Premier League Early Season Ratings: From Brighton's Brilliance to Spurs' Struggles

The Premier League has entered a three-week international break, with no top-flight action until October 10. Five games into the campaign, there's still plenty of season left to play — but early patterns are already emerging, separating the teams that have impressed from those in need of a reset. Here's how BBC Sport reporters rate every club's start so far. Arsenal — 7 A solid start to their title defense hit a rough patch after being torn apart by Brighton, despite surviving a penalty scare against Sunderland earlier in the run. Aston Villa — 6 Signs of progress are emerging after a summer transfer window that saw the club lose several key players. Bournemouth — 6 If matches ended at the 80-minute mark, the Cherries would sit near the top of the table. Late collapses remain a persistent problem. Brentford — 8 An impressive unbeaten start includes emphatic wins over Tottenham and Chelsea. The question now is whether they can sustain this pace and push for European qualification. Brighton — 9 The league's most entertaining side so far, having scored 16 goals in five matches, including a three-goal haul against champions Arsenal. Simply a joy to watch. Chelsea — 6 A promising start under Xabi Alonso has cooled, with two losses in the last three matches — including a dismantling at the hands of Brentford — raising questions about their trajectory. Coventry City — 6 Relief was audible in the away end after Saturday's win at Nottingham Forest. The bigger question is whether Frank Lampard's side can build momentum from here. Crystal Palace — 5 One win against three defeats leaves plenty of room for improvement. Everton — 6 Despite a forgettable transfer window, David Moyes has made his side difficult to break down. Fulham — 5 Respectable draws against Liverpool and Manchester United, but a win remains elusive. A favorable run of fixtures after the break — Ipswich away, Hull at home, Coventry away, and Crystal Palace at home — offers a chance to change that. Hull City — 8 Eight points from a challenging opening five fixtures is an excellent return, highlighted by a win over Manchester United and draws against Aston Villa and Chelsea. Ipswich Town — 5 Defensive vulnerabilities remain, but late winners against Sunderland and Crystal Palace have earned six points and shown genuine fighting spirit. Leeds United — 7 Sitting fifth, unbeaten, and boasting one of the league's best defensive records, Leeds showed their potential with a commanding 4-1 win over Newcastle. Liverpool — 6 Unbeaten, but far from their best form. Three clean sheets in the last three games are encouraging, though more is expected from Andoni Iraola's squad. Manchester City — 9 Five games, five wins. City even managed victory at Manchester United despite playing down to 10 men for much of the first half. With Erling Haaland already the league's top scorer, fans will be expecting a serious title push. Manchester United — 4 A disappointing stretch that includes a loss at Hull and a draw against a Fulham side that started the season bottom of the table. Their only win so far came against Ipswich, and a late equalizer denied them victory at Everton. Newcastle United — 6 A mixed start under new manager Matthias Jaissle. A strong draw against Liverpool and a comfortable win at Tottenham stand out, but a poor loss at Leeds tempered the optimism — though a win over Hull suggests they can bounce back. Nottingham Forest — 5 Their best results have come on the road, with a draw at Liverpool and a win at Aston Villa. Home form is a growing concern, however — Forest have yet to score at the City Ground and have collected just one point from three matches there. Sunderland — 5 After finishing seventh last season, fans expected a stronger start. The Black Cats performed well against both Arsenal and Manchester City but came away with defeats in both. Tottenham Hotspur — 2 After spending more than £300m over the summer, Spurs have struggled badly, failing to score in any of their opening four league matches. Supporters will demand immediate improvement once the international break ends.