Premier League report cards: Who gets top marks? Who gets an F? Who has surprised?
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:The Athletic UK Staff
The Athletic's writers give their verdicts on each team as the Premier League season reaches the halfway point
In the words of Jon Bon Jovi, we’re halfway there. Woah!
As we enter a new year, the Premier League reaches the halfway mark, a perfect time to assess how each team has performed in their first 19 games of the season.
We asked The Athletic’s writers to send in their report cards. Here, they grade each team and tell us what the biggest surprises and disappointments of the campaign have been so far.
Aston Villa
Grade: A*
Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins embrace after Aston Villa came from behind to beat Chelsea (Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Two seasons in one. A terrible summer and start before an incredible renaissance. No team or manager are maximising their abilities more.
Biggest surprise: The transformation. This was supposed to be Unai Emery’s era going downhill, rather than scaling new heights. They have recovered 18 points from losing positions and are in their best form since 1914. Stunning.
Biggest disappointment: Can I still hark back to the summer? Financial restrictions greatly affected the transfer window. Within that, Harvey Elliott not having a chance to prove himself is perhaps the biggest disappointment.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Champions League qualification and winning the Europa League.
Jacob Tanswell
Sunderland
Grade: A*
Robin Roefs has been one of Sunderland’s most impressive performers (Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: It’s not supposed to be this easy for a promoted club. Seven wins, top half and almost safe by Christmas? Let’s get carried away, man.
Biggest surprise: The strength of the defence and the form of personnel within it. Summer additions Omar Alderete, Nordi Mukiele and Reinildo Mandava have all excelled along with mainstays Dan Ballard and Trai Hume. Goalkeeper Robin Roefs might also be the bargain of the season.
Biggest disappointment: Losing away to a poor Burnley team back in August very briefly dampened optimism, but it says plenty that there are so few alternatives for this category. Sunderland’s is a season with very few blemishes.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: To reach the 40-point mark as quickly as possible and then aim upwards. A top-half finish is still a tall order but not nearly as fanciful as it once seemed.
Mikel Arteta celebrates Arsenal’s victory over Aston Villa on December 30 (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Arsenal are on track to achieve their goal of winning the league. They’ve had plenty of wins, only two defeats, and are showing the required mettle to fend off Manchester City.
Biggest surprise: Viktor Gyokeres’ struggles in front of goal. The hope was that Gyokeres would hit the ground running and be the missing piece as Arsenal stormed to a Premier League title, but he’s been underwhelming, as is the fact he has only scored five top-flight goals.
Biggest disappointment: The injuries. Arsenal invested heavily in the summer to equip themselves with one of the best squads in Europe, but that has been tested by injuries to key players, whether it’s William Saliba and Gabriel, or Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: To win the Premier League.
Dan Sheldon
Manchester City
Grade: A
Rayan Cherki has scored two goals in 13 Premier League appearances (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Much better. City are energised and more athletically capable of survival in an end-to-end Premier League, and now pack a punch on the counter themselves.
Biggest surprise: The impact of Rayan Cherki. There’s always been a buzz about the 22-year-old, but his unrivalled technical ability on both feet has added a layer of unpredictability to City’s attacking approach.
Biggest disappointment: A shaky start. Consecutive defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton left City playing catch-up just three games in. Conceding that late equaliser to Arsenal was also a bitter way to end what was an unexpectedly galvanising performance that showed City can dig in.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: More of the same. City won eight games in a row to end 2025, the last of which at Nottingham Forest showcased real spirit. Regaining the Premier League title is the primary ambition, while the Carabao Cup is winnable and the Champions League would be a glistening finishing touch.
Jordan Campbell
Brentford
Grade: A
Keith Andrews replaced Thomas Frank in June (Dan Mullan/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Better than anybody expected after a summer of upheaval that saw Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Norgaard, Yoane Wissa and Mark Flekken all depart.
Biggest surprise: Keith Andrews replacing Thomas Frank as head coach with minimal fuss and Igor Thiago turning into a rampant goalscoring machine.
Biggest disappointment: Fabio Carvalho and summer signing Antoni Milambo suffering anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Two bright talents who will miss the rest of the season.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: To finish in the top half of the table and reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. They have been knocked out in the third round three years in a row.
Jay Harris
Crystal Palace
Grade: A-
Erling Haaland jumps for the ball with Marc Guehi at Selhurst Park on December 14 (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: A tight-knit group of players and excellent manager venturing into uncharted territory — and attacking it all with admirable gusto.
Biggest surprise: Marc Guehi still being in a Palace shirt? European competition has been a novelty rather than a surprise — and the brutal fixture list should hardly have caught them unawares. Being fourth in mid-December really was a surprise, though reality has kicked in since.
Biggest disappointment: Forget all the Europa League/Conference League stuff. The biggest disappointment is the lack of squad depth, for all that there are reasons why a club of Palace’s side cannot stockpile players. The biggest worry is that Oliver Glasner, the architect of the triumphs of 2025, is likely to depart when his contract expires in the summer.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Some new arrivals in January to help bolster numbers and give the squad a chance to deal with the onerous schedule. And ambitious succession-planning on the managerial front to ensure momentum is maintained.
Dominic Fifield
Leeds United
Grade: A-
Daniel Farke had been under intense pressure before a turnaround in form towards the end of the year (George Wood/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Leeds are at the upper end of people’s realistic expectations for a newly-promoted club. A miraculous December saved Daniel Farke’s job and gave them reason to believe.
Biggest surprise: The way in which Leeds and Farke turned their fortunes around across the toughest fixture run of the season in December.
Biggest disappointment: While the back-to-back losses at Brighton and Forest were particularly insipid, losing 2-0 away to Burnley, a fellow promoted side they dominated on every statistic, was the hardest result to swallow.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Survival, and before May for everyone’s nerves, if that’s possible.
Beren Cross
Manchester United
Grade: B-
Ruben Amorim looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers on December 30 (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Manchester United are competent again. For the most part, Ruben Amorim’s men beat the teams they’re ‘supposed to’, and have ways to avoid defeat against the other ‘Big Six’.
Biggest surprise: United now spend longer periods of time with a back four. The head coach has waited until now to make the change because he first wanted to ensure buy-in from the players, rather than making the change from a position of weakness. The adjustment makes the side harder for opponents to predict, and could earn them a few additional points in the second half of the season.
Biggest disappointment: Amorim’s project has come a long way since the defeat to Grimsby Town in the League Cup, but the lack of cup matches in 2025-26 has seen fringe players go without valuable playing time. Kobbie Mainoo’s future has been a repeat line of questioning in press conferences, with Amorim saying his job would be easier if he had more cup games to use the midfielder in.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Turn Old Trafford into a fortress again. Continue with the back four when United’s AFCON contingent returns.
Carl Anka
Everton
Grade: B-
David Moyes embraces James Garner after victory over Nottingham Forest on December 30 (Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: A challenging move to the new stadium navigated impressively, buoyed by an overall sense of upward trajectory under David Moyes and the club’s new football structure. Parts of their summer recruitment plan have worked out well, others less so.
Biggest surprise: The flourishing of James Garner: from a tidy midfielder who struggled to impact games into an essential cog capable of making his mark in a number of positions.
Biggest disappointment: The overly rotated team that resulted in September’s Carabao Cup third-round exit. Difficult to understand the logic behind so many changes at a club desperate for silverware, with a largely uncongested fixture schedule.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Atone for the above with a memorable FA Cup run. Meanwhile, find a way to get more goals in the team; whether through the January window or expediting Thierno Barry’s development.
Greg O’Keeffe
Brighton
Grade: B-
Danny Welbeck in action against West Ham on December 7 (Warren Little/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Consistently inconsistent. They are capable of beating everyone on a good day, but they have enough flaws to lose to anyone on a bad day.
Biggest surprise: Danny Welbeck scoring seven goals in as many league games from the end of September to late November after a slow start. He has many proven attributes during a long career at elite level, scoring goals regularly has not been one of them.
Biggest disappointment: Georginio Rutter’s form. The record-signing from Leeds United looked really good in his first season in 2024-25 until an ankle injury ruled him out from March onwards. The Frenchman has been nothing like the same marauding threat since then.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Carlos Baleba rediscovering peak form when he returns from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with Cameroon to galvanise the team back into Europe qualification contention before a big money exit to Manchester United (or somebody else) next summer.
Andy Naylor
Fulham
Grade: C+
Harry Wilson celebrates scoring against Burnley on December 13 (Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Solid, with flashes of brilliance from Josh King, Harry Wilson and Ryan Sessegnon. With safety looking likely, Marco Silva’s expiring contract is the only sticking point.
Biggest surprise: Harry Wilson looked like he was on his way to Leeds United in August. The move fell through and instead he is putting together the best season of his career.
Biggest disappointment: Lewis Miley’s 92nd-minute winner for Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: An FA Cup run and a swift resolution to Silva’s contract saga.
Justin Guthrie
Liverpool
Grade: C
Alexander Isak was injured after scoring against Tottenham (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Surprising and also terrifying that a club can spend £450million on signings and get worse.
Biggest surprise: The horrific period leading into the winter as Liverpool lost nine games in 12 across all competitions.
Biggest disappointment: Alexander Isak, who has looked a shadow of his former self since signing from Newcastle United for a record-breaking £125million and is now facing a spell on the sidelines with a broken leg.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: To fix the set-piece problems, claw back some of the points lost across the first half of the season to ensure a top-five finish and have a real crack at winning the Champions League.
Gregg Evans
Chelsea
Grade: C
Enzo Maresca and Chelsea parted ways on New Year’s Day (Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far:Chelsea have parted ways with another head coach so that tells its own story. They have won less than 50 per cent of their league games (8) and are five points worse off than at the same stage last season. The most consistent thing about them is being at (or near) the bottom of the fair play table for a third straight campaign.
Biggest surprise: Apart from Enzo Maresca packing his bags on New Year’s Day? How about ‘keeper Robert Sanchez going from being one of Chelsea’s biggest weaknesses to one of their best players.
Biggest disappointment: The month of December. Chelsea went from looking like a genuine force the month before into a side that could not beat struggling Bournemouth… twice. Maresca’s relationship with the club deteriorated like stale food left out overnight from a Christmas party.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: This is Chelsea. They will still look to win a domestic cup and qualify for the Champions League via a top-four/five finish no matter what.
Simon Johnson
Tottenham Hotspur
Grade: C
Tottenham have been without key players this season (Toby Shepheard/AFP via Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: The results have been average but acceptable. The performances have largely been stodgy and ponderous. Too much reliance on set pieces, not enough creative football.
Biggest surprise: The sacking of Daniel Levy in early September after a transfer window when he had continued to run Spurs’ recruitment. Nothing else comes close.
Biggest disappointment: None of Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke have started a game yet. Xavi Simons has settled slowly. And Spurs have looked utterly devoid of creative quality throughout.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Tottenham rediscover how to play attacking, attractive, expansive football at home. Because they never did that in 2025 and they will not go anywhere if they do not start doing so again in 2026.
Jack Pitt-Brooke
Newcastle United
Grade: D in the Premier League, B+ in cup competitions
Eddie Howe reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United on December 26 (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: After a(nother) summer of turmoil, Newcastle have struggled post-Alexander Isak. The Premier League has brought toil. The Champions League and Carabao Cup have been much better.
Biggest surprise: Finally ending that long wait for silverware has not been the springboard it could — and should — have been this season. With a trophy in the cupboard, European football to look forward to and money to spend after an arid spell in the transfer market, Newcastle were in a (theoretical) position of strength. Recruitment, whether outgoing or incoming, was desperate and they are still picking up the pieces. Turns out that being good is quite hard.
Biggest disappointment: Newcastle’s away form has been particularly moribund. With new players and more matches to contend with, their pressing style no longer functions. There have been some truly awful performances, including a supine 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, their local rivals. They ended the year by winning at Burnley, but gosh it was a struggle.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: That Eddie Howe can find some answers to Newcastle’s inconsistency. Qualifying for the latter stages of the Champions League would be decent. Successfully defending the Carabao Cup (is that too greedy?).
George Caulkin
Bournemouth
Grade: D
Antoine Semenyo celebrates levelling the score against Manchester United on December 15 (Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: They have the league’s second-best defence at home (six goals conceded) and the worst when away (29 conceded).
Biggest surprise: The emergence of Alex Jimenez and Eli Junior Kroupi, and Adrien Truffert proving to be one of the league’s better summer signings.
Biggest disappointment: How quickly things have unraveled since November, with no wins and five losses in 10 after five wins and one loss before that. Bournemouth have a largely fit squad now but are struggling to find the intensity and decision-making clarity that made them so good. Potentially losing Antoine Semenyo, the only player to exhibit both those qualities in the last few games, is a further complication.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: Andoni Iraola is still a good coach and the core from the last two and a half seasons is largely intact. Despite their regression, relegation is not a real concern yet, given Wolves, Burnley and West Ham United are teetering.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Burnley
Grade: D-
Mike Tresor made a rare Premier League appearance on December 20 against Bournemouth (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Burnley have tried to do things differently compared to two years ago under Vincent Kompany, from recruitment to style of play. They’ve been more competitive but the outcome looks ominously similar.
Biggest surprise: Mike Tresor, who had not played a league game since May 2024, getting a) Premier League minutes and b) being brought on as a holding midfielder — he’s a winger — in December 2025. On a more serious note, a relegation battle was always likely this season but, despite the improved competitiveness, only having one more point than they did at this stage two years ago is a surprise. That and Scott Parker’s reluctance to use Marcus Edwards until recent matches.
Biggest disappointment: Having the third-worst defensive record in the league. Only Wolves (40) and West Ham (38) have conceded more than Burnley (37). They built their Championship promotion on a record-setting defence. A drop off was expected due to the increased quality of the top flight, but it has been worse than expected and littered with individual and collective errors.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: That Parker’s side can find a way to survive. No win in 10 matches and six points from safety, they have to stop a sense of inevitability growing — and try to entertain supporters in the process.
Andy Jones
Nottingham Forest
Grade: F prior to Sean Dyche’s appointment, B- since
Sean Dyche succeeded Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest in October (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Unexpected fall-outs with Nuno Espirito Santo, the disastrous appointment of Ange Postecoglou, chaos, calamity and then, thankfully, a timely sense of stability and calm introduced by Sean Dyche.
Biggest surprise: Nuno talking his way out of the City Ground exit by twice publicly questioning his relationship with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis in the opening weeks of the campaign.
Biggest disappointment: That the pause button was pressed — until recent times at least — on all the optimism and hope of last season, when Forest secured a seventh-placed finish and a first return to European football in three decades.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: That Dyche can keep Forest on an upward trajectory and keep the team away from the threat of relegation. They have a squad that is capable of far, far more — as they have shown periodically under him.
Paul Taylor
West Ham United
Grade: F
West Ham are currently four points adrift of safety (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: Nuno has been involved in one clean sheet in a game involving West Ham — a 3-0 win over the east Londoners when he was Forest manager.
Biggest surprise: The level of underperformance by a squad with internationals and seasoned veterans, even though they did not sufficiently address their glaring issues — physicality and ball progression in midfield — in the summer. West Ham have failed to capitalise on the regression of other teams around them.
Biggest disappointment: Their inability to defend set pieces, often due to avoidable lapses in concentration and poor defensive structures. West Ham conceded 12 goals from corners in 2024-25. They have matched that tally already.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: For the second successive season, Jarrod Bowen has refused to be dragged down by the chaos around him. He has played every minute and has six goals and an assist. If West Ham stay up, he will be a big reason.
Anantaajith Raghuraman
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Grade: F-
Rob Edwards and his players applaud fans after the Premier League match against Manchester United on December 30 (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Sum up the season so far: No wins, soft goals conceded, no creativity, fans furious, a manager sacked, another being criticised already and most summer signings making little impact. Apart from that…
Biggest surprise: Just how bad it is. At the end of the summer transfer window it was obvious Wolves were in for a tough campaign near the bottom, but three points from 19 games is historically, painfully bad so it was impossible to know what was coming.
Biggest disappointment: That there are still 19 games to go. It is clear where Wolves’ season is heading and most fans would gladly end it now and move on to the rebuild.
Hope for the rest of 2025-26: A little respectability, perhaps three or four January signings that fans can buy into and give hope for the future, and some clear communication from new interim chairman Nathan Shi about exactly what the plan is for the next year or two.
