The 2024-25 marketing campaign has introduced a way of unpredictability that we’ve not seen within the Premier League for years. Who would have thought in August that, on the half-way level of the season, Man Metropolis can be struggling to remain afloat within the Champions League and be on the fringes of the highest six?
Man United are seven factors off the relegation zone, Nottingham Forest are wanting like the actual deal in third place, and Southampton are prone to breaking Derby’s unenviable document of holding the bottom factors tally in a top-flight season (11).
On the high of the desk, Arne Slot is well-positioned to turn into the fifth supervisor in Premier League historical past to win the title in his first season in cost.
Liverpool preserve a cushty six-point margin over Arsenal in second, and nonetheless have a recreation in hand, of their bid to match United’s document of successful probably the most top-flight titles in historical past (20).
Right here at Mail Sport, we kicked off our Premier League report playing cards by assessing Arsenal throughout to Ipswich City. Sadly, followers of the opposite 10 Premier League golf equipment have needed to wait to see the grade their aspect has been given.
That wait is now over: right here is the second batch of mid-season report playing cards so that you can sink your enamel into.
Man United have had a nightmare first half of the 2024-25 marketing campaign and lie in 14th place
League-leaders Liverpool have steamrolled the competitors in Arne Slot’s debut season
Man Metropolis have dropped off massively previously couple of months and are down in sixth place
Leicester Metropolis
Place: nineteenth Factors: 14
Leicester Metropolis followers have been pretty pessimistic upon their return to the Premier League. It is truthful to explain their preparations for the brand new season as insufficient.
The Foxes did not strengthen their squad sufficiently as a result of worries over a possible factors deduction. After gameweek 12, they languished in sixteenth place, only a level away from the drop zone. Steve Cooper was promptly changed by former Manchester United assistant supervisor Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Leicester changed Steve Cooper with Ruud van Nistelrooy however have dropped within the desk since
Nevertheless, the tide has not turned for Leicester for the reason that Dutchman’s arrival, as they’re now feeling the warmth of a relegation battle much more, rotting in nineteenth place.
Disorganised is how I might describe the Foxes’ season. After topping the Championship in 2023-24, their comeback to the top-flight has been underwhelming.
Grade: D-
Liverpool
Place: 1st Factors: 45
Arne Slot has had a fairytale debut season on Merseyside, breaking some long-standing membership and league information. His aspect received 14 of their first 16 league video games, making him probably the most profitable Premier League supervisor in historical past over this many video games.
In addition to this, Liverpool received their first six away video games of the season beneath the Dutchman, a primary for any supervisor within the membership’s 133-year historical past. They’ve misplaced only one recreation in all competitions this season – a 1-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest at Anfield.
Liverpool have dominated and statistically have the perfect assault and defence within the league
Liverpool have scored probably the most objectives (45) and conceded the joint-least (17) within the league; it has been a rampant season for Slot’s aspect.
With a close to totally match squad and a six-point lead on the high (with a recreation in hand on second-placed Arsenal), the Reds are in pole place within the title race.
Grade: A+
Manchester Metropolis
Place: sixth Factors: 31
After 9 video games, I used to be braced for the same old script – an excruciatingly shut title race for almost all of the season, just for Metropolis to remind everybody who’s boss come Might. Pep Guardiola’s aspect topped the desk, main Liverpool by a degree on the finish of October.
Even after Rodri’s ACL tear a month earlier, Metropolis went on to win six of their subsequent seven video games, solely dropping factors in a 1-1 draw at Newcastle. It was a 2-1 defeat by Tottenham within the EFL Cup that kick-started the droop; since then they’ve received simply two of their final 13 video games.
The objectives have dried up for Haaland and Metropolis are large open on the again. The Norwegian has netted simply thrice in his final 10 league video games, whereas Metropolis have conceded 26 instances of their 13 video games since they misplaced at Spurs.
Metropolis have slipped away from the title race and at the moment are prone to lacking out on the highest 4
Now, they’re treading on the fringes of the highest six, only a level forward of Bournemouth in seventh, and 4 factors off Chelsea in fourth. Guardiola has by no means did not make the Champions League in any of his 15 seasons as a supervisor.
He not too long ago signed a two-year contract extension in Manchester; if Metropolis’s outcomes don’t enhance, he’s staring on the prospect of putting up with Europa League away days at Dynamo Kyiv, AZ Alkmaar and the like in his penultimate season.
Grade: D+
Manchester United
Place: 14th Factors: 22
If the grading system went all the way down to Z, that is the place I might put United. The Crimson Devils are properly on observe to eclipse their worst factors tally in a Premier League marketing campaign.
After 19 video games, United have logged 22 factors; at this charge, Ruben Amorim’s strugglers would end on 44 factors and blow their earlier record-low of 58 factors in 2021-22 out of the water.
They’re rotting within the backside half of the desk – nearer to the relegation zone (seven factors) than the highest 4 (13 factors) – in the course of a four-game shedding streak. United haven’t received consecutive league video games since Might 2024.
Man United are on observe to log their worst factors tally in Premier League historical past this season
There are a lot of extra stats that may be flown off, however the backside line is that this can be a traditionally poor season for the 20-time champions. Granted, Erik ten Hag’s catastrophe begin to the marketing campaign didn’t assist proceedings.
Nevertheless, since Amorim’s arrival, United have dropped from thirteenth to 14th and have managed simply seven factors in eight video games – their affairs have regressed. The Crimson Devils obtain the bottom ranking attainable in our report card.
Grade: F
Newcastle United
Place: fifth Factors: 32
After an underwhelming third season in cost for Eddie Howe, Newcastle have seemingly re-centred their trajectory and are not off course this yr. In 2023-24 they completed a disappointing seventh after qualifying for the Champions League within the yr earlier than.
Maybe aided by Tottenham and Metropolis’s disastrous declines, the Magpies have seized their alternative and are holding their weight within the top-four combat. They path Chelsea by simply three factors.
Newcastle have refound their type of outdated and are competing for a Champions League spot
Undoubtedly, the standout performer of the season for Newcastle has been Alexander Isak. Solely Mohamed Salah (17) and Erling Haaland (14) have bagged extra objectives than the Swede.
The largest enchancment for Howe’s aspect is their defence. Final season, they conceded a whopping 62 objectives, in comparison with simply 21 on the half-way level of the present marketing campaign. At this charge, there’s a excessive likelihood that followers might be seeing European soccer on Tyneside come September.
Grade: A-
Nottingham Forest
Place: third Factors: 37
Nottingham Forest are my decide for shock of the season. I do know Metropolis’s decline after nearly a decade of dominance has been a shock, however I will flip to Winston Churchill for this one. ‘To construct could must be the sluggish and laborious process of years. To destroy could be the act of a single day,’ stated the previous Prime Minister.
Make of that what you’ll, however for Forest to go from relegation strugglers final season to probably qualifying for the Champions League this season is as huge of a shock as any.
Nottingham Forest have gone from preventing to remain up final yr to battling it out within the high 4
Propelled by Chris Wooden’s electrical goalscoring run (11 objectives) and the third-best defensive document within the league (17 objectives conceded), Forest path Arsenal in second by simply two factors.
If it weren’t for Slot’s dream debut season on Merseyside, Nuno Espirito Santo would definitely be my favorite for Premier League Supervisor of the Season thus far – he should still be come Might.
Grade: A+
Southampton
Place: twentieth Factors: 6
Southampton have been dangerous. As in, just one group in top-flight historical past has ever been this dangerous earlier than – that is how dangerous. They’re prone to eclipsing Derby’s document of attaining the least factors in a Premier League season.
Having taken solely six from 19 matches thus far, the Saints want a critical reboot to keep away from being dragged into the dialog. Derby have the bottom factors tally of the 646 groups to have accomplished top-flight seasons since 1992 – they collected a measly 11 factors in 2007-08.
Southampton are prone to eclipsing the bottom factors tally in a Premier League season ever
Russell Martin was axed after gameweek 16, however new supervisor Ivan Juric has not fairly given Southampton that famend ‘new supervisor bounce’ so many groups profit from upon a change on the helm.
The long run is wanting bleak for Southampton. At this level, relegation is sort of a certainty, and it might take a miracle to overturn that reality.
Grade: F
Tottenham Hotspur
Place: eleventh Factors: 24
It has been a sophomore droop for Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham aspect, who’ve regressed after narrowly lacking out on Champions League soccer final season.
The objectives circulation once you flick on the TV to observe Spurs; sadly, for his or her followers, they have been going each methods. Solely Wolves (73) have seen extra objectives of their video games than Tottenham (69). 9 of their 19 video games have seen 4 or extra objectives for each groups mixed – it is by no means a bore-fest when Postecoglou’s aspect take to the pitch.
Tottenham face a 3rd consecutive season with out Champions League soccer in 2025-26
However entertaining soccer doesn’t at all times correlate to outcomes, as Spurs followers have discovered the arduous method. They’ve netted the second most objectives within the league (41) however path Chelsea in fourth by 11 factors.
Postecoglou has caught to his weapons along with his courageous tactical method, however could have to make some changes if he needs to earn Tottenham qualification to their seventh Champions League competitors in membership historical past.
Grade: D
West Ham United
Place: thirteenth Factors: 23
The grass is not at all times greener, I suppose. After David Moyes’ departure on the finish of final season, there was a renewed sense of optimism within the East Finish. Julen Lopetegui stepped as much as the plate, however his time on the London Stadium has been underwhelming.
So underwhelming that, at one level, he was tipped by many to be the primary Premier League supervisor to be sacked this season, earlier than Erik ten Hag’s departure from United on the finish of October.
Julen Lopetegui has been beneath fireplace after a rocky debut season at West Ham, who sit thirteenth
Moyes guided West Ham to a powerful ninth-place end in 2023-24 and had the Hammers preventing for European qualification in seasons earlier than that, bar a blip in 2022-23, after they completed 14th.
It is too early for me to show my nostril up at Lopetegui and be pessimistic about his future at West Ham, however all indicators level to a stale mid-table end in his debut season at West Ham.
Grade: C
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Place: seventeenth Factors: 16
Wolves are nearly treading above the relegation zone and have been in a deep combat for survival all season. The lack of Pedro Neto final summer season has not helped their trigger and, regardless of Matheus Cunha’s spectacular goalscoring document, they’ve regressed since final season.
Gary O’Neil was given the boot after gameweek 16, following a 2-1 defeat by Ipswich. Vitor Pereira succeeded the Englishman and has hit the bottom operating within the Black Nation.
Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil and have improved since however are nonetheless in a tricky relegation scrap
Wolves are undefeated beneath their new supervisor, successful twice and drawing as soon as, together with a 2-0 residence victory towards United and a 2-2 draw with Spurs final day out.
As a lot as I might wish to think about my optimism about their future beneath Pereira, the very fact is that Wolves have regressed. They went from scrapping within the mid-table final season to a relegation battle this time period. Thus far, it has been a disappointing yr for them.
