Everyone's favourite football economics journalist Simon Kuper identified the size of a club's wage bill as the single greatest determinant of success - not the manager, not the club's success on the stock market, not the amount of money spent bringing players in - the wage bill.
By that rationale, Jose Mourinho has Chelsea punching above their weight this season. Their wage bill has still risen to £190.5 million, poking them ahead of Arsenal again. They lie third again.
Manchester United, following their recent panicky splurge designed to scramble back on top, now sit at the summit of the Premier League wage bill. The bill totals £214 million. This is a significant rise from the £181 million they were paying out to players at the end of the Ferguson era.
Man City's wage bill, meanwhile, has fallen from the £233 million they were paying out in May 2013 to £205 million at present.
Arsenal lie in fourth with a wage bill amounting £166.4 million. Southampton, currently sitting in third place in the League, pay out £47.1 million in wages.
In previous years, Stoke City, Everton and Swansea have been the best performers relative to their wage bill. QPR, meanwhile, have been comfortably the worst.
