Ranking Every Premier League Team’s Performance on Matchday 7

This weekend’s Premier League action delivered some memorable moments. Chelsea recorded their first clean sheet in the top flight since January, Dejan Kulusevski made his Tottenham return after 526 days, Manchester United experienced a fresh tactical start, and Enzo Maresca became the first manager ever to win his first seven Premier League games at a new club.

While Manchester City’s ongoing legal saga overshadows the league, the football on the pitch remains the only constant.

How We Ranked the Teams

Performance: We looked beyond final scores to assess how well each team played throughout the match.
Expectations: Upsets and teams that exceeded forecasts were rated higher.
Venue: Since home advantage matters greatly, away results received a slight bonus.

Team Rankings from 20 to 1

20. Sunderland (0-2 Loss vs. Bournemouth) – Kevin Danso’s early red card worsened Sunderland’s troubles, but the team was already behind and lacked control. Nordi Mukiele admitted arrogance may have contributed to their poor display.
19. Crystal Palace (0-5 Loss vs. Brighton) – A day to forget, with Palace feeling deep shame after a heavy defeat.
18. Hull City (0-1 Loss vs. Fulham) – Outmatched in every aspect, Hull were comprehensively dominated despite a narrow scoreline.
17. Newcastle United (0-1 Loss vs. Aston Villa) – Newcastle’s chaos contrasted sharply with Villa’s calm control. Their $225 million spent on forwards still left them relying on defender Dan Burn as a striker option late in the game.
16. Coventry City (1-3 Loss vs. Tottenham) – Frank Lampard’s side started strongly but couldn’t capitalize, leaving London with no points.
15. Everton (0-2 Loss vs. Chelsea) – David Moyes praised a tough challenge as the best part of the first half, but Everton’s second half faltered badly.
14. Brentford (1-2 Loss vs. Liverpool) – A red card for Yehor Yarmoliuk shifted momentum drastically against a battling Brentford team.
13. Ipswich Town (2-3 Loss vs. Manchester City) – Ipswich managed to unsettle City but couldn’t land a decisive blow.
12. Leeds United (1-1 Draw vs. Manchester United) – Leeds disappointed by playing cautiously in the first half, giving United too much freedom early on.
11. Manchester United (1-1 Draw vs. Leeds United) – Michael Carrick's fresh tactical approach involved individual tasks reacting to Leeds players, which earned a point but did little to fix defensive issues.
10. Arsenal (1-0 Win vs. Nottingham Forest) – Arsenal struggled to start matches strongly but relied on substitutes to secure narrow wins. Mikel Arteta highlighted squad depth and emotional management as positives.
9. Nottingham Forest (0-1 Loss vs. Arsenal) – Forest contained Arsenal’s key players well but lacked the finishing touch, extending their scoring drought at home.
8. Liverpool (2-1 Win vs. Brentford) – Despite injury worries, Liverpool took advantage of Brentford’s red card. Alexander Isak scored again, and Jérémy Jacquet impressed defensively.
7. Aston Villa (1-0 Win vs. Newcastle United) – Johan Manzambi scored the winner at St James’ Park after switching allegiance from Newcastle earlier this year.
6. Manchester City (3-2 Win vs. Ipswich Town) – Enzo Maresca’s City side continue their outstanding start despite occasional shaky moments. Erling Haaland remains relentless.
5. Tottenham Hotspur (3-1 Win vs. Coventry City) – Spurs briefly returned to form reminiscent of May 2025, with James Maddison scoring and Kulusevski back on the pitch after injury.
4. Bournemouth (2-0 Win vs. Sunderland) – Marco Rose credited mentality for a dominant performance, with Bournemouth outshooting Sunderland 29 to 3.
3. Chelsea (2-0 Win vs. Everton) – Xabi Alonso praised the team’s gritty win and their first Premier League clean sheet in 24 games, even in a match marred by an injury.
2. Fulham (1-0 Win vs. Hull City) – Álvaro Arbeloa secured his first Premier League win as Fulham boss, delivering a performance that matched his convictions.
1. Brighton & Hove Albion (5-0 Win vs. Crystal Palace) – Brighton produced a masterclass, scoring five goals including one contender for goal of the season, overwhelming their rivals completely.