It has been an exciting season in the Premier League so far, but as we have
now almost reached the halfway point of the season, with those games being played on Boxing Day, how has the season gone for the teams so far?
What we have done is organise the 20 teams in a slightly different way. Sure the league table indicates who has performed in terms of points collected but how are teams performing based on last season and their pre-season hopes? Which teams have under-performed badly this season and which teams have done better than expected? In this article, we are going to rate each team’s performances in the season both domestically and in European competition (where applicable) to give you a half-yearly school report.
And of course, we’ll give you some tips for the remainder of the season too.
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Top of the Class
Manchester City – Rating – A*
Last season’s champions have been superb once again this season. Dominant in the league and producing some of the finest football the Premier League has ever seen. Are they even better than last season? Quite possibly so. Add to that a decent Champions League campaign and City’s defence of their league title has started superbly.
Liverpool – Rating – A*
It’s been a long time since Liverpool were genuinely this good. Sure, they have gone close in a couple of seasons but those teams have always had an achilles heel. This Liverpool team doesn’t seem to. Their league performances so far have been stellar, but they have shown a slight weakness in Champions League, but still progressed to the Round of 16 anyway.
Doing Well
Tottenham – Rating – A
Spurs don’t draw many games, but they did draw a crucial one in the Nou Camp to reach the last 16 of the Champions League in dramatic fashion. They have lost four games in the Premier League though, which is why their a little short of the top teams, but other than that their performances, especially away from home, have been excellent in the main.
Arsenal – Rating – A
I’ve given Arsenal a slightly higher rating than Chelsea despite them having an almost identical record and being in the same competitions, simply because I felt of the two teams Arsenal had the most to make up on the top teams this season. After losing their opening two games though the Gunners have been flying in what has been a stellar first season for Unai Emery.
Chelsea – Rating – A-
I’ve only given Chelsea a A- due to them being in the Europa League and not the Champions League, but their long unbeaten run in the Premier League was impressive, as was their win over Manchester City. Mauricio Sarri has done a superb job coming in at the club.
Steady Performers
Wolves – Rating – B+
It’s been a fabulous campaign in the top flight for Nuno Santo’s team following promotion. Draws with Man City, Man Utd, Everton and Arsenal, plus a win over Chelsea has offset some of the less impressive results. Wolves are safely in mid table and showing promoted teams how best to approach their first season in the top flight.
Everton – Rating – B+
Marco Silva’s Everton team are a vastly improved team over the Sam Allardyce team of last season. Far more attacking, with some talented players in attack, Everton have slipped up a couple of times this season when they shouldn’t, or they could well be hot on the heels of the top five. They could challenge for the Europa League next year.
Bournemouth – Rating – B+
Eddie Howe’s team have once again performed well above their punching weight this season. They started the season brightly and have managed to put together enough wins to retain a top half position. Considering their budget compared to Man Utd, it is clear to see who has achieved more with what they have this season.
Brighton – Rating – B+
One of the favourites for relegation this season, Chris Hughton has once again steered Brighton away from the bottom of the table with the team safely ensconced in mid table. On top of that the Seagulls have been playing some fine football and have given some of the top teams a real test in the opening half of the season. An impressive campaign so far.
Leicester City – Rating – B
After the awful tragedy at the King Power a few months back, Leicester have got back to Premier League football in a positive way and they remain one of the teams that should be pushing on towards the top six. Whether they can or not remains to be seen as they are a little to inconsistent at times, but they have the talent in their squad to do just that.
Watford – Rating – B
A few weeks ago, this rating would have been considerably higher but Watford have suffered a few poorer results since then dropping them down a little. It’s still been a very solid season for Javier Gracia’s team but it is going to be interesting to see whether they push on in the second half of the season or continue to drop back.
West Ham – Rating – B-
A few weeks ago, West Ham would have been in the category below this, but a much improved run of recent results has seen Manuel Pellegrini’s team starting to fulfil some of their undoubted potential. However, this team is better than mid table and should be pushing on towards the top eight at least in the New Year.
Cardiff City – Rating – B-
Very few people gave Cardiff a chance of remaining in the Premier League this season and while their away form has been poor, their home form has been the catalyst for a recent charge up the table. That’s a great achievement for a team operating on such a tiny budget compared to others at this level. Their task will be to maintain that in the second hald of the season.
Below Par
Manchester United – Rating – C-
There’s no two ways about it, this season in the Premier League is a huge let down for Manchester United fans, who wanted to see the team build on last season’s 2nd place finish. With talk of key players unhappy, real problems defensively and massively off the pace at the top of the Premier League even a Champions League Round of 16 place can’t make up for a very poor season. They only miss out on the category below due to that Champions League qualification.
Newcastle United – Rating – C-
Most Newcastle fans I know weren’t awfully pleased with how their pre-season went and many expected a struggle. They were bottom at one point but a better run of form has seen them move away from the drop zone. Rafa Benitez is doing a fantastic job on limited resources and it will be interesting to see how he improves the team in the transfer window in January.
Must Improve
Crystal Palace – Rating – D+
For a team as talented as Crystal Palace to be struggling once again is not good enough. Palaces problems exist in two areas, they make far too many individual mistakes in defence and miss a load of chances in attack. Solve both those problems and Roy Hodgson has a mid-table side on his hands. A big improvement from January onward is needed.
Huddersfield – Rating – D
David Wagner probably felt that after their honeymoon period last year, this season would be a tougher call for his team and so it has proved. It’s their home form that is the real worry with so few goals scored at home and points difficult to pick up. That will have to improve from January or relegation looks a real danger.
Burnley – Rating – D-
Sean Dyche’s team have struggled this season after a stellar run in the last campaign and it is hard to see them getting back to those lofty heights of last season. On their day Burnley can give anyone a game but they seem to have lost that defensive tenacity and organisation that was the hallmark of their campaign last season. They need it back, and quickly.
Fulham – Raring – D-
Slavisa Jokanovic bit the dust and Claudio Ranieri now has the job of plugging the leakiest defence in the Premier League. Fulham conceded too many goals, far too many and it is going to be a huge struggle for them unless they can find a quick fix to that problem. If not, then I fear by March, this team could already be prepping itself for the Championship next season.
Southampton – Rating – E-
The past year has been an absolute disaster for Southampton, Mark Hughes was a poor appointment and when he was sacked after just one win in 15 games, Ralf Hassenhutl has the job of steering the Saints ship to safety. Only with this squad and limited transfer funds, I really don’t see how he can achieve that.
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