After the first international break of the season, Premier League battles resumed. While it’s known that tournaments aren’t won at the start, a lot can be lost, leaving teams in a precarious position later on.
We’ve evaluated the performance of all league teams in the transfer market, as well as their play in the first four championship rounds. Based on this, we’ve compiled a power ranking. Here, we’re presenting the teams ranked from 13th to 16th. These are teams that might not be eyeing European spots or a top ten finish but should ideally avoid relegation.
13. Brentford
Brentford was a mystery heading into the season. Last season’s 20-goal Premier League scorer, Ivan Toney, faced a suspension until January 16th for breaching FA’s gambling regulations. However, the Bees chose not to find a direct replacement, though Neal Maupay did return to the club on loan, adding depth. The outcome? A splendid start for Brentford in the Premier League, remaining unbeaten and collecting six points.
They’ve not been starved of goals, though they’ve drawn all three home matches against Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth.
Manager Thomas Frank hasn’t made any significant signings since the season began, suggesting Brentford is content with their squad. All indicators suggest a decent season, probably without any high-flying results. The Bees had a promising start but haven’t shown any signs of replicating last season’s position, given the three consecutive home draws.
14. Bournemouth
Bournemouth initiated a complete overhaul this summer under new manager Andoni Iraola. Before the season kicked off, Iraola signed Justin Kluivert and Hamed Traore, definitely bolstering their squad. Alex Scott, Max Aarons, and USMNT star Tyler Adams also joined the Cherries, along with loanee Luis Sinisterra from Leeds.
Nevertheless, Bournemouth hasn’t tasted victory this season, managing just two points from four matches, having faced formidable opponents like Liverpool and Spurs. The post-international break doesn’t ease things, with fixtures against Chelsea, Brighton, and Arsenal. Mostbet India tags Bournemouth as clear underdogs in these fixtures, and it’s hard to argue otherwise.
The Cherries have splashed out around £113 million on new players, though Adams, Scott, and Sinisterra haven’t yet debuted, and there’s no sign yet of a gelling team.
15. Burnley
Burnley always knew they were in for a tough reintroduction to the Premier League, facing heavyweights Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Tottenham in their opening fixtures. However, three severe home losses, conceding a whopping 11 goals, leave them in a perilous position; Manchester United, Newcastle, and Chelsea await in their next five outings. On the bright side, things should technically get easier after this gauntlet, but their fate as relegation battlers might already be sealed by then.
Out of the promoted sides, they still appear most equipped to avoid an immediate drop back to the Championship. Yet, Vincent Kompany brought in 15 new faces this summer to bolster the Clarets’ competitiveness, and he has a mammoth task to mold them into a cohesive unit.
16. Fulham
It’s been a somewhat tumultuous summer for Fulham. They managed to retain the services of coach Marco Silva despite interest from Saudi Arabia. Still, he hasn’t yet signed an extension with only 10 months left on his contract. Striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, who netted 14 goals in 24 outings last season, has made it clear he’s eyeing a move to Al-Hilal.
Replacing Mitrovic’s goals won’t be easy, especially considering Fulham’s additions to their attacking arsenal are limited to Mexican international Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore from Wolverhampton. At least they still have Joao Palhinha, whose move to Bayern Munich collapsed, at least until January.
Fulham sits in the 13th spot with their sole victory coming against Everton; only three teams below them have fewer goals, and only bottom-placed Burnley has conceded more. While other clubs have bigger issues, it’s hard to extract any silver linings now that the transfer window is shut.
