Most of the clubs in the Premier League have played half of the season and so to coincide with this we have put together a special brief report on each side on how they have done in the first half of the season together with a mark out of 10.
Arsenal - it's been a long 22 years since Arsenal last won the league. To be frank they haven't looked like winning the title seriously until this season. Naiveness was the club's main Achilles injury and this season they have a great attitude, a more direct approach and have got better in defence. They have cover also in case of injuries. The Gunners have 45 points after 19 games and are well on their way to winning the title but their late form in March and April will be so important as it has hampered them in the past. Our mark = 9
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola has been under pressure because after dominating English football for almost a decade Manchester City looked pretty fragile and weak by their high standards last season. So much so that it feels like a surprise to see them in 2nd place and genuinely challenging Arsenal for the title. Erling Haaland looks back to his very best and may break his own goalscoring record this season. Phil Foden is back on form again and the club are looking good overall. There will be some question marks that this side can concede and on the road for sure they are a unit that will lose games but it's a good sign to see them regain consistency circa 2023 form. Our mark = 8
Aston Villa - if truth be told it wouldn't be a stretch to think that Unai Emery could have been facing the sack in September. A good manager but sometimes projects run their course. Villa began the season with no wins in a month and no goals. And then a fantastic run began. The club won 16 of 18 games in all competitions and in the league went from 18th to 3rd. At one point Villa were only 3 points from Arsenal and could have been 8 or 9 points in the lead without that terrible start. Granted they took a hammering recently at Arsenal and landed back on planet earth. However Villa still look very good for another Champions League qualification. The club are in great hands. Our mark = 8.5
Liverpool - the Reds splashed the cash in the summer all £400m of it as Arne Slot wanted to mould his team in his vision after the carry over of Jürgen Klopp. The budget was in good hands given Slot had delivered the league title in his first year of asking and they got off to a brilliant start winning 5/5 games. Then the crisis hit which saw the Reds not only lose games but new signings Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz looked duds. To further the pain star player Mohamed Salah did the best ever version of the invisible man and van Dijk in defence looked like a circus act. Terrible form has put an end to Liverpool's title hopes however they have since recovered and look good for a top four spot. But long term questions over Slot's real qualities will continue. Our mark = 6
Chelsea - the World Club Champions have perhaps proved what a random cup competition it was last summer given that by the halfway stage of a new season they couldn't even make the top 4 and slipped 16 points behind the league leaders. At times Chelsea have looked really good and performed well recently against Arsenal but consistency has been their undoing. From 19 games 11 have either been losses or draws and too many points have been lost at home. Ultimately this has led to the sacking of Enzo Maresca yet another casualty of the Blues. There is a really good team in here and the owners have deep pockets so expect more from Chelsea going forward but considering the budget spent this has been an awkward season for the club. Our mark = 6
Manchester United - the positive is that the club has improved over last season. It's perhaps refreshing that the board have kept faith in Ruben Amorim not many managers would have got this time. United are playing better football but for every step they take forwards they take another sideways. Granted it will be refreshing for fans to see the club in 6th place but with the greatness of the club and budget more should be expected. We are still left with a team who have next to zero consistency and struggle against teams they really should be beating. Our mark = 6
Sunderland - there has been a trend of newly promoted sides going straight back down and this has mostly been down to differing budgets but also the quality of the league is at an all time high. The step up from Championship level to Premier is just so great. However Sunderland are bucking that trend. They haven't always been on the ball away from home but at home they are a difficult side to beat. In fact alongside Arsenal they are the only side still unbeaten. So 7th place and 29 points is fairly remarkable at this stage and there is no way the club will have any relegation threat. Our mark = 7
Everton - the Toffees have been accustomed to relegation battles over the past few years. But under the returning David Moyes the club are in their best shape since Carlo Ancelotti was in the dugout. It has been a remarkable turnaround for the club who will enter the new year with 12 points more than what they had this time last year. They are on course for 50 plus points and safety is just round the corner perhaps a European place is too. The midfield has been awoken by the likes of Ilman Ndiaye, Idrissa Gueye and Jack Grealish. The club are performing well on the road too. Our mark = 7
Brentford - the most important aspect with Brentford is how they remain a more staple side in the league. A club like the Bees can be one to fall at any given season but they keep punching well above their weight. It's impressive to lose a quality manager like Thomas Frank who guided them so well and still be in the hunt for a top half finish. Brentford have a knack of finding quality players and have a great coaching staff. Our mark = 7
Crystal Palace - the Eagles have a really good set up although it keeps getting tested just think that the club had to sell Eberechi Eze last summer. Then they were given next to no budget for a side who finally added silverware to their history last season. Manager Oliver Glasner continues to work small miracles at the club but he'll need more support. Striker Jean Mateta continues to be great for the Eagles. Sometimes their solidness deserts them but all in all they remain a tough cookie. Our mark = 7
Fulham - the Cottagers have got a LOT of heart. Here is a club that began with the campaign slowly and looked to be getting sucked into a relegation fight. But under the astute Marco Silva they have powered on. Recent form has been excellent and it is going to save the club this season. They have made up six places in six weeks and they know how to put an unbeaten run together. Our mark = 7
Tottenham - although Tottenham are only a point behind Fulham they would have come into this season with very different ambitions. The stadium is great, the club has money and a wealth of players and now they have the talented and experienced Thomas Frank. And yet here we are Spurs really shouldn't be in the bottom half of the table. Their home form has been nothing short of pathetic and players such as Richarlison and Brennan Johnson have gone missing. It's been a year since long term owner Daniel Levy left too. Much change but not much change results wise. Our mark = 5
Newcastle - Eddie Howe plugs on and at times especially at home we can see the potential of the club. But this season is nothing like the last two and the Magpies have really struggled to make their mark and get some consistency going. Granted they lost their best player in Alexander Isak but have bought some quality in including Nick Woltenmade. Away form has been really bad. Our mark = 5
Brighton - the Seagulls have had stronger seasons but they will be ok for this campaign. Like most clubs home will be where the points will come from and on the road they only have a 20% win rate. They are a Jekyll and Hyde type of side because on their day they can be a match for anyone. But they can also suffer poor form. Mid table should be good for them. Our mark = 6
Bournemouth - the club have really registered themselves over the past two seasons as a club not to be taken lightly. Hard work has been core to their improvements and this season seemed to be another successful one for them. However if we say that the club with the most improved form this season has been Aston Villa then the club who holds the number 1 rank for nosediving belongs to Bournemouth. From a secure top six they have plummeted to 15th and have picked up just 5 points from their last 10 games. They will be expected to bounce back in the second half of the season and they should be fine but obviously over the last 2 months they have been on relegation form. Our mark = 5
Leeds - Daniel Farke's side were expected to struggle and follow the form of most newly promoted sides lately and go straight back down. For the first 3 months of the season despite picking up some good results at home it did seem that Leeds were going to really struggle. However in the past six weeks there has been a tactical change moving two up front and a real fighting spirit from the club to push themselves out of the bottom three. Let's be clear Leeds are not out of the woods yet but at the halfway stage they will be fairly content to have a 7 point safety net. Our mark = 6
Nottingham Forest - Forest's troubles began early on as club owner sacked Nuno Espirto Santo after a row and then sacked Ange Postecoglou who seemed like a bad fit from day 1. He surprised most by bringing in Sean Dyche. It's been a real mixed bag for Dyche but Forest have been able to pull off some impressive results not just in the league but in Europe too. However he's still overseen 6 defeats from 15 games managed. Long term he is on course to give Forest a 50 point season- not this one of course but it's baby steps right now and there remains the danger that Forest could be in a relegation battle. Our mark = 5
West Ham - the Hammers went through 3 managers last year as everything seemed to go wrong once they let David Moyes go. They brought in the experienced Nuno Espirto Santo. He did manage a little run of 3 games where there seemed to be a light at the end of the tunnel but his return has been really poor. Nuno is a decent manager which he proved at Wolves and Forest but he has a very average team. West Ham have managed just 14 points this season and look to be heading down. January recruitment is much needed. Santo's win rate is just 14% which is bleaker than bleak. Surely the only way is up? Our mark = 3
Burnley - the Clarets have lost 13 from 19 games and have 12 points. It would have been tough for home fans to see just 2 wins so far but the club are not getting tanked week in and out. There is fight in them and some defeats have been narrow. The reality is that they look down and yet they have Forest within their sights but it would take an almighty effort either way. We've seen worse clubs in Premier League history but the struggle remains. Our mark = 3
Wolves - Ironically Wolves just prove how tough the Premier League is. Which club who were on 2 points for the season at the time could go to the league leader Arsenal and only lose in the last few minutes? Or give Liverpool a good game at Anfield and only lose 2-1 or go away to Manchester United and claim a draw. It doesn't seem normal when you look at their return. Evidently even the worst club in the league are not actually awful in terms of other European leagues. Still what a shocking season so far it has been for them. Still no wins after 19 games which turns into a new record if they fail to beat West Ham this weekend. Home fans have seen just 7 goals scored and new appointment Rob Edwards has earned 1 point from 24. Wolves are 15 points from safety and practically already relegated. Our mark = 1
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