Power Rankings: Alternative PL table after week 36

Mark Holmes
West Ham: Out for beginning of season

West Ham: Out for beginning of season

Swansea City, West Ham and Southampton were the three biggest Power Rankings winners of the weekend as Chelsea slipped into the bottom three.

In Power Rankings, we award points from 0.5 to 10, decided by an algorithm based on bookmaker odds and winning margins.

It rewards teams scoring lots of goals and also those defying expectations but sees odds-on favourites penalised for sneaking past inferior opponents by the odd goal.

West Ham continue to lead the way, helped in no small part by their early-season wins at Arsenal and Manchester City, which earned them 20 points alone. Chelsea on the other hand remain second from bottom as they continue to pay the price for their under-achievement, while the rest of last season’s top four battle it out in the top half having also failed to hit their targets.

Week 36

Swansea City – 5: Outsiders to win going into the weekend but possibly not once Liverpool’s team was announced, Swansea made the most of the visitors’ inexperience to record a 3-1 win that ensures their Premier League safety.

West Ham – 5: This could well prove to the result which sealed the Power Rankings title for West Ham. Their lead over Leicester City had been cut to three points after last weekend, but a 3-0 win for the Hammers at West Brom has left it at six with only two games remaining.

Southampton – 4: Another side to benefit from their more-fancied opponents fielding a weakened team, Southampton boosted their European aspirations with a 4-2 win over Manchester City on Sunday, Sadio Mane scoring a hat-trick.

Everton – 3: On a day that saw some Everton fans call for him to leave, Saturday’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth at Goodison Park was a big one for Roberto Martinez. However, there is still no doubt the Toffees have underachieved this season.

Newcastle United – 3: Now up to 11th in the Power Rankings, Newcastle are out of the Premier League relegation zone but still have work to do to ensure their handful of impressive results this season are not left to count for nothing.

Arsenal – 2: The fans’ protests look set to fall on deaf ears, but the weekend’s results mean Arsenal are now almost certain to be in next season’s Champions League anyway, an achievement the board certainly appreciates. A 1-0 win over Norwich City was nothing to write home about, however.

Leicester City – 2: The Power Rankings title may prove a step too far, but we can say with a fair degree of confidence that Leicester will not care one jot after being confirmed as Premier League champions. 1-0 wins might not be worth much in Power Rankings, but they’ve certainly served the Foxes well this season. No Vardy, no matter.

Watford – 2: Having trailed 2-1 going into stoppage time, Watford won’t care they only earn two Power Rankings points for beating already-relegated Aston Villa at Vicarage Road on Saturday.

Chelsea – 1: They certainly seemed to take pleasure from Monday night’s draw against Tottenham, but Chelsea and their supporters have endured a miserable season, highlighted by them dropping back into the bottom three of the Power Rankings.

Manchester United – 1: An excellent opening to the game was not enough for United in the end, with Leicester hitting back to earn a point which leaves the Red Devils needing a Manchester City slip-up to make next season’s Champions League.

Stoke City – 1: An injury-time Jermain Defoe penalty at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday means Stoke’s hopes of bettering last season’s record points tally are now over. They’re still flying high in the Power Rankings, though.

Sunderland – 1: How crucial could that Defoe penalty prove come the end of the season? Sunderland slipped into the bottom three after the draw at Stoke, but their last-gasp equaliser will keep morale high going into the last three games.

Tottenham – 1: It looked for all the world as though Spurs were set to take the title fight to the penultimate weekend, but a second-half collapse at Stamford Bridge ended that dream and leaves the gap to third-placed Arsenal at only three points with two games to play. What a cruel end to the season this could be…

 

Power Rankings

Team Power Rankings Points Official Points
1. West Ham 103 59
2. Leicester City 97 77
3. Tottenham 82.5 70
4. Man City 77 64
5. Stoke City 76 48
6. West Brom 73 41
7. Southampton 69 57
8. Liverpool 66.5 55
9. Arsenal 65 67
10. Man Utd 64.5 60
11. Newcastle 61.5 35
12. Crystal Palace 60.5 39
= Everton 60.5 44
= Watford 60.5 44
15. Sunderland 59.5 32
16. Swansea City 56 43
17. Bournemouth 54 41
18. Chelsea 52.5 48
19. Norwich City 47.5 31
20. Aston Villa 27 16