Premier League
Full table
CARLO ANCELOTTI's reign as Chelsea manager could not have got off to a better start as a last gasp win at Stoke made it five wins out of five and put his side top of the Premier League.
Ancelotti's Blues have enjoyed league wins against Hull City and Burnley at home, and Sunderland, Fulham and Stoke City on the road to produce their perfect record.
In pursuit on 12 points, are the two clubs from Manchester. United have lost just once but it was a shocker as newly promoted Burnley were sent into dreamland by Robbie Blake's winner in a 1-0 win.
City, like Chelsea, have a 100 percent record but have played a game less than their principle rivals.
Their latest victory, 4-2 against Arsenal at home, seemed to prove their top four credentials after their big-spending summer.
But the conduct of Emmanuel Adebayor - who ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the Arsenal fans - looks set to rule him out of next weekend's derby against United.
Tottenham Hotspur are also on 12 points and round off the top four, having suffered their first defeat of the season, 3-1 at home against Sir Alex Ferguson's reigning champions.
Spurs face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend and will be looking to avoid further tainting an impressive start which has been notable for the form of England striker Jermaine Defoe.
Currently outside the top four by three points, Liverpool have already suffered two league defeats this season - the same amount as the whole of the last campaign when they finished runners-up.
It remains to be seen how costly the losses to Tottenham and Aston Villa will be at the end of the season but it would appear the Reds have only just got into their stride with their 4-0 thrashing of Burnley.
Villa have bounced back from an opening day loss against Wigan Athletic to win their other three matches - including the Birmingham derby 1-0 - and join Liverpool on nine points, with a game in hand on the Reds.
Sunderland have started in better form than usual under new manager Steve Bruce. The Black Cats are also on nine points after wins against Bolton Wanderers away, and Blackburn Rovers and Hull City at home.
At the bottom, Portsmouth fans must be already getting worried after their team's opening five matches resulted in precisely no return.
Five straight defeats is Pompey's worst ever start to a Premier League season and the pressure is on manager Paul Hart to gain a result at Villa Park this Saturday.
Pompey are joined in the bottom three by Bolton, who gained their first win and points of the season last weekend at Fratton Park in a topsy-turvy encounter which finished 3-2.
And, surprisingly, Everton complete the struggling trio with just one win and three points which came against Wigan Athletic.
But both they and Bolton have a game in hand on the sides which are immediately above them - Hull City, Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, all of whom are on four points.
The Tigers look set for another long relegation struggle especially if their leaky defence continues to perform so poorly.
Phil Brown's team have shipped five goals against Spurs and four at Sunderland with only a 1-0 home win against Bolton and a point at Wolves providing any solace.
Wolves' away success at Wigan is their only league win while fellow newly-promoted side Birmingham City have also only won once in the league - unsurprisingly against Portsmouth.
The third promoted team, Burnley, provide most hope of a survivor at present.
The Clarets have had two outstanding home wins against Manchester United and Everton, but they have also suffered three straight away losses - the latest, a 4-0 mauling at Anfield.
The Championship
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RELEGATED trio West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Newcastle United have quickly found their feet to fill the top three places in the early Championship table.
West Brom are top, with five wins and 17 points from their opening seven games with Boro and Newcastle just a point behind.
Boro's only defeat came away at Bristol City while Newcastle lost at Blackpool to bring to an end five straight wins without conceding. Boro meet West Brom at the Riverside Stadium this coming weekend.
There is then a three-point gap to Cardiff City, who enjoyed two comfortable wins at their new stadium before losing to Newcastle.
And the Bluebirds are followed by a whole clutch of clubs on 12 points - Preston North End, Sheffield United, Watford, Bristol City and newly promoted Leicester City.
Ipswich Town were fancied to be among that group but Roy Keane's side have suffered a woeful start to the season.
The Tractor Boys are still without a win after seven matches with just three points to show for their efforts.
Only Plymouth Argyle are below them, the Pilgrims having only taken two points, with the long trip to Newcastle next on the fixture list.
Barnsley picked up their first win at the seventh attempt under new manager Mark Robins to leapfrog Ipswich and Plymouth.
The Tykes beat Derby County away to give Robins an early boost after previous manager Simon Davey became the first Championship manager to be sacked having taken just one point from 15.
Another struggle looks likely for the Yorkshire club, however.
Other slow starters include newly promoted Peterborough United on four points, Crystal Palace on five points and two clubs on six points - Swansea City and Reading - who are both finding life tough after summer managerial changes.
League One
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UNBEATEN heavyweights Charlton Athletic and Leeds United enjoy an early four-point lead over the chasing pack after seven matches in League One.
Charlton have put their nightmare Championship season in 2008-09 behind them in some style, starting the season with six successive wins before a draw at Southampton halted the run.
Simon Grayson's Leeds also won their first six matches, a club record, and join Phil Parkinson's Addicks on 19 points.
While there is no surprise about the top two, Bristol Rovers have made an impressive start and are third with five wins and 15 points.
But the Pirates will do well to hold on to that position by the end of the season having sold talisman Ricky Lambert to struggling Southampton.
Free-scoring Huddersfield Town are in fourth on 14 points and Lee Clark's men are top scorers in all the English leagues with 25 goals in all competitions so far.
Behind the Terriers on goal difference only are Milton Keynes Dons under the tutelage of Paul Ince for a second time after Roberto Di Matteo's departure to West Brom.
The playoff places are rounded off by Swindon Town on 12 points. The Robins have recovered well from a 5-0 mauling against Gillingham in their opening game to take three wins and three draws from their next six.
Colchester United in seventh had a rather different opening day experience to Swindon. The U's beat Norwich City 7-1 at Carrow Road in an extraordinary match but the result ultimately cost them their manager.
Paul Lambert moved into the vacant hotseat at midtable Norwich after the thrashing proved to be the end for Bryan Gunn. Aidy Boothroyd is the new man at Colchester.
At the bottom, Southampton remain the only League One side without a win and have only managed to halve their points deduction so far with five draws.
John Barnes' Tranmere Rovers have also made a woeful start, with a solitary win providing their only points so far this season.
Rovers' leaky backline have conceded 18 league goals already and it is now six successive defeats for Barnes' men in all competitions.
Newly promoted Wycombe Wanderers have so far found life tough at this higher level with just one win and five points.
Oldham Athletic complete the bottom four but they are part of a whole clutch of clubs on six points, the others being Exeter City, Leyton Orient, Stockport County and Yeovil Town.
League Two
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WHILE most the talk in the run-up to the League Two season focused on Sven Goran Eriksson's decision to join Notts County, it is Bournemouth who top the table with seven matches played.
The Cherries, who did well to finish midtable last season despite a points deduction, have won six matches and taken 18 points in an impressive start.
Rotherham United are another club who stayed in the league despite a points penalty last season and have reaped the benefit of starting on a level playing field in this campaign.
The Millers are currently third on 16 points - but their good start has cost them their manager Mark Robins who has moved to Championship strugglers Barnsley.
Between Bournemouth and Rotherham, also on 16 points, are Dagenham and Redbridge who finished just one place outside the playoffs last season.
With four straight wins and 15 goals at Victoria Road, the Daggers certainly know how to entertain in this, their third season of league football since promotion from the Conference when they will hope to go one better.
Barnet continue to prove their doubters wrong to sit fourth with a strong start featuring four wins and two draws, giving them 14 points.
And Sven's Notts County can be found in fifth on 13 points. It is their away form of one win and two losses which prevents them from being any higher but the Magpies' home form of 10 points from 12 - and 14 goals - is much stronger and may prove decisive over a full season.
Crewe Alexandra and Cheltenham Town, who were both relegated last season, complete the playoff places on 12 points. Five teams are just outside on 11 points, including newly promoted Burton Albion.
Troubled Darlington prop up the whole of the Football League with just a single point from 21.
The Quakers spent much of the summer in administration and always looked set for a long hard struggle in this campaign.
Worryingly for Colin Todd's men, Darlo are already getting cut adrift with Hereford United as their next nearest strugglers on four points.
The Bulls were only just relegated from League One last season and so their early appearance in the relegation places comes somewhat of a surprise.
Hereford may not have won yet in this campaign but they have plenty of teams above them who they can catch.
Morecambe, five points, are also without a win while Grimsby Town look set to repeat their season-long struggle of last season on six points.
Also on six points, Bury have made a disastrous start to the season at home with four straight losses and no goals scored at Gigg Lane.
Macclesfield Town and newly promoted Torquay United are the last of the bunch of teams on six points.
Blue Square Premier
Full table
OXFORD UNITED have opened up a seven point lead over nearest rivals Luton Town after the opening ten matches of the Blue Square Premier season.
The U's have won eight and drawn two to be the early frontrunners on 26 points, ahead of the Luton who have an identical home record - four wins and a draw - but just one away win.
Stevenage Borough are in third, a further point back on 18 points but with a game in hand.
And Boro are joined on 18 points by surprise packages York City and Kettering in fourth and fifth respectively.
At the other end of the table, Luton fans will empathise with the current plight of Chester City who started the season on -25 after two deductions.
The Hatters also had two deductions last season which put them on -30 and gave them no chance of staying in the Football League.
This time it is Chester who have what looks to be an impossible task, although they have managed to reach -16 with two wins and three draws.
Forest Green Rovers are second bottom on three points and are the only team without a win. Salisbury City, on four points, and Grays Athletic, on six, are not much better off in the current standings.
Ebbsfleet United, Gateshead and Hayes & Yeading are all just outside the relegation zone on seven points.
Gateshead and Hayes & Yeading have played a match less - the one against each other which was abandoned after 75 minutes when the Gateshead team refused to resume after a horrific injury to one of their players.
But that could mean a costly deduction for the Tynesiders.
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