With the festive season over and things starting to settle down, now seems like a good time for our first batch of Power Rankings of 2018.
[ MORE: PL Power Rankings - 2017-18 ]
The last time we fired this baby up was in early December, and you can see the ranking of the clubs back then in the parenthesis after their club name in the list below.
We have some massive movement, both up and down.
Here is the latest batch of Premier League Power Rankings as we sort the 20 clubs based on their current form.
- Liverpool (5) -- What a few weeks for Liverpool. They won four of their last five games and Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane are scoring goals, plus Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is stepping up with Philippe Coutinho gone. Jurgen Klopp’s masterplan is showing significant progress. With Virgil van Dijk on board, Liverpool will be serious title contenders next season.
- Tottenham Hotspur (9) -- Harry Kane leads the PL in goals (shock) and is now getting plenty of help from Dele Alli, Heung-min Son and Christian Eriksen. Spurs are pushing towards the top four and the only way they will not qualify for the UCL again is if their defensive lapses crop up.
- Manchester City (1) -- A draw away at Crystal Palace and a loss at Liverpool has seen City stumble of late but they’re still going to win the league. Defensive lapses have cost them but Kevin de Bruyne and Co. still look like they will score two or three goals every game.
- Manchester United (2) -- Jose Mourinho’s men are looking much better with Paul Pogba back in the team. Four assists in his last two games show Pogba’s importance and United have the best defense in the league.
- Crystal Palace (14) -- Roy Hodgson is working his magic and Palace are pushing for the top 10. One defeat in their last 13 PL games has seen the Eagles soar to 12th place after their disastrous start to the season.
- West Ham United (19) -- The Hammers are flying under David Moyes with Marko Arnautovic and Manuel Lanzini in form up top. All of a sudden a top 10 finish is very doable.
- Chelsea (3) -- Four-straight draws in all competitions and three 0-0 stalemates on the spin mean Antonio Conte is under pressure. Eden Hazard and Alvaro Morata’s partnership is struggling.
- Leicester City (6) -- Riyad Mahrez is the main man and Claude Puel’s side began 2018 with a big win v Huddersfield and a draw at Chelsea, where they should have won. Leicester back to their best.
- Bournemouth (12) -- Really good few weeks for Eddie Howe. Unbeaten in four PL games and big wins against Everton and Arsenal at home. The Cherries have rediscovered their scoring touch.
- Arsenal (4) -- Wow. What a poor few weeks for the Gunners. One win in the last five in the PL, out of the FA Cup and Sanchez on his way. Ouch. Arsene Wenger is now allow back on the sidelines after his ban. Is that a good thing?
- West Bromwich Albion (18) -- Alan Pardew has his first win as West Brom boss and the Baggies ended their 21-game winless streak. They’re tougher to break down and have regained their threat from set pieces.
- Swansea City (20) -- Plenty of confidence in the air in South Wales as Carlos Carvalhal has four points from his first three games in charge. Need new faces in January but Swansea have given themselves a chance.
- Newcastle United (15) -- Solid and steady but badly need attacking reinforcements in January. Two wins and two draws in last five show how steady and tough to beat they’ve become but Rafael Benitez’s needs extra attacking flair.
- Everton (10) -- No wins in six and just four shots on goal in their last five games has Sam Allardyce’s boys bang out of form after a good start. Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott should help them kick on again.
- Watford (7) -- No PL team has picked up less points than Watford over their last 10 games. Another second half of season slump. Marco Silva’s fine start evaporating.
- Huddersfield Town (16) -- No win in their last five games and David Wagner’s side have conceded seven goals in last two defeats. The Terriers are set for a proper relegation scrap.
- Stoke City (13) -- Paul Lambert has one heck of a challenge on his hands. Stoke in bottom three, have worst defense in Europe’s top five leagues and you struggle to see where their goals will come from. Not a great combo.
- Brighton and Hove Albion (17) -- 1 win in last 12 games and they’ve failed to score in eight of those games. Ice cold. Slipping fast.
- Burnley (9) -- Six games without a win and their goal threat has dried right up. Sean Dyche’s still 7th, but they’re in a huge slump.
- Southampton (11) -- On the current longest winless run in the PL. Mauricio Pellegrino’s job will be in serious jeopardy very soon. They keep taking leads but throwing them away and look defensively fragile. Just one point above the drop zone.