Arsenal are making a strong start to the 2026/27 Premier League season, aiming to defend their championship title.
However, the Gunners are locked in a fierce battle with Manchester City, who have won all seven of their opening matches. Despite ongoing investigations into financial misconduct, City are delivering maximum results on the pitch.
Under Mikel Arteta's management, Arsenal have recorded six victories in their seven matches, with their only defeat coming against Brighton, where they fell 3-0—this loss remains their sole setback so far in the current campaign.
While Arsenal sit three points behind Manchester City in the actual table after seven rounds, the expected points (xPts) table compiled by The Athletic using Opta data tells a different story.
The statistics suggest that Arsenal should be leading the Premier League with an impressive 14.4 xPts (though they actually have 18 points). In contrast, Manchester City, boasting 21 points, have an expected points tally of just 13.2.
Brighton also features prominently in the high xPts category, showing 12.4 expected points against their 16 real points, while Bournemouth are highlighted for having underperformed relative to their expected tally of 11.4 xPts.
