Arsenal is flying. Honestly, if you’d told a Gunners fan back in August that they’d be sitting six points clear by mid-January, they’d have probably laughed you out of the Emirates. Yet, here we are on January 15, 2026, and the Premier League England standings tell a story of a title race that’s shifting from a frantic sprint into a calculated marathon.
Mikel Arteta’s squad has played 21 games and racked up 49 points. That’s a serious haul. They’ve only lost twice all season. It’s not just the wins; it’s the way they’re suffocating teams, boasting a goal difference of +26. But before anyone starts carving the trophy, look at who is breathing down their necks.
The Logjam at the Top
Manchester City and Aston Villa are currently locked in a dead heat for second place. Both have 43 points from 21 matches. It’s wild. Pep Guardiola’s City usually hits that "inevitable" gear after Christmas, but they’ve stuttered lately with three draws in their last five outings. Erling Haaland is still doing Haaland things—20 goals already—but even his robotic efficiency hasn't been enough to bridge that six-point gap to North London just yet.
Unai Emery, though? What a job he’s doing at Villa Park.
Villa has actually put together an eight-match winning streak at one point this season. They aren't just "happy to be there" anymore. They are a legitimate problem for the traditional Big Six. With 13 wins, they match City’s win count, though their goal difference (+9) suggests they’re winning the tight, gritty games rather than blowing teams away 5-0.
Further down the European spots, the race for the Champions League is a mess.
✨ Don't miss: NFL Divisional Round: What Teams Have a Bye This Week and Why the Answer is Zero
Liverpool sits in fourth with 35 points. Arne Slot has found life in the Premier League a bit more turbulent lately, managing only 10 wins from 21. They’re followed by a surprising Brentford side in fifth (33 points) and a massive cluster of teams—Newcastle, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Fulham—all separated by just a couple of points.
Relegation Realities and the 35-Point Myth
While the top of the Premier League England standings gets the glory, the bottom is a graveyard.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are in deep, deep trouble. One win. That’s it. One single victory in 21 matches. They have 7 points. For context, they’re 14 points away from safety. It’s looking bleak at Molineux, and Rob Edwards has the unenviable task of trying to spark a miracle that feels statistically impossible.
The traditional "40 points for safety" rule has basically been debunked lately. Last year, 25 points would’ve kept you up if you were Leicester, though they still went down. This year, the "safe" mark looks closer to 30 or 32 because the bottom three are struggling so significantly.
- Burnley: 13 points (19th place)
- West Ham: 14 points (18th place)
- Nottingham Forest: 21 points (17th place)
West Ham being in the bottom three is the shocker of the season. Nuno Espírito Santo hasn't won a league game in his last 10 attempts with the Hammers. When a club with that much talent is sitting on 14 points after 21 games, something is fundamentally broken.
Why the Mid-Table is a Mirage
You’ve got teams like Sunderland sitting in 10th. They’re a newly promoted side and they’re doing brilliantly with 30 points. But look closely. Only three points separate 10th place from 14th (Tottenham).
Spurs fans are understandably fuming. Being 14th in the Premier League England standings in January is a disaster for a club of their stature. Thomas Frank has struggled to implement his system there, winning only one home league game since August. It’s a weird season when Brentford is 5th and Spurs are 14th, but that’s the volatility of the league in 2026.
💡 You might also like: Tulsa vs New Mexico State: Why This Mid-Major Rivalry Is Getting Weird
Statistical Anomalies to Watch
The numbers usually don't lie, but they can be misleading.
Arsenal’s xGA (Expected Goals Against) is the lowest in the league, which justifies their top spot. They don't give up "cheap" chances. Meanwhile, Manchester United has 8 draws. Eight! They are the league's stalemate kings. Michael Carrick has stabilized things as interim boss, but they can't seem to turn those single points into three.
- Top Scorer: Erling Haaland (Man City) - 20 goals
- Surprise Package: Igor Thiago (Brentford) - 16 goals
- Clean Sheet Leaders: Arsenal (Zubimendi has been a shield in front of that back four)
- Most Assists: Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) - 8 assists
Brentford’s Igor Thiago is the name everyone is talking about. He’s keeping pace with Haaland, which shouldn't be possible given the service difference between the two clubs. It’s why Brentford is sitting in a European spot while much wealthier clubs are floundering.
Moving Toward the Finish Line
The next few weeks are critical. We have the Manchester derby coming up at Old Trafford for Gameweek 22. If City loses that, and Arsenal wins at Nottingham Forest, the gap could outgrow City’s ability to recover.
Keep an eye on the "El Sackico" between Spurs and West Ham. Both managers are on thin ice. If West Ham drops more points, they might be too far gone to escape the drop, especially with Burnley and Leeds starting to pick up occasional points.
Check the fixture list for the "Double Gameweeks" often associated with the spring schedule, as these usually shuffle the Premier League England standings more than any other period. If you’re tracking the title, the Arsenal vs. Aston Villa match in late February is the one to circle in red. That could determine if the trophy stays in London or heads to the Midlands.
Watch the discipline stats too. With the new 2026 officiating guidelines on "game management," yellow cards for time-wasting are up 22%. Teams that can't keep 11 men on the pitch are dropping points they can't afford to lose. Stay updated on the injury reports for Arsenal's midfield; they are one Martin Ødegaard injury away from a very different looking table.
💡 You might also like: What Channel Vikings Game: Why You Won't Find the Vikings on TV Today
Next Steps for Fans:
- Monitor the January transfer window closely; West Ham and Spurs are expected to spend heavily to fix their respective slides.
- Track the goal difference of the bottom five; it’s often a better predictor of survival than total points in January.
- Watch for the impact of the FA Cup replays on the smaller squads like Brentford and Fulham, as fatigue usually hits them hardest in February.
The table as it stands today is a snapshot of chaos, but the trends are clear: Arsenal is the team to beat, and the fight to avoid being the "next big club relegated" is very real for West Ham.