Making the grade? Club-by-club Premier League half-term report cards
WHO'S STOPPING THEM: Manchester City's Rodri, Manuel Akanji and Erling Haaland celebrating, as per usual. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
Top of the League going into the festive fixtures - having also marked their return to Champions League football as unbeaten group qualifiers - is enough to be getting on with.
The 0-2 defeat at home to west Ham raised old issues - Arteta lacks a goal scorer with a killer instinct and are only a couple of injuries away from the threat of another collapse. Will Arteta be bold enough to strengthen in January and go for broke?
For last season’s William Saliba, read Declan Rice. Who would have thought a £100m transfer fee would now be read as a bargain? World-class midfielder.
: Striker in the mould of Brentford’s Ivan Toney, Villa’s Ollie Watkins or Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
: Apart from the Newcastle storm and a hardly-deserved defeat at Aston Villa, it was steady as she goes for Arteta and his men. However the loss to West Ham last Thursday has a few looking nervously around them.
Nick Callow
It's been a case of 'home sweet home' for Villa as they have gatecrashed the elite places on the back of a club record run of 15 straight home league wins. And with five out of their 10 remaining home fixtures against teams in the bottom half of the table, that form can continue.
Villa are keeping their season all on three fronts but they are hoping their Europa Conference and Premier League campaigns don't derail each other at a time when they will also want to progress in the FA Cup.
Ollie Watkins. Villa are one injury away from potentially having their season blown off course, as there is no natural, top quality replacement for their 14-goal striker.
..: Striker in January. Someone has to share the load with Watkins, and it would be a huge burden for the inexperienced Jhon Duran to carry.
Villa are 'A' grade at the moment but the second half of the season will determine whether they can remain at the top of the class.
Tim Nash
The fact they remain comfortably mid-table despite a lengthy injury list and the absence of their main striker confirms that firm foundations are in place at the club.
: The prospect of Ivan Toney’s return ought to lift the spirits but the reality is the forward’s availability next month is likely to trigger a battle for his services.
Ethan Pinnock has proved himself to be a reliable cornerstone of a much-changed defence and is one of the main reasons only seven clubs have conceded fewer goals in the league.
: Goalkeeper. Mark Flekken assumed number one duties following David Raya’s departure and has yet to convince. Injuries to Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade highlight the need for a forward.
Once again tipped to potentially struggle, Thomas Frank’s side continue to look comfortably at home at the highest level.
Ian Winrow
: Three little words: Roberto De Zerbi. The Brighton Head Coach has proved himself to be the most talented young manager in the Premier League, delivering a sumptuous possession-based style that is a joy to watch. There are big things ahead for Albion.
It has to be injuries. Brighton, in their first season in Europe, have suffered a lot of them already and have now lost attacking threats Adingra and Mitoma for over a month. Danny Welbeck is back but Solly March, Julio Enciso and Pervis Estupinan are big misses – any more could ruin a very promising season.
Captain Lewis Dunk. For all the creative players in Albion’s line up, Dunk is the one who sets the standards for Brighton and provides genuine leadership. His passing from the back is also outstanding. He and Pascal Gross are the heartbeat of Brighton.
.. Central midfielder and fullback Brighton haven't properly replaced Alexis MacAllister and Moises Caicedo, sold for big money to Liverpool and Chelsea respectively. De Zerbi knows he needs new recruits to achieve his ambitions this season. Fullbacks are also a big priority due to injuries.
: If you were marking relative to the cub’s size and income, it’s a straight A. But De Zerbi wouldn’t want that. His brilliant side need to concede fewer goals - andhe said so himself after the 4-2 win over Tottenham.
Chris Hatherall.
: What a job new manager Andoni Iraola is doing down in Dorset. He has transformed the style of the team – and their level of ambition – since replacing the popular Gary O’Neill. The 3-0 win at Old Trafford was a prime example.
There’s no reason for the Cherries to be fearful on the field given their current level of confidence, but it’s clear that Iraola is turning heads – and he only has a two-year contract. It will be fascinating to see what he can achieve.
Former Liverpool striker Dominic Solanke stands out. The 26-year-old is finally fulfilling his potential and looks better every week. With 12 Premier League goals already, he provides Bournemouth with a real cutting edge.
The team revolves around Dominic Solanke - and both Arsenal and Tottenham are sniffing. A back up is needed but for the Cherries, this category should really read ‘Must not sell…’
Given that Bournemouth were on the list of favourites for relegation after a poor start, their rise has been remarkable - including four wins in a row around Christmas. Their style is thrilling, too...
Chris Hatherall.
Not to put too fine a point on it, there are not any, apart from the fact Vincent Kompany has already shown he knows how to get a team promoted.
: No team has ever survived after opening a season as badly as Burnley have. There is no evidence the Clarets are about to make history.
Kompany. The manager is, arguably, Burnley’s only positive even if questions surround the way he has approached this season.
.: Miracle worker. Kompany bought 16 players in 2023 and there are serious questions over how many are good enough to play in the Premier League. Not many.
Relegation looking a certainty, Burnley should - and will - start planning for the Championship.
Ian Winrow.
While bigger ticket signings have struggled to settle, Cole Palmer has adapted to life at Stamford Bridge with ease and, along with Conor Gallagher, has provided the best moments of the season so far.
: It was always going to take time for a rebuilt side to click but the Blues continue to appear disjointed. Mauricio Pochettino’s demand for more new faces suggests there is more upheaval to come.
Conor Gallagher. The midfielder is one of his manager’s favourites making the possibility of him leaving next month to fund new signings all the more perplexing.
Forward. Christopher Nkunku’s return from injury is good news but the squad is desperately short of a top class centre-forward.
Todd Boehly presumably didn’t sign off on over £1 billion worth of new signings to see the club in mid-table with just six wins in 17 league games.
The absence of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze means Roy Hodgson’s side have been desperately short of creativity. The return to fitness of the pair will inevitably make the side easier on the eye.
Hodgson’s appointment felt like a sticking plaster and the fact the manager has already announced he will leave at the end of the season adds to the sense the club lacks direction. He may not even last that long if reports are to be believed.
Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen are as good a centre-back pairing as any outside the top six. Without them, Palace could be approaching Christmas much closer to the relegation places.
: A replacement for Cheick Doucoure who is out for the season. Chris Richards has done a decent job after stepping as a makeshift defensive midfielder but is not the long-term answer.
Having failed to replace Wilf Zaha, Palace have gone backwards and would be in deeper trouble but for the failings of the newly-promoted clubs.
Ian Winrow.
: A miserable 2023 has ended as well as could have possibly been expected with the Toffees climbing away from relegation, even with a 10-point deduction. Sean Dyche deserves a statue at Goodison.
The Goodison takeover, by the controversial 777 group, is in the balance and the League has confirmed Everton could be docked more points if they are found to have broken more financial rules.
: Jordan Pickford. The England keeper has been an inspiration and adopted by fans as a symbol of their fightback. They can only hope financial problems don't force January sales.
Deeper squad in general but a goalscorer would be welcome, given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury history.
For all the problems he has had to contend with, Dyche might be in the running for manager of the season.
Ian Winrow
Free-scoring Fulham? Nobody thought the Cottagers would register back-to-back 5-0 wins when they were struggling to fill the gap left by Aleksandar Mitrovic’s departure earlier in the season.
The recent scoring run has coincided with Raul Jimenez rediscovering his instinct in front of goal. It remains to be seen whether the Mexico international can maintain his form.
Joao Palhinha will once again find himself a target for a number of Europe’s biggest clubs during the transfer window but Silva won’t let the midfielder leave without a fight.
The fact Jimenez and Willian are joint top scorers with just four league goals highlights the need for a consistent goalscorer.
Marco Silva is entitled to be satisfied after seeing his side cap their recent steady improvement with a place in the League Cup semi-finals.
Ian Winrow
This was supposed to be a season of transition at Anfield, but instead Jurgen Klopp has them in the middle of the title race and top of the table. Mo Salah is at the peak of his powers.
Liverpool, simply, don’t seem to be playing that well on occasions and have required last-gasp winners to bail them out. Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz need to contribute more but it's good to see Diogo Jota back.
Mo Salah was a target for Saudi Arabia in the summer; it's to be hoped they don't return with a silly offer in January ... or that he does not suffer long-term injury. Will be missed while at the ACN.
: Centre-half. It’s still likely Klopp will do nothing in January but injury to Joel Matip makes a defender at least a possibility.
: Klopp has Liverpool fans believing again and that means this half-season is already a success.
Ian Winrow
: Rob Edwards - The ex-Watford boss has been a revelation, making the Hatters' dream of Premier League football a reality through exciting football and plenty of grit and determination. Has ensured his side have remained competitive up until the New Year with a real chance at survival.
Luton will need to spend some of that promotion money if they harbour any hopes of surviving. Tom Lockyer's absence will be a huge blow and reinforcements will definitely be needed come January if they are to close the gap to 17th.
Ross Barkley has been an instant hit for the Hatters, and looks to be enjoying his football once again. He was the best midfielder on the pitch against Arsenal and Manchester City, so keeping the 30-year-old fit and flying will be crucial.
: Central defender, with Lockyer expected to be out for an extended period of time. An experienced forward should be looked at to help Elijah Adebayo and Carlton Morris further bed into Premier League football, with a lack of goals still a concern.
If you told Luton fans that they would see Premier League football come to Kenilworth Road as well as having a fighting chance at surviving, then they would gladly have taken it. A fairytale story hoping for a happy ending.
James St Denis.
City won one in six before flying to the Club World Cup but, somehow, are still well in contact at the top of the table. Their rivals still fear them.
: This is not the City of recent years, their ability to kill games off that they have dominated is missing. And Pep Guardiola’s insistence on a small squad may bite them.
Erling Haaland is the obvious answer but John Stones has been a huge miss and they cannot do without Kevin De Bruyne much longer.
Who knows? Guardiola claims City will not do business unless someone leaves in January, then promptly signs young Argentinian midfielder Claudio Echeverri from River Plate as a future project. Kalvin Phillips is the only likely departure.
Europe has been a breeze but the league campaign well below par. Not that anyone dare write them off.
New minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally looks poised to take over football affairs and steps appear to be in the pipeline to finally offload some deadwood like Martial, Sancho, Casemiro, Varane. The comeback win over Villa is a start but only that.
United have been losing games at a record pace, there are persistent reports of dressing room unrest and big question marks over ten Hag’s three transfer windows. Overall, a mess.
Crazy as it would have sounded at the start of the season, the answer is probably Scott McTominay. He's leading scorer and named captain at Anfield recently.
: Where to start? Every area needs strengthening but delays over the takeover means big transfer business will have to wait until summer.
Out of Europe and the top four already looks out of their reach. Top six looks the best-case scenario.
Ian Winrow
Don't believe their protestations of poverty, Newcastle have an absolute fortune to spend in January should they so wish.
: Under their Saudi ownership, it's only a couple of years now until their home kit is switched to green and white stripes.
A trophy, and pretty sharpish.
: Striker with a better fitness record than Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, who between them can just about muster the number of appearances you'd expect to get from one player in a season.
It's been a decent first half to the campaign from Eddie Howe's injury-prone troops, but the raised expectations of supporters demands they do even better in the remaining months of the season.
Jason Mellor
: Forest may have lost their folk hero in Steve Cooper, but they could have another one with Nuno Espirito Santo if he repeats his success at Wolves where he took them into Europe. Winnign at St James' Park wasn't a bad start.
Forest’s recent run of form has taken them back towards the relegation zone, if Nuno cannot turn them into a more solid unit capable of scoring goals, then it could still be a struggle.
Morgan Gibbs-White remains the player at Forest who can turn their form around despite an average season so far, whether he takes to a new manager who gave him some ‘tough love’ at Wolves, is still to be seen.
: Proven goalscorer. With Taiwan Awoniyi recovering from a long-term injury, Forest need someone who can provide the goals needed to actually win some games. But Nuno may have to add to already bloated squad.
It has not been a good first half of the season and Steve Cooper paid with his job. Now it is down to Nuno to reverse that trend.
Tim Nash.
: At least there's only half a season of this purgatory left for supporters to contend with.
: Even with Chris Wilder back at the helm, the remainder of the campaign could be just as long and unforgiving as the first four months has been.
A vociferous home backing at Bramall Lane to help keep the players' spirits up as they attempt mission impossible to try and avoid relegation.
...: Easier said than done, but a new owner willing to invest in the squad would be a good start.
- Or whatever the lowest grade available is. Predictably awful first half to the campaign given the lack of funding made available to strengthen a team that always looked like it would struggle back at this level.
Jason Mellor.
Ange Postecoglu. The manager has transformed everything since taking over, and fans love having the real Tottenham back. Entertaining, attacking, and mostly winning football, under a dignified and intelligent leader.
: Injuries and suspensions have already had an adverse effect, with five winless games following two red cards and two serious injuries from the Chelsea car crash in November. Now AFCON and the Asian Cup will also deplete the squad.
In Postecoglu’s system, the team is always more important than any individual – thriving despite Harry Kane’s departure proves that.
... …central defender, as back-up with Romero not out until February. A centre-forward too, perhaps, unless fully-fit Richarlison can tick that box.
if you offered these four months to any Spurs fan on the eve of the season when Kane was sold, they would snatched your arm off.
Gerry Cox
Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus might not be natural fits in a David Moyes team but the pair - along with Jarrod Bowen - are bringing a new dimension to the Hammers’ attacking play.
Paqueta’s performances have caught the eye of Manchester City and if Pep Guardiola decides to make a move, it could deprive the Hammers of their creative driving force.
Edson Alvarez has proved to be an able replacement for Declan Rice, bringing an assured calm to the midfield while demonstrating a good eye for a pass.
: Mohammed Kudus’ absence for the African Cup of Nations stretches Moyes’s forward options, but the manager’s priority will be focused on strengthening his defence.
On the fringe of the European places and in the last 16 of the Europa League, the season has gone as well as Moyes could have hoped.
Ian Winrow
Gary O’Neil and Hwang Hee-chan are two. O’Neil had just five days to prepare the team after succeeding Julen Lopetegui and many expected Wolves to struggle but they look safe in 13th place. South Korean Hwang has been a revelation with his goals.
: Wolves will lose Hwang Hee-chan, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Boubacar Traore to the Asian Cup and AFCON respectively in January and the first two will be big misses. But Pedro Neto is fit again and will help to cover the loss of Hwang.
Craig Dawson. The 33-year-old defender has been a picture of consistency since arriving from West Ham last January and he provides much-needed experience alongside Max Kilman.
. Striker. Wolves have forwards who play in attacking positions like Hwang, Matheus Cunha, Neto and Pablo Sarabia, but not necessarily as a No 9, and Sasa Kalajdzic hasn’t been fit to last 90 minutes.
– Everyone expected Wolves to struggle but they look safe. O’Neil’s brief is to keep them up but they could finish in the top half of the table..
Tim Nash.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
