MY ACCOUNT
With the November international break already upon us, the Premier League table is finally starting to take shape.
Plenty of the usual suspects currently occupy their expected spots at either end of the division — but there have also been a few teams who have caught fans by surprise with their performances.
We pick out our three biggest winners and losers from England’s top tier so far this term — starting with the winners.
West Ham
Anybody who watched West Ham play last season knows David Moyes’ men can mix it with the best in the league — but who would have predicted a start as good as this?
It has been the stuff of dreams for the Hammers faithful, with 23 points from their opening 11 games leaving them third in the table ahead of the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham.
Declan Rice continues to marvel in midfield alongside the industrious Tomas Soucek in arguably the division’s most accomplished pairing, while goals continue to flow from multiple avenues.
Powerful, determined and topped with a sprinkling of star quality, the sky really is the limit for the Irons.
Chelsea
Though it should come as no surprise to see the kings of Europe performing well, table-toppers Chelsea have shown Manchester City and Liverpool that they really mean business.
Thomas Tuchel was able to add further elite additions to his squad during the summer and his team now look ready to tussle for a first league title since 2016-17.
Their three-point lead at the top could so easily have been five if had it not been for a wasteful draw against Burnley last Saturday, while their only defeat of the season came in a tight home clash with Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.
Possessing superb squad depth and with a world-class tactician in the dugout, the Blues could see the Premier League trophy return to Stamford Bridge in May.
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may have only entered the international break in 10th — but their transformation under Patrick Vieira has been nothing short of remarkable.
Known for a low possession, counter-attacking style under ex-England boss Roy Hodgson, the ambition at Selhurst Park in recent seasons has primarily been to stay in the division.
But Vieira, 45, has set his sights significantly higher.
As well as raising Palace’s average possession by more than 10% compared to last term, the Frenchman has his team playing in a more patient manner and they are currently enjoying a six-game unbeaten run in the top flight.
With Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher starring in one of the league’s most youthful attacking units, there are plenty of reasons for Eagles fans to be excited about the months to come.
Now that you have read all about the teams who have impressed us the most, it is time to take a look at the three we believe have fallen below expectations.
Manchester United
They may only sit five and six points behind Liverpool and Manchester City respectively, but Manchester United are a world away from competing for the Premier League title.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s job has rarely been under more scrutiny after the Red Devils suffered humiliating home defeats to both of their bitter rivals in recent weeks.
The 5-0 pasting by Jurgen Klopp’s Reds may have been the more shocking scoreline.
But the 2-0 loss to City was in many ways equally concerning, with United unable to lay a glove on the team they so desperately hoped to challenge this term.
With key players out of form, big-money signings failing to fire and a toxic atmosphere among the fanbase, things are as bad as they have been in a long time at Old Trafford and change seems inevitable in the near future.
Leicester
Having established themselves as European regulars in recent seasons, much was expected of Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester this term — but things have really not gone to plan so far.
The Foxes agonisingly missed out on a top-four finish on the last day of both the 2019-20 and 2020-21 campaigns yet already find themselves seven points adrift of Liverpool in fourth after an inconsistent start.
Their defensive struggles have been particularly notable, going without a clean sheet since the opening day of the campaign and only managing three victories from their 10 encounters since.
With reports continuing to link Rodgers with the United job, Leicester desperately need a run of results after the international break to lift spirits at the King Power Stadium.
Aston Villa
Despite losing talismanic skipper Jack Grealish for £100million in the summer, there was genuine belief Aston Villa would be competing for European qualification.
The acquisitions of Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings looked to have lifted their forward options to another level and supporters were understandably feeling bullish about their side’s prospects.
Fast forward to today and the club are managerless after axing popular boss Dean Smith following five straight defeats.
Whoever replaces him will inherit a squad capable of achieving far more — but the pressure to deliver a quick turnaround will be sky-high with the Villans just two points above the drop zone.
