Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal are all sitting in vastly contrasting places when you compare their wage bill rankings to their league positions after the first four games of the 2026-27 Premier League season.

Of course, it’s still early in the season. Nine matches can tell us only so much about how the season will eventually play out, and the table is still taking shape.

Still, there are already some big, eye-catching differences between wage outlay and performance.

Brighton lead the way. They are third in the Premier League despite having the 15th-highest wage bill, which stands at just £51million. That is a remarkable +12 difference between their league position and wage ranking.

Brentford are second in that regard. They are sixth while ranking 17th for wages, with a £49million annual bill, giving them a +11 difference. Hull City are third, sitting 11th despite having the 19th-highest wage bill at just £16million. Their +8 difference is another remarkable return for a newly-promoted side.

Leeds United have also made an impressive start. They occupy 12th place while sitting 14th in the wage rankings. Their annual wage bill is only £53million, giving them a +2 difference.

Ipswich are another side punching well above their wage bill. They sit 14th while ranking 18th for wages, with an annual wage bill of just £20million. That’s a +4 difference.

The traditional powerhouses have produced a mixed bag. Arsenal are top while having the third-highest wage bill in the division, at £154million. That puts them two places ahead of their wage position, while Manchester City are second and second in the wage rankings, exactly matching their wage ranking.

Chelsea are fourth with the seventh-highest wage bill, £97million, while top spenders Liverpool are fifth. The Reds have the highest wage bill in the Premier League at £177million but sit four places below that ranking.

The other ‘Big Six’ underachievers are not hard to spot. Manchester United are 17th with the fourth-highest wage bill of £152million, while Tottenham are ninth despite having the fifth-highest at £138million. Oof.

Villa are also slightly off the pace. They are 10th despite having the sixth-highest wage bill, with £98million going on salaries. That puts them four places below their wage ranking.

We’ve ranked every Premier League club by the gap between their league position and wage-bill ranking, from the biggest overperformers to the biggest underperformers. Keep an eye on this one, as we’ll be keeping it updated as the season progresses.

Note: All wage bill data is via Capology.

20. Manchester United

League Position: 17
Wage Bill Ranking: 4
Annual wage bill: £152m
Difference: -13

19. Nottingham Forest

League Position: 19
Wage Bill Ranking: 10
Annual wage bill: £64m
Difference: -9

18. Crystal Palace

League Position: 18
Wage Bill Ranking: 9
Annual wage bill: £66m
Difference: -9

17. Newcastle United

League Position: 13
Wage Bill Ranking: 8
Annual wage bill: £68m
Difference: -5

16. Tottenham

League Position: 9
Wage Bill Ranking: 5
Annual wage bill: £138m
Difference: -4

15. Aston Villa

League Position: 10
Wage Bill Ranking: 6
Annual wage bill: £98m
Difference: -4

14. Liverpool

League Position: 5
Wage Bill Ranking: 1
Annual wage bill: £177m
Difference: -4

13. Sunderland

League Position: 20
Wage Bill Ranking: 16
Annual wage bill: £50m
Difference: -4

12. Fulham

League Position: 15
Wage Bill Ranking: 13
Annual wage bill: £57m
Difference: -2

11. Manchester City

League Position: 2
Wage Bill Ranking: 2
Annual wage bill: £177m
Difference: 0

10. Arsenal

League Position: 1
Wage Bill Ranking: 3
Annual wage bill: £154m
Difference: +2

9. Leeds United

League Position: 12
Wage Bill Ranking: 14
Annual wage bill: £53m
Difference: +2

8. Bournemouth

League Position: 8
Wage Bill Ranking: 11
Annual wage bill: £63m
Difference: +3

7. Chelsea

League Position: 4
Wage Bill Ranking: 7
Annual wage bill: £97m
Difference: +3

6. Coventry

League Position: 16
Wage Bill Ranking: 20
Annual wage bill: £13m
Difference: +4

5. Ipswich

League Position: 14
Wage Bill Ranking: 18
Annual wage bill: £20m
Difference: +4

4. Everton

League Position: 7
Wage Bill Ranking: 12
Annual wage bill: £59m
Difference: +5

3. Hull City

League Position: 11
Wage Bill Ranking: 19
Annual wage bill: £16m
Difference: +8

2. Brentford

League Position: 6
Wage Bill Ranking: 17
Annual wage bill: £49m
Difference: +11

1. Brighton

League Position: 3
Wage Bill Ranking: 15
Annual wage bill: £51m
Difference: +12

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