Arsenal
Review: Unai Emery has introduced a high-pressing, speedy counter tactical philosophy far quicker than anticipated, making good use of the pace and technical ability of his attackers to successfully modernise the club. They remain badly understocked in defence, while Aaron Ramsey’s contract situation and Mesut Ozil’s worsening relationship with the manager have destabilised what could have been a perfect transitional half season for the new boss.
Best player: Lucas Torriera – Already looks the combative central midfielder Arsenal have needed throughout the last decade. His performances suggest Emery is good in the transfer market, which bodes well for replacing Ramsey in the summer.
Biggest disappointment: Mesut Ozil – He just doesn’t seem to fit with Emery’s demands for constant pressure and self-sacrifice, a fact made all the more frustrting by his obvious talent, huge wages, and the absence of a clear exit strategy.
Target: Safely securing Europa League football, plus a good run in Europe’s secondary competition, is all Arsenal can expect in Emery’s first season. Pushing Chelsea all the way for fourth spot can be counted a success.
Grade: B+
Bournemouth
Review: Eddie Howe has transformed Bournemouth from a possession side into one that sits deep and plays on the counter-attack, with mostly excellent results. Their form tends to come in waves, and although they currently sit 12th Bournemouth are only three points from 7th. It is worth remembering that Howe has normalised the unthinkable: this small south coast club spent a net of just £15 million in the summer and are pushng for a place in Europe.
Best player:Ryan Fraser – Leading the Premier League assist charts with eight, Fraser is the player benefitting most clearly from Bournemouth’s move to a counter-attacking approach. He frequently finds himself running one-on-one against an opposition right-back – and invariably comes out on top.
Biggest disappointment: Lewis Cook – The former Leeds United central midfielder has never quite fulfilled his promise, and this year the 21-year-old continues to hover on the fringes of the Bournemouth first team despite their relative weakness in this area of the pitch.
Target: Finishing in eighth is probably the highest Howe can hope for, with Everton’s vastly superior resources meaning they should complete the top seven behind Man Utd. A good FA Cup run is certainly on the cards.
Grade: A
Brighton
Review: Somehow Chris Hughton just keeps pulling off good results. Brighton’s squad is arguably the poorest in the Premier League, and yet 35-year-old Glen Murray won’t stop scoring, Solly March is making huge strides, and Shane Duffy is surprisingly dominant at the back. They are ten points clear of the relegation zone and only need another three wins to secure their place.
Best player: Shane Duffy – The 26-year-old Ireland defender has been instrumental to Brighton’s success this season. The club’s first three wins – all in a row in October – were 1-0, reflecting Duffy’s vital work in organising the defence.
Biggest disappointment: Alireza Jahanbakhsh – You’d be forgiven for never having heard of Jahanbakhsh, and yet he is Brighton’s record signing at £17 million from AZ Alkmaar in the summer. He’s only managed four starts and is yet to score or assist a Premier League goal.
Target: A mid-table finish is definitely on the cards now, since Brighton should hit a safe 35 points by early spring.
Grade: A
Burnley
Review: Things have gone horribly wrong for Sean Dyche and Burnley. Perhaps exhausted from the endless Europa League qualification matches in July, or maybe suffering an existential crisis after the high of last season, Burnley have sunk like a stone. Their infamously poor xG against has finally translated into goals this campaign; only Fulham have conceded more than their 41.
Best player: Johan Gudmundsson – One of the few players still looking like his old self is Icelandic midfielder Gudmundsson, whose combative presence has helped Burnley stay competitive.
Biggest disappointment:Joe Hart – All that shouting and screaming seems to increase the nerves of those around him. Hart has made several errors, while it cannot be purely coincidence that Burnley’s form has dropped dramatically since they changed goalkeepers… or that they kept a rare clean sheet in a 2-0 win over West Ham with Hart dropped at the weekend.
Target: Survival. That’s all they have to aim for now, but with new managers improving their rivals Burnley don’t look like a good bet to avoid the drop.
Grade: D -
Cardiff City
Review: Many pundits tipped Cardiff to set a record low points tally this season, which seemed reasonable given the low quality of their squad. But Neil Warnock has instilled a fearless, never-say-die attitude into these players and so far their season has been a big success.
Best player: Callum Paterson – Paterson has played in central midfield, right-back, and up front so far this campaign, highlighting his versatility before eventually nailing down the role of striker. The 24-year-old has scored four times in 11 league starts up front.
Biggest disappointment: Bobby Reid – He hasn’t been dreadful, but Reid cost Cardiff £11 million and looks well short of the required level to succeed.
Target: Cardiff are only three points above the drop zone and are unlikely to earn as many points in the second half of the season as the first. Survival would be a big achievement.
Grade: A
Chelsea
Review: Maurizio Sarri surprised everyone by making a big impact so quickly at Stamford Bridge, dramatically altering Chelsea’s philisophy effortlessly – until results started to turn sour as winter set in. His expansive attacking football is going down well with fans, but Chelsea are too predictable at the moment, invariably filtering their attacks through Eden Hazard and Jorginho. They need more variety, as well as a better centre-back partnership anda goalscoring striker.
Best player: Eden Hazard – On course for the most productive Premier League campaign of his career, Hazard is excelling in a side that like to play on the front foot. He is finally free to indulge his most creative side.
Biggest disappointment: Alvaro Morata – The Spaniard is simply too lightweight for English football and, after spendng years as a squad player for Real Madrid and Juventus has not developed the self-confidence needed to play week in week out. The sooner Chelsea find a replacement the better.
Target: Champions League qualification is the goal for Sarri, whose side are not enjoying the Europa League’s gruelling Thursday-Sunday schedule.
Grade: B
Crystal Palace
Review: It would be unfair to criticise Crystal Palace too much given the low quality of their squad, but Roy Hodgson’s dreary football is far too reliant on Wilfried Zaha for quality. Palace ought not to be so dangerously flirting with relegation, while Hodgson’s signings have generally flopped.
Best player: Wilfried Zaha – The Ivorian is laughably far ahead of his team-mates,who only just ended a sequence of 14 successive defeats in matches in which Zaha was absent.
Biggest disappointment: Christian Benteke – Few players have fallen as dramatically as Benteke, a man who was once picked ahead of Romelu Lukaku for the Belgium national team and was considered an exciting signing when Liverpool bought him from Aston Villa. Benteke has only managed four starts this season.
Target: Surviving the drop is just about good enough, although it’s hard to see Hodgson sticking around much longer unless their football improves.
Grade: C
Everton
Review: It took a little while for Marco Silva to stamp his tactical authority onto this team, but things are really coming together now for an Everton side that looked completely lost under Sam Allardyce. They’re some way behind the ‘big six’, but Richarlison’s goals and the return to form of Gylfi Sigurdsson have given the fans something to cheer about. The trio of signings from Barcelona have also impressed, suggesting Silva has a good eye for a transfer.
Best player: Richarlison – Refreshed after a summer break, finally the Brazilian is able to give a full season to the Premier League without collapsing from exhaustion. The result has been an instant payout on the £50 million tranfer fee, with Richarlison netting nine times so far.
Biggest disappointment: Morgan Schneiderlin – The former Manchester United midfielder looks disinterested and totally out of his depth, making just four starts in the 2018/19 season. Idrissa Gueye was sorely missed recently, and yet Silva still didn’t feel able to call on Schneiderlin.
Target: They should be looking to finish above Man Utd in sixth given the chaos that has engulfed that club, although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s manager bounce makes seventh a more likely target for Everton.
Grade: B
Fulham
Review: Slavisa Jokanovic’s attempts to play expasnive possession football proved disastrous for a club that spent too much money in the summer on established players. Fulham, unexpectedly promoted via the playoffs, should have shown greater caution – and appear to have found the right balance with Claudio Ranieri. They need goals, mind.
Best player: Aleksandar Mitrovic – The Serbian striker has scored eight times already this season, and looks set to play an even bigger role under Ranieri, who has begun to instruct his players to play long balls onto the target man’s head.
Biggest disappointment: Jean Michael Serri has looked lost in the centre of midfield, struggling to adapt to the speed and intensity of the Premier League midfield battle.
Target: Avoid the drop, although battling with pride might be considered good enough in the current circumstances.
Grade: D
Huddersfield
Review: Things have gone predictably badly for Huddersfield, a club that have performed magnificently to even be playing at this level. Their battle against the drop looks doomed, despite the best efforts of a talented manager and hard-working squad.
Best player: Philip Billing – The central midfielder combines a quiet technical artistry with powerful running in the centre of the park, injecting some tempo into a Huddersfield team that too often play a safe sideways pass. His (occasional) risk-taking has been the bright spot in a dreadful season.
Biggest disappointment: The strikers – Incredibly, not a single centre-forward has scored a league goal for Huddersfield this season. Centre-back Zanka is their top scorer with three, emphasising the club’s lack of cutting edge.
Target: Keep fighting until the bitter end.
Grade: D
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Arsenal
Review: Unai Emery has introduced a high-pressing, speedy counter tactical philosophy far quicker than anticipated, making good use of the pace and technical ability of his attackers to successfully modernise the club. They remain badly understocked in defence, while Aaron Ramsey’s contract situation and Mesut Ozil’s worsening relationship with the manager have destabilised what could have been a perfect transitional half season for the new boss.
Best player: Lucas Torriera – Already looks the combative central midfielder Arsenal have needed throughout the last decade. His performances suggest Emery is good in the transfer market, which bodes well for replacing Ramsey in the summer.
Biggest disappointment: Mesut Ozil – He just doesn’t seem to fit with Emery’s demands for constant pressure and self-sacrifice, a fact made all the more frustrting by his obvious talent, huge wages, and the absence of a clear exit strategy.
Target: Safely securing Europa League football, plus a good run in Europe’s secondary competition, is all Arsenal can expect in Emery’s first season. Pushing Chelsea all the way for fourth spot can be counted a success.
Grade: B+
Bournemouth
Review: Eddie Howe has transformed Bournemouth from a possession side into one that sits deep and plays on the counter-attack, with mostly excellent results. Their form tends to come in waves, and although they currently sit 12th Bournemouth are only three points from 7th. It is worth remembering that Howe has normalised the unthinkable: this small south coast club spent a net of just £15 million in the summer and are pushng for a place in Europe.
Best player: Ryan Fraser – Leading the Premier League assist charts with eight, Fraser is the player benefitting most clearly from Bournemouth’s move to a counter-attacking approach. He frequently finds himself running one-on-one against an opposition right-back – and invariably comes out on top.
Biggest disappointment: Lewis Cook – The former Leeds United central midfielder has never quite fulfilled his promise, and this year the 21-year-old continues to hover on the fringes of the Bournemouth first team despite their relative weakness in this area of the pitch.
Target: Finishing in eighth is probably the highest Howe can hope for, with Everton’s vastly superior resources meaning they should complete the top seven behind Man Utd. A good FA Cup run is certainly on the cards.
Grade: A
Brighton
Review: Somehow Chris Hughton just keeps pulling off good results. Brighton’s squad is arguably the poorest in the Premier League, and yet 35-year-old Glen Murray won’t stop scoring, Solly March is making huge strides, and Shane Duffy is surprisingly dominant at the back. They are ten points clear of the relegation zone and only need another three wins to secure their place.
Best player: Shane Duffy – The 26-year-old Ireland defender has been instrumental to Brighton’s success this season. The club’s first three wins – all in a row in October – were 1-0, reflecting Duffy’s vital work in organising the defence.
Biggest disappointment: Alireza Jahanbakhsh – You’d be forgiven for never having heard of Jahanbakhsh, and yet he is Brighton’s record signing at £17 million from AZ Alkmaar in the summer. He’s only managed four starts and is yet to score or assist a Premier League goal.
Target: A mid-table finish is definitely on the cards now, since Brighton should hit a safe 35 points by early spring.
Grade: A
Burnley
Review: Things have gone horribly wrong for Sean Dyche and Burnley. Perhaps exhausted from the endless Europa League qualification matches in July, or maybe suffering an existential crisis after the high of last season, Burnley have sunk like a stone. Their infamously poor xG against has finally translated into goals this campaign; only Fulham have conceded more than their 41.
Best player: Johan Gudmundsson – One of the few players still looking like his old self is Icelandic midfielder Gudmundsson, whose combative presence has helped Burnley stay competitive.
Biggest disappointment: Joe Hart – All that shouting and screaming seems to increase the nerves of those around him. Hart has made several errors, while it cannot be purely coincidence that Burnley’s form has dropped dramatically since they changed goalkeepers… or that they kept a rare clean sheet in a 2-0 win over West Ham with Hart dropped at the weekend.
Target: Survival. That’s all they have to aim for now, but with new managers improving their rivals Burnley don’t look like a good bet to avoid the drop.
Grade: D -
Cardiff City
Review: Many pundits tipped Cardiff to set a record low points tally this season, which seemed reasonable given the low quality of their squad. But Neil Warnock has instilled a fearless, never-say-die attitude into these players and so far their season has been a big success.
Best player: Callum Paterson – Paterson has played in central midfield, right-back, and up front so far this campaign, highlighting his versatility before eventually nailing down the role of striker. The 24-year-old has scored four times in 11 league starts up front.
Biggest disappointment: Bobby Reid – He hasn’t been dreadful, but Reid cost Cardiff £11 million and looks well short of the required level to succeed.
Target: Cardiff are only three points above the drop zone and are unlikely to earn as many points in the second half of the season as the first. Survival would be a big achievement.
Grade: A
Chelsea
Review: Maurizio Sarri surprised everyone by making a big impact so quickly at Stamford Bridge, dramatically altering Chelsea’s philisophy effortlessly – until results started to turn sour as winter set in. His expansive attacking football is going down well with fans, but Chelsea are too predictable at the moment, invariably filtering their attacks through Eden Hazard and Jorginho. They need more variety, as well as a better centre-back partnership anda goalscoring striker.
Best player: Eden Hazard – On course for the most productive Premier League campaign of his career, Hazard is excelling in a side that like to play on the front foot. He is finally free to indulge his most creative side.
Biggest disappointment: Alvaro Morata – The Spaniard is simply too lightweight for English football and, after spendng years as a squad player for Real Madrid and Juventus has not developed the self-confidence needed to play week in week out. The sooner Chelsea find a replacement the better.
Target: Champions League qualification is the goal for Sarri, whose side are not enjoying the Europa League’s gruelling Thursday-Sunday schedule.
Grade: B
Crystal Palace
Review: It would be unfair to criticise Crystal Palace too much given the low quality of their squad, but Roy Hodgson’s dreary football is far too reliant on Wilfried Zaha for quality. Palace ought not to be so dangerously flirting with relegation, while Hodgson’s signings have generally flopped.
Best player: Wilfried Zaha – The Ivorian is laughably far ahead of his team-mates,who only just ended a sequence of 14 successive defeats in matches in which Zaha was absent.
Biggest disappointment: Christian Benteke – Few players have fallen as dramatically as Benteke, a man who was once picked ahead of Romelu Lukaku for the Belgium national team and was considered an exciting signing when Liverpool bought him from Aston Villa. Benteke has only managed four starts this season.
Target: Surviving the drop is just about good enough, although it’s hard to see Hodgson sticking around much longer unless their football improves.
Grade: C
Everton
Review: It took a little while for Marco Silva to stamp his tactical authority onto this team, but things are really coming together now for an Everton side that looked completely lost under Sam Allardyce. They’re some way behind the ‘big six’, but Richarlison’s goals and the return to form of Gylfi Sigurdsson have given the fans something to cheer about. The trio of signings from Barcelona have also impressed, suggesting Silva has a good eye for a transfer.
Best player: Richarlison – Refreshed after a summer break, finally the Brazilian is able to give a full season to the Premier League without collapsing from exhaustion. The result has been an instant payout on the £50 million tranfer fee, with Richarlison netting nine times so far.
Biggest disappointment: Morgan Schneiderlin – The former Manchester United midfielder looks disinterested and totally out of his depth, making just four starts in the 2018/19 season. Idrissa Gueye was sorely missed recently, and yet Silva still didn’t feel able to call on Schneiderlin.
Target: They should be looking to finish above Man Utd in sixth given the chaos that has engulfed that club, although Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s manager bounce makes seventh a more likely target for Everton.
Grade: B
Fulham
Review: Slavisa Jokanovic’s attempts to play expasnive possession football proved disastrous for a club that spent too much money in the summer on established players. Fulham, unexpectedly promoted via the playoffs, should have shown greater caution – and appear to have found the right balance with Claudio Ranieri. They need goals, mind.
Best player: Aleksandar Mitrovic – The Serbian striker has scored eight times already this season, and looks set to play an even bigger role under Ranieri, who has begun to instruct his players to play long balls onto the target man’s head.
Biggest disappointment: Jean Michael Serri has looked lost in the centre of midfield, struggling to adapt to the speed and intensity of the Premier League midfield battle.
Target: Avoid the drop, although battling with pride might be considered good enough in the current circumstances.
Grade: D
Huddersfield
Review: Things have gone predictably badly for Huddersfield, a club that have performed magnificently to even be playing at this level. Their battle against the drop looks doomed, despite the best efforts of a talented manager and hard-working squad.
Best player: Philip Billing – The central midfielder combines a quiet technical artistry with powerful running in the centre of the park, injecting some tempo into a Huddersfield team that too often play a safe sideways pass. His (occasional) risk-taking has been the bright spot in a dreadful season.
Biggest disappointment: The strikers – Incredibly, not a single centre-forward has scored a league goal for Huddersfield this season. Centre-back Zanka is their top scorer with three, emphasising the club’s lack of cutting edge.
Target: Keep fighting until the bitter end.
Grade: D
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