How important is a fast start for teams chasing the Premier League title?

Manchester City have kicked off the campaign with five victories in a row but the title race is a marathon not a sprint By Opta Analyst The first international window gives us time to take stock and make sense of what has happened in the early weeks of the Premier League season.

Manchester City are the only team to have won all five of their matches.

They have started life after Pep Guardiola in the best way possible on the pitch, opening a three-point gap over champions Arsenal, but how important is a fast start?

Of course, we do not yet know the punishment they may face for breaking the Premier League’s financial fair play rules so, for the purposes of this article, we will put that matter to the side. Continue reading...