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Premier League Power Rankings: Manchester United Climbs

Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United at Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, on September 12. Lukaku kept up his excellent scoring form with a goal against Everton.

The Manchester clubs continued to set the pace in Week Five of the Premier League, as both United and City recorded comprehensive victories.

United jumps above City by dint of its ability to keep clean sheets. Jose Mourinho’s team has conceded just twice in five league games so far. Here’s how everyone else ranks.

1. Manchester United: UP ONE

It’s kind of cute, the way Mourinho’s United seems to hold teams at bay for 80 minutes before roaring past them in the last 10. Everton was the latest club to feel United’s wrath. Ronald Koeman’s team put up a decent fight in the second half on Sunday but somehow lost 4-0.

2. Manchester City: DOWN ONE

Watford was very obliging at Vicarage Road on Saturday, but Pep Guardiola’s team acquiesced in turn by producing something that approached the sublime. Crystal Palace, without a point or a goal, visits Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

3. Newcastle United: UP EIGHT

Jamaal Lascelles may not be the best central defender in the Premier League, but he could well be the best captain. That’s three league wins in a row for Newcastle, which visits Brighton and Hove Albion next.

4. Chelsea: DOWN ONE

A strange performance from Antonio Conte’s team, which conceded the better chances to Arsenal and lost David Luiz to a straight red card late on. Chelsea travels to Stoke City on Saturday.

5. Burnley: UP ONE

Sean Dyche’s team may be the toughest nut in the Premier League to crack. Burnley seems to have sorted out its terrible away form from last season though it is back to home comforts on Saturday when it hosts Huddersfield.

6. Tottenham Hotspur: DOWN ONE

"Home" form at Wembley is costing Tottenham. Mauricio Pochettino’s team is already five points off the two Manchester clubs after a huffing, puffing 0-0 draw against Swansea. Tottenham visits another team ill at ease in its new environment, West Ham United, on Saturday in the early kickoff.

7. Southampton: UP NINE

A big jump courtesy of a big win over utterly pathetic Crystal Palace. Arguably, just as important is getting Virgil Van Dijk back playing.

8. Liverpool: DOWN ONE

Teams with title aspirations can’t afford to be as wasteful as Liverpool was on Saturday. Up next in the league is a tricky-looking away game at Leicester City.

9. West Bromwich Albion: DOWN ONE

An instantly forgettable 0-0 draw with West Ham means West Brom hasn’t won in three games. There’s no danger of relegation under Tony Pulis, but also no danger of it doing anything really exciting or hopeful.

10. Huddersfield Town: UP FOUR

Scoring goals looks to be a problem for Huddersfield, which has struck more than once in a game just once in the season so far—on the opening day of the season against Palace. Still, being tough to beat is a virtue in itself and not one you can say about many newly promoted teams.

11. Arsenal: DOWN ONE

Arsenal produced the kind of performance against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that makes you wonder why it has to be so bad, so often, in big games. Still, the top four looks to be a challenge, let alone the title following an uncertain start. Up next it's West Brom at the Emirates on Monday.

12. Stoke City: DOWN THREE

It’s possible Stoke is going to be one of those teams that turns up against the league’s giants, then fails to perform against opponents its own size. That will be put to the test when Chelsea visits the Potteries on Saturday.

13. Leicester City: NO CHANGE

Leicester missed a great chance to pick up three points at Huddersfield after a brutal run of fixtures at the start of the season. Liverpool visits the King Power Stadium on Saturday.

14. Swansea City: UP THREE

Swansea becomes the first team in 30 games to stop Tottenham from scoring at home in the league. Scoring goals is a concern for Paul Clement, who has watched Swansea net just two in five league games so far.

15. Bournemouth: UP FIVE

Perhaps the most important result for Bournemouth since it was promoted to the Premier League, as a Jermain Defoe goal overcame Brighton on the English south coast. Eddie Howe’s team visits Everton on Saturday.

16. Watford: DOWN TWELVE

A big fall, but Marco Silva’s team isn’t as bad as it looked against Manchester City on Saturday.

17. Brighton and Hove Albion: DOWN FIVE

The game against Newcastle, manager Chris Hughton’s former side, looms large for a Brighton team averaging less than a goal a game.

18. West Ham United: NO MOVEMENT

A second clean sheet in a row is something to savor for Slaven Bilic’s strugglers.

19. Everton: DOWN FOUR

It sounds stupid and crazy to suggest Everton could be a relegation candidate. Doesn’t it?

20. Crystal Palace: DOWN ONE

No points, no goals and games against Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea to come. It looks likely that Palace will have zero points from a possible 24 by the middle of October.

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