Perfect five: Premier League leaders open three-point gap at the top
The Premier League table is taking shape after five rounds of fixtures, and at the summit sits a side in the middle of a flawless start — five wins from five, 15 points, 13 goals scored and an eight-goal advantage over its nearest challenger. That perfect run has opened up an early three-point cushion over second place, who have lost only once in their opening five outings, and a five-point buffer over the bottom half of the top three.
While the identity of the early pacesetters is clear, the gap behind them is anything but. Below the top two sits the division's most prolific attack — a side with 16 goals in five matches and a league-best goal difference of +11 — but the remainder of the table is defined by remarkable congestion rather than separation.
Mid-table logjam: ten clubs inside four points
From fourth place down to 13th, a mere four points separate ten clubs, with four teams sharing 9 points and occupying positions four through seven. Another two sides are locked together on 8 points, while the chasing pack trails in a tightly bunched group that leaves little margin for error ahead of the next round of fixtures.
The form guide at this early stage tells a similar story of unpredictability. Only the leaders carry a perfect W-W-W-W-W record into matchday six, while the sides in the chasing group show a mixed bag of results, with dropped points already scattered throughout the division.
Full standings after five matchdays
| Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | +8 | 15 | W W W W W |
| 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 12 | W W W W L |
| 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 5 | +11 | 10 | W L D W W |
| 4 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 4 | +6 | 9 | W D D D W |
| 5 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | +4 | 9 | W D D W D |
| 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 9 | D D W D W |
| 7 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 9 | W D D D W |
| 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 8 | W W D D L |
| 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 8 | D W D L W |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 7 | W W L D L |
| 11 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 11 | -4 | 6 | W L L W L |
| 12 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 5 | L W D L D |
| 13 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 5 | L D D W L |
| 14 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 4 | L W D L L |
| 15 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 11 | -5 | 4 | L L W L D |
| 16 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 4 | L L D L W |
| 17 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 8 | -2 | 3 | L D D D L |
| 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | -9 | 3 | L L L L W |
| 19 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 2 | L L L D D |
| 20 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | -6 | 2 | L L D D L |
Source: Premier League standings as published by The Athletic.
European qualification picture
Per the standings markers, the Champions League and Europa League qualification places are held by the upper reaches of the table, with the division's form sides occupying those berths at this early juncture. The team in third, despite trailing the leaders by five points, holds the strongest goal difference of any club after finding the net 16 times in five games.
Early relegation worries
At the other end of the table, three clubs already sit inside the relegation zone with just 3, 2 and 2 points respectively. The side in 18th place has been particularly blunt in front of goal — one solitary goal scored in five matches, against 10 conceded and a goal difference of -9 — while the two teams below them have failed to win any of their opening five fixtures, their form reading L-L-L-D-D and L-L-D-D-L.
With a fifth of the season now in the books, the gap between the top and the bottom stands at 13 points, and the early indicators are already pointing at a two-horse race at the summit, a ferocious scrap through the middle of the table, and an anxious watch for the sides at the foot of the division. The league's true shape will become clearer over the coming weeks, but the foundation of this season's narrative has already been laid.