Premier League top 10 success stories

10) ALAN IRVINE

The jury is still out on whether Alan Irvine will be a success at The Hawthorns. West Bromwich Albion have only taken eight points from seven matches and sit 14th in the table, so it is not quite time to break out the party poppers.

However, the pre-season expectation was that Irvine would already have come close to losing his position. As it is, consecutive victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley led to a slight change in approval rating from supporters. Nobody is eating their words just yet, but the table is slowly being set.

9) ASTON VILLA’S DEFENCE

Predictably, Aston Villa have lost all three games since Paul Lambert signed his new deal, conceding eight times and failing to score at all. However, such a record is tempered by the quality of their opponents: Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Losing three games on the spin is no cause for alarm because Villa's early-season form was so splendid, with the club's defending in particular causing everyone to rub their eyes in disbelief until they were red raw.

8) DIAFRA SAKHO

While Enner Valencia has been largely ineffective (save the howitzer against Hull City) and scored just a single goal following his £12million move, the pressure on the Ecuadorean has been alleviated by the excellence of Diafra Sakho. Sakho was playing in France's second tier last season, top scorer for Metz as they won the title, and cost the Hammers just £3.5m.

It is not just five goals in five starts at a rate of one every 95 minutes that has been surprising, but also Sakho's willingness to run the channels and provide an outlet in holding up the ball.

7) NACER CHADLI

Maybe not all of Tottenham's players have immediately been able to embrace Mauricio Pochettino's high-intensity pressing style, but Nacer Chadli is a player revitalised.

Pochettino's success in attack stems from an ambition to win the ball as high up the field as possible, before launching into an instant counter-attack and overloading the opposition with an extra attacking midfielder. Chadli has become this 'free man', scoring four goals to mask the form of the disappointing Emmanuel Adebayor.

6) LEONARDO ULLOA

There was a sharp intake of breath from many when newly promoted Leicester City paid £8m for a 28-year-old striker with 16 top-flight goals in his entire career.

It is currently a gamble ending with Nigel Pearson pointing to Ulloa's five Premier League goals and laughing.

Leonardo Ulloa's physical and aerial presence are vital assets for a promoted club. Having an outlet up field when defending for large periods in matches is so often the difference between success and failure.

5) JAMES MILNER

You can point to 44 appearances last season all you want, but 12 Premier League starts is not sufficient to satisfy a player with ongoing international ambitions.

It may have taken an injury to Samir Nasri, but James Milner has stepped out of the shadows in glorious style since his return to Manuel Pellegrini's starting line-up. He was named Man of the Match in the draw with Chelsea, having assisted Frank Lampard's late equaliser, and created eight chances against Villa.

4) UNITE