CORNERFLICK
Manchester City have made a perfect start to the current Premier League campaign, winning each of their opening five matches. But a Premier League season is a marathon, not a sprint.
City have begun the post-Pep Guardiola era in impressive fashion under Enzo Maresca. The Citizens currently sit three points clear of Arsenal, their main rivals in the title race, raising hopes among supporters that they can reclaim the Premier League crown after two seasons without it.
Maresca’s side have become the 15th different team to open a Premier League season with five consecutive victories. It is also the fourth time Manchester City have achieved the feat.
However, City went on to win the title in only one of their previous three campaigns in which they started with five wins from five. They lifted the trophy in 2023-24, but fell short in both 2015-16 and 2016-17 despite their perfect starts.
A 29% Success Rate
Premier League history suggests that taking maximum points from the opening five matches offers no guarantee of lifting the trophy.
Only four of the previous 14 teams to collect all 15 available points from their first five matches went on to become champions — a success rate of just 29%.
Aside from Manchester City in 2023-24, Liverpool in 2019-20 and Chelsea in 2005-06 and 2009-10 are the only sides to have converted such starts into Premier League titles.
Among those champions, Chelsea in 2009-10 and Manchester City in 2023-24 extended their winning streaks to six matches. Liverpool won their opening eight games in 2019-20, while Chelsea's nine consecutive victories at the start of the 2005-06 campaign remain the longest winning start among those title-winning sides.
The Road to the Title Goes Through Anfield
A flying start does not necessarily translate into long-term success. City have benefited from a relatively favourable opening schedule, although that should not detract from the quality of their performances.
The challenge now is maintaining that momentum. None of the previous seven teams to win their opening five Premier League matches ultimately went on to become champions.
The most recent example was Liverpool last season. Arne Slot's defending champions opened the 2025-26 campaign with victories over Bournemouth, Newcastle, Arsenal, Burnley and Everton, only to then go four consecutive league matches without a win.
City's credentials will face a much more demanding examination when the Premier League resumes. In Matchweek Six, Maresca's side travel to Anfield to face Liverpool, who remain unbeaten under their new manager.
Champions Average 11.3 Points
The lowest final position recorded by a team after winning its opening five Premier League matches is sixth, achieved by Newcastle United in 1994-95. There is, however, an important caveat: the league consisted of 22 teams at the time, meaning Newcastle played 42 matches and their opening five fixtures represented only around 12% of the season.
Across the Premier League's 34 seasons, eventual champions have averaged 11.3 points from their opening five matches.
That figure is even higher than Arsenal's return on their way to winning their first Premier League title in 22 years last season.
The Gunners collected only 10 points from their first five matches of the 2025-26 campaign. They lost at Anfield against Liverpool in Matchweek Four before dropping another two points against Manchester City the following week.
Mikel Arteta's side have started more strongly this time around, taking 12 points from a possible 15. Their only setback has been a surprise defeat by Brighton in Matchweek Five.
Fewer Than Eight Points? Almost Impossible
At the opposite end of the scale, the fewest points collected by a Premier League champion from their opening five matches came in the competition's inaugural 1992-93 season.
Manchester United took only seven points, recording two wins, one draw and two defeats.
The context, however, was very different. With 22 teams in the Premier League at the time, each club played four more matches than they do under the current 38-game format. Sir Alex Ferguson's side therefore had more time to recover and ultimately went on to lift the trophy.
In the 38-game era, no Premier League team has gone on to become champions after collecting fewer than eight points from its opening five fixtures.
Manchester United have recovered from exactly eight points after five games to win the title on four occasions — in 1998-99, 2002-03, 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Manchester City achieved the same feat in 2020-21.
For Maresca's City, then, a perfect start is certainly encouraging — but Premier League history offers a clear warning: five victories may put a team at the front of the pack, but the title is decided over the full marathon.