Premier League Power Rankings 2014 Week 4: Latest EPL Title Odds and Outlook
As the 2014-15 Premier League season progresses, the table will reflect which sides have produced the best standards on the whole. But form is temporary, and not all those at the top necessarily boast recent success.
This early in the campaign, the English top flight will generally represent which teams have dealt best with their first bout of fixtures, but already teams are dropping off after showing potential early on.
Conversely, there are sides recovering from Week 1 setbacks and displaying more positive signs, even though their place in the standings may not suggest it.
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Here, we account for opposition faced of late and the results taken from those matches, power ranking the Premier League parties on more than merely points.
| Team | Odds |
| Chelsea | 4-5 |
| Manchester City | 11-4 |
| Liverpool | 10-1 |
| Arsenal | 11-1 |
| Manchester United | 14-1 |
| Tottenham | 50-1 |
| Everton | 250-1 |
| Newcastle | 1,000-1 |
| Southampton | 1,500-1 |
| Swansea City | 2,000-1 |
| Stoke City | 2,500-1 |
| Aston Villa | 4,000-1 |
| Hull | 5,000-1 |
| Leicester | 7,500-1 |
| QPR | 7,500-1 |
| West Ham | 2,000-1 |
| Crystal Palace | 5,000-1 |
| Sunderland | 2,500-1 |
| West Brom | 4,000-1 |
| Burnley | 10,000-1 |
1. Chelsea
Jose Mourinho's side currently sit atop the Premier League pile for a very good reason. Not only are the Blues clinching results, but they're also doing so with style and genuine title-worthiness thus far.
A 6-3 away win over Everton in Week 2 could have done with more security at the back, but seeing figures Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa slotting so well into the mix has been particularly encouraging for Mourinho.
Squawka breaks down the healthy array of options Mourinho has in every portion of the pitch:
Nine points from a possible nine means the west Londoners are one of only two sides with a 100 percent record intact, and their 11 goals scored so far is also a monstrous average to have racked up already.
2. Swansea City
The other team with a 100 percent record still to their name is justly boasted by Garry Monk's Swansea City, and while first-place Chelsea have been all about scoring, it's been a tale of stellar defence for the Swans.
An opening-day 2-1 win at Old Trafford remains the only goal Swansea have conceded this season, back-to-back home wins over Burnley and West Brom coming since that display.
3. Aston Villa
Paul Lambert will be eager to ensure his Aston Villa side keep improving in front of goal, but a 2-1 win over Hull City on Matchday 3 was the first time this season his outfit has scored more than once in a game.
It was also the first goal Villa have conceded in the league this term, although their unbeaten record is retained all the same as a result of that win.
The numbers depict the Birmingham outfit as having the joint-best defence in the league. While it's not likely to remain that way for long, Lambert will savour the fine work done so far by the likes of Ron Vlaar, Jores Okore and Philippe Senderos.
4. Liverpool
Liverpool responded to their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City in the best way possible, thumping Tottenham 3-0 at White Hart Lane to show that their search for goals in the wake of Luis Suarez's exit may not be as dire as first thought.
Brendan Rodgers' signings are developing nicely into the improved squad he envisioned upon their acquisition. A record of two wins and one loss sees them remain within three points of first place.
The result against Spurs was comprehensive in showing the Reds' potential, and a 2-1 win over Southampton on opening day also showed their ability to win through messier means.
5. Arsenal
Arsene Wenger may be slightly disappointed at having only managed to take one win from his opening three games, but considering the Gunners also had Champions League play-offs to come through, their unbeaten record is satisfactory.
Two players who may prove especially crucial to Wenger's hopes of success are Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey, as WhoScored.com can attest:
Arsenal have scored in each of their opening three games. Early signs suggest Leicester City may be a stubborn outfit to beat this season, putting the Week 3 1-1 draw at King Power Stadium into some perspective.
6. Southampton
As is the case with Liverpool, Ronald Koeman is unearthing a new squad dynamic at Southampton that may, in time, come to be considered superior to that of last season.
The Saints had their share of positives from the defeat to the Reds in Week 1, since improving with a 0-0 draw at West Brom, followed by a 3-1 victory at West Ham.
That Week 3 win over the Hammers was particularly encouraging as Koeman's men showed just how dominant they can be in possession, improving fixture after fixture.
7. Manchester City
Manchester City see a drop in the rankings following their Week 3 defeat at home to Stoke City, a result that Manuel Pellegrini will undoubtedly deem unacceptable considering the quality of his squad.
Prior to that result, Chelsea were the last side to stop the Citizens from scoring in front of a home crowd. Having the Potters do so, however, is a far more damning outcome in the bid to defend their title.
Opening wins over Newcastle United and Liverpool depicted the more expansive and exciting side of this City team, but Mark Hughes showed that their stars can be neutralised.
8. Leicester City
Although down in 15th as far as the table is concerned, Leicester City have been dealt an extremely difficult set of opening fixtures and have coped tremendously, all things considered.
If you'd asked Nigel Pearson at the start of the season whether he'd accept two points from Arsenal, Chelsea and Everton after three games, he'd have snapped your hand off, but that's now the reality.
What's more, Chelsea were the only one of those three sides the Foxes didn't score against, showing the Premier League new boys aren't afraid to tussle with the big guns.
9. Tottenham
It was all going so well until a 3-0 demolition against Liverpool—at home, no less—proved there's work to be done until this Spurs side can develop a genuine threat against the powerhouses of English football.
Not conceding in victories over QPR and West Ham is one thing, but it's a requirement of Mauricio Pochettino's side to clinch results against their top-four peers if they're to clinch Champions League football come season's end.
10. Stoke City
Stoke's win at the Etihad Stadium was almost a throwback to the days of Tony Pulis—a stubborn and staunch display not bereft of chance for the hosts—but they weathered the storm all the same.
Hughes will argue this as a win of his own design, however, and a magnificent first goal for Mame Biram Diouf since arriving back in England showed that there is a more offensive quality to this Potters outfit.
Squawka displays how essential Hughes' defenders were to maintaining a clean sheet against City:
Add to that result the away draw to Hull City the week before and this Stoke team looks all the more capable of a top-10 finish, and perhaps even more.
11. Newcastle United
Alan Pardew has seen his side produce a bit of everything already this season, and the 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace in Week 3 was of stark contrast to the frigid stalemate seen against Aston Villa just a week before.
After a busy summer, the Magpies are another team finding their feet as a unit, but new faces Rolando Aarons, Daryl Janmaat, Remy Cabella and Emmanuel Riviere are all showing positive signs early on.
After losing to champions Manchester City 2-0 on opening day—a fixture that by no means painted Newcastle in a terrible light—two draws have been safe, if not much more after that.
12. Hull City
Despite being poised in ninth position, Hull City are somewhat coasting off their 1-0 win over QPR on Matchday 1, their results steadily getting worse in the matches since.
A 1-1 draw at home to Stoke City was followed by defeat in Week 3's trip to Villa Park, last season's FA Cup finalists struggling to get the better of teams deemed as being among their portion of the food chain.
13. Queens Park Rangers
Harry Redknapp's men got their first points of the season on the board last time out, holding off a late Sunderland onslaught to beat the Black Cats 1-0 at Loftus Road.
However, as Squawka illustrates, the west Londoners are well capable of creating chances so far this term:
The 1-0 result won't be giving the Hoops any delusions of grandeur just yet, but winning against a potential relegation rival will be seen as a strong way for the side to get their survival hopes underway.
14. West Ham United
Three weeks in and it's already proving to be a roller-coaster campaign for West Ham fans, who watched their side fall 3-1 to Southampton on Matchday 3, just a week after beating Palace by the same scoreline.
That defeat was significantly worse than the 1-0 loss to Tottenham in their opening fixture, Sam Allardyce's men showing themselves to be loose and lacking in competition against a side of more unified standards.
The sooner Big Sam's summer signings settle in, the better.
15. Everton
Not many will have expected to see Everton in 17th place after three games this season, but such is the reality for Roberto Martinez's men, still licking their wounds after the battering at home to Chelsea.
The one positive to take from the 6-3 loss was managing to put three past a side many consider as favourites for this season's title.
Back-to-back 2-2 draws against Leicester City and Arsenal prior to that can be seen as acceptable results in some ways, but the Merseysiders are in need of a win.
16. Manchester United
Three games in and still yet to take maximum points from any of their matches this season, Manchester United continue to disappoint. Their most recent result was a most drab 0-0 draw at Burnley.
Craig Hope of the Daily Mail says the club's defence is the main concern:
Having made a number of late summer acquisitions, Louis van Gaal will hope the arrivals of Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo will have an impact on matters soon. But two points against very beatable opponents remains poor by Red Devils standards.
17. Sunderland
Like United, the Black Cats have a record of two draws and one defeat thus far in the 2014-15 season, that loss to QPR being their most recent result.
Gus Poyet's men are yet to keep a clean sheet this term and have cause for concern in multiple areas of the pitch, unable to muster many genuine chances on Robert Green's goal at Loftus Road, despite a wealth of pressure.
As things stand, Sunderland's two draws sees them teetering on a precipice where good form could see them move into the top half, with the opposite leading to a trap door to the bottom three.
18. Crystal Palace
Life after Tony Pulis is having the foreseeable impact on Crystal Palace's defence, it seems, with the Eagles conceding eight goals in their first three games of the Premier League season.
Neil Warnock will at least have been pleased that a 3-3 draw at St. James' Park gave his side their first point of the new term, but losses to Arsenal and West Ham preceding that effort don't make for fine reading.
19. Burnley
A 0-0 result against Manchester United may be considered a massive achievement to some Burnley fans, but considering the Red Devils are in a dismal state of late, it's not actually the feat some would suggest.
And the fact remains that Sean Dyche's men, having started so brightly in their season-opener against Chelsea, have just one goal to their name this season.
That being said, the basement side can at least say their performance against United showed a potential to restrict an attacking team not lacking in its share of stars.
20. West Brom
A trip to the Liberty Stadium last time out went far from planned for West Brom as the Baggies came away from South Wales with their tails between their legs following a 3-0 thrashing.
That defeat was Alan Irvine's first of the campaign, having drawn against Sunderland and Southampton in Weeks 1 and 2, respectively.
Two goals scored and five conceded after just three games ensured the west Midlands outfit have a rough road ahead in securing their top-flight fate, sitting 18th in the table as things stand.
