The usual suspects seem set to compete at the very top, but there are some teams who have their sights set on a top-half finish.
Fulham have perhaps been the biggest surprise at this stage. They are 7th in the table after amassing a total of 11 points. Bournemouth are also aiming to build on a positive first season. With the likes of Manchester United and West Ham wilting, there is an opportunity for each of these sides to break into the top 10.
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Fulham Aiming to Build on Superb Start
Fulham have established themselves in the Premier League since being promoted from the Championship in the 2021/22 season. They secured a 10th-place finish in their first campaign back in the top flight and are now eager to improve on that this year.
Marco Silva’s side have netted 10 goals thus far, more than the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle. Their xG of 13.86 suggests they should have scored even more. Only the current top four and Tottenham rank higher in that regard.
The Cottagers’ defence has also been solid. Only Liverpool have a better xGA than Fulham’s 7.37. However, they have underperformed that metric by conceding an average of 1.14 goals per game in the league.
The loss against Manchester City before the international break was Fulham’s first since the opening day of the season. Marco Silva will be delighted with the way his team played, as they finished the game with a superior xG to Pep Guardiola’s side.
Fulham face a difficult test in the form of Aston Villa this weekend, but home advantage could be key. Marco Silva’s side’s last outing at Craven Cottage was an impressive 3-1 win over Newcastle and they are yet to taste defeat on home turf this season.
Iraola’s Team Can Continue to Progress
Bournemouth made the decision to sack Gary O’Neil ahead of last season. Andoni Iraola was brought in and he has certainly made an impact. The Cherries made a slow start under the Spaniard, but they turned on the style after a couple of months and wound up finishing 12th.
Iraola’s side have had some difficult fixtures at the start of this campaign. They have already faced the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle. Bournemouth have another tough fixture when they host Arsenal this weekend, but they did manage to earn a point the last time they squared off against the Gunners.
Despite the difficult start, the Cherries’ underlying numbers are strong. They have the seventh-highest xG in the league with 13.8. They also rank in the top half of the league for xGA.
Dominic Solanke was a big loss in the summer, but Bournemouth have bolstered their attack with the signings of Evanilson, Enes Unal and Luis Sinisterra. Antoine Semenyo has also started the season well.
Andoni Iraola is also a huge asset for Bournemouth. The talented coach has made his team very difficult to play against. The Cherries tend to be aggressive without the ball and often opt to press intensely with man-to-man marking. Iraola also encourages his players to play balls in behind the opposition defence, exploiting some of the Premier League’s high defensive lines.