PREMIER LEAGUE REPORT CARD – PART TWO: Man City’s formidable start under Enzo Maresca, how Hull have shocked the league and Spurs and Man United struggle – last 10 sides GRADED

The beginning of the new Premier League season has been scintillating to say the least with fans going through every possible emotion during the opening five gameweeks.

While Manchester City and Arsenal being in the top two at this early stage is no great surprise, the league has had its fair share of unpredictability, with Spurs being bottom and Manchester United failing to take advantage of their kind start on paper.

The newly promoted sides all look to pose a decent threat to the weaker sides – especially Hull, who have lost just once so far.

The extended international break gives us time to take stock and review how clubs have got on. 

Daily Mail Sport has already graded the first ten teams – now it is the time for a verdict on the rest.

Hull City

Position: 8th. Points: 8

The first team to receive their grade in part two are the roaring Tigers, who have been electric upon their return to the Premier League.

Many wrote this Hull team off before a ball was even kicked, deeming the squad too weak and the manager too inexperienced to have any chance of staying up. But after a ten-year hiatus from the Premier League, Jakirovic’s men have looked more like European hopefuls rather than relegation fodder so far.

They made a perfect start to the campaign by beating Manchester United and have kept up steady form since, seeing off fellow newcomers Coventry away and earning creditable draws against Chelsea and Aston Villa.

Hull have found success through solidity and ruthless finishing – they were also the last side this season to concede a goal – and have outperformed their xG in every one of their wins this season. 

Defeat at Newcastle remains their only blip so far and, while it will be tough for Hull to maintain their early form and retain their top-flight status, they are already proving their doubters wrong.

Grade: A

 Ipswich Town

 Position: 11th. Points: 6

Another newly promoted team are up next. Ipswich Town have made a swift return to the Premier League at the first time of asking after relegation in 2024/25 – and look better equipped this time around.

Under Gary O’Neil – sacked by Wolves after losing to his current club in late 2024 – they have made a promising start to their campaign as they bid to avoid dropping back into the Championship.

Ipswich sit comfortably in 11th place at the first break of the season after two impressive victories over two sides that may also be battling for survival, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. 

Defeats at Old Trafford and at home to Liverpool were to be expected and are not the games O’Neil and his progressive, attacking side will be judged on come what May.

If they maintain this level they have every chance of staying up. 

 Grade: B+

 Leeds United

Position: 5th. Points: 9 

Yet another surprise package this season are Leeds, who have looked a huge threat so far this season.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s three goals in the first five matches have helped propel Daniel Farke’s unbeaten side into the early European places. This has been no fluke either – Leeds have been playing some of the best football in the division with a five-man midfield that has the capacity to dominate proceedings. 

An impressive demonstration of their style came in a 4-1 rout of Newcastle, with three goals coming without reply in the first half.

The season is still at a very, very early stage but Farke’s start, coupled with the smart business done in the transfer window, will have fans dreaming of more than a relegation battle and perhaps an outside push for a European place. 

Leeds will return from the international break to the toughest of tests, a lunchtime kick-off at Arsenal. Most will assume the Gunners will end their unbeaten run but don’t bet against an upset at the Emirates.

 Grade: A

Liverpool

Position: 6th. Points: 9

Mixed results early on may have left supporters wondering where to stand on Andoni Iraola’s start to life at Anfield.

Following a dismal defence of their Premier League crown last season, leading to the sacking of Arne Slot, Iraola has arrived with fresh ideas and a new plan – which even he has admitted is tricky for his expensive band of stars.

After the departure of Mo Salah in the summer, there are now only three players from Jurgen Klopp’s legendary Premier League and Champions league winning side and finding replacements have been an expensive and largely unsuccessful process for Liverpool so far.

But, after the issues of the 2025-26 campaign, Iraola has managed to get a tune out of some Liverpool’s big money recruits. Alexander Isak is finally firing after returning from a nasty injury, Alexis Mac Allister is back to his best despite his contract dispute and Cody Gakpo has transformed his game.

These improvements have helped Liverpool to remain unbeaten in the first five but draws with Forest, Newcastle and Fulham will be a worry. They have also been left defensively exposed in midfield at times and are yet to see a return of investment from £116million Florian Wirtz.

Iraola will only grow into the role but, as the schedule gets tighter and tougher tests await, Liverpool will be hoping that doesn’t take too long. 

Grade: B

 Manchester City 

 Position: 1st. Points: 15

The only 100 per cent side so far are of course the perennial title challengers, Manchester City.

City have adapted marvellously to life under Enzo Maresca. Worryingly for the rest, the former Chelsea boss appears to have picked up from where Pep Guardiola left off in the club’s first season in a decade without the Spaniard at the helm.

Erling Haaland has begun another campaign in splendid form, sitting at the top of the goalscoring charts with five in five games, and will hope his goals can bring the title back to the Etihad after two years, the longest it has been away from City since Guardiola’s arrival in 2016. 

As always the owners splashed the cash in the summer, spending £321million to build a new midfield in the wake of legends Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri all leaving. The investment already seems to be paying off. 

Elliot Anderson has started to look very accomplished at the base of Maresca’s double pivot in midfield, the young Ayyoub Bouaddi has been impressively comfortable in a new league and Enzo Fernandez has been magnificent following his move from Chelsea. 

Arsenal will have a tough job on their hands stopping this City juggernaut from rolling towards what would be a ninth Premier League title but considering the start both teams have had we can be excited for another close and chaotic title race. 

Grade: A

Manchester United

Position: 12th. Points: 5

From the blue half of Manchester to the red – and completely differing fortunes for United, who have endured a woeful start to the campaign.

A kind start to the season, featuring games against two newly-promoted sides, has not yielded the results Michael Carrick, the club and the fans would have wanted or expected. 

The Red Devils got off to the worst possible start with defeat at Hull and haven’t fully recovered since. They managed to respond the following week with an emphatic 5-2 win over Ipswich but that remains their only league victory so far this season.

Carrick was trusted with the permanent role in the summer after an excellent end to last season but teams already seem to have worked his style out.

Opponents appear to have got wise to his counter-attacking style and his players have struggled to break down opponents, while failing to keep clean sheets. 

Many feel the club’s recruitment team left Carrick short in the summer window and the Red Devils are feeling the effects now. 

Unless these underlying issues with tactics and personnel are sorted, United are in danger of slipping back down the table and starting the process of a ‘rebuild’ all over again. 

Grade: D

Newcastle United:

 Position: 9th. Points: 8

After a summer of being gutted Matthias Jaissle has done remarkably well to steady the ship at St James’ Park.

The Magpies had a testing transfer window losing not only Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes but also their long-term manager Eddie Howe and have incredibly rolled with the punches perhaps looking even better as a result.

Young German coach Matthias Jaissle has come in and instilled the same style of play that Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel found so much success with in England and is taking Newcastle into a new era.

Of course they have not been perfect on Tyneside but considering what some Geordies feared I think they will be pleased with the steady progress they have made in the first month. The Magpies did take a real wing clipping against Leeds losing 4-1 away at Elland road but that aside results have been steady.

They have had drawn two all twice at home and managed wins against Spurs and Hull, being the first side this season to pick up three points against the Tigers and appear to score in bunches with their goals coming within less than ten minutes of each other in both their wins. 

Grade: B

Nottingham Forest

Position: 13th. Points: 5

Oliver Glasner was tasked with being the man to provide stability to Nottingham Forest after the club churned through four managers last season, which began with Nuno Espirito Santo’s acrimonious departure.

Glasner’s side are yet to truly get going so far this campaign, something that might concern their ambitious owner Evangelos Marinakis.

Concerningly, Forest have failed to score in their three home matches against Leeds, Tottenham and Coventry, losing two of them.

The 1-0 defeat to newly promoted Coventry – who had lost their opening four matches without scoring – will have worried fans heading into the extended international break.

Forest’s sole league win came away against midlands rivals Aston Villa, with Igor Jesus’s late goal giving them their highlight of the campaign to date.

 Grade: C

 Sunderland

 Position: 14th. Points: 4

The Black Cats have the tricky task of backing up their stunning campaign last season after their promotion back to the top flight, which ended in Europa League qualification.

Few are expecting them to kick on this campaign, with a drop off considered more likely due to having to balance European football with their domestic endeavours.

Sunderland have only managed one win so far against a struggling Fulham side, but have also had to face both Manchester City and Arsenal in the first month. They performed well in both but ultimately suffered defeats, despite Brian Brobbey’s hat-trick at the Etihad. 

Regis Le Bris’s men will be frustrated to have slipped up in their season opener away at Ipswich where they lost late on to the hands of their former player, Jack Clarke.

Four points may be seen as a disappointing return to date, with the fixture list only going to become more congested and the squad stretched after the international break.

 Grade: C+

 Tottenham Hotspur

 Position: 20th. Points: 2 

After back-to-back 17th placed finishes, Tottenham’s heavy summer spending prompted hope they could lift themselves out of the crisis state the club has been in.

Yet Tottenham find themselves propping up the table after five games with Roberto De Zerbi’s side still without a win in the league.

Most pundits believe Tottenham have too much quality to get involved in another relegation scrap, but their start to the season has been extremely worrying.

Tottenham have proved unable so far to resolve their disastrous home record that has plagued them over the past two seasons. De Zerbi’s side have been beaten by Newcastle and Aston Villa – who both underwent drastic summer changes as well – and also drew with Everton in front of their home fans.

The club’s ownership has so far yet to see the return on the more than £300million spent on new arrivals this summer, after they reacted to the scare of just surviving on the final day of last season.

A major improvement in results after the international break is needed to lift the mood and ensure Tottenham are not facing a third consecutive season of struggle at the wrong end of the table. 

 Grade: F