Does the Premier League have a 'top three'?

Manchester City and Manchester United are level at the top of the Premier League table as they both remain unbeaten with 16 points from six games.

Chelsea are three points behind the Manchester clubs, after recovering well from their opening day defeat to Burnley and have since won four of their last five, including a 4-0 victory at Stoke on Saturday.

In the Premier League there has been talk of a 'top four' and 'top six' in the past, but Steve Bates thinks the balance has shifted this season.

"I would go top three," he said. "The two Manchester clubs and Chelsea have got formidable squads. People pride themselves on the fact that anybody can beat anybody in the Premier League but I don't think that's true at this moment.

"I can't see anybody beating Manchester City while Chelsea went to Stoke, which is a notoriously difficult place to go, and just won 4-0 having made big changes. That is a sign that there is a division of quality at the top between them and the rest.

"The two Manchester clubs blazing a trail shows there is a gap. If that continues I think those two clubs, with Chelsea joining them, will be way ahead of the rest by Christmas."

Manchester City have not won the Premier League since 2013/14, and United have gone even longer, not winning since 2012/13, while Chelsea have been crowned champions in two of the last three seasons.

Leicester shocked everyone to win the Premier League in 2014/15, but chief sports writer at the 'Daily Telegraph, Paul Hayward, says there is little chance of that feat being repeated.

"When Leicester won the league we all said the middle clubs had got stronger because they had got more money and were hanging on to more of their players, but the pendulum has swung back the other way and the top three have dealt with that threat," he said.

"The teams in the middle rank have got no chance of getting anywhere near squads of the calibre of Manchester City. "

Matt Dickinson, chief sports writer at 'The Times', believes the strength from the top three sides could improve English clubs' hopes in Europe.

"If we want to see English clubs do well in the Champions League we need some of them to step up," he commented. "The two Manchester clubs and Chelsea are doing that under top-level management."