Premier League 2018/19: Ranking the Big 6 after their first five games

The 2018/19 season of the Premier League has already seen five weeks. The top-flight of English football has dished out some thrilling results till now, with scorelines that have ranged from predictable to unfathomable.

Chelsea and Liverpool have maintained a perfect record in the five weeks, clinching 15 points with five victories under their belt. Defending champions Manchester City are a whisker behind, having dropped two points in their third fixture of the season.

While the top three teams look primed to challenge for the trophy, Tottenham, Arsenal, and Manchester United have a plethora of questions to answer – they are not even in the top five teams on the points table at the moment.

Here are the ratings for the big six teams after their first five games in the league:

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#1 Chelsea: 9/10

Chelsea have not dropped a single point in the first five games

Mauricio Sarri has had a dream start to his tenure with the Blues – five matches, 15 points, 14 goals scored, just four conceded. While a majority of the limelight was flashed at Manchester City and Liverpool in the lead up to the league, it is the 2016/17 champions who have been stunningly impressive this season.

Chelsea, who are unbeaten with a 100 per cent record to their name so far, did the best bit of their business in the summer when they convinced Eden Hazard to stay at Stamford Bridge for another year. The Belgian has been on fire this year, leading the race for the Golden Boot with five strikes to his name.

While Chelsea's attack looks dangerous at the moment, they still have defensive frailties, according to Sarri. After the 4-1 win over Cardiff, Sarri said:

"We can cope with the problems with the quality in the offensive phase, but not in the defensive phase. So I have to organise them better defensively and the players have to understand that. We have to improve step by step, and my target is to become the best team in England in one year to 18 months,"

The Blues' forward line has taken to Sarri's expressive style of play immediately and they look primed to clinch at least a top-three finish this season.

#2 Liverpool: 9/10

Liverpool are one of the major contenders for the title this season

The Reds showed significant improvement under Jurgen Klopp last season, but were beget by defensive issues. With the trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino upfront, Liverpool's offensive artillery was a force to be reckoned with.

The Merseyside club mitigated their problems in the previous two transfer windows by getting important players like Alisson Becker, Naby Keita, and Virgil Van Dyke in their ranks. The effect has been instant – their spine looks significantly more solid, which helps bolster their attacking threat even further. Despite Salah not touching his best as of yet, Liverpool are cruising through to victories with uncharacteristic self-assurance.

Like Chelsea, the Reds haven't lost a single game. They have scored 11 goals and contrary to their nature last season, have conceded just two. In fact, they lead the charts for the cleanest sheets this season, with no goals conceded in three games.

Their inspired performance against a side of Tottenham's stature has infused title hopes within their fans once again – can Liverpool finally break the shackles to clinch the elusive Premier League trophy?

#3 Manchester City: 8/10

City dropped two points against an inspired Wolves side

The defending champions have started their campaign on a strong note but dropped two points in the 1-1 blip against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Sergio Aguero has been in prime form for Pep Guardiola's men, clinching three goals in five games.

The Argentine international scored all those goals in a single game against Huddersfield Town, where the Citizens ran rampant with a 6-1 win.

They are third on the points table at the end of game week five, with four wins and a solitary draw to their name. They have clinched 13 points out of 15, and seem to have started right where they left off last season.

However, with Liverpool and Chelsea exhibiting vast improvement, the intensity of the competition has augmented this season. It will be interesting to see how Guardiola and his team respond to the same.

#4 Tottenham 6.5/10

Spurs have had a mixed start to their Premier League campaign

While the Spurs had a riveting start to the season despite making no moves in the summer transfer window, their form slumped in the last couple of games. Their 3-0 win against Manchester United at the Old Trafford infused confidence amongst their fans for the season ahead, but the 2-1 loss to Watford deflated their spirits the very next week.

Harry Kane broke the shackles to score twice in August, spearheading the Spurs attack brilliantly against the Red Devils. However, his form slumped in the next couple of weeks, most notably in the 2-1 loss against Liverpool last week.

The biggest challenge before Mauricio Pochettino would be to take his team to the next level this season. Spurs have proven themselves to be a force in the league and will be considered to be one of the major contenders for a top-four spot.

However, do they have it in themselves to challenge for the trophy this time around?

#5 Arsenal: 6/10

Arsenal seem to be on the right track this time around, but have a long way to go

The North London side have shown signs of improvement under Unai Emery, who took over from Arsene Wenger as the head coach, following the Frenchman's resignation after 22 years in charge.

Arsenal were handed probably the most difficult start for a team in transition – City at the Emirates and Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Predictably, the Gunners failed to extract a single point from their first two fixtures.

However, Emery has managed to turn things around in the games that followed, winning three matches on the trot. Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira has not been included in the Gunners' playing XI yet, while Bernd Leno warms the bench waiting his turn.

The main objective for the new-look Arsenal would be to get back into the Champions League next season, be it a top-four finish or a triumphant Europa League campaign.

#6 Manchester United: 5/10

The Red Devils have multiple problems to address

Jose Mourinho, who is reportedly unhappy with the transfer restrictions imposed on him in the build-up to the season, has been unable to make do with the resources at hand.

The Red Devils lost 3-2 to a brave Brighton Hove Albion in their second game of the league, in what was one of their most abysmal performances of recent times. They tried to turn things around against Tottenham the following week and played well in the first 45 minutes, only to capitulate in the second half to a humiliating 3-0 defeat.

Their form picked up thereafter, winning back to back clashes against Burnley and Watford.

However, Mourinho's problems are far from over. Paul Pogba, who looked in seamless touch at the World Cup this year, seems to have left his good form back in Russia. Alexis Sanchez is yet to conjure his best, while Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial look on from the fringes.

Fine performances from Romelu Lukaku (four goals) and David de Gea will give hope to United fans going forward. However, they need a lot more than that to grab one of the Champions League spots at the end of the season.