The Premier League is set to return after the second international break of the season, with all clubs having played seven games so far.
Several teams have enjoyed a positive start, but others have struggled, with four sides still yet to pick up a win.
Meanwhile, the likes of Manchester United have suffered a significant dip compared to the start of last season.
In light of this, Mail Sport has compared each team’s record from their first seven games to last season’s results against the same opponents to see who is better off.
Man United are performing statistically worse than last season despite their summer spending
United boss Erik ten Hag has come under significant pressure after the difficult start
Mail Sport compared each Premier League team’s record from their first seven games to last season’s results against the same opponents, and there have been some surprising outcomes
Despite their £180million summer transfer haul, Manchester United have been statistically worse this season compared to last.
They have earned fewer points in their seven league games against the same opponents they faced last season.
Against Fulham (H), Brighton (A), Liverpool (H), Southampton (A), Crystal Palace (A), Spurs (H) and Aston Villa (A), they have picked up eight points, compared to 11 in these same fixtures last campaign.
On the other hand, Chelsea have shown the most improvement, securing 14 points in their games under Enzo Maresca compared to eight in the equivalent with Mauricio Pochettino at the helm.
Notably, they defeated Wolves 6-2 at Molineux in September, whereas they lost 2-1 last term. They also beat West Ham 3-0 away, after suffering a 3-1 loss to the Hammers in August 2023.
Surprisingly, Liverpool’s results have slightly declined, totalling 18 points under Slot, compared to 19 in Jurgen Klopp’s final season.
Chelsea have made the biggest improvement compared to last season in the equivalent top flight fixtures
Despite being top of the league, Liverpool have one point fewer under new boss Arne Slot
Arsenal have improved their results compared to last season despite their tricky run of games
| PL v same opposition | 2024-25 Points | 2023-24 Points | Difference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelsea | 14 | 8 | +6 | ||
| Brighton | 12 | 8 | +4 | ||
| Brentford | 10 | 7 | +3 | ||
| West Ham | 8 | 5 | +3 | ||
| Newcastle | 12 | 10 | +2 | ||
| Arsenal | 17 | 16 | +1 | ||
| Fulham | 11 | 10 | +1 | ||
| Bournemouth | 8 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Man City | 17 | 17 | 0 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 10 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Tottenham | 10 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Liverpool | 18 | 19 | -1 | ||
| Aston Villa | 14 | 16 | -2 | ||
| Man United | 8 | 11 | -3 | ||
| Everton | 5 | 9 | -4 | ||
| Crystal Palace | 3 | 9 | -6 | ||
| Wolves | 1 | 8 | -7 | ||
| *Stats provided by Stats Perform |
Yet, regardless of this statistical regression, they still sit first in the league with six wins and one loss.
Having been handed one of the hardest starts, Arsenal have improved their results compared to last season. They have earned 17 points, compared to 16 against the same opponents last campaign.
Namely, they snatched seven points from away trips to Villa, Spurs and City. Last season, they managed just four.
Manchester City are performing as well as they did in their record-breaking fourth consecutive Premier League winning season, with 17 points.
Despite trailing league leaders Liverpool by a point, Pep Guardiola understands the challenge of a title race all too well – as usual, we’ll judge his side in May.
Likewise, Spurs have failed to progress in series two of the Ange Postecoglou show. They sit ninth in the table with 10 points.
They racked up as many points against the same opposition last season, despite adding Dominic Solanke to their ranks for £65m in August.
The ex-Bournemouth striker has had a steady start to life in north London, with three goals and two assists in eight games.
However, his goal contributions have not been enough to earn Spurs more points in these fixtures.
Unsurprisingly, the biggest underperformers are 20th-place Wolves, who have just one point this season.
Perhaps the recipients of the most unforgiving schedule, Gary O’Neil’s side have already faced Arsenal (A), Chelsea (H), Villa (A), and Liverpool (H).
Bottom of the table Wolves have unsurprisingly had the biggest dip compared to last season
Crystal Palace are also still winless after a difficult start to the campaign under Oliver Glasner
Palace have struggled since losing Michael Olise to Bayern Munich in a £52m summer deal
A 2-1 home win over Chelsea, 2-2 draw with Newcastle and a 4-1 win away against Brentford last season are where they have lost their seven points.
Over the summer, Michael Olise left to link up with Harry Kane in Bayern Munich’s front three, while Joachim Andersen joined the defensive ranks at Fulham.
These departures have left Crystal Palace in the relegation zone, with three points this season.
In 18th place, they have underperformed in their fixtures by six points compared to last campaign, the second-most of any team.