London is one of the indisputable epicenters of world football, with all of Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal prevailing as some of the wealthiest, and most successful clubs on the planet.

It’s a city which played host to England’s most famous sporting moment in 1966 when Wembley hosted the World Cup Final, and a city which for 23 straight seasons has seen at least one of its teams finish within the English Premier League’s top three.

Over the last two decades, Chelsea have won the Champions league and Europa League titles, while Tottenham was good enough to contest the UCL Final just three months ago, something north London rivals Arsenal did back in 2006.

Yet despite the raging success many London clubs have enjoyed, this season hasn’t started particularly well for the big names, with only a weakened Chelsea and an out-of-form Tottenham set to play in the Champions League, while London’s 23-year streak of a top three EPL participation looks far from a certainty.

While admittedly, we are just three matchdays into the new season, it’s never too early to check in and assess what’s presently ailing the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and the Gunners, while also dropping in on West Ham United and Crystal Palace while we’re there.

Tottenham Hotspur

If Tottenham’s qualification for the Champions League Final last May wasn’t enough, their ensuing summer ensured great positivity around North London.

Not only were the services of their revered manager Mauricio Pochettino confirmed, but the club also finally opened the checkbook, bringing in the likes of Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso and Ryan Sessegnon.

The spending represented a-more-than 100 million Euro commitment to contend with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool domestically, while once again being continentally relevant.

Through three games however, Tottenham seem sorely lacking in imagination, while already losing ground with the league’s very best.

This past weekend’s home loss to lowly Newcastle United sent a shiver through the club, particularly off the back of having more than 80% possession and outshooting the Magpies 17-8.

And it’s in fact the issue of possession which is fast becoming a bugbear among Tottenham fans.

They lead the entire league with 59.9% total possession as well as producing 17 shots per game, yet for all their ball dominance and shot creation, they have manufactured just five goals for the season.

In isolation, converting possession into goals wouldn’t be too depressing for Tottenham, yet it’s a theme which has carried over from last season as well.

For all of Tottenham’s ball dominance last season they still finished fourth and a massive 27 points adrift of Manchester City while scoring 28 goals less, despite having very similar possession metrics.

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Chelsea FC

It could be reasonably argued that it’s been almost two decades since Chelsea have looked so vulnerable and so adrift from genuine EPL contention.

Since Roman Abramovich took over the West London club in June, 2003, Chelsea’s big spending ways meant perpetually being in the conversation where winning EPL titles and contesting the Champions League was concerned.

Yet, the Blues’ UEFA transfer embargo has meant putting away the checkbook and committing to something of a youth project under the stewardship of former club legend Frank Lampard.

The only problem is that Lampard’s managerial experience pails in comparison to likes the like of Jose Mourinho, Maurizio Sarri, Antonio Conte and Carlo Ancelotti who have all had turns driving the Chelsea bus over the last 15 years.

While through three matches the results have been mixed for the Blues, what can’t be denied is the sheer talent among the Chelsea youth. Even though, so far they have produced just one win, Chelsea are second only to Manchester City insofar as their average of 18.3 shots per game, while their 24 tackles per match lead the league.

Mason Mount looks like an England mainstay who has linked up exceptionally well between attack and midfield. His four shots per game are most among midfielders while his hard work has already produced two goals this season.

Up front, 21-year old Tammy Abraham appears to be building upon his breakthrough season with Aston Villa in the Championship last year where he netted 26 times. He’s already scored twice for Chelsea thus far with many predicting a bright international future.

Chelsea have also given significant game time to Danish centre-back, Andreas Christensen, who’s neither missed a single minute all season while leading the team with an 89.3% pass efficiency.

Meanwhile former Real Madrid central midfielder Mateo Kovacic is finally starting to look comfortable at EPL level which should theoretically allow the more established talents of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho to also flourish once again.

It’ll be a long season for Chelsea’s exceptionally young squad, with performances likely to fluctuate greatly. If however Lampard is able to keep the squad motivated while seeing continually progress among its youth, then a bright future and path to contention is on the cards.

Arsenal FC

Like Chelsea, Arsenal have fallen some distance from their previous decade’s glory days where they were a perpetual EPL and Champions League threat.

While transition to life post-Arsene Wenger was always going to be hard for the Gunners, and despite the inspired appointment of new manager Unai Emery, Arsenal presently seem light years away from genuine contention.

Like Chelsea, Arsenal has also turned to its youth as a cost cutting measure and whose squad is presently ranked as the EPL’s third youngest.  

While Arsenal were able to cobble a couple of one-goal wins from their first two games against Newcastle and Burnley, they were completely found out on the weekend, pummeled 3-1 away to Liverpool.

Of Arsenal’s last 18 EPL games against either Manchester City or the Reds, they’ve won just twice, with each loss reminding them of just how far off they are.

Through three games, Arsenal’s 13 tackles per match ranks dead last in the league, while the paltry 10.7 shots per game they are producing is a number only five clubs are performing worse in.

While the likes of Ashley Maitland-Niles, Matteo Guendouzi and Joe Wilock continue to develop by getting significant game time, the club's reliance upon their star striker, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, remains problematic.

Under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners qualified for a staggering 18 consecutive Champions League seasons. 

That era seems like a lifetime ago.

West Ham United

While Chelsea and Arsenal are almost unrecognisable from the forces they once were, it’s equally peculiar evaluating West Ham United from the point of a view of a club suddenly on the brink of genuine Top Six contention.

During the years when the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal were blazing a trail not just in the EPL but across Europe, West Ham could be found either among the lower rungs of the EPL, or playing in the Championship, while sunk in a reputed 120 million Pound debt.

Yet the Hammers have reawakened this decade and transformed themselves into a functioning, competitive club, most recently under the stewardship of EPL winning manager Manuel Pellegrini.

This season marks the eighth consecutive season of top flight football for West Ham, and while most have been spent in the bottom half, season 2019/20 has all the makings of a season where the Hammers truly take off.

After starting the season with a 5-1 beat down at the hands of Manchester City, followed by a 1-1 draw against Brighton, West Ham’s class shone through in its 3-1 weekend demolition of Watford.

While club record, 40 million Euro arrival, Sebastian Haller netted twice, the Hammers are also getting brilliant production out of so many of its young, bright stars.

22-year old French centre-back Issa Diop hasn’t missed a minute, 20-year old Declan Rice will likely be called up to the England soon enough while their Brazilian midfielder Felipe Anderson continues to excel.

According the Stats Insiders’ Schedule Difficulty Algorithm, West Ham’s next five matches are considered the second easiest in the league which should provide the platform for them to first cement themselves in the top half, before making some ground upon a potential Top Six position.

Crystal Palace

While Crystal Palace won’t be banging on the door of the Top 6, they have become a league mainstay under the stewardship of 72-year old, Roy Hodgson.

And while Palace aren’t the league's prettiest team incurring more yellow cards than any other club while producing by far the league’s least shots per game at 5.7, there’s most certainly something be said for a cub who is able to continually grind out results and stay relevant.

In fact, remarkably, since Palace’s early February defeat of Fulham, only Manchester City and Liverpool have racked up more premier league points.

Their weekend victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford was a perfect example of the Hodgson recipe, conceding 71.3% possession and a 22-5 shot deficit to the Red Devils, yet escaping with a 2-1 win.

This is the seventh consecutive season Palace has spent in the premiership which is territory the club has never before experienced.

Under Hodgson, and considering their start to the season, it wouldn’t be wise betting against them participating in at least an eighth straight campaign.

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