believe us. You’re probably gonna believe us. You’re probably gonna be-lieeeeve us. They’re gonna win the league.

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Premier League Power Rankings: Tight at the top… and bottom

By Nicholas MendolaJan 17, 2017, 1:09 PM EST

Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images

Chelsea’s 7-point lead atop the Premier League table still feels relatively safe, even if Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United continue their table-surging form.

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That makes a set of Power Rankings, designed to combine table situation with form, even tighter, and Spurs have really made life difficult for our rankers.

[ ARCHIVE: All of PST’s Power Rankings ]

The bottom of the table is even closer, with four teams within a single point of the final spot of safety in the Premier League.

Here are this week’s rankings.

TEAM	RANKING
	20 (19)		Sunderland: “Hello darkness, my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.”
	19 (18)		Crystal Palace: Big Sam Allardyce has famously “never been relegated”, but at this point it looks like he may go down with a better squad than he’s had at a lot of other stops. We’ll see.
	18 (17)		Swansea City: Reinforcements are coming, but the back line is still wobbly.
	17 (20)		Hull City: Tigers looking a lot better under Marco Silva, even in a 2-0 EFL Cup semi loss to Manchester United.
	16 (15)		Watford: The Hornets have not won a league game since Dec. 10, its only PL win since mid-November.
	15 (16)		Middlesbrough: Aitor Karanka‘s side looks like a group that can beat the drop, but Boro needs to turn a draw into a win at some point soon.
	14 (11)		Southampton: Claude Puel‘s unit is struggling, losers of four-straight in Premier League play. Saints are, however, a result away from the EFL Cup final.
	13 (14)		Leicester City: The Foxes’ 3-0 loss to Chelsea feels worse than it is, as Leicester has looked better in recent weeks.
	12 (9)		Bournemouth: The 3-0 lead against Arsenal turned into a draw, and the Cherries backed it up with a 3-1 loss to Hull City. Down they go.
	11 (10)		West Ham United: The Dimitri Payet saga keeps the Irons from rising even higher in the Power Rankings. Michail Antonio is fantastic.
	10 (12)		Stoke City: The Potters haven’t made the leap to a top-end club, but continue to win most games they should.
	9 (8)		West Bromwich Albion: No shame in getting crushed by red-hot Spurs, though it may serve as a reality check for Tony Pulis and Co.
	8 (13)		Burnley: Three wins in four, with the outlier being a close loss to Man City. Enjoy the high life, Clarets!
	7 (6)		Manchester City: The mighty have indeed fallen, and how bad might it look after another match against Spurs?
	6 (7)		Everton: That win over Man City is going to linger for a while, and don’t forget the Toffees took care of Arsenal not too long ago. Six with a bullet?
	5 (4)		Arsenal: It remains hard to get a read on the Gunners, who are still aching for a statement win since back-to-back losses against Man City and Everton.
	4 (3)		Liverpool: The EFL Cup setback doesn’t push them in our rankings, but the Reds were second-best — not by a ton — to United on Sunday. That’s enough for a flip-flop.
	3 (4)		Manchester United: The better team in the draw against Liverpool.
	2 (2)		Tottenham Hotspur: Took everything in our power not to boost them, but a 7-point gap is a lot. Beat Man City this week and we’ll revisit the issue.
	1 (1)		Chelsea: Costa situation is a problem, but you wouldn’t know it from the steadied ship that ushered hosts Leicester to a 3-0 defeat.

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