PREMIER LEAGUE REPORT CARD – PART ONE: Arsenal show they are in contention once more, Fulham are the surprise package, while Crystal Palace are yet to get going – so how are the teams faring so far this season?
The international break is here once more to bring a halt to what has been a pulsating opening to the Premier League campaign. It’s fair to say all 20 teams have endured varying degrees of success in the first two months.
You could be forgiven for expecting champions Manchester City to be sitting top of the tree after seven matches, but that is not the case. It is in fact Liverpool who go into the second international break leading the pack.
The Reds’ new dawn under Arne Slot has got off to a near-perfect start. They sit on a more than respectable 18 points with six wins from their first seven matches under the Dutchman. Meanwhile, Arsenal and City are just a point behind them and both remain unbeaten.
At the other end of the table, Gary O’Neil is suffering from second-season syndrome at Wolves, while the returning Southampton are finding life back in the England’s top tier more than difficult.
With all that said and done, Mail Sport have compiled report cards for each of the 20 teams after seven matches of action. Here are the first batch for you to sink your teeth into.
Liverpool sit top of the Premier League on 18 points after winning six of their seven games
Arsenal and Manchester City are both just a point behind the leaders and remain unbeaten
Wolves sit at the foot of the table with just one point and have conceded a mammoth 21 goals
Arsenal
Posititon: 3rd Points: 17
For two years running, Mikel Arteta’s side have been the bridesmaids. The hurt from back-to-back title fights has put Arsenal in a better position than ever to pip Manchester City to Premier League glory.
Once again, the Gunners have flown out of the blocks. They are yet to be beaten in the Premier League this season, boasting a record of five wins and two draws.
A win away at Aston Villa showed their title credentials early doors before a dramatic draw away at the champions cemented their contender status.
As the clock struck 97 minutes at the Etihad, Arsenal could taste the final whistle, they were within seconds of doing the unthinkable and toppling City on their own patch with only 10 men left on the pitch.
But their hopes were soon crushed by John Stones right at the death as the defender broke a near-formidable resistance from Arteta’s men.
It was a Premier League classic that questioned the Gunners’ tactics and deemed them as ‘dark arts’ experts. Whether you like them, or not, Arsenal mean business once more this year.
Arsenal’s display away at City proved that they will push the Champions all the way again
Well positioned in third, and with their attack flowing with its usual gusto, Arsenal look like they will fight until the very end of the season for the third time running.
Grade: A-
Aston Villa
Position: 5th Points: 14
If anybody thought that Aston Villa’s success under Unai Emery was a fluke, then well, you are already being proved wrong.
It’s a credit to Emery and his work ethic that Villa continue to exceed expectations week by week. Not just in the Premier League, they have hit the ground running in the Champions League, even recording a historic win over Bayern Munich.
However, this report card judges how they have done in the top flight, not all competitions. Still, it reads pretty well for the Villa fans out there.
The Villans have backed up their unexpected top-four finish from last campaign with a nifty start to this one. After seven games they have only been beaten on one occasion and that was by Arsenal. No shame in that.
One of their key strengths so far has been their powers of recovery. They came from behind against both Everton and Wolves to claim dramatic victories at Villa Park, displaying they have the mental strength to go with their attractive style of play.
Jhon Duran has been Aston Villa’s standout star this season and has four league goals so far
Another positive has been the form of Jhon Duran. He has reached cult hero status due to his consistent devastating impact off the bench. He has netted four times in the Premier League thus far, including a thundercracker against the Toffees.
The 20-year-old is not moving anywhere soon, either. He has recently put pen to paper on a new contract that will see him remain in the Midlands until 2030. So, all in all, it’s been a good start to the season for Villa.
Grade: B+
Bournemouth
Position: 13th Points: 8
Andoni Iraola’s first season in charge of Bournemouth was nothing short of a resounding success. The Spaniard guided the Cherries to their highest points finish in Premier League history as they ended the campaign 12th.
This season, they continue to show they are a good team, but there are still numerous chinks in their armour that have been on show.
After losing Dominic Solanke in the summer, questions over Bournemouth’s attacking potency were asked. But with Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson, they are in good hands.
The attacking pair have combined to net 50 per cent of Bournemouth of Bournemouth’s eight goals so far this season that have driven them to two wins and two draws, so far.
Andoni Iraola’s second season in charge at Bournemouth has already had it’s highs and lows
Their most impressive display of the season so far came away at Everton in late August. 2-0 now in the 86th minute, the Cherries rallied to produce the latest comeback in the competition’s history to topple the Toffees at Goodison Park.
However, while there have been good moments, Bournemouth’s leaky defence has halted their progression. They are yet to collect a clean sheet and have conceded 10 goals. A mixed bag, so far.
Grade: C
Brentford
Position: 11th Points: 10
Now known as the Premier League’s fast starters, Brentford look well and truly back to their best this season.
After suffering a rare relegation fight in the top flight last campaign, Thomas Frank has got his Bees buzzing back around mid-table after seven games.
It seems the Dane has invested in a launch pad in the summer to aid his side. In their past four matches, they have scored inside the opening 90 seconds.
In the first three of those, their opening goals all came in the opening minute of the fixture. It’s never a bore-fest when Frank’s side take to the pitch.
Brentford have scored three times inside of the opening minute of a match this campaign
Thomas Frank has got the Bees buzzing again with 10 points from their opening seven games
What makes their tally of 10 points in seven games look even more impressive is that they have faced Liverpool, Manchester City, and Tottenham away from home already.
While they fell to defeat to each of these big-hitters, their displays – which included first-minute goals away at City and Spurs – showcased that they can go toe-to-toe with the big boys.
With three wins and a draw from their other four games, inclusive of a 5-3 thriller against Wolves, the Bees are providing plenty of moments to savour for their fans.
Grade: B
Brighton and Hove Albion
Position: 6th Points: 12
Eyebrows were most ecrtainly raised when Fabian Hurzeler was appointed as Roberto De Zerbi’s successor over the summer. Well, now it all makes sense.
Despite being younger than many of his players aged just 31, Hurzeler has Brighton playing football with fluidity. The Seagulls have arguably the most entertaining side to watch in the Premier League this season.
The exciting style of play is also bringing results with it. The Seagulls have only lost once this season while they have claimed the scalps of both Manchester United and Tottenham at home already.
Their sensational second-half comeback against Spurs on Sunday has to be their highlight of the campaign, at the time of writing. They looked dead and buried at the break before three goals in 18 minutes secured them an incredible three points.
Not to mention, Hurzeler has already taken his side to Arsenal and picked up a point. It means they have already taken seven points from four games against the so-called ‘big six’, with their only loss coming away at Chelsea.
Fabian Hurzeler, 31, has proven to be a more than worthy successor of Roberto De Zerbi
With their side sitting in sixth, the Seagulls fans are dreaming of witnessing those magical European nights at the Amex once more. The way things are going, they may just become a reality next year.
Grade: B
Chelsea
Position: 4th Points: 14
It’s fair to say, Chelsea have had their critics over the past two years, and rightly so. Since Todd Boehly took over in 2022, the Blues have spent large sums of money with little progress to show for it.
When Mauricio Pochettino left following the culmination of last season it felt like the Blues were back to square one. The Clearlake-Boehly project needed rebooting and the Americans turned to Enzo Maresca in the summer in order to make it happen.
And so far, so good. Following an opening-game defeat to champions Manchester City, Chelsea have gone on a six-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League and sit in the top four.
The football they are playing under Maresca is admirable. The Blues’ tactics of ‘we are going to score more than you’ make for an entertaining watch. Only City have scored more than Chelsea’s 16 league goals this campaign.
However, while Maresca and his side deserve their praise, there are plenty of things they can improve on. Their 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at the weekend highlighted that there is work still to be done if they are to achieve their goal of qualifying for the Champions League.
After losing their first match of the season, Chelsea have remained unbeaten and sit fourth
After all, it’s a project, there are always going to be hiccups along the way. As they say: ‘It’s a marathon, not a sprint’. They are certainly up to speed, but consistency is required if they are to keep the pace with the best teams in the league.
Grade: B+
Crystal Palace
Position: 18th Points: 3
When the season got underway, I was convinced that Crystal Palace would start with a bang and mount a challenge for the top half of the table. It turns out I was very wrong.
While there is still a long way to go, the top half of the table is the last thing on Oliver Glasner’s mind at the moment as his side sit in the bottom three on just three points.
Palace finished last season as the in-form side in the Premier League, winning six of their last seven matches and drawing the other. The Eagles soared into a 10th-place finish, having been embroiled in a relegation battle before Glasner arrived in February.
However, the opening seven games of this season have been completely different. Palace are yet to pick up a single win and have lost four times, drawing three.
Crystal Palace have not continued their form from last season under Oliver Glasner (pictured)
Stars such as Eberechi Eze (above) have struggled to find the back of the net with regularity
The free-scoring side of last season seems to be a thing of the past. Only newly-promoted Southampton have scored less than the five goals palace have managed so far.
Eberechi Eze is struggling, Eddie Nketiah has been quiet, and Jean-Philippe Mateta is yet to rediscover the form that saw him score a bucketload at the end of 2023-24.
With all things considered, Palace have had a tough fixture list in the first two months. They have already faced Chelsea, Man United, and Liverpool. And in fairness to Palace, only the Reds managed to get the better of them.
The international break has certainly come at the right time for Glasner and his team. The German has a lot of problem-solving to do over the next two weeks.
Grade: E
Everton
Position: 16th Points: 5
It’s only been seven games but already Everton fans have been through the mill. After a challenging 2023-24 season in which points deductions threatened their place in the top flight, the Toffees may have hoped for a calmer return.
The Merseyside club suffered their worst start to a top-flight season in 66 years after losing their first four matches of the season. While being beaten with regularity is bad enough, it was the manner of defeats that was the real worry.
Everton were hammered by both Brighton and Spurs to start off their campaign before the aforementioned capitulation at home to Bournemouth compounded an already dismal August.
Two weeks after that, the Toffees suffered a case of deja vu. This time they raced into a two-goal lead at Aston Villa before yet again they conceded three goals without reply to lose.
While those first four paragraphs are a pretty damning read, not all hope is lost for a side that has never been relegated from the Premier League. They are unbeaten in their last three league games and even picked up their first win against Crystal Palace before the close of September.
Everton had their worst start to a top flight season in 66 years after losing their first four games
A relegation battle seems like it will be on the cards again for Dyche’s men, but if they continue their recent run of form they will feel confident that a place in the Premier League awaits them once more next year.
Grade: D-
Fulham
Position: 8th Points: 11
Fulham are flying at the moment, and that’s an understatement. After six games, they had made their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign with three wins, two draws, and a solitary loss.
You can now add another defeat to the column after they succumbed to the Champions at the Etihad on Saturday. Don’t let that sentence fool you, though. On another day, the west London side may have come away with all three points.
The Cottagers have been superb, so far. After losing to United in the season’s curtain-raiser, the football Silva’s side have displayed has been a joy to watch.
The signing of Emile Smith-Rowe from Arsenal has proved inspiring, while Raul Jiminez has stepped up his game hugely at the top of the pitch with three goals and an assist.
After starting last season so poorly, Fulham fans could not have hoped for a much better start to the campaign this time around. They already have as many wins as they managed in the first 12 matches in 2023-24.
Things are only looking up for Fulham who are flying at the moment in ninth with 11 points
While their attack has been key to their good form, it is the sturdiness of Fulham’s back four that has laid the foundations for some superb performances. Prior to the City loss, they had only conceded five league goals.
Grade: B+
Ipswich Town
Position: 17th Points: 4
After 22 years away from the Premier League, the anticipation ahead of Ipswich’s return to the big-time was sky-high.
However, the first seven games have not quite gone to plan for the Tractor Boys. At the time of writing, they are still yet to taste victory in the top flight and they sit on four points.
With teams such as Ipswich, though, you need to be careful when criticising them. Kieran McKenna’s side were promoted for a reason, their incredible mental strength partnered with their relentless pressing and possession-based style strangled teams in the Championship.
Nevertheless, the Premier League is a cut above and Ipswich have had to adapt their style when taking on some of the best teams English football has to offer.
Things have not gone to plan so far for Kieran McKenna who is yet to guide Ipswich to victory
Only Everton, Wolves, and Southampton have conceded more goals than the Tractor Boys
Their campaign could not have got off to a tougher start as they faced both Liverpool and Manchester City. Unsurprisingly, they came away from those two matches with zero points, but that is not to say they did not give the pair of Premier League giants a scare.
Ipswich’s system and willingness to go toe-to-toe with the top teams is admirable, but more balance needs to be found if they are to start picking up some better results in their bid for survival.
Only Everton, Wolves, and Southampton have conceded more goals than the Tractor Boys, so far. The four that they shipped away at West Ham took the total to 14. they will need to tighten up that backline after the international break, that’s for sure.
Grade: D
