Arsenal is just refusing to blink. We’ve hit January 2026, and if you’re looking at the English premiership league standings, the view from the top looks remarkably red. Mikel Arteta’s squad has carved out a six-point cushion that, honestly, feels a lot wider than the numbers suggest. They’ve played 21 games, winning 15 of them, and their defensive record is frankly absurd—only 14 goals conceded. That’s the kind of foundation that wins titles, or at least makes everyone else in the league feel like they’re chasing a ghost.
But let’s be real for a second. Points don't always tell the full story.
Manchester City and Aston Villa are currently locked in a dead heat for second place, both sitting on 43 points. City has the edge on goal difference, but Unai Emery’s Villa has been the season's genuine disruptor. People keep waiting for the Villa "collapse" that never comes. Instead, they just keep winning. It’s reached a point where the traditional "Big Six" conversation feels like a relic from a different decade.
The Mid-Table Chaos and European Dreams
The scramble for the top four is where the real stress lives. Liverpool holds the fourth spot with 35 points, but they are far from comfortable. Brentford is nipping at their heels with 33 points, proving that their recruitment model isn't just "good for a small club"—it’s elite by any standard.
Then you’ve got the North East and Manchester powerhouses. Newcastle and Manchester United are tied at 32 points. It’s been a weird year for United. After Ruben Amorim’s exit, Darren Fletcher has stepped in as interim, and the 2-2 draw with Burnley recently showed both the flashes of talent and the deep-seated inconsistency that haunts Old Trafford.
Chelsea and Fulham follow closely behind on 31 points. It's wild to think that Fulham is legitimately level with Chelsea halfway through January. Marco Silva has built something incredibly resilient at Craven Cottage, while Chelsea continues to look like a collection of expensive parts still waiting for the instruction manual.
Relegation Fears: The Long Road Down
At the bottom of the English premiership league standings, things are getting grim.
Wolves are in a world of trouble. One win in 21 matches. Seven points total. It’s the kind of form that leads to a quiet, somber exit from the top flight. They’ve already sacked Vítor Pereira and turned to Jamie Collins, then Rob Edwards, but nothing seems to stick.
Burnley and West Ham are the other two in the drop zone right now. West Ham’s situation is particularly shocking to most fans. With 14 points from 21 games, the Hammers are facing a genuine crisis.
The struggle is real for these three:
- Wolves: 7 points (rock bottom)
- Burnley: 13 points
- West Ham: 14 points
Nottingham Forest is just above them on 21 points, which is hardly a safe harbor. Leeds United, back in the big time, has managed 22 points, giving them a four-point buffer over the bottom three. It's a thin margin in a league where one bad weekend can change everything.
Erling Haaland vs. The Field
You can't talk about the standings without talking about the guy breaking the nets. Erling Haaland has 20 goals already. Business as usual, right? Well, Brentford’s Igor Thiago is actually making it a race with 16 goals of his own.
Thiago has been a revelation. His hat-trick recently sent shockwaves through the fantasy football world and put Brentford in a position to dream of Tuesday night flights to Madrid or Munich next season.
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Other notable mentions in the scoring charts include:
- Antoine Semenyo (Man City): 10 goals
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds): 9 goals
- Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle): 8 goals
The Strategic Shift
What most people get wrong about the current table is thinking it's just about who spent the most money. It isn't. Look at Sunderland. They’re sitting in 10th place with 30 points. After eight years away from the Premier League, they’ve returned with a defensive discipline that has seen them draw nine matches—the most in the league. They are essentially the "hardest team to beat" that nobody is talking about.
The introduction of semi-automated offside technology has also changed the rhythm of the game. We’re seeing fewer three-minute VAR delays, which has arguably benefited teams that rely on high-intensity transitions like Arsenal and Villa.
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Moving Forward: What to Watch
If you're tracking the English premiership league standings for betting or just bragging rights, the next four weeks are "moving month." Arsenal has a relatively kind run of fixtures, while City and Villa have to balance the resumption of European knockout stages.
Next steps for following the title race:
- Keep a close eye on the "Points Per Game" (PPG) rather than just total points, especially for teams with games in hand due to domestic cup runs.
- Watch the injury reports for Arsenal's back four; their depth is their only real weakness.
- Monitor West Ham's activity in the remaining days of the January transfer window; if they don't bring in a seasoned goalscorer, that 18th position might become permanent.
The gap between 4th and 9th is only four points. One weekend of results could flip the European places entirely. That's the beauty of the Prem—it's never settled until the final whistle in May.