Five winners. None was a member of last season’s top nine. West Ham, 17th in Season 3, lead England Division 1 after beating Leeds 2-0; Bournemouth, Fulham, Burton-upon-Trent and Coventry follow on three points.

One round is not a title race. It is a proper warning to the old order.

The table has split neatly: five clubs on three points, ten on one and five on zero. West Ham are the only side with a goal difference of plus two. Last season’s top four all drew, although the context matters: champions London Red and runners-up Manchester Blue cancelled each other out 0-0, while Crystal Palace and Liverpool drew 1-1.

That leaves every early winner two points above the established contenders.

Why West Ham deserve the summit

West Ham finished Season 3 with 35 points, only one clear of 18th place. Their opening performance looked nothing like a side clinging on.

SupernovaOrbit’s attacking 4-2-3-1 held 56 per cent possession against Leeds and produced 11 shots, eight on target. Leeds managed eight attempts and five on target. Edson Álvarez Velázquez struck after 16 minutes before Aaron Wan-Bissaka doubled the lead on 45.

Lucas Tolentino Coelho supplied an assist, made three key passes and earned a rating of 10 as man of the match. Everson Marques Pires completed the balance with five saves. Control at one end, proper resistance at the other.

There is one concern: Wan-Bissaka was injured after 68 minutes and remained unavailable in the latest squad check.

Gameweek 2 sends West Ham to Manchester Red. Mastermind also used a 4-2-3-1 at Bournemouth, but with a long-ball approach. It yielded 45 per cent possession, seven shots and only two on target in a 2-1 defeat. Same nominal shape, entirely different command of the match. The numbers don’t lie.

Fulham have the form, Bournemouth have the control

Fulham ended last season with consecutive victories and opened this one by winning 2-1 at Everton. That is three straight league wins across the season boundary.

AliManager’s attacking 4-4-2 scored twice inside 28 minutes at Everton despite having only 44 per cent possession. Fulham matched their hosts with five shots on target, then protected the lead through a scoreless second half.

Bournemouth were more emphatic than their 2-1 scoreline against Manchester Red suggests. Theramoe labelled the 4-5-1 defensive, but it was anything but passive: 55 per cent possession, 16 shots and nine on target, compared with seven and two for the visitors.

Bryan Mbeumo put Manchester Red ahead after seven minutes. Antoine Semenyo answered on 19 before Lewis Cook won it on 75. Philip Anyanwu Billing was man of the match with a nine, while Miloš Kerkez also rated nine. Bournemouth earned that result.

Now Fulham host Bournemouth. If both retain their opening shapes, Bournemouth’s midfield five offers an extra central body against Fulham’s flat four; Fulham’s trade-off is a second forward occupying the visiting back line. A winner reaches six points and must remain above every member of last season’s top four after Gameweek 2.

Burton’s defence has travelled

Promoted Burton conceded only 11 goals in 38 second-tier matches last season. Their top-flight return began with another clean sheet and a 1-0 victory over fellow promoted side Aston Villa.

The contest was even: 13 shots apiece, with Burton edging attempts on target seven to six. Edmund Baidoo scored after eight minutes, but Robin Risser Birckel decided the match with six saves, a rating of nine and the man-of-the-match award.

Krasnov’s balanced 4-2-2-2 has now helped Burton carry a seven-match league unbeaten run across the division boundary. Leicester are next. They produced 13 shots and five on target at Coventry without scoring; now they meet another goalkeeper arriving in form.

Coventry’s method is repeatable

Coventry have also won three consecutive league matches across the two seasons. Their 1-0 success over Leicester was built on resilience rather than dominance.

Raiden1’s attacking 3-2-2-2-1 had 44 per cent possession, 11 shots and three on target. Leicester recorded 13 attempts and five on target, but Daniel Tackie Welbeck scored on 45 minutes and finished with a rating of 10. Samuel Şahin-Radlinger saved all five efforts on his goal, while Renê Rodrigues Martins supplied five key tackles.

Chelsea provide the next examination. They needed man-of-the-match Robert Lynch Sánchez to secure a 0-0 draw at Tottenham after being outshot 16-11 and 8-4 on target. Their latest submitted setup had changed from the normal 4-4-2 used in that match to an attacking 5-4-1. The extra centre-back suits the task of defending Coventry’s layered central shape, but Chelsea must create considerably more themselves.

Survival pressure arrives early

The promoted picture has already divided. Burton, last season’s second-tier runners-up on 71 points, won; champions Aston Villa and third-placed Leeds both lost.

Leeds are bottom with a minus-two goal difference, immediately below Villa. They meet on Wednesday, guaranteeing that the pair cannot both remain pointless. The loser, if there is one, will begin life back in the top flight with zero points from six.

Manchester Red, Everton and Leicester complete the five-team group on zero. Their Gameweek 2 assignments offer little comfort:

• Manchester Red vs West Ham — the long-ball 4-2-3-1 meets the division’s sharpest opening attack.
• Brighton vs Everton — Everton must convert possession into something more decisive.
• Leicester vs Burton-upon-Trent — Leicester’s finishing meets Burton’s defensive strength.
• Leeds vs Aston Villa — the first direct survival test between two promoted clubs.
• Chelsea vs Coventry — a new defensive structure against a side carrying three straight wins.

Gameweek 2 begins at 19:00 UTC on Wednesday 22 July. Crystal Palace host London Red, Manchester Blue face last season’s fifth-placed Brentford and Liverpool meet seventh-placed Newcastle. There is no soft recovery route for the old guard.

Any current three-point side that wins will reach six; last season’s top four can reach only four. That is not title-winning distance in July. It is enough to make the established contenders chase — and to show whether West Ham’s control, Fulham’s momentum and Burton’s defensive nerve can travel.