Welcome to week three of The Athletic’s Premier League efficiency desk — a rating system that actually doesn’t respect tightly-contested matches.
In case you missed week one, or week two, this isn’t the official standings, the place outcomes are the one factor that issues.
In our performance-based take, it’s a clear slate at the beginning of every gameweek, which suggests you’ll be able to go from high to backside (and vice versa) within the house of some days, with the one-to-20 rankings assessed purely on how nicely every crew performed of their earlier match.
It’s also possible to keep backside. Sorry, Fulham, we all know that you just arrange camp within the Crystal Palace penalty space on Saturday, however defending on the different finish does really matter.
In case you might be questioning how we resolve the place to place groups, we watch all 10 Premier League video games in full throughout Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Monday too, if required), make copious notes in regards to the good, the dangerous and the ugly at every match, and attempt to make sense of all of it afterwards.
To explain this gameweek as tough is an understatement. There have been a few distinctive 45-minute performances and a few surprisingly subdued shows (Brentford and Mamadou Sangare, we take full accountability for Saturday, after getting far too carried away within the first two gameweeks). Extra usually, although, it was a weekend through which there was valuable little to decide on between a dozen or extra sides.
Hopefully, the summaries beneath proceed to give you a weekly snapshot of every membership’s performances throughout the 2026-27 Premier League. And, naturally, we welcome your suggestions.
1. Arsenal (final week: seventh)
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
Mikel Arteta referred to as it an “avalanche”.
The Arsenal supervisor was speaking about the best way his crew responded to going a aim behind inside two minutes on Sunday, and the wave after wave of assaults that produced a way of inevitability that the champions would flip this recreation round.
Martin Odegaard ran the present. Kai Havertz reminded everybody why he’s such an clever footballer. New signing Ezri Konsa launched himself to the Emirates Stadium crowd in a manner they may always remember (an outstanding problem on former Aston Villa team-mate Morgan Rogers, whose contact was far too heavy – albeit not as heavy as one Viktor Gyokeres took in a while), and Riccardo Calafiori continues to thrive able that’s most likely finest described as ‘in all places’.
There have been necessary contributions from others, too, together with Christos Tzolis, who was again on music after a tough night at Villa Park in gameweek two – his cross, Havertz’s nonchalant dummy and Odegaard’s emphatic end delivered the match’s defining second.
Now that’s the way you construct a winner 🤌 pic.twitter.com/WoqqcbFTfs
— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) September 6, 2026
With and with out the ball, Arsenal had been massively spectacular.
2. Sunderland (final week: eighth)
Brentford 1-1 Sunderland
An impressive first-half efficiency from Sunderland, who opened up a wonderful Brentford crew again and again with sensible, incisive soccer. They’d made 25 entries into the penalty space by half-time, engineered 4 nice probabilities to attain and had a aim disallowed.
“It’s most likely top-of-the-line first halves we’ve had within the Premier League,” mentioned Regis Le Bris, Sunderland’s head coach, sounding virtually — however solely virtually — as excited as us after seeing Nilson Angulo hold an overhit cross in play with a backheel volley.
Brian Brobbey’s hold-up play was distinctive — one excellent lay-off led to Enzo Le Charge thumping a shot off the upright. Sadly, Brobbey additionally obtained in the best way of Noah Sadiki’s goalbound shot. Sadiki was so good that (this subsequent bit is just not straightforward to write down) he obtained the higher of Sangare, who was subbed at half-time, together with two different Brentford gamers.
Though the momentum of the sport shifted within the second half, the very least Sunderland deserved was the purpose that arrived courtesy of Le Charge’s late penalty.
3. Leeds (final week: thirteenth)
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Leeds United
After being completely outplayed within the opening 45 minutes at house towards Brentford final week, Leeds took their frustration out on Brighton six days later.
With 25 minutes gone, the shot rely learn 6-0 in Leeds’ favour. Taking part in with tempo, urgency and conviction, they had been terrific. Ethan Ampadu snapped into tackles, Noah Okafor had the beating of Ferdi Kadioglu and Dominic Calvert-Lewin was a menace along with his physicality. The participant who actually caught the attention, although, was Ao Tanaka, whose excellent efficiency helped Leeds management midfield.
Tanaka was additionally desperately unfortunate to not rating — he hit the crossbar within the first half and had a aim disallowed after he strayed fractionally offside shortly after the restart.
Leeds supervisor Daniel Farke solely had one grievance. “At half-time, we should always have been out of sight,” the German mentioned.
These missed probabilities, significantly the one Lewis Dunk cleared off the road after Calvert-Lewin was by on aim, got here again to chunk the guests within the second half, however that ought to not detract from the best way they performed.
4. Liverpool (final week: twelfth)
Ipswich City 0-2 Liverpool
Final week at Anfield, we mentioned that Nottingham Forest seemed extra like an Oliver Glasner crew. In opposition to Ipswich, Liverpool seemed extra like an Andoni Iraola crew.
There was a tempo and depth to the best way through which they started this recreation, mirrored within the first aim after solely six minutes, which began with Milos Kerkez aggressively urgent Abdul Fatawu from behind. When possession was turned over, Cody Gakpo had one thought — play ahead, quick.
The cross the Netherlands ahead wrapped into Alexander Isak’s toes was excellent. The ball he performed with the surface of his boot for Isak’s second a couple of minutes later was even higher and underlined his significance to Liverpool.
The help 😮💨 The end 👏
Quickfire double as Gakpo and Isak mix for a second time inside three minutes ✨ #IPSLIV pic.twitter.com/lgFqJx2tUO
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) September 4, 2026
Committing seven gamers ahead to press, Iraola’s aspect might have had a 3rd first-half aim by Dominik Szoboszlai.
It was not an ideal efficiency. Florian Wirtz was ineffective, and there have been moments when a extra ruthless crew than Ipswich may need punished Liverpool. However the mixture of Isak’s objectives, the standard of Gakpo’s assists and Barcelona loanee Ronald Araujo’s show within the problematic right-back spot offered positives for Liverpool, in addition to the consequence.
Oh, one different factor, Victor Munoz is kind of a sight when he goes by the gears.
5. Bournemouth (final week: tenth)
Newcastle United 2-2 Bournemouth
“Now we have to complete video games (nicely),” Marco Rose, Bournemouth’s new head coach, mentioned. “And if we’re not ending video games, then we have to defend our aim prefer it’s the final recreation in our life.”
The script on Saturday was worryingly acquainted for Bournemouth, who relinquished a lead late on for the third recreation out of three this season — however on this case, it was a two-goal benefit that obtained frittered away.
For 45 minutes at St James’ Park, that they had been excellent. OK, each their objectives had been deflected, however it was not more than they deserved after making life extraordinarily tough for Newcastle. “They’d no actual answer towards our urgent,” Rose mentioned.
Alex Scott was excellent as soon as once more, whereas the spectacular Adrien Truffert nullified Anthony Elanga.
However the issue for Bournemouth is a delicate centre when the clock is operating out and the stress is cranked up. Newcastle gained the primary and second contacts following the deep cross from Amar Dedic that led to Jacob Ramsey equalising.
Two factors from three matches doesn’t mirror how nicely Rose’s crew have performed in them.
6. Coventry (final week: nineteenth)
Manchester Metropolis 1-0 Coventry Metropolis
Right, Coventry are above Manchester Metropolis in our efficiency desk although they misplaced to them. The rationale being that Frank Lampard obtained his ways spot on on the Etihad and on one other day – a day when Coventry had been extra decisive in entrance of aim – their head coach would have been celebrating an unlikely consequence.
Lampard felt his gamers deserved some extent after creating a number of glorious probabilities. The most effective of them fell to Taiwo Awoniyi, at a time when the sport was goalless, after a wayward cross from Antoine Semenyo. Awoniyi dragged his shot large, although, and Erling Haaland was not so beneficiant when Semenyo set him up on the different finish later within the first half.
Jack Rudoni and Ellis Simms additionally went shut as Coventry, who arrange with a three-man central defence and carried a real menace with their set items, gave a much better account of themselves in comparison with the opening day of the season at Arsenal.
7. Manchester Metropolis (final week: first)
Manchester Metropolis 1-0 Coventry Metropolis
“Not all of the performances are going to be good,” Enzo Maresca, Metropolis’s head coach, mentioned. “You additionally want ugly moments.”
A recreation that was presupposed to be a stroll ended up with their supporters relieved to listen to the ultimate whistle after Maresca’s crew failed to attain the second aim that might have damaged Coventry’s spirit.
Enzo Fernandez made his Metropolis debut however it was Elliot Anderson, along with his quick-thinking and incisive passing, who stood out in midfield, linking play intelligently with Rayan Cherki and Haaland specifically. That trio mixed to power Carl Rushworth into two good saves within the first half, both aspect of Haaland’s aim.
Cherki, as ever, was a variety of enjoyable to look at and unfortunate to not rating with a shot that hit the publish after some dexterous footwork. Iliman Ndiaye, one other Metropolis debutant, confirmed flashes of promise, whereas Gianluigi Donnarumma made a few large saves when wanted (the much less mentioned in regards to the second the Italian almost let the ball go beneath his foot and over the goal-line, the higher).
8. Chelsea (final week: fifth)
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
Sure, Chelsea had been crushed, they usually deserved to lose on the stability of play. Arsenal, like a wounded animal after Morgan Rogers had dared to open the scoring, put Chelsea beneath relentless stress within the lead-up to Kai Havertz equalising. However Chelsea had been nonetheless aggressive – aggressive in a manner that they haven’t been on this fixture for a while.
Pedro Neto hit the publish, Joao Pedro was inches away from connecting with a intelligent Cole Palmer cross, and Estevao pressured David Raya into an distinctive save.
The frustration from the guests’ perspective would be the objectives they conceded. Robert Sanchez would have come beneath heavy scrutiny had he been crushed inside his close to publish in the identical manner that Emi Martinez was for Arsenal’s equaliser.
As for the second aim, the makeshift nature of Chelsea’s midfield was uncovered as Reece James, sidetracked by the play growing on the Arsenal left, allowed Martin Odegaard to float into the penalty space and rating.
9. Everton (final week: eleventh)
Everton 2-2 Manchester United
A long week at Everton at least had a happy ending.
This efficiency was traditional Everton: backs to the wall and popping out combating when everybody had written them off.
After a shambolic finish to the switch window on Tuesday evening, extra doom and gloom was descending on Hill Dickinson Stadium 5 days later when United’s Benjamin Sesko headed house what appeared to be an 88th-minute winner.
Step ahead, Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Signed on deadline day in what felt like an act of desperation/opportunism (delete as acceptable), he hit a once-in-a-lifetime strike from distance that nestled within the high nook. Cue pandemonium.
What a strategy to introduce your self to your new followers 🤩
Ainsley Maitland-Niles 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZPC04c25xj
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 6, 2026
It was some extent that Everton most likely deserved after a spirited second-half show that was helped by the influence of the substitutes. Maitland-Niles will seize the headlines however fellow substitute Hayden Hackney did as a lot as anybody to alter the sport.
Signed from Middlesbrough in the summertime after being named the Championship’s participant of the season, Hackney was filled with power, eager to cross ahead at each alternative and concerned within the build-up to each objectives.
10. Manchester United (final week: second)
Everton 2-2 Manchester United
“We must always have seen the sport out,” Michael Carrick mentioned.
United’s head coach had a face like thunder post-match, and understandably so after his crew allowed two factors to slide by their grasp within the dying seconds.
There’s a larger image that’s troubling, too: two objectives conceded towards every of Hull Metropolis, Ipswich City and now Everton.
It was a disjointed efficiency on Sunday as United did not profit from some promising moments (Marcus Rashford tormented Merlin Rohl on the guests’ left flank) and misplaced management of the sport for intervals within the second half. After Bryan Mbeumo’s well-taken effort shortly after the restart opened the scoring, it was 40 minutes earlier than United registered one other shot on course.
United head coach Carrick mentioned his aspect ought to have seen the Everton recreation out (Carl Recine/Getty Pictures)
One optimistic was the contribution of Luke Shaw, whose eagerness to interrupt ahead was a daily function of United’s attacking play and triggered Everton loads of issues. An underlap early on led to Bruno Fernandes hitting the crossbar and it was Shaw’s overlap and cross that created their second aim for Sesko. He additionally made a wonderful problem on Thierno Barry to shut the door on a taking pictures alternative.
Carrick knew, although, that his crew ought to have managed the sport higher after Mbeumo’s aim.
11. Crystal Palace (final week: 18th)
Fulham 2-3 Crystal Palace
“We didn’t play as we anticipated,” Pierre Sage, the Palace supervisor, mentioned. “I’m blissful, however disillusioned for the opposite crew and the coach, as a result of that they had alternatives (to win), too.”
It’s arduous to not heat to Sage, who looks as if a genuinely good bloke and has a manner with phrases.
“It’s like with the automobile, while you put some petrol inside you’ll be able to drive,” the Frenchman mentioned, after Palace’s restorative victory at Fulham.
Palace — and Sage specifically — badly wanted that consequence after beginning their season with losses to Everton and Manchester Metropolis, even when there was a smash-and-grab ingredient to it.
The guests scored from their solely two pictures on course within the second half — the primary in weird style, after Gonzalo Garcia’s clearance bounced in off Tyrick Mitchell, and the second following their finest passage of play within the recreation. Linking with Jorgen Strand Larsen and Yeremy Pino — the Spain worldwide deserved an help for an beautiful outside-of-the-boot cross earlier on — Anan Khalaili made a high quality third-man run on the finish of a dozen passes.
We do want to speak about Palace with out the ball, although. Fulham had 25 pictures, and Palace have now conceded eight objectives of their three matches. That’s not sustainable.
12. Newcastle (final week: third)
Newcastle United 2-2 Bournemouth
After feeling bitterly disillusioned at permitting two factors to slide late on at St James’ Park towards Liverpool of their season opener, fortune smiled on Newcastle of their second house league recreation.
Bournemouth had been the higher crew, each by way of the information (17 pictures to eight, greater than twice as many on course too, and with an xG determine that was significantly greater) and the attention take a look at.
It was uncomfortable watching Newcastle making an attempt to play out within the first half, when Sven Botman and Malick Thiaw had been free on the ball towards an aggressive press. New coach Matthias Jaissle admitted Newcastle “couldn’t match” Bournemouth’s depth in that interval.
Summer season signing Amar Dedic is a variety of enjoyable going ahead from right-back, as we noticed at Tottenham every week earlier, however his marauding runs go away house for opponents to use — as was the case with the second Bournemouth aim.
Credit score to Newcastle for the fightback, although, which began with a Harvey Barnes wonderstrike and was accomplished late on by substitute Jacob Ramsey.
Jacob Ramsey celebrates his late equaliser (Michael Driver/MI Information/NurPhoto through Getty Pictures)
13. Nottingham Forest (final week: sixth)
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
One step ahead, two steps… really, Saturday wasn’t that dangerous.
Following their high quality efficiency in a 2-2 draw away to Liverpool every week earlier than, Forest performed OK towards Spurs. However not more than that. The creativity was not there, which is a disgrace when Morgan Gibbs-White is on the pitch. You get the sensation that coach Oliver Glasner remains to be trying to find a strategy to get the very best out of Forest’s talisman.
It’s definitely no shock that Gibbs-White was concerned of their finest transfer of the sport, after James McAtee and Liam Delap (their new striker was more practical when he dropped somewhat deeper to obtain) mixed neatly.
Neco Williams — spectacular once more — bundled the ball over the road at one level however it was controversially disallowed for handball. “I feel the aim should stand. It’s not ‘Clear and apparent’,” Glasner mentioned.
Neco Williams’ effort was disallowed for handball (Michael Regan/Getty Pictures)
Not less than Xaver Schlager, signed from RB Leipzig on a free switch, appears to have hit the bottom operating. Alongside McAtee in central midfield, the Austrian performed with calm authority.
14. Tottenham (final week: seventeenth)
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Ah, Spurs. Loads of the ball, xG greater than twice that of their opponents however no pictures on course. “We have to make higher selections,” Roberto De Zerbi, their head coach, mentioned.
De Zerbi appeared to be proud of a variety of facets of how Tottenham performed, which was not fairly the way it felt as a impartial.
Savio confirmed some very nice touches, for positive, together with a nutmeg on fellow Brazilian Murillo, however the winger signed from Manchester Metropolis this summer season was additionally concerned in a passage of play that spoke to the purpose De Zerbi made about decision-making.
After taking a brief nook and getting the ball again, Savio turned down an opportunity to cross and selected to cut as an alternative. With 5 team-mates, together with each centre-backs, ready within the penalty space, he selected to cut once more — solely this time he misplaced the ball.
Later, Omar Marmoush did not launch Andy Robertson on the overlap, with Mohammed Kudus ready unmarked for a ball within the center. It was that form of day.
15. Aston Villa (final week: fifteenth)
Hull Metropolis 0-0 Aston Villa
The excellent news: Villa registered their first shot on course of the Premier League season on the third time of asking.
The dangerous information: it was their just one all recreation, they usually nonetheless haven’t scored after three video games.
Based on their supervisor Unai Emery, Villa executed their recreation plan nicely, with one exception — that medical closing contact in entrance of aim.
Dominant in possession, they might and will have taken the lead by Emiliano Buendia — a transfer that began with one other demonstration of Zion Suzuki’s unbelievable distribution along with his toes, with the goalkeeper arrowing a diagonal cross to the toes of George Hemmings.
Nicolas Jackson, John McGinn, Hemmings and Ross Barkley additionally had alternatives to attain.
“We weren’t being medical, we weren’t being ruthless,” Emery mentioned.
Unai Emery mentioned his crew weren’t ruthless sufficient (Stewart Kendall/Sportsphoto/Allstar through Getty Pictures)
After Buendia’s miss, Villa appeared to lose a little bit of perception. They’d loads of the ball, and learnt from the errors of Manchester United and Coventry Metropolis, who had peppered the Hull penalty space with crosses within the earlier two matches with out success. But it surely all felt a bit pedestrian.
“We must always perceive that we’re rebuilding the crew,” Emery added.
A good level, however Villa want three of these quickly.
16. Hull (final week: ninth)
Hull Metropolis 0-0 Aston Villa
OK, Hull, we get it now — you’re going to undergo the entire season with out conceding a aim whereas averaging 30 per cent possession. Spectacular.
Seven factors from a doable 9 represents an unimaginable begin for the promoted aspect, and it might simply have been three straight wins, had Oli McBurnie managed to make a greater reference to a stunning Ryan Giles cross within the ninetieth minute. Giles, their left wing-back, seemingly doesn’t cease operating.
For essentially the most half, Hull had been Hull: organised, disciplined and stubborn — and that’s one thing to respect, even when they don’t hold you on the sting of your seat. Sometimes, one thing curious occurs — Semi Ajayi, who performs on the correct of their again three, setting off on a wild overlap simply earlier than half-time, as an illustration.
Mohamed Belloumi was enjoyable to look at once more. The 24-year-old Algerian loves a nutmeg and produced a terrific shot that clipped the crossbar within the second half.
Sergej Jakirovic, the Hull coach, talked about the Champions League afterwards. He was joking… wasn’t he?
17. Brighton (final week: 14th)
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Leeds United
“We had an actual lack of depth and power within the first half,” Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton’s head coach, mentioned.
For the second week in succession, his lads began a Premier League recreation badly, solely this time they had been grateful for Leeds not punishing them in the identical manner Chelsea did at Stamford Bridge the earlier Sunday.
Untidy in possession, Brighton seemed flat within the first half. Ferdi Kadioglu, working as a right-back within the absence of the injured Mats Wieffer, struggled towards Noah Okafor, and Leeds threatened to overwhelm their hosts at occasions.
However the tide began to show after the break as Malick Yalcouye, who was so spectacular at Chelsea, had a rising affect on the sport along with his dynamism and need to interrupt ahead.
Yalcouye’s emergence appears like an enormous plus for Brighton, and the identical could be mentioned for the best way through which Luka Vuskovic has tailored to the Premier League in a single day. Aged 19, the Croatian centre-back signed from Tottenham with out ever making his official debut, capped one other high quality show with an equaliser that can absolutely not be his final aim of the season — he loves a header.
18. Brentford (final week: fourth)
Brentford 1-1 Sunderland
This column was in peril of turning into some form of Brentford fanzine after the primary two video games of the season, particularly given our obsession with Mamadou Sangare. Properly, Sunderland made the lengthy journey to west London on Saturday and spoiled the occasion.
The guests performed so nicely within the opening 45 minutes that Keith Andrews, Brentford’s head coach, made three adjustments at half-time — withdrawing Sangare (on a yellow card), Michael Kayode (who suffered by the hands of Nilson Angulo), and Dango Ouattara (ineffective on the correct flank).
Even the odd probability to counter-attack went badly improper — summed up by the sight of Ouattara virtually knocking over team-mate Mikkel Damsgaard with a wayward cross.
Brentford improved after the interval, giving Sunderland much less time on the ball and taking part in with extra tempo. Igor Thiago had a header saved shortly earlier than Vitaly Janelt’s left-footed shot discovered the highest nook.
As a aspect word, it was refreshing to listen to Andrews say he had no complaints with the referee’s resolution to penalise Keane Lewis-Potter for the penalty that introduced Sunderland’s late equaliser. “I believed it was poor defending from us,” he mentioned.
19. Ipswich (final week: sixteenth)
Ipswich City 0-2 Liverpool
“I believed we had been glorious,” Gary O’Neil, the Ipswich supervisor, mentioned.
We didn’t fairly see it like that, Gary.
“Glorious” is taking it a bit far after a recreation through which Ipswich conceded twice at house within the opening 9 minutes and had been handicapped by an actual lack of high quality on the different finish of the pitch.
Granted, they stayed within the match after the frustration of creating such an terrible begin, when goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen was crushed inside his close to publish after which discovered himself in no man’s land for Alexander Isak’s second after Jacob Greaves was wrong-footed. But it surely was arduous to see O’Neil’s crew scoring.
Early within the second half, Ipswich had an awesome probability to counter in a four-vs-four state of affairs, however Exequiel Palacios’ cross was sloppy and obtained simply reduce out by Alexis Mac Allister. That felt symptomatic of their poor decision-making in attacking positions.
20. Fulham (final week: twentieth)
Fulham 2-3 Crystal Palace
Fulham dominated possession, had 25 pictures, 64 touches within the Palace penalty space and their xG was 3.13. In Josh King, in addition they had the sport’s standout performer. King scored one and had a hand within the second with a terrific sprint in behind — a sort of run that he was nonetheless making in stoppage time.
The issue, although, is staring head coach Alvaro Arbeloa within the face: Fulham are free out of possession (partially due to their expansive method with the ball and a scarcity of tempo on the again), defensively naive and an accident ready to occur — and there have been a number of such accidents on Saturday.
If their aggressive press doesn’t work — and that was the case with Palace’s second aim — Fulham are large open.
Palace had a four-vs-three overload and scored in farcical circumstances. Timothy Castagne, the right-back, was dragged out of place for the primary aim, leaving Joachim Andersen uncovered, whereas Anan Khalaili broke on the within of left-back Antonee Robinson within the lead-up to the winner.
Ben Chilwell was the moment match winner on his @CPFC return! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/u0EoUPa6lD
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 5, 2026
Three video games, no factors, seven objectives conceded.
