The first five matchdays of the 2026/27 Premier League season have already given shape to a campaign that promised uncertainty from the outset. With the table still settling and another international break leaving a long pause before Matchday 6, there is time to take stock of what has emerged so far.

Arsenal’s title defence has already met resistance after a heavy defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Before that trip, they looked close to untouchable, but the champions have not yet shown enough to pull clear of their rivals. Bruno Guimarães has added quality, though injury has delayed his rhythm, while Christos Tzolis has stepped in as a serviceable replacement for Leandro Trossard. Even so, Arsenal’s attack was found wanting in their toughest test to date, with concerns lingering over the goalscoring burden on Bukayo Saka and the lack of a set-piece breakthrough.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, are navigating a period of change after rebuilding their core in the summer. Their first league win of the season offered encouragement, with Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and João Gomes all making useful contributions. Bournemouth have begun slowly under Marco Rose, but there is little panic as they balance league form with European demands after an opening win at Real Sociedad. Brentford continue to look like a difficult assignment at home, built on physicality and a set-piece threat that has already caused problems for visiting sides.

Brighton’s pressing game has been a feature of the early weeks, while Chelsea’s start under Xabi Alonso has raised serious questions about their structure without the ball. Coventry City finally recorded a first Premier League win in more than 25 years, though goals remain a concern. Everton’s window left them thin on options, Fulham are showing signs of adjustment under Álvaro Arbeloa, and Hull City have been one of the early surprises, even if history offers a warning.

Elsewhere, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur all have distinct questions to answer as the season develops.

Florian Wirtz arrived at Anfield with a reputation that bordered on untouchable. Jürgen Klopp described him as a “once-in-a-century talent.” Liverpool backed that belief with a $159 million move as part of their rebuild before the 2025-26 campaign, expecting him to help drive the club into a new level under Arne Slot.

So far, though, the story has not matched the scale of the investment. At 23, Wirtz has often failed to influence Liverpool when they have needed him most, and his performances are being judged more harshly with each passing week.

The logic behind the signing was obvious. At Bayer Leverkusen, Wirtz produced numbers that made him one of the most coveted players in Europe. Under Xabi Alonso, he developed from highly rated prospect into a major attacking force. His 37 goal involvements in 2023-24 helped Leverkusen to a domestic double and a place in the Europa League final. He followed that with 30 more contributions the next season, reinforcing his consistency.

Liverpool were not alone in pursuing him. Real Madrid and Manchester City were also interested, while Bayern Munich were left frustrated by a rare failure to land one of the Bundesliga’s standout talents. Wirtz, however, only wanted Liverpool.

The adaptation has been difficult. Liverpool’s decline under Slot, the struggles of those around him and the usual adjustment to a new league can all be cited as factors, but his output has still fallen well short of expectations. It took two months for him to record a goal or assist in a competitive match, before a pair of assists against Eintracht Frankfurt. He then waited another two months for his first Premier League goal involvement, an assist against Tottenham Hotspur.

That moment sparked a brief upturn. Before February, he added six goals and two assists and won Liverpool’s Player of the Month award in January. But the form did not last, and over the final four months he managed only one goal and two assists.

The World Cup offered another chance to recover rhythm, and his return of three assists was tempered by Germany’s shock early exit to Paraguay. With an extended preseason under Andoni Iraola, progress was expected, yet the early signs remain modest. He leads Liverpool for ground covered, but has only one assist in his opening six league matches.

Public backing from Iraola and Klopp has not stopped the criticism, including from Jamie Carragher, who said: “That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt,” and added: “The reason I worry is, I don’t think Wirtz is in poor form since he came to Liverpool. I actually think what we’re seeing is what he is.”

Wirtz remains a gifted technician, but the Premier League has so far restricted his impact far more than Liverpool expected.

With five games played in the 2026/27 season, the Premier League has already been dragged into a series of officiating disputes despite hopes of a lighter touch. Howard Webb has issued an apology that was quickly rejected, and further explanations are still being awaited across the division.

Removing VAR from the picture changes the table in several places, but Manchester United remain the major talking point. Erling Haaland’s winner in the Manchester derby should not have stood, according to Webb’s own acknowledgement, after officials became caught in what he described as “tunnel vision.” The issue centred on Enzo Fernández’s movement in front of Lisandro Martínez, while VAR Matt Donohue focused on whether Haaland was onside when he turned the ball in past Senne Lammens.

Even so, United would still sit 12th with the additional point, showing that the decision was costly without transforming their wider position.

At the top, Arsenal would move clear of the rest on 12 points, with Brentford and Manchester City next on 11. Liverpool would also be better off overall, although their draw in this version of the table follows the denied goal against Nottingham Forest when Florian Wirtz’s effort was ruled out for offside.

Forest are one of the biggest beneficiaries of the no-VAR table. Oliver Glasner’s side would climb to 10th, helped by the sense that they have been denied three points in separate incidents. Neco Williams had a goal disallowed against Tottenham Hotspur after an alleged handball in a goal-line scramble with Sandro Tonali, and that decision came without any definitive camera angle proving the offence. Williams later posted: “Clear and obvious they say,” while Glasner added after the Coventry City match: “Of course I have thoughts but I don’t want to speak about it again,” after Igor Jesus was judged to have tripped Caleb Yirenkyi before scoring.

Haaland’s own frustration also featured in the aftermath of the derby. He said: “I thought there was maybe someone who had flicked it, I don’t normally go offside,” and added: “I talked to [referee] Michael Oliver and I told him I took it personal that he thought I went offside.”

The record suggests otherwise. As the draft notes, Haaland has only been correctly flagged offside once this season.