Premier League club power rankings

Premier League Club Power Rankings: Week 8

By Nicholas MendolaOct 7, 2019, 5:12 PM EDT

Maybe it was mid-week European action — don’t tell Wolves — but a wild weekend of results have shook up our Premier League Club Power Rankings.

[ MORE: PL Club Power Rankings archive ]

Green: New season-high ranking
Red: New season-low

20. Watford — On an 189-minute league goal drought after managing just two shots on target against Sheffield United. Still fourth in the league in shots-per-game and mid-table in passing and possession, but the moral victories are almost meaningless after eight weeks

Last week: 19
Season high: 19
Season low: 20
Last match: Drew 0-0 v. Sheffield United
Up next: Oct. 19 at Spurs

19. Norwich City — Now allowing a league-worst 17.9 shots per match after allowing Villa to put 12 of its 22 attempts on frame in a 5-1 loss that could’ve easily been 7-2.

Last week: 17
Season high: 10
Season low: 20
Last match: Lost 5-1 at Aston Villa
Up next: Oct. 19 at Bournemouth

18. Southampton — Are long-time servants Maya Yoshida and Ryan Bertrand pull out of early season slumps? Stats say Yoshida may, but that Bertrand’s decline has been steady.

Last week: 13
Season high: 13
Season low: 19
Last match: Lost 4-1 v. Chelsea
Up next: Oct. 19 at Wolves

17. Brighton and Hove Albion — Lewis Dunk gets all the plaudits, but Dan Burn has been very good alongside him and is keeping Shane Duffy on the bench (which is wild, considering the quality of the Irishman).

Last week: 18
Season high: 6
Season low: 18
Last match: Won 3-0 v. Spurs
Up next: Oct. 19 at Aston Villa

Also, allow us to get excited about 19-year-old Aaron Connolly, who took his first Premier League start and looked the real thing.

16. Manchester United — I say this without reservation: This is the worst edition of Manchester United I have ever seen. Forget the injuries for a moment, they had no plan to deal with a struggling Newcastle and were bossed by a center midfield pair with a combined age of 40. Additionally, Allan Saint-Maximin is a wonderful dribbler, but the Red Devils’ bids to stop him will have pretty much anyone on Liverpool licking their chops. Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba are needed so badly, and one of them would be thrilled to skip town.

It’s difficult to put them below Newcastle, but hey, a result is a result. Next time head it home, Harry.

That said, as much as I wouldn’t bet anything on the Red Devils to get a result versus Liverpool, you wouldn’t be stunned if Pogba pulled one of his world-beater games out at Old Trafford against the best team in the league now, would you?

Last week: 9
Season high: 2
Season low: 16
Last match: Lost 1-0 at Newcastle United
Up next: Oct. 20 v. Liverpool

15. Newcastle United — This team looks far too wide open to stay above the line for too long, but let’s be real: The Longstaff brothers’ day against Manchester United was the best example of why we follow sports. A club which has been buried in controversy for the better part of a decade sees a 19-year-old hometown kid star in his first PL appearance next to his brother, aged just 21, and returning hometown star Andy Carroll. And that post-match presser? Brilliant.

Plus, if we told you before the season, in a vacuum, that the Magpies would beat Spurs and Man Utd in the first 8 matches of the season while hanging with Liverpool? Also, that they’d do it with 37.6 season possession? What a weird side.

Last week: 19
Season high: 15
Season low: 20
Last match: Won 1-0 v. Manchester United
Up next: Oct. 19 at Chelsea

14. Everton — How did the Toffees respond to their promising show against Man City? By going right back to their disappointing ways. Seemingly, Everton can only be bothered to get up for the high visibility games. Fortunately for their supporters, a visit from West Ham gets the 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday treatment coming out of the international break.

Last week: 14
Season high: 5
Season low: 14
Last match: Lost 1-0 at Burnley
Up next: Oct. 19 v. West Ham

13. Tottenham Hotspur — What a mess. Mauricio Pochettino needs to be doing better with this bunch, but let’s be clear about something: The fault likes with the players and in the board room far more than the boss. I heard someone compare this Spurs’ team to Jurgen Klopp‘s last season at Borussia Dortmund and that’s ringing pretty true.

Last week: 8
Season high: 2
Season low: 13
Last match: Lost 3-0 at Brighton
Up next: Oct. 19 v. Watford

12. Sheffield United — Someone tell the Blades they were just promoted. A week after a hard-luck 1-0 loss to Liverpool, Chris Wilder‘s men couldn’t get the job done but held 61 percent possession on the road and really should’ve scored an easy away win to Watford. Arsenal and West Ham are next, and you fear that this “should be” three points counting as a mere one could sting for a few weeks.

Last week: 10
Season high: 10
Season low: 17
Last match: Drew 0-0 at Watford
Up next: Oct. 21 v. Arsenal

11. Aston Villa — Dean Smith‘s men had been so much better than their record indicates, so it felt good to see them deliver a 5-star showing against Norwich City. Stacking another three points from Brighton’s impending visit is imperative, with Man City, Liverpool, and Wolves next on the PL docket.

Last week: 15
Season high: 8
Season low: 15
Last match: Won 5-1 v. Norwich City
Up next: Oct. 19 v. Brighton

10. Burnley — If Sean Dyche‘s teams were a vehicle, they’d be a pair of tractor trailers on a two-lane highway. It doesn’t really matter what you’re driving if they won’t get out of the way. Burnley is 7th on the table and unbeaten in four matches despite completing an absolutely putrid 64.4 percent of their passes. That’s as bad as it gets, and they are 7th. If I ever have an inoperable and fatal disease, I’m going to shrug, call Sean Dyche, and start planning my next decade on Earth.

Last week: 12
Season high: 5
Season low: 15
Last match: Won 1-0 v. Everton
Up next: Oct. 19 at Leicester City

9. West Ham United — Vicente Guaita was very good for Palace, but it still feels like Manuel Pellegrini‘s men should be a step above taking one point from Bournemouth and the Eagles. Instead, they feel stuck in the same rut they’ve been for ages.

Last week: 5
Season high: 5
Season low: 18
Last match: Lost 2-1 v. Crystal Palace
Up next: Oct. 19 at Everton

8. Bournemouth — Respectable score lines against West Ham and Arsenal, to be sure, but Eddie Howe and Co. will feel aggrieved not to take advantage of the wide open table with a banner result or two. There’s a good chance to stack points in the next four outings: Norwich, Watford, Man Utd, and Newcastle, but here’s a worry: Half of their 12 goals have come off set pieces. Obviously that’s a nice thing, but is it even half-sustainable?

Last week: 6
Season high: 6
Season low: 17
Last match: Lost 1-0 at Arsenal
Up next: Oct. 19 v. Norwich City

7. Wolves — The rest of the perceived contenders’ inability to rise to the occasion means Nuno Espirito Santo‘s men are just two points back of a Top Seven place after back-to-back defeats of Watford and Man City.

Last week: 16
Season high: 7
Season low: 17
Last match: Won 2-0 at Man City.
Up next: Oct. 19 v. Saints

6. Crystal Palace — Roy Hodgson should get a knighthood. Is he knighted already? How do these things work? Anyway, the Eagles have bounced back from a moribund performance at Spurs to claim seven of nine points. Given the status of the league, getting to the January window with a mid-table place and sight of the Top Seven would given decent reason to dream of something special.

Last week: 10
Season high: 6
Season low: 18
Last match: Won 2-1 at West Ham
Up next: Oct. 19 v. Man City

5. Leicester City — Yes, Sadio Mane’s embellishment was embarrassing and, yes, the Foxes came within a breath of a point at Anfield, but it’s alarming how statistically bossed Leicester City was by a Liverpool team who played at midweek. Kasper Schmeichel was outstanding as the Foxes were out-attempted 18-2 and gave away a number of dangerous free kicks. That’ll happen against Liverpool, but we expected better from Brendan Rodgers in his return to Anfield.

Last week: 3
Season high: 3
Season low: 10
Last match: Lost 2-1 at Liverpool
Up next: Oct. 19 v. Burnley

4. Arsenal — The clean sheet against Bournemouth was a very nice thing, and Unai Emery will love that some of his bad actors from early in the season — namely David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos — were very steady at the Emirates Stadium. Calum Chambers at right back and Matteo Guendouzi at center mid were fantastic. It’s not implausible to peg either Arsenal or Chelsea as the third-best team in the league.

Last week: 7
Season high: 4
Season low: 7
Last match: Won 1-0 v. Bournemouth
Up next: Oct. 21 at Sheffield United

3. Manchester City — Failed to channel any semblance of last season’s SDB — sans de Bruyne — form in a loss to Wolves. And, with the wisdom of last season in his noggin, why didn’t Pep Guardiola start Bernardo Silva? Still a wonderful team by the numbers, it’s Palace away, Villa home, Southampton home before a trip to Anfield. Nine points are necessary, even if Palace has been a challenging side for Guardiola through the years.

Last week: 2
Season high: 1
Season low: 3
Last match: Lost 2-0 v. Wolves
Up next: Oct. 19 at Crystal Palace

2. Chelsea — Frank Lampard is able to bring Christian Pulisic and Michy Batshuayi off the bench, and has not even been able to deploy Ruben Loftus-Cheek yet. The Blues will be favored to win almost every league match between now and then end of the UCL group stage, and the Nov. 23 visit to Man City carries intrigue given Chelsea deserved a point at Liverpool and we’re pretty sure that Fernandinho and Nicolas Otamendi may be ground into dust from overuse.

Last week: 4
Season high: 2
Season low: 12
Last match: Won 4-1 at Southampton
Up next: Oct. 19 v. Newcastle United

1. Liverpool — Look: Liverpool has to win the league this year. Almost everyone else is performing at a substandard level while the Reds sit eight points clear despite not really finding their top gear yet. If Virgil Van Dijk stays healthy for most of the year and Liverpool doesn’t end its drought well, maybe there’s some sort of curse at play here.

Last week: 1
Season high: 1
Season low: 3
Last match: Won 2-1 v. Leicester City
Up next: Oct. 20 at Manchester United

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PL Club Power Rankings: Week 7

By Nicholas MendolaOct 1, 2019, 9:44 PM EDT

PL Club Power Rankings: Week 6

Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images

By Nicholas MendolaSep 24, 2019, 9:15 PM EDT

2 Comments

Is there anything more challenging in the Premier League than picking the sides capable of sustaining a run that can challenge for the Top Six?

[ MORE: PL Club Power Rankings archive ]

Leicester City did it out of nowhere in 2015/16 and it’s the most remarkable example, but look at the others to have slid into the Top Six’s DMs in the past decade: Saints (6th) the same season as Leicester. Everton in 2012/13 and 2013/14 was predictable, but Newcastle in 2011/12? Please.

The point is: It’s way more difficult these days to estimate the table. Last year, Watford v. Wolves was a massive fixture. This year, so far, it’s an after thought.

Saturday’s tilt between Bournemouth and West Ham on the other hand? Now we’re talking…

Green: New season-high ranking
Red: New season-low

20. Watford — Six months ago, a match-up between the Hornets and Wolves was for seventh-place in the Premier League. It’s a reminder of how quickly things can change, but also an inspiration for both sides because, well, how quickly things can change…
Last week: 20
Season high: 19
Season low: 20
Last match: Lost 8-0 at Man City
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Wolves

19. Newcastle United — The Magpies midfield against Brighton was about as disorganized as a unit can look, both before and after Steve Bruce switched up the formation. Maybe they should just throw Joelinton, Andy Carroll, Miguel Almiron, and Allan Saint-Maximin together in a front four and roll with six defenders and four forwards. Relegation quality right now.
Last week: 19
Season high: 19
Season low: 20
Last match: Drew 0-0 v. Brighton
Up next: 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday at Leicester City

18. Brighton and Hove Albion — As poor as Newcastle played, the Seagulls didn’t convert any of their myriad chances. Also relegation quality right now.
Last week: 18
Season high: 6
Season low: 18
Last match: Drew 0-0 at Newcastle
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Chelsea

(Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)

17. Wolverhampton Wanderers — Something’s gotta give, and Wolves better hope it’s the reappearance of old foes Watford on the docket.
Last week: 17
Season high: 7
Season low: 17
Last match: Drew 1-1 at Crystal Palace
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. Watford

16. Southampton — Hard to read, and a match-up with mercurial old mate Mauricio Pochettino on the horizon.
Last week: 13
Season high: 13
Season low: 19
Last match: Lost 3-1 v. Bournemouth
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Spurs

15. Crystal Palace — Wilfried Zaha‘s 475-minute start to the season without a goal or assist is his longest drought since February 2018. Bad news for the Canaries?
Last week: 16
Season high: 14
Season low: 18
Last match: Drew 1-1 v. Wolves
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. Norwich City

14. Everton — Have taken an amazing start of fixtures to start the season and managed a whopping seven points and the joint third-worst goal different in the league. Remarkably disappointing, but there are some encouraging stat lines. For one thing, only Man City is allowing fewer shots per match. Now if the Toffees could stop the few shots they do allow from being pure gifts to the opposition, or start to get some big moments out of the 15th-ranked goalkeeper in the Premier League, they’d be onto something.
Last week: 12
Season high: 5
Season low: 14
Last match: Lost 2-0 v. Sheffield United
Up next: 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday v. Man City

13. Norwich City — Back to Earth after the remarkable Man City win, and possibly back in the Bottom Three if they can’t do work on Saturday at Selhurst Park.
Last week: 10
Season high: 10
Season low: 20
Last match: Lost 2-0 at Burnley
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Crystal Palace

12. Burnley — An all-claret tussle with Villa this week will tell us a bit about whether the Clarets are relegation fodder or not.
Last week: 15
Season high: 5
Season low: 15
Last match: Won 2-0 v. Norwich City
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Aston Villa

11. Aston Villa — Dean Smith‘s men should’ve found a way to hold on for a point against 10-man Arsenal, but bad things happen to first-year teams. Big chance to re-assert strength when Burnley visits on Saturday.
Last week: 11
Season high: 8
Season low: 15
Last match: Lost 3-2 at Arsenal
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. Burnley

10. Sheffield United — The Southampton loss is the only score on their season list that looks bad. Otherwise, Chris Wilder‘s men are holding their own with some in-form teams.
Last week: 14
Season high: 10
Season low: 17
Last match: Won 2-0 at Everton
Up next: 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday v. Liverpool

(Photo by John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)

9. Manchester United — Asking us to drop them lower, but the returns of Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial should make Monday a beauty.
Last week: 8
Season high: 2
Season low: 15
Last match: Lost 2-0 at West Ham
Up next: 3 p.m. ET Monday v. Arsenal

8. Tottenham Hotspur — This week has felt a lot like last season’s three-loss week against West Ham, Ajax, and Bournemouth. The good news is that that turned out alright in the end. A visit from Southampton should help things, but will it? A refreshed Harry Kane should arrive on Saturday.
Last week: 2
Season high: 2
Season low: 8
Last match: Lost 2-1 at Leicester
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. Saints

7. Chelsea — Probably not as far off the pack as you think, and should’ve almost certainly had a point against Liverpool. Brighton should be concerned about this week’s trip to the Bridge.
Last week: 4
Season high: 4
Season low: 12
Last match: Lost 2-1 v. Liverpool
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. Brighton

6. Bournemouth — Flying. Eddie Howe‘s men have us daydreaming again, but they let us down last year after inspiring similar thoughts. Monumental litmus test when the Irons visit on Saturday in what’s one of the matches of the weekend.
Last week: 9
Season high: 6
Season low: 17
Last match: Won 3-1 at Southampton
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday v. West Ham United

5. West Ham United — Beat Bournemouth on Saturday and we’ll be thinking legitimately about a Top Six finish for Manuel Pellegrini‘s guys.
Last week: 6
Season high: 5
Season low: 18
Last match: Won 2-0 v. Man Utd
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Saturday at Bournemouth

Andriy Yarmolenko celebrates with teammates Felipe Anderson and Declan Rice (Photo by Henry Browne/Getty Images)

4. Arsenal — Another team whose mercurial performances — Watford, anyone? — probably betrays how much promise they’ve shown overall. Let’s see how Hector Bellerin, Kieran Tierney, and Rob Holding reshape the defense.
Last week: 7
Season high: 4
Season low: 7
Last match: Won 3-2 v. Aston Villa
Up next: 3 p.m. ET Monday at Manchester United

3. Leicester City — The real deal, with real depth. Brendan Rodgers has dealt well with the departure of Harry Maguire, and the Foxes should run cleanly through the Magpies to a meeting with ol’ pals Liverpool at Anfield on Oct. 5.
Last week: 5
Season high: 3
Season low: 10
Last match: Won 2-1 v. Spurs
Up next: 11:30 a.m. ET Sunday v. Newcastle

2. Manchester City — Pep Guardiola didn’t know the Premier League single season record for goals was 8. Now he does. Food for thought.
Last week: 3
Season high: 1
Season low: 3
Last match: Won 8-0 v. Watford
Up next: 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Everton

1. Liverpool — Look, we realize this team won the Champions League last season and that it looks even better in attack and is even more refined in its system.
Last week: 1
Season high: 1
Season low: 3
Last match: Won 2-1 at Chelsea
Up next: 7:30 a.m. ET Saturday at Sheffield United

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Premier League Club Power Rankings: Week 5

Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images

By Nicholas MendolaSep 17, 2019, 1:30 PM EDT

Premier League Club Power Rankings: Week 4

By Nicholas MendolaSep 4, 2019, 9:31 PM EDT

1 Comment

One of the long-held maxims in sport is that you cannot lose your job to injury, but can you lose your spot in our power rankings?

[ MORE: PL Club Power Rankings archive ]

Spoiler alert: Yeah. Yeah you can.

Green: New season-high ranking
Red: New season-low

20. Watford — A better class of performance in drawing at St. James’ Park, but it’s not like Newcastle didn’t have more of the danger. Also, the opponent was Newcastle.
Last week: 20
Season high: 19
Season low: 20
Last match: Drew 1-1 at Newcastle United
Up next: 11:30 a.m. ET Sept. 15 v. Arsenal

19. Newcastle United — Probably deserved all three points from Watford, but most Magpies supporters would’ve signed up for four points through four matches
Last week: 19
Season high: 19
Season low: 20
Last match: Drew 1-1 v. Watford
Up next: 7:30 a.m. ET Sept. 14 at Liverpool

18. Norwich City — Injuries, injuries, injuries (and VAR?). Someone send Daniel Farke some elixirs and potions over the international break, and encase Teemu Pukki in something special.
Last week: 15
Season high: 12
Season low: 17
Last match: Lost 2-0 at West Ham United
Up next: 12:30 p.m. ET Sept. 14 v. Man City

(Photo credit should read BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

17. Bournemouth — In last year’s hot start, Bournemouth handled itself well against most teams outside the Power Six. This year, well, the Cherries aren’t doing that (though Leicester’s been in our Top Three for a couple of weeks now).
Last week: 17
Season high: 14
Season low: 17
Last match: Lost 3-1 at Leicester City
Up next: 9 a.m. Sept. 15 v. Everton

16. Brighton and Hove Albion — No shame in getting pumped 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium, but the Gulls were punchless. Rough two weeks after a solid first two matches.
Last week: 14
Season high: 6
Season low: 16
Last match: Lost 4-0 at Man City
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 v. Burnley

15. Manchester United — What’s going on here? Well, the absence of Anthony Martial for one. But United’s subs bench was as uninspiring as ever: Romero, Rojo, Tuanzebe, Chong, Matic, Lingard, Greenwood. A lot of blind hope there.
Last week: 6
Season high: 2
Season low: 15
Last match: Drew 1-1 at Southampton
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 v. Leicester City

14. Crystal Palace — Improving, but it’s difficult to bump them up too much when their three points earned come almost exclusively through a terrible refereeing decision. However, we reserve the right to move them way up the rankings via a strong performance against Spurs (even if it doesn’t lead to a result).
Last week: 18
Season high: 14
Season low: 18
Last match: Won 1-0 v. Aston Villa
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 at Spurs

13. Southampton — Saints are… pretty good. If the season-opening blowout loss at Turf Moor was a blip, Ralph Hasenhuttl‘s men way well be mid-table this season. The performances have been that good in a narrow defeat to Liverpool and a draw with Manchester United.
Last week: 13
Season high: 13
Season low: 19
Last match: Drew 1-1 at Manchester United
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 at Sheffield United

12. Aston Villa — Deserved a point from Crystal Palace, but got de-Friended. Woof.
Last week: 10
Season high: 8
Season low: 15
Last match: “Lost” 1-0 at Crystal Palace
Up next: 3 p.m. Sept. 16 v. West Ham United

11. Sheffield United — I want to go out on the town with Chris Wilder‘s crew, who are scrappy, not taking anything for granted, and loving life in the top flight. Or maybe just go out with Chris Wilder. Not sure I could hang.
Last week: 16
Season high: 11
Season low: 17
Last match: Drew 2-2 at Chelsea
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 v. Saints

10. Wolves — Nuno Espirito Santo‘s men have points in three of four matches, but all have been draws. Europa League congestion can be blamed for that, but will it also short-circuit Wolves’ charge for another berth in European competition? Big first match after the break.
Last week: 8
Season high: 7
Season low: 10
Last match: Lost 3-2 at Everton
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 v. Chelsea

9. Chelsea — Frank Lampard showed his inexperience with the subs in a come-from-ahead 2-2 draw against the Blades. You can’t simply forget your experienced players down the homestretch of games simply because the kids are flying.
Last week: 9
Season high: 9
Season low: 12
Last match: Drew 2-2 v. Sheffield United
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 at Wolves

8. Burnley — Just obliterated by Liverpool. That happens, but the Clarets rarely look as easy to beat as they did at the weekend.
Last week: 5
Season high: 5
Season low: 9
Last match: Lost 3-0 v. Liverpool
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 at Brighton

7. Tottenham Hotspur — Christian Eriksen is staying, and that’s great, but if Spurs’ last two matches taught us anything, it’s that Tanguy (pronounced Ton-guy) Ndombele is as indispensable as any Spur not named Harry Kane.
Last week: 7
Season high: 2
Season low: 7
Last match: Drew 2-2 at Arsenal
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 v. Crystal Palace

6. West Ham United — Has allowed two goals in three matches since getting sand-blasted by Manchester City on opening day. A tough test with Villa awaits before a visit from Manchester United.
Last week: 12
Season high: 6
Season low: 18
Last match: Won 2-0 v. Norwich City
Up next: 3 p.m. Sept. 16 at Aston Villa

5. Everton — The wobble at Villa. The red card draw with Palace. Everton failed to get what should’ve been a minimum 10 points from its first four matches, but will be happy to be within a point of the Top Four.
Last week: 11
Season high: 8
Season low: 11
Last match: Won 3-2 v. Wolves
Up next: 9 a.m. Sept. 15 at Bournemouth

(Photo by Emma Simpson/Everton FC via Getty Images)

4. Arsenal — That the Gunners were down 2-0 at home to Spurs was an issue, but only because they had been so dominant. The comeback delivered a richly deserved point to Unai Emery‘s men, who have two matches before a trip to wobbly Manchester United.
Last week: 4
Season high: 4
Season low: 7
Last match: Drew 2-2 v. Spurs
Up next: 11:30 a.m. ET Sept. 15 at Watford

3. Leicester City — It felt like the visit from Bournemouth had speed bump written all over it, but Brendan Rodgers‘ men limited the tumult to a Callum Wilson first half equalizer in a fairly comfortable win.
Last week: 3
Season high: 3
Season low: 10
Last match: Won 3-1 v. Bournemouth
Up next: 10 a.m. ET Sept. 14 at Manchester United

2. Manchester City — The Laporte injury is a big set back to their title hopes; One more injury could really sting the reigning champs.
Last week: 1
Season high: 1
Season low: 2
Last match: Won 4-0 v. Brighton
Up next: 12:30 p.m. ET Sept. 14 at Norwich City

1. Liverpool — Jurgen Klopp wasn’t wrong: The demolition of Burnley was complete, and included a much-sought clean sheet. With Laporte out for a while, the Reds’ runway to the title looks clearer today.
Last week: 2
Season high: 1
Season low: 3
Last match: Won 3-0 at Burnley
Up next: 7:30 a.m. ET Sept. 14 v. Newcastle United

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