Premier League power rankings: Wolves remain at the bottom of the table, Chelsea in an identity crisis, Liverpool fall, and more
The 2025/26 Premier League season has flipped on its head in the space of a month. Liverpool’s title challenge has gone up in smoke, and the newly-promoted clubs might survive.
Our last entry remarked that ‘Liverpool are massively overperforming their xG for, against, and expected points tally’, and so the passage of time has proved regression is real.
If further evidence was needed, then Mats Selz, the best keeper in the Premier League last year and previously Europe’s worst for preventing goals, has resorted to letting in corners.
Every week here on Sports News Blitz, betting expert George Dempsey will be compiling the only table that matters - our very own Premier League power rankings.
20. Wolves →
Wolves have been glued to the bottom of our rankings pretty much every week. There’s no sign of that changing in the near future.
The 3-2 defeat to Burnley was another low point in a season already full of them, while the 4-3 cup loss to Chelsea only reinforced how hopeless they look defensively.
It’s not that they don’t try; they’re just s**t. Ladislav Krejčí looks like a man trying to plug a dam with his fingers.
19. West Ham ↓
The Nuno bounce never happened. The football looks the same, the results look the same, and half the team is still playing in the wrong positions.
Leeds carved through them with embarrassing ease last week, with Brendan Aaronson gliding past their midfield like he was on a helicopter tour through the Grand Canyon.
There’s no shape, no bite, and no plan beyond hoping Jarrod Bowen can score. They look every bit as doomed as their home atmosphere feels.
18. Nottingham Forest ↓
Ange Postecoglou is long gone, and Sean Dyche, an obvious replacement for Nuno Espírito Santo, is in. Watching Forest play football will soon feel like trudging through wet cement once again.
They were every bit as lifeless in the defeat to Bournemouth as they’ve looked all season, with Mats Selz completing his full regression arc by letting in a corner with an xG of 0.00.
READ MORE: Inside the mind: Deconstructing the cult of the manager - The four myths of ‘Zombie Leadership’
17. Fulham ↓
Marco Silva’s a good manager, but even he must be wondering what’s gone wrong. Fulham were poor at home for much of last season, and somehow they’ve slipped even further.
There’s no rhythm, no spark, and no sense of threat from open play. They’ve lost four on the spin and even needed penalties to beat Wycombe.
For a team that should be comfortably mid-table, they suddenly look like an unexpected relegation candidate.
16. Everton ↓
It’s all feeling very familiar again at Goodison Park. David Moyes has taken them full circle - organised, disciplined, and rarely entertaining.
Everton had a tough run of fixtures, so the recent dip isn’t quite as grim as it looks, but it’s clear this is a mid-to-lower table side once more.
The spark from early in the season has gone, replaced by the steady hum of Moyesball. They won’t go down, I suppose.
15. Burnley ↑
Scott Parker’s side have finally discovered what winning feels like. Back-to-back league victories over Leeds and Wolves have dragged them out of the bottom three.
Burnley still look light in both boxes, but there’s at least a bit of belief again. Parker deserves credit for steadying things, even if it’s more survival than revival at this stage.
14. Leeds United ↓
Daniel Farke’s side continue to flirt with both promise and disaster. A 2-2 draw with Bournemouth was harsh, while defeats to Spurs and Burnley exposed their inability to score when on top.
The 2-1 win over West Ham steadied the ship, and Leeds remain very functional if not fluent.
Farke will keep them competitive, but it’s hard to shake the feeling they’re one injury away from being dragged into the mess below.
13. Brighton →
Brighton are exactly what they’ve always been. Full of vibes, great fun to watch, and impossible to trust when you’re placing your acca at 2:59 pm on a Saturday.
They managed to sandwich a thoroughly disappointing 1-1 draw with strugglers Wolves between wins against Chelsea and Newcastle.
Fabian Hürzeler’s team plays with energy and freedom, but the defending still belongs in a charity match. They’ll win games, they’ll lose plenty, and you’ll enjoy watching them.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Premier League betting tips: Tottenham to beat Chelsea, Eli Kroupi to score at the Etihad, and more
12. Crystal Palace ↓
Crystal Palace have been a revelation in 2025, but they’ve quickly discovered that success brings more challenges, and Glasner’s side are failing many of them.
There’s certainly no shame in losing to Arsenal, but a 2-1 defeat to Everton came days after a European fixture. Likewise, defeat at the Emirates followed a home defeat to AEK Larnaca.
11. Liverpool ↓↓↓
This is the biggest collapse from a height since Peter Crouch fell over in the TNT pre-match coverage at Wolves. Liverpool have gone from title contenders to complete chaos.
Four straight league defeats and a 3-0 home hammering by Palace in the Carabao Cup have sent Arne Slot’s season into meltdown.
9. Chelsea ↑
Chelsea remain the Premier League’s biggest identity crisis. Defeats to Manchester United and Brighton fell either side of a struggle against Lincoln City.
Then, they managed to beat Liverpool 2-1 and batter Nottingham Forest without breaking a sweat, before losing to newly-promoted Sunderland at home.
Chelsea’s NPC defenders are still standing in the same spot at Stamford Bridge.
10. Newcastle ↑
Newcastle look mostly like themselves again. The win over Fulham was far from routine, but it showed character that was previously lacking.
They still lack the spark that made them such a threat last season, yet there’s a sense of calm returning. The cup win over Tottenham helped too, making it four clean sheets from six in October.
Nick Woltemade is projected to be the most popular baby name on Tyneside by 2026.
8. Brentford
If there’s one thing I’ve always thought and continued to peddle, it’s that Keith Andrews is very good at football. Three wins in four, including a 3-2 victory over Liverpool, have turned the mood completely.
It’s rarely pretty with Brentford, but they’re very well organised and well on their way to safety thanks to the stylings of Tony Pulis and Rory Delap.
7. Manchester City ↓
Man City could be quietly climbing back into the picture. The 5-1 win over Burnley and 2-0 victory over Everton were routine reminders of their class.
On the other hand, the defeat to Villa was a setback, and their underlying numbers away from home are a worry. They’re nowhere near their best.
6. Manchester United ↑↑
Ruben Amorim is like a cat with nine lives. Every time it looks like he’s finished, he finds a way to claw back some goodwill.
Wins over Sunderland, Brighton, and Liverpool have dragged Man United back into the conversation for a run at the European places.
They still defend like they’re allergic to clean sheets, but this was also a two-part project: Buy the attack this year, then the defence next year.
MORE FOR YOU: Man Utd news: Mbeumo, Cunha shine as Amorim’s resurgent Red Devils overcome tricky Brighton test
5. Aston Villa ↑
Unai Emery’s side are flying again, and it’s starting to look sustainable. Wins over Fulham, Burnley, Spurs, and City have turned them back into a genuine top-four threat.
They’re organised, aggressive, and finally taking their chances. Even when they’re not fluent, Aston Villa still grind out results, which became a trademark of big wins last season.
4. Sunderland ↑
Sunderland’s fixture list, as well as some underlying numbers, tells us they’re due a major drop off in results. Sorry, Black Cats, but that’s 100% going to happen soon.
The good news is the bottom three are absolutely crap, so Regis Le Bris’ side is well on their way to safety already.
They can already afford to stumble their way through tough spells of the season and just pick up the odd crucial win at home.
3. Tottenham →
Tottenham are hardly pulling up trees under Thomas Frank, but it’s hard to dock them a place for staying true to form.
They remain third in the Premier League with some issues to fix at home, but they battered Everton days after claiming a handy 0-0 in Monaco.
2. Bournemouth ↑
Bournemouth just keep rolling along, ignoring the fact that they’re a club watched by 10,000 people that should be scrapping for survival.
Andoni Iraola’s side have lost once all season, which feels absurd given how open their games are.
They keep attacking, keep conceding, and somehow keep finding a way to come out on top. Antoine Semenyo remains one of the most watchable players in the Premier League.
1. Arsenal →
Arsenal finally look like the finished article. Five straight wins and only one goal conceded in six tells its own story. This title race is probably over.
The win over Palace felt like a statement, but what’s followed has been even better. The Gunners have been ruthless, patient, and mature.
