Comparing every Premier League club’s points & goals tallies to the same stage last season

Nestor Watach • 16 Jan 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are doing even worse than Manchester City when you compare their results to the same stage last season, while it surely won’t be a surprise that Nottingham Forest are the Premier League’s most-improved side.

We’ve done some digging and looked at every side in the Premier League, comparing their points and goals tallies after the same number of games played last season, and there are some interesting findings.

For example, league leaders Liverpool are only doing marginally better than they were after 20 games last term under Jurgen Klopp. They’ve only picked up two more points; food for thought for Arne Slot if he wants to avoid last season’s underwhelming conclusion.

Similarly, Arsenal are actually doing exactly as well as they were doing after 21 games last term, which flies in the face of the mood around the club at present. Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have scored one more goal, conceded one fewer, and are one place higher in the table than the same stage last term.

However, when you consider that last season Arsenal missed out on the title after winning 16 of their last 18 matches, you might argue that the damage has been done in the first half of the campaign once again. But a similar run this time around would surely ask serious questions of Slot’s Liverpool, especially given how badly the reigning champions Man City have fallen away.

At this point we can safely assume that Pep Guardiola’s City won’t be making it five-in-a-row. They’ve dropped to sixth in the table, having picked up 11 fewer points than the same stage last term. They’ve scored 13 fewer goals and conceded five more, suggesting that their issues are at both ends of the pitch.

Aston Villa, Brighton, West Ham and Manchester United – who might have thought things couldn’t possibly get worse – have all done noticeably, considering worse than this stage last season but Tottenham take the biscuit for the Premier League’s most spectacular drop-off in 2024-25.

Ange Postecoglou’s men are a whopping 16 points behind their tally from the same point last season. A wild quirk is that, despite the colossal difference in results, they’ve only actually scored one fewer goal and conceded one more than they had after 21 games in 2023-24.

Everton sit level on points in comparison to this time last year, but at that point the table was factoring in a -10 point deduction (which was eventually reduced to eight come the end of the season). So in reality, they’ve actually picked up 10 points fewer – and most concerning of all is how badly the goals have dried up.

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s no questioning the story of the season. Nottingham Forest are an incredible 21 points better off than they were after 21 matches last season, having picked up more than double. The defence is the key area where they’ve taken great leaps forward, having conceded 18 fewer goals.

Top four chasers Newcastle United and Chelsea are among the other most-improved sides, alongside Bournemouth, Fulham and Brentford.

TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the top goalscorer from every Premier League season?

We’ve compared every Premier League club’s record and taken a closer look at how it compares to the same stage last season, obviously ignoring the three newly-promoted sides.

Here’s how the numbers break down in full for every club:

1. Liverpool

Points: +2
Goals for: +5
Goals against: +2
Position: =

2. Arsenal

Points: =
Goals for: +1
Goals against: -1
Position: +1

3. Nottingham Forest

Points: +21
Goals for: +4
Goals against: -18
Position: +13

4. Newcastle United

Points: +9
Goals for: -4
Goals against: -10
Position: +6

5. Chelsea

Points: +6
Goals for: +6
Goals against: -5
Position: +4

6. Manchester City

Points: -11
Goals for: -13
Goals against: +5
Position: -4

7. Aston Villa

Points: -8
Goals for: -12
Goals against: +5
Position: -3

8. Bournemouth

Points: +8
Goals for: +3
Goals against: -15
Position: +4

9. Fulham

Points: +6
Goals for: +4
Goals against: -6
Position: +4

10. Brentford

Points: +6
Goals for: +9
Goals against: +1
Position: +5

11. Brighton

Points: -7
Goals for: -12
Goals against: -9
Position: -4

12. West Ham

Points: -9
Goals for: -8
Goals against: +9
Position: -6

13. Tottenham

Points: -16
Goals for: -1
Goals against: +1
Position: -8

14. Crystal Palace

Points: +3
Goals for: +1
Goals against: -6
Position: +1

15. Manchester United

Points: -8
Goals for: +1
Goals against: +1
Position: -7

16. Everton

Points: =*
Goals for: -9
Goals against: -2
Position: +1

(*Level due to the -10 deduction at the time. But in absolute terms, Everton have picked up 10 fewer points)

18. Wolves

Points: -6
Goals for: +1
Goals against: +18
Position: -7

Premier League