The opening stretch of the 2026/27 Premier League season has lasted longer than usual because of a change in the international calendar, but five games is still only enough to reveal early patterns rather than a settled table. The 20 clubs remain closely packed, and a single result can still reshape the picture quickly.

There is history behind treating this stage with caution. Last season, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United were the bottom two after five matches, while Bournemouth and Sunderland turned strong starts into European qualification. This year, the early evidence is already pointing in a few different directions.

Manchester City are the only side to have preserved a 100% record. Their 5-3 win over Sunderland, combined with Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, sends them into the break top of the table on 15 points, matching Liverpool’s total from the same stage last season. City are also in a much stronger position than they were in 2025/26, when they sat ninth and were eight points worse off.

Brentford and Brighton have made the sharpest gains. Both are five points better off than they were at this point last season, with Brentford rising 13 places and Brighton 11. Keith Andrews’ side were among those tipped for trouble before the campaign, yet they are now being mentioned as a possible European contender. They are one of five unbeaten teams.

Leeds United have also carried their momentum forward, while Newcastle United, Everton and Aston Villa have improved on their starts from last year. Nottingham Forest have the same points total as they did after five games last season, but they are two places higher.

At the other end, Tottenham sit bottom with two points and did not score their first league goals of the season until Aston Villa were already 3-0 up. Bournemouth are still without a first league win under Marco Rose, a clear fall from the fourth place they held after five matches last season.

Fulham and Crystal Palace have also gone backwards, with both lower in the table after managerial changes.

Jamie Carragher has asked Andoni Iraola to make a difficult call on Florian Wirtz, arguing that the Liverpool midfielder’s level for Liverpool remains far below what was expected when he arrived last summer.

The discussion intensified after Liverpool’s narrow win over Bournemouth on Sunday. Wirtz started in the No. 10 role and was credited with three chances created, but his influence on the game was limited. He finished with 0.05 expected assists and 0.22 expected goals, while every attempt he made was blocked immediately. Carragher felt the performance offered little evidence that the player is moving closer to the standard Liverpool hoped for.

“Nothing is happening there at all,” Carragher said on Sky Sports.

“That was one of the poorest I’ve ever seen him in a Liverpool shirt. I’ve been critical of the fact that he hasn’t got the numbers. But normally when you watch Wirtz, he’s neat and tidy, he keeps possession, there’s things that you like. He gets out of a tight situation where you’re normally expecting your player to lose the ball.”

Carragher’s view has now shifted beyond form. He suggested the issue may not be temporary, but instead representative of what Wirtz actually is.

“I worry [because] 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. It was just in the back of my head [for 12 months].

“I don’t see how he’s going to hurt you. It’s just neat and tidy. And in some way, the price tag for that type of player should be half of what Liverpool have paid. The worry for Wirtz now is that his performances so far, or what he’s given Liverpool, is so low. Where we were expecting him was to take Liverpool to another league title, to take Liverpool to a Champions League .”

He added that the “gap” between expectation and reality is “almost too big” to close, even with improvement. Carragher compared Wirtz with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Morgan Gibbs-White and Emiliano Buendía, who he believes are adding more regular value for their teams.

That led to the question of selection. Carragher pointed out that Iraola has already been willing to leave Ryan Gravenberch out for much of the season, and said Wirtz should be judged in the same way, especially with Manchester City next after the international window.

“Wirtz wouldn’t be in my Liverpool team. Manchester City at home, for me, he can’t be in the team,” Carragher said. “The things I’ve liked so far about Iraola, he’s had the courage to make big decisions. Ryan Gravenberch has just signed a hefty contract on a five-year deal on massive money. He’s not playing. Sooner or later he’s going to have to make a decision on Florian Wirtz. I hope it’s sooner. Not because I don’t like Florian Wirtz, I’m desperate for the kid to do well. I just want Liverpool to win.”

Andoni Iraola has suggested Liverpool’s extra recovery time could tilt Sunday’s meeting in their favour at the Vitality Stadium.

Liverpool arrived into the fixture after Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third-round win over Tottenham Hotspur, where a rotated side claimed a 3-1 victory. Bournemouth, by contrast, were in Europa League action on Thursday and returned from their trip to Real Sociedad with a 2-1 win, earned through goals from Justin Kluivert and Rayan.

Speaking in his prematch press conference, Iraola was clear about the scheduling imbalance. “I think we have an advantage,” he said. “Most of the times it has been the opposite. We have been the team that played last, but this time we played two days before they played.

“I think there should be an advantage there, but also I know where we are going, and I know what they have there, not only the stadium but overall.

“When you see the number of games they have lost in a long while [just three defeats in 2026], you realize how difficult it is to beat Bournemouth.”

Liverpool were able to use younger players and lesser-used squad members against Spurs, while Marco Rose selected a full-strength Bournemouth line-up in San Sebastián. On that basis, the Reds are expected to arrive fresher for Iraola’s reunion.

Even so, the Bournemouth boss will have noticed Liverpool’s flat display in last Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Fulham. After their victory over Atlético Madrid only a few days earlier, Liverpool appeared drained at Anfield and struggled to impose themselves in a match that finished without a goal.

That pattern is not new. In the 11 Liverpool matches that have followed midweek trips this calendar year, they have won only six. Three draws and two defeats sit alongside that return, including one loss at Bournemouth in January. For Iraola, the recent numbers offer reason to believe this could be a tighter contest than the schedule alone might suggest.