The Premier League is now ten games old with Arsenal enjoying a comfortable lead at the top whilst Wolves and West Ham are struggling - but are their fates already sealed?
Arsenal have established a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League
Arsenal have established a healthy lead at the top of the Premier League(Image: 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Plc via Getty Images)
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The Premier League table has already changed greatly from the first five games - so can we take anything from the state of affairs given we're now just ten games in?
Arsenal will certainly hope so having established themselves at the summit. They've put together a string of wins, owing to a stellar defensive line, and now sit six points clear at the top. Liverpool had been looking relentless with five wins from five, but they've won just once since and now sit in third.
It all serves to show that the landscape can change very quickly in a very short space of time. But not giving yourselves too much to do - at both ends of the table - is key.
Ultimately no one ever regretted giving themselves a buffer, something Arsenal will be pleased they've currently got. Liverpool and Manchester City are seen as the only two sides who can stop the Gunners finally claiming the league title.
At the bottom a number of sides could be sucked into the relegation battle. It already looks as if the three promoted sides, as has been the trend, won't be going straight back down. Sunderland especially have enjoyed a stunning start to the season.
Some more established teams have struggled in the opening quarter of the season and that means that relegation will be no formality, which was largely the case last season and the year prior to that.
Are champions made in 10 games?
Well if you ask Pep Guardiola and City they'll tell you that not sitting top come November is no big deal. That said they have become renowned with putting together relentless winning runs in recent years to ensure they finish top of the pile.
From 2021 to 2024 they won four league titles on the trot - the only side to do so in English history. On every occasion they weren't top of the pile. In 2021/22 they were five points behind Chelsea - almost the same amount of points they're trailing Arsenal.
Man City have won their last four titles without being top after 10 games
Man City have won their last four titles without being top after 10 games
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Arsenal are top of the table with 25 points. That is just above the average number amassed (24.7) for the eventual champions to have after 10 games. That said, across the 33 seasons of the Premier League only 14 times has the team sat top at this stage gone on to win the title.
City have 19 points and only seven teams have had that amount after 10 games and gone on to be champions. Arsenal lead City by six points, which is the most points a team have ever come from behind at this stage to win a title so they can't afford to drop much further behind.
The Gunners will no doubt carry some scars from being overhauled by Guardiola's side. In 2022/23 and 2023/24 they were in control of their own destiny only to falter in the final months when City's relentlessness eventually saw them finish top.
Liverpool beat Arsenal earlier this season, but have fallen away since their impressive start
Liverpool beat Arsenal earlier this season, but have fallen away since their impressive start
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Over the past decade only four teams leading after 10 games have won the title. Worth noting that three of those - Man City in 2017/18, Liverpool in 2019/20 and Liverpool in 2024/25 - were dominant from minute one and were hardly challenged en route to being champions.
Are teams at the bottom doomed?
It is far more common for a team to complete a great escape in the second part of the season than it is for a team at the top to complete fall away. Wolves, who have no wins and two points after ten games, would need to complete history, but its not inconceivable.
No team has had two points from ten games and still retained their Premier League status. But four teams have done it from a position of three points at this stage, including Wolves last season.
They swapped Gary O'Neil for Vitor Pereira and eventually got themselves to a position of safety, they even put together a run of six straight wins later in the year. However they've now axed the Portuguese coach after another horror start to the campaign with their managerial search ongoing.
Wolves would need to rewrite history if they were to stay up - but still need to find a new manager
Wolves would need to rewrite history if they were to stay up - but still need to find a new manager
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Nottingham Forest, on six points, and West Ham, on seven points, are also in the relegation zone, but plenty of teams have stayed up from there.
The promoted trio of Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland are putting up an impressive fight. Sunderland are fourth in the table with Regis Le Bris earning huge plaudits as a result. No promoted team have ever ended up going back down after picking up their 18 points after 10 games - which is a positive sign for the Black Cats.
Leeds on 11 points and Burnley with 10 points are already on double figures and sit in the two positions above the relegation zone, albeit they are certainly looking over their shoulders. They can take plenty of positives from a run that has spanned more than a decade though.
The last promoted side to have 11 or more points after 10 games and be relegated was Cardiff - and that was back in 2013-14.
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