Only four teams have taken more points than Arsenal's ٢٧ after ١٠ games
We are now more than a quarter of the way through the Premier League season, with each team having played ١٠ games.
Last season, for instance, the top two - and two of the eventual bottom three - were in the exact spots at this stage that they in finished six months later.
Arsenal are top of the table on ٢٧ points - which is higher than the average number of points (٢٣) champions have after ١٠ games.
In fact, only four teams have taken more points from their first ١٠ fixtures than the Gunners, and all four have gone on to win the league.
One small quirk that means Arenal fans should not start making plans for a parade just yet is that the only two previous sides to post exactly ٢٧ points at this point of the campaign both failed to win the title - including the Gunners in ٢٠٢٢-٢٣.
In ١٥ of the ٣٤ Premier League seasons to date, the team top at this stage have gone on to win the title, so less than half the time.
While on ١٤ previous occasions, teams on ٢١ points, the tally of second-placed Brighton , or fewer after ١٠ games won the title, so there is still hope for the Seagulls.
However, the less good news for Fabian Hurzeler's side is that, bizarrely, the team in second after ١٠ games have won the title in just one of the past ١٨ seasons - that was Manchester City in ٢٠٢٢-٢٣.
The fewest points any side has had at this stage and gone on to win the league is ١٨ - so City, on ٢١, and Liverpool , on ١٨, could still have a say.
Arsenal lead Brighton by five points, one fewer than the most points a team have ever come from behind at this stage to win a title.
Manchester United in ٢٠٠٢-٠٣ and Manchester City in ٢٠١٣-١٤ are the two to do that.
But Mikel Arteta and co can take comfort knowing the leaders at this stage have gone on to win the title in the past two seasons - after failing to do so in the previous four years.
Another ١-٠ for relentless Arsenal - but did Odegaard spare VAR blushes?
Odegaard hits winner as Arsenal beat Hull to extend lead at top
بداية أحلام ماريسكا بقت كابوس بعد ما ضربت آمال البطولة
Crystal Palace are propping up the table having lost their past four league matches, but the stats suggest their position is far from terminal.
In total, ١٤ teams have stayed up having been bottom of the table at this point in the season - most recently Wolves in ٢٠٢٤-٢٥.
Moreover, the fewest points a team has had after ١٠ games and stayed up at the end of the season is three.
That same Wolves team are the most recent of the four teams to have achieved that feat.
Sunderland , who climbed off the foot of the table with victory over Chelsea , had just four points at this stage in ٢٠١٣-١٤ but still ended up finishing ١٤th.
Palace can also count themselves a little unfortunate to have amassed seven points and find themselves in ٢٠th.
Only Bolton in ٢٠٠٢-٠٣ have had more points (eight) after ١٠ games and been bottom - and that was in a situation when a number of other sides had played ١١ matches.
Overall, ٨٨ teams have previously had seven or fewer points after ١٠ Premier League games and ٣٧ managed to stay up.
There is good news for Ipswich and Hull in that every promoted side since ٢٠١٥-١٦ to take ١١ points or more from their first ١٠ games - and there have been ١٤ of them - has survived.
The most recent promoted side to make as bright a start and go down were Cardiff in ٢٠١٣-١٤, who were ١٢th with ١٢ points but finished bottom on ٣٠ points.
Only two promoted sides in the past ١١ seasons have taken fewer than ١١ points and survived - Bournemouth in ٢٠١٥-١٦ (eight) and Nottingham Forest in ٢٠٢٢-٢٣ (five).
Frank Lampard's men are also the seventh promoted side to take exactly nine points from their first ١٠ games - two of the previous six survived (Wolves in ٢٠٠٩-١٠ and Leicester in ٢٠١٤-١٥).
A long way to go then, still plenty of time for things to change. But how much do things really change from this point?
Well, not a great deal if we look at last season, when ١٥ of the ٢٠ teams finished with three places of where they were after ١٠ games.
Aston Villa made the biggest jump, going from ١١th at this stage to secure a top-four finish with time to spare.
So Champions League qualification remains well within grasp for Unai Emery's side, who are currently in ١٠th.
On the other extreme were Tottenham , riding high in sixth after ١٠ games before plummeting ١١ places down the standings to finishing ١٧th, only securing survival on the final day.
As mentioned earlier, the top two and two of the eventual bottom three were already in their final positions by this point, while Burnley - the third relegated side - were only a place above the drop zone in ١٧th.
Perhaps Manchester United are in a relegation battle after all...?
'Tinkerman' Alonso's Chelsea side still searching for identity

تعليقات · ٠