Premier League 2026/27: Sky Sports' writers assess early talking points including Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City

Here, Sky Sports' team of writers assess the early talking points across an eventful start to the 2026/27 season...

Enzo Maresca was asked in his press conference whether he considered Manchester City to be title contenders after his side beat Sunderland 5-3 in one of the Premier League's most frenetic encounters to date. He gave the standard answer. "Too early to tell".

There is a pragmatic truth in that response. Five games is a small sample size. But I've seen enough to stick my neck out and say they will be right up there.

Maresca has so far made this exciting, dynamic City squad work for him, partly by design, partly by luck. He's lucky he has Erling Haaland . He's lucky the club believe so heavily in his cause they were willing to spend £320m on an entirely new midfield department.

But there is no doubt this squad is packed with entertainers who are determined to win. I like that the burden of scoring responsibility has been more equally shared; both Antoine Semenyo and Rayan Cherki can boast as many goal involvements as Haaland.

And there is obvious momentum after winning seven in a row in all competitions. There will be times where City come unstuck because defensively they are fallible. Haaland will suffer his inevitable dip at some point. Injuries will occur because City's most explosive players, Jeremy Doku in particular, are prone.

The Premier League is an ever more demanding beast and City are no longer Pep Guardiola's possession-based puppets.

But this is a team that will also get better with time. Maresca can now spend the next three weeks polishing up the bits he doesn't like, ready to go again. Barring any major injuries, City can - very probably will - rival Arsenal in the race. Laura Hunter

Spurs find money can't buy them everything

Inevitable expectations followed when Spurs went big this summer - bigger than they've ever gone before.

Their £334m outlay sat them only behind perennial big spenders Chelsea and Man City across the transfer window.

Of course, any dreams of a return to the halcyon days at the top were always going to be tough to reach in the short term, as many previous clubs have found after a significant turnover of players.

But even with the patience required, sitting bottom of the table, with just two goals and as many points from their opening five games is miles below-par.

Spurs and Roberto De Zerbi's greatest concern will be that his side's issues are more than just teething problems.

"In my 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team like us, so fragile and inconsistent," De Zerbi said after their 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa.

For all the money spent, there is still no sign of a Spurs backbone. They are approaching two years since they last conceded first and went on to win. The pressure of even playing at home remains a problem - their lavish stadium has seen more Beyonce concerts than home wins over that same period.

And given the £85m outlay on Savio and future £60m on Omar Marmoush, fans and De Zerbi would hope for far more than the worst xG per shot of any team in the Premier League, and just two consolation goals in that Villa loss.

With the quality brought in, and flashes of showing already, things will improve and three uninterrupted weeks on the training ground will do the likes of James Maddison the world of good.

But after comfortably the biggest spend in their history, he lingering worry that Spurs still have so many areas left to address is not a problem fans had anticipated facing just five games into this new era. Ron Walker

Same old story for Man Utd as Carrick feels the heat

Statistically, Manchester United had the easiest start to the 2026-27 Premier League campaign. Five points from five games later, it feels like the Red Devils have turned the clock back a year and there are more questions than answers.

Michael Carrick’s reign began with an incredible level of intensity when his side beat Manchester City. Compared to now, United look like a shell of that team. Constantly outrun and outfought.

Having only strengthened in the midfield over the summer, the defence looks out of date and vulnerable, conceding fewer than two goals in the Premier League just once.

While their attacking overhaul in the summer of 2025 made them look a threat, they now appear disjointed. Injuries to Amad Diallo and Benjamin Sesko have clearly hurt, while Marcus Rashford’s reintegration has hardly led to on-field results.

As if that’s not bad enough, they are also being held to ransom by 15-year-old JJ Gabriel , with reports suggesting that the teenager’s representatives want him to be allowed to leave because United have fallen behind other European giants.

Carrick was part of the backroom staff when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer felt similar pressure. Five years on, the story is the same.

A cult hero returns on an interim basis, does the job asked of him, is given the keys to Old Trafford and is then almost immediately under scrutiny.

When will the rerun of the same programme finally come to an end? Before that, Carrick has to ensure that he doesn’t hand another one of his former clubs their first Premier League win after the international break when United host bottom-of-the-table Tottenham. Lose, and it's anyone’s guess where things go. Callum Bishop

Are Arsenal really stronger than last season?

Many expected Arsenal to dominate the league this season, partly due to the lack of a competitive rival capable of taking their Premier League crown.

But the 3-0 loss to Brighton on Saturday, coupled with Man City continuing their perfect start to the campaign, has tested that theory.

Yes, we're only five games in, and the jury is still out on whether Arsenal are truly better than the team that won the league last season in terms of quality.

The Gunners signed Ezri Konsa to bolster their defence but he has replaced the injured William Saliba in the team, so is not exactly seen as an improvement in that area, other than depth.

Bruno Guimaraes was another marquee signing and showed his worth against Sunderland. But his underwhelming performance at Brighton raised early questions about whether he too is an improvement on Myles Lewis-Skelly , who is perhaps better-skilled than the Brazilian in handling a high-pressing opponent.

Arsenal have won every Premier League game in which Lewis-Skelly has started in midfield.

Christos Tzolis has been a successful buy overall but he is yet to score for Arsenal. The goalscoring output that the now-departed Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli provided last season are yet to be replaced.

Other than those three players, Arsenal are pretty much the same squad that won the league last season.

The likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka have found some early-season form that they lacked last term - but the next batch of fixtures post-international break will test the claims about whether Arsenal have improved. It will test their title defence. Sam Blitz

Liverpool unbeaten but the real test is now coming

Liverpool's hard-fought 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Sunday maintained head coach Andoni Iraola's unbeaten record since taking charge of the club in the summer which when also taking into account pre-season friendlies, now stretches to 12 games.

In fact, the Basque is the first Reds boss to remain unbeaten in his first five league matches since Joe Fagan all the way back in September 1983.

However, do not let those statistics trick you into thinking Iraola has Liverpool back firing again, with the Reds having passed the eye test in only a handful of competitive contests so far this season, while at the same time needing late goals to rescue a point against bottom-half sides Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.

And despite having now kept three consecutive clean sheets in the Premier League for the first time since September 2024, the back line still looks shaky, especially when defending set plays.

Meanwhile, the midfield is not clicking as the new man tries to find the right balance and £116.5m playmaker Florian Wirtz remains the elephant in the room, although less so after Jamie Carragher's analysis of his anonymous and error-strewn display at the Vitality.

Do not forget either that Iraola has been handed a relatively gentle start to this campaign, although that all changes after the international break when the Reds face far sterner tests at home to league leaders Man City and in-form Brighton, with a tricky-looking trip to high-flying Brentford in between.

Come through those examinations unscathed and we can start talking about a Reds revival under their new boss. Rich Morgan

Chelsea playing catch-up in title bid after mixed start

Chelsea's mixed start is captured perfectly by their mid-table position. Their attack has dazzled but their defence has been disastrous as Xabi Alonso looks to find a balance with his 3-4-3 formation. They must do better.

There have been few issues with the 'JP Morgan' frontline which is living up to its billing. Morgan Rogers has made a fast start to his Chelsea career following his £117m move with three goals and an assist.

His partnership with Cole Palmer is blossoming, and his form earned him a recall to the England squad, while Joao Pedro's three goals and three assists got him back in with Brazil.

Entertainment hasn't been in short supply. Chelsea have won 3-2, 4-3 and 6-3 but their last two results, a 2-2 draw with Hull City and a 3-0 defeat at Brentford, have raised concerns that their leaky defence will prevent them from mounting a title challenge despite signing experienced goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez .

They were bullied against Brentford , overpowered in the second half and conceded from another set piece, the fourth time this season - taking their overall tally since the start of last season to 23, the joint-worst out of any Premier League side. Poaching set-piece coach Austin MacPhee from Aston Villa hasn't worked yet either.

Chelsea's lack of control has been highlighted , particularly compared to last season, when they could rely on midfielders Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez . Caicedo hasn't played a minute due to injury and Fernandez departed on Deadline Day, with Chelsea unable to bring in a replacement.

It's meant untested duo Romeo Lavia and Reece James have mostly played in the middle. Ironically, in the two games when Chelsea have had more possession, against Brentford and Hull, they earned their two worst results. Chelsea had just 26 per cent of the ball in their 4-3 win over Brighton.

Alonso must achieve Champions League qualification at the very least, while going far in cup competitions, to make up for their lack of European football and make this season a success.

If they fix their defensive issues, then there's no reason why their attack can't put them in the title mix, but they're already seven points adrift. David Richardson

Tension and stress lifted after Villa's slow start

Alarm bells were ringing at Villa Park following their worrying start to the Premier League season, but a 3-2 win against Tottenham before the international break has hinted that Aston Villa's rebuild could be slowly coming together.

Unai Emery's side had to wait until the 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest on September 12 to score their first goal, and the victory at Spurs marks their lone win across the first five games.

It was a summer of change after losing Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Emiliano Martinez, Ollie Watkins, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne . But the performance against Spurs, and the players that shone during it, offer an insight into what could be on the horizon from this side.

Johan Manzambi announced himself to the fans perfectly with a goal and an assist on his first start for the club.

Zion Suzuki continued to impress with both his shot-stopping and passing ability, while Nicolas Jackson's finish and footwork to manufacture the chance hinted that Emery could be the one to get the best out of him once again.

The pieces of the rebuild - with Ibrahim Mbaye and Alejandro Garnacho also easing into their new surroundings - are slowly paying dividends.

The tension and stress of their poor start to the campaign has now been lifted. Emery is never one to panic, as the similar slow start to last season showed, but now the work can really begin. Patrick Rowe

Brentford and Brighton's push for top four?

There would have been no prizes for predicting Man City and Arsenal would be first and second in the Premier League table heading into this extended international break. But who'd have guessed Brighton and Brentford would be in third and fourth?!

In fairness, these two teams are absolutely brilliant at finding an edge, hence why they make up two-thirds of the newly-coined 'Bermuda Triangle' . They don't have the same financial clout as the division's elite, but year after year, they trouble them regardless.

The weekend just gone was perhaps the best example of that.

On Friday night, Brentford took advantage of Chelsea's defensive woes to win 3-0 at the Gtech. That result ended an 88-year wait for a home win over the Blues - but also ensured Keith Andrews' side remain unbeaten in their opening five games of a top-flight season for the very first time (W2 D3).

On Saturday, Brighton beat reigning champions Arsenal by the same scoreline. The Gunners took 36 touches in the opposition box, but managed just two shots on target. The Seagulls had five and scored with three of them.

Fabian Hurzeler's side have scored three more goals than any other team in the Premier League (16) and their goal difference is something to behold (+11).

This hasn't come as a complete surprise, of course. Brighton and Brentford have been outsmarting those around them for several years now. But could this be the campaign the pair really set the cat among the pigeons? Dan Long

Who are the early-season relegation candidates?

Newly-promoted teams always top the odds for relegation candidates, but heading into the first international break, only one is currently in the bottom three.

The biggest surprise package has been Hull City with only one loss so far - and an opening weekend win against Man Utd. Two wins for Ipswich have them above the likes of Aston Villa and Tottenham in mid-table.

Even Frank Lampard's Coventry City have impressed, despite sitting in 18th on goal difference.

Of course, after five games, it's hard to predict if these teams can sustain this over the next 33 matches - but eyes are also turning to some established Premier League sides who are already staring down a difficult season.

Tottenham are currently bottom - despite their big-money spending in the summer to avoid exactly this scenario - while Fulham have struggled to pick up points under Alvaro Arbeola .

Crystal Palace were many people's pre-season tip to go down and are hovering above the danger zone, while Villa are struggling to adapt to a summer exodus of key players.

It's important to note with Villa though, they had a similarly poor start last season and ended up in the top four. With Unai Emery in charge, you always believe they will begin to improve as the season goes on.

Bournemouth too are just above Coventry, with Marco Rose yet to win as Cherries manager, although they did make a victorious start to their first European campaign.

The opening batch of games have given these teams plenty of food for thought - and it could be another tight relegation race. Charlotte Marsh