Premier League pandemonium

Mikhail Shklover runs down all things Premier League as we reach the season's mid-point

IT was almost six months ago when many of us were once again back in front of our televisions or even in stadiums preparing for a slightly early restart to the Premier League season. After an exciting and eventful transfer window was able to bring new names both into the managerial roles and into the squad lists, we were set for another intriguing campaign in Europe’s most competitive league.

Although interrupted by a controversial mid-season World Cup, the season certainly lived up to the expectations. The standards of football were kept high with club football returning promptly on Boxing Day with little time for pause after the World Cup. In the space of just a few months, fans witnessed the return of the sustainably developing Newcastle United into the elite of English football, under the management of Eddie Howe.

Meanwhile, Erling Haaland’s frenzy of goal scoring has continued to break all sorts of records. Manchester United have enjoyed something of a rebirth under Erik ten Hag. The struggles of Chelsea and Liverpool have been clear for all to see. An exciting battle for survival is developing at the bottom of the table, and Arsenal continue to fly at the top.

As we reach the mid-point of the season, we are left with a lot to look forward to in the latter half. Despite an extensive desire to discuss the circumstances surrounding every club at this stage of the season, two major issues attract the most attention — the title race and the relegation brawl.

Although the excitement and uncertainty surrounding the relegation scrape is present, Arsenal’s spectacular form and momentum certainly draws our attention to the top half, and specifically the front runners of the Premier league.

Newcastle have made a step from the bottom to the top four thanks to good management and smart decisions on the transfer market; however, they are not yet ready to challenge Arsenal and City.

With Manchester United there is a similar story. Ten Hag’s men are improving and early defeats to Brentford and Brighton back in August seem rather anomalous in what has so far been a decent season for the Red Devils. With victory in both domestic knockout competitions (especially the Carabao Cup) looking very much possible, United will be striving to break the six-season trophyless drought, while also trying to keep up the pressure on Arsenal and Manchester City.

Nevertheless, a 14-point deficit behind the Gunners leaves the fight for the top four as the more realistic aim for this season. The reigning champi- ons City, under the management of a multiple Premier League winner, look to be the most serious challenge to Arsenal, mainly because of the spectacular form of Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian striker, whose arrival initially faced some level of scepticism, has proven all doubters wrong. With 25 goals in the league already, he is on track to beat Mo Salah’s single-season record.

Alternatively, there have been issues at Man City. The team is regularly dropping points and losing big games; such as the recent derby against United, in turn allowing the gap to Arsenal to increase. The constant rotation doesn’t seem to work as well as it used to, while the departure of João Cancelo after a conflict with Pep Guardiola highlights the potential issues within the dressing room as well.

Of course, Man City shouldn’t be written off too early, but they have so far been outshone by the league leaders.

It’s hard to escape the idea that Arsenal are truly back. In his third full season as Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta successfully managed to build a team which hasn’t lost in the league since September and is once again a force to be reckoned with. With Ramsdale putting in consistently good performances between the sticks, Saliba strengthening the back line, Thomas Partey asserting his dominance in the midfield and

Saka and Ødegaard providing the creative spark upfront, Arsenal appear to have found some balance on the pitch.

The summer arrivals of Zinchenko and Jesus have certainly helped the club to move forward, while the mid-season arrivals of Trossard and Jorginho certainly offer squad depth and experience.

The defeat in the FA Cup could also be considered a positive, with fewer games on the calendar for a side that is fighting for their first championship since 2004. This leaves Arsenal in a great position to walk away with the league. However, they still have to play City twice.

City have won their last 10 games against Arsenal in the league and although the five-point gap with a game in hand does give reason for Arsenal fans to be optimistic, losing both these games would put Arsenal under a lot of pressure which could be costly. Arteta’s men will be coming into these games with momentum and a potential eight-point buffer zone, but City should not be underestimated and Guardiola will do his absolute best to beat his former assistant manager.

The battle for the title is certainly heating up. On the opposite side of the table, a close battle for survival is taking place. With eight teams all directly involved in the relegation scrap and only the narrowest of margins between them, each side will be by no means safe from the drop in the near future. However, in my opinion, three sides in this relegation fight seem least likely to avoid the drop — Everton, Bournemouth and Southampton (some of you may disagree). Everton is in a very difficult position. Sean Dyche, since replacing Lampard, has been forced into a baptism of fire, having to face Arsenal and Liverpool in the first two games, meaning Everton’s position in the league will mostly remain quite miserable in the next few weeks.

Southampton is struggling even more. With just one win after the restart, the team sits rock bottom and is not showing any signs of improvement under Nathan Jones.

Bournemouth, however, looks like the weakest of the three (although this is highly subjective). The promising start to the season has been almost cancelled with just four points in the last ten games. All three teams look very likely to go down, but as just mentioned, the bottom of the table is tight as ever, and the situation could change in a flash. There’s definitely a lot to look forward to in the coming months at both ends of the table. Can Arsenal lift the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004? Will we be saying goodbye to a veteran Premier League club? The conclusion of the 2022/23 Premier League season is bound to be enthralling.