Despite the Premier League season being only five games old, historical data suggests the table is often more settled than it appears. Last season, 13 of the 20 teams finished within four places of their position after just five matches, indicating an early trend.
Looking across the last decade, over two-thirds of teams (138 out of 200) concluded their season within four places of their standing after five games. Notably, 27 teams ended up in the exact same position 33 games later.
While being top after five games has not consistently led to a title win, with only one of the last six leaders going on to lift the trophy, the eventual champions have been in the top two at this stage in each of the last four campaigns. However, a significant asterisk hangs over the current Premier League table due to Manchester City's guilty verdict on the majority of charges against them, with potential sanctions pending their appeal.
At the other end of the table, being bottom after five games has become a strong indicator of relegation, with six of the last seven teams in that position ultimately dropping to the Championship. At least one team from the bottom three after five games has been relegated in each of the last eight seasons.