Arsenal lead the way at the halfway point of the season, but can they maintain their lead over Man City? And can Newcastle surprise everyone and qualify for the Champions League? Our mid-season round-up concludes with the top five of the Premier League table…
1st place – Arsenal
How their season has gone so far
Arsenal were the quickest team out of the blocks, winning nine of their opening ten games in their best ever start to a Premier League season. That good form has continued throughout the first half of the season, leading the way at the top of the league on 50 points and putting themselves in a strong position to secure a first league title since their invincibles season of 2003/04. Boss Mikel Arteta needed to bolster his Arsenal squad in the summer transfer window to try to put last season’s disappointment of missing out on the top four behind them, and the signings of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City have added a winning mentality to Arteta’s young but bright, young changing room.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow could the rest of the season pan out?
Keeping the squad fit will be Arsenal’s biggest task if they are to keep up their good form for the second half of the season as compared to their title rivals Man City, their squad depth is noticeably weaker. The Gunners haven’t had to rely on a single source for their goals, with the whole team chipping in, but with Jesus still out injured it will be crucial that forward Eddie Nketiah contributes in a significant way for Arsenal to maintain their lead at the top. Defeat at Everton was a disappointment but with two games against Man City to come, the title race is still in Arsenal’s hands and they have to be considered favourites at this point.
2nd place – Manchester City
How their season has gone so far
Pep Guardiola and his Man City team find themselves as runners-up at the halfway point of the season, a position which is unusual given their recent successes. Goals have not been the problem so far, having scored the most goals this season (53), with nearly half of those coming from their summer signing Erling Haaland (25). But despite Haaland’s ridiculous scoring record this season, Guardiola’s side have conceded nearly as many goals as they did through 38 games last season and recent defeats to Man Utd and Spurs have caused further doubt as to whether they can catch Arsenal.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow could the rest of the season pan out?
City will have to tighten up defensively if they are to secure a fifth league title in six years by surpassing Arsenal in the table. Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias have found themselves on the fringes of late, while an injury to John Stones has left Guardiola without arguably his best central defender. The departure of Joao Cancelo to Bayern Munich was a surprising one, but City certainly have the quality to win another title if Guardiola can get his side to click as he has done in previous seasons. Don’t rule them out just yet, especially if their games against Arsenal go their way. That will be pivotal.
READ MORE: Premier League mid-season round-up: 6th-10th
3rd place – Manchester United
How their season has gone so far
Erik Ten Hag entered the season with a real point to prove after taking over from Ralf Rangnick. The biggest story to come out of Old Trafford this campaign has been top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the club after a bombshell interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticised the club. But after CR7 left to join Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, the Red Devils went six games undefeated in the league before a narrow 3-2 away loss to league leaders Arsenal. The resurgence of Marcus Rashford, who was strugging to contribute in the early parts of the season, has propelled Ten Hag’s side into Champions League contention and Ten Hag appears to have United back on the right path.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow could the rest of the season pan out?
United look in a great position for a top four spot and are not completely out of the running for the title either, though it looks to be a bit too early for this side to win the Premier League. Wout Weghorst’s arrival has shored up their attacking depth following Ronaldo’s exit and Casemiro’s presence in midfield has proved key, though with the midfielder currently suspended Ten Hag will be hoping his absence does not prove costly. Should they stay healthy, Champions League qualification looks a solid bet.
READ MORE: Premier League mid-season round-up: 11th-15th
4th place – Newcastle United
How their season has gone so far
Eddie Howe and his Newcastle team have been one of the big surprises of the Premier League season and have every fan dreaming of Champions League football coming to St James Park. Around this time last season, Newcastle were in the relegation zone, having won just once and with a pitiful defensive record. A year on, Howe’s side find themselves with the best defensive record in the league, only conceding 12 goals so far this season. It was expected that Newcastle would eventually contend for Europe following a takeover from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in 2021, but the Magpies are certainly exceeding expectations this season.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow could the rest of the season pan out?
Champions League qualification would be an enormous achievement for this Newcastle side so early on under their new ownership, and the addition of Anthony Gordon in January has provided their attack with more threat. Getting Alexander Isak fit and firing would provide a major boost to their top four hopes, with the team struggling for goals of late despite their excellent defensive record. A continued lack of goals would likely mean they fall short of the top four come the end of the season, but top six is a very realistic goal.
READ MORE: Premier League mid-season round-up: 16th-20th
5th place – Tottenham
How their season has gone so far
Beating their fierce north London rivals Arsenal to that all important Champions League place last season, will forever live in the memory of Spurs fans. But their side have been left behind by the Gunners this season while questions about the future of manager Antonio Conte have been an unecessary distraction. Nonetheless, wins over Arsenal and Man City have shown that Champions League qualification is once again a strong possibility for Spurs. Many fans had hoped they would kick on even further this season, but Conte has got his side in a healthy position.
Embed from Getty ImagesHow could the rest of the season pan out?
With Harry Kane scoring at his usual rate and an excellent run of recent form from Conte’s side, edging past Newcastle into that top four looks a very real possibility come the end of the campaign. The January signings of Arnaut Danjuma and Pedro Porro have bolstered their wide options but an injury to goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who looks set to be sidelined for a possible two months with a knee injury, could prove costly. Fraser Forster will need to step up if Tottenham are to get into the top four.
