The 2025-26 season of the English Premier League season is well underway, with every team having played seven matches so far. Arsenal and Liverpool are expectedly fighting for first, while Wolverhampton unsurprisingly sits at the bottom of the table. Sprinkled throughout, however, are both positive surprises and disappointments.
Surprise: AFC Bournemouth (4th, 14 pts)
After promotion to the Premier League for the second time in club history in the 2022-23 season, Bournemouth has done nothing but improve year after year. The club, known affectionately as the “Cherries,” finished in 15th place in 2022-23, but have finished in 12th and ninth respectively in the two seasons since. This season, under manager Andoni Iraola and off the back of the EPL’s second-most prolific goalscorer in Antoine Semenyo, Bournemouth sits in fourth place with 14 points. The Cherries have not faced defeat since an opening day loss to reigning champion Liverpool, and the club has defeated the likes of Tottenham and Newcastle. If this season stays true to the trend, Bournemouth will finish in sixth place, but the Cherries will have their sights set higher after an impressive start to the season.
Disappointment: Nottingham Forest (17th, Five pts)
Nottingham Forest was one of the biggest surprises from last season, with the club finishing in seventh position and qualifying for the Europa League after a 17th place finish in 2023-24. This season, however, Forest looks to have fallen back into old ways. Despite opening the season with a win over Brentford, Forest has only gotten points through draws since. Forest has lost multiple games by 2-0 and 3-0 scorelines, which is a trend that will need to be quelled. The club has only scored two goals since Aug. 24. Striker Chris Wood, who notched 20 goals last season, only has two goals through the campaign so far, and will need to find the back of the net more often if Nottingham Forest wants to come close to recreating last season’s success.
Surprise: Sunderland A.F.C. (9th, 11 pts)
Following nearly a decade spent in the Championship and League One, Sunderland A.F.C. is back in the Premier League. The club has enjoyed a solid start to the season with three wins and two draws.Sunderland’s only wins and one of their draws have all come against teams in the bottom half of the table. With matches against heavyweights Chelsea, Arsenal and Bournemouth coming up in the next six weeks, Sunderland will have to prove that it can beat the big dogs. French forward Wilson Isidor, who joined the club last season from Zenit Saint Petersburg, leads Sunderland with three goals. Regardless of strength of schedule, sitting among the best 10 teams through the early stages of the season is a great sign for any newly-promoted club.
Disappointment: Newcastle United (11th, Nine pts)
Newcastle United broke into the upper echelon of Premier League squads in 2022-23 by finishing fourth, and have placed seventh and fifth in the seasons since then. The start to this season has been rougher for the Magpies, however, as the team currently sits in 11th. Newcastle was winless through August but has found two wins and a draw in four matches since. Nick Woltemade’s right foot has been good for the Magpies, as the German forward has scored three goals thus far. With Newcastle’s recent success, there is reason to believe that the club has started to find its footing and will soon vault up the standings. Two of the Magpies’ first seven matches were against Arsenal and Liverpool, after all. Additionally, three of Newcastle’s next four fixtures are against teams in the bottom half of the table, with the exception being a home match against Brighton. As things stand, however, Newcastle’s season has not gotten off to the hottest start.
Surprise: Everton F.C. (8th, 11 pts)
Longtime Premier League staple Everton F.C. is enjoying early success after narrowly staving off relegation last season. The 2020s have not been kind to the Toffees, with the club narrowly surviving relegation every season since 2021. Everton currently sits in eighth, however, and recently enjoyed a 2-1 victory over sixth-place Crystal Palace. Midfielder Jack Grealish has been magical after a lackluster stint with Manchester City, the Englishman compiling a goal and four assists throughout the season thus far. Senegalese national Iliman Ndiaye has also been great for the Toffees. Ndiaye has scored three goals, including the first ever goal in Everton’s new stadium against Brighton on Aug. 24. Many people consider Everton’s form in recent years to be a blip on an otherwise extremely consistent track record, and this season could mark the Toffees returning to last decade’s form.
Disappointment: Brentford F.C. (16th, Seven pts)
Brentford have bounced around the table since promotion to the Premier League in the 2021-22 season. 2022-23 and 2024-25 saw the Bees finish in ninth and 10th respectively, but the club ended the 2023-24 campaign in 16th place. So far, this season looks to be a replica of that down year, as Brentford only have two wins and a draw. One win was an impressive 3-1 over 10th place Manchester United, but losses to lower-table teams like Nottingham Forest and Fulham are derailing Brentford’s effort to show consistent placements in the Premier League. Forward Igor Thiago has been a bright spot – the Brazilian signed with the Bees midway through last season, but a meniscus injury caused him to miss every game, save for two short appearances. This season, however, Thiago has netted four goals, good for joint-third most in the league, two of which came in the aforementioned victory over United. The Bees will need other players to step up if the club wants to reach the top half of the table again.
All stats from PremierLeague.com as of Oct. 14.
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