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. Very early. Five 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.
Brentford lead the way. They are fourth in the Premier League despite having the 17th-highest wage bill, which stands at just £49million. That is a remarkable +13 difference between their league position and wage ranking.
Brighton are second in that regard. They are third while ranking 15th for wages, with a £51million annual bill, giving them a +12 difference. Hull City are third, sitting eighth despite having the 19th-highest wage bill at just £16million. Their +11 difference is another remarkable return for a newly-promoted side.
Leeds United have also made an impressive start. They occupy fifth place while sitting 14th in the wage rankings. Their annual wage bill is only £53million, giving them a +9 difference.
Ipswich are another side punching well above their wage bill. They sit 11th while ranking 18th for wages, with an annual wage bill of just £20million. That’s a +7 difference.
The traditional powerhouses have produced a mixed bag. Arsenal are second while having the third-highest wage bill in the division, at £154million. That puts them one place ahead of their wage position, while Manchester City are top and second in the wage rankings, leaving them one place below where their spending would suggest.
Chelsea are 10th with the seventh-highest wage bill, £97million, while top spenders Liverpool are sixth. The Reds have the highest wage bill in the Premier League at £177million but sit five places below that ranking.
The other ‘Big Six’ underachievers are not hard to spot. Manchester United are 12th with the fourth-highest wage bill of £152million, while Tottenham are bottom of the Premier League despite having the fifth-highest at £138million. Oof.
Villa are also well off the pace. They are 16th despite having the sixth-highest wage bill, with £98million going on salaries. That puts them -10 against 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. Tottenham
League Position: 20
Wage Bill Ranking: 5
Annual wage bill: £138m
Difference: -15
19. Aston Villa
League Position: 16
Wage Bill Ranking: 6
Annual wage bill: £98m
Difference: -10
18. Manchester United
League Position: 12
Wage Bill Ranking: 4
Annual wage bill: £152m
Difference: -8
17. Fulham
League Position: 19
Wage Bill Ranking: 13
Annual wage bill: £57m
Difference: -6
16. Crystal Palace
League Position: 15
Wage Bill Ranking: 9
Annual wage bill: £66m
Difference: -6
15. Bournemouth
League Position: 17
Wage Bill Ranking: 11
Annual wage bill: £63m
Difference: -6
14. Liverpool
League Position: 6
Wage Bill Ranking: 1
Annual wage bill: £177m
Difference: -5
13. Chelsea
League Position: 10
Wage Bill Ranking: 7
Annual wage bill: £97m
Difference: -3
12. Nottingham Forest
League Position: 13
Wage Bill Ranking: 10
Annual wage bill: £64m
Difference: -3
11. Newcastle United
League Position: 9
Wage Bill Ranking: 8
Annual wage bill: £68m
Difference: -1
10. Manchester City
League Position: 1
Wage Bill Ranking: 2
Annual wage bill: £177m
Difference: -1
9. Arsenal
League Position: 2
Wage Bill Ranking: 3
Annual wage bill: £154m
Difference: +1
8. Coventry
League Position: 18
Wage Bill Ranking: 20
Annual wage bill: £13m
Difference: +2
7. Sunderland
League Position: 14
Wage Bill Ranking: 16
Annual wage bill: £50m
Difference: +2
6. Everton
League Position: 7
Wage Bill Ranking: 12
Annual wage bill: £59m
Difference: +5
5. Ipswich
League Position: 11
Wage Bill Ranking: 18
Annual wage bill: £20m
Difference: +7
4. Leeds United
League Position: 5
Wage Bill Ranking: 14
Annual wage bill: £53m
Difference: +9
3. Hull City
League Position: 8
Wage Bill Ranking: 19
Annual wage bill: £16m
Difference: +11
2. Brighton
League Position: 3
Wage Bill Ranking: 15
Annual wage bill: £51m
Difference: +12
1. Brentford
League Position: 4
Wage Bill Ranking: 17
Annual wage bill: £49m
Difference: +13
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