POWER RANKINGS - January Edition

Ranking the big 7 PL clubs based on current/recent form

Doing rankings is a fun exercise. It gets everyone thinking and usually leads to good discussions and arguments about things. Plus it is a great way to go on the record with your opinions on teams.

This will be a ranking of the “Rich 7” (is there a good or better name for these teams?) clubs and potentially 1 other club if they are really of merit to be included, going in reverse order.

Because this is the third time I am doing this for Cannon Stats, I will also include if they are up/down/steady from last month.

I was a little late getting this out from my normal schedule but it did capture a few more matches that swung my placements. Everything is current through Feb 5th.

8 - Manchester United

Last month: Steady at 8th

If I was being real having them at 8th is still probably too high.

This is a team that is just an absolute mess. They are 11th on goal difference, they are 11th on expected goal difference. They have a bad attack with the 13th most goals from the 11th most expected goals. Luton town have played a match fewer than them and have scored one more goal.

The defense is better, allowing the 6th fewest goals but it is running hot with them allowing the 12th fewest expected goals.

I don’t think that there is a team that is less a sum of their parts than this Manchester United team right now. They are a team that looks like what you expect after years of thinking you are just one or two big signings away from things being fixed and no other plan beyond that.

This team is expensive, old, and very poorly put together. They have a new controlling ownership and leadership coming in but they have a pretty big job in front of them to fix the mess. Thankfully for them just being competent should be enough to see them move quite a bit up but I think there will still be pain along the way for them.

7 - Newcastle United

Last month: Down 2 spots, from 5th

Newcastle United look like they have hit a major wall.

They have dealt with injuries and the struggle of Champions League fixtures and it looks to have sapped them of their ability to play the high-intensity style they used to such great effect last season.

A stat that really hammers this home for me is looking at the last 20 minutes of their league matches, they have allowed 12 goals. That is tied for second most with Burnley and only fewer than Sheffield United. For a team that has aspirations of playing at the top of the table, those are never good teams to be grouped with.

Overall the team’s numbers are fine but still a far cry from where they were last season, with the numbers all moving in the wrong direction. They were close to the second-best team last season, riding high on the back of an excellent defense. This season they have crashed down, they are 7 points worse than the same fixtures and shockingly they are 13 goals and expected goals against worse.

They are up against things with the profitability and sustainability (FFP) financial constraints (like many teams it seems) so their ability to change things quickly with new additions was limited and it could end up as a humbling season and a delay for the project.

6 - Chelsea

Last month: Steady at 6th