The halfway point of the Premier League season has been reached and overall few surprises have arisen. Manchester United lead the field by a point and Derby County are cast adrift at the bottom. How they are actually performing is another matter.

Manchester United Grade: A

An impressive run has recovered their poor start. Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo have been their source of goals and with the seeming return of Louis Saha from injury, their forward line should continue to overpower lesser opponents. The defence has been the most impressive and the only question mark concerns a loss of form or injury to Vidic or Ferdinand. Will be in the top two at the end of the season. Comfortably through to the Champions League second round with Lyon awaiting them.

Arsenal Grade: A +

Post Henry, Arsenal were widely tipped to be the members of the top four cartel to be most under pressure. It has not happened that way at all with Arsene Wenger’s men playing the most sublime football so far. A blip in away form recently has asked questions which need answering but likely to be the other team in the top two with United. A tough draw in the Champions League with Milan their next opponents and a London derby with Tottenham in the Carling Cup semi-final mean an interesting January and February lies in wait.

Chelsea Grade: C

Turbulent times at Stamford Bridge. They might be the richest but this season has proven money cannot buy the title every year. Injuries have disrupted the back four and front line, goals being in short supply which will cause Avram Grant concern. Take out the ten goals scored in the two home matches against Manchester City and Aston Villa and Chelsea are barely averaging a goal a game. The off the pitch shenanigans have severely disrupted them and they need to recover quickly, not an easy task with Terry and Drogba injured and Carvalho and Cole suspended for upcoming games.

Liverpool Grade: C –

Big spenders pre-season and a good start gave false hope of a title tilt. Dropping silly points at home has been rescued by excellent away form, the best in the top flight. With trips to Stamford Bridge, Old Trafford and The Emirates still to come, their only hope of a title is for a collective collapse in form by their rivals. Even delivering the Champions League may not save Rafa Benitez’s skin at the end of the season.

Manchester City Grade: A +

Without a doubt, the season’s over-achievers so far and come the end of the season, they may yet sneak into a Champions League place if they keep up the pressure on those immediately above them. The only unblemished home record in the division, nine wins out of nine – including a derby win over United - is a huge improvement on anything seen at City in the last forty years. Top marks for Eriksson in his ability to blend a large number of newcomers into a cohesive team. Only their away form might cause them to squander the good start, one win out of nine shows the huge improvement required there.

Everton Grade: B

Rated as a top six team beforehand, Everton have been quietly going about meeting expectations, exceeding them with their 7 – 1 demolition of Sunderland. Useful performances on the road have put David Moyes men into a good position to push on and grab a UEFA Cup place at the end of the season. An alternative route may come about in the Carling Cup where they face Chelsea in the semi-final

Portsmouth Grade: B –

Some scintillating away performances disguise the poverty at Fratton Park. Only two wins and eleven goals, seven of which came in their win over Reading; Portsmouth would be comfortably in the top four had they converted half of their six draws into wins. Nineteen points on the road suggest that this might be their salvation; their only defeats on their travels came at Anfield, The Emirates and Stamford Bridge.

Aston Villa Grade: B

Martin O’Neill has galvanised Aston Villa this season, making Villa a difficult proposition to beat. Having received a drubbing from Manchester United, they have taken four points from Chelsea and pushed Arsenal and Liverpool close at home. One defeat on the road suggests Villa might sneak a UEFA Cup place if they continue to produce at Villa Park.

West Ham United Grade: B –

Putting the turbulence of 2006-07 seemed a distant dream after Manchester City dismantled them on the opening day of the season. Home form remains patchy with only Middlesbrough and Sunderland vanquished. Reading, Bolton, Tottenham and Wigan have all departed with a share of the points which suggest that if the so far impressive away form falters, a bottom six finish may not be out of the question.

Blackburn Rovers Grade: C

Europe might have been distracting had Rovers not made an early exit from the UEFA Cup. Recent weeks have seen them concede too readily to consider a European place a possibility although the form of Roque Santa Cruz suggests that if they get things right at the back, a push upwards would not be beyond them.

Newcastle United Grade: D

Sam Allardyce’s debut season as Newcastle manager may be his last if media reports are anywhere near true. An opening day victory at Bolton flattered to deceive; their home form has gone from the ridiculous to the decent with heavy defeats against Liverpool and Portsmouth turning into a well-deserved point against Arsenal. Continued rumours of a sell-out by new owner Mike Ashley persist; a mundane mid-table position seems the best that they can hope for.

Reading Grade: C

Struck by Second Season Syndrome, an impressive away point at Old Trafford on the opening day soon sank into mediocrity, flirting with the relegation dogfight before pulling away to relative safety. Three points on their travels suggests that lower reaches of the table beckon, trouble definitely staring them in the face if teams below start to put a run together.

Tottenham Hotspur Grade: E

Shamefully mismanaged off the pitch with Martin Jol’s dismissal being handled with characteristic incompetence. Juande Ramos has stabilised the team affairs although Jermaine Defoe may be the highest profile departure. Fanciful dreams link them with David Villa, Tottenham are unlikely to rise to a UEFA Cup place, twelve points adrift of Everton already. For a club who boasted before the season that they would break into the top four, their performance has been little short of embarrassing.

Birmingham City Grade: C

Alex McLeish’s arrival has been a catalyst for a mini-revival to offset the continuing dramas off the pitch with Carsten Yeung’s takeover seemingly set to stall. On the pitch, City are threatening to pick up enough points on the road to suggest that Premier League safety may not be a pipedream.

Bolton Wanderers Grade: D

Doing well in the UEFA Cup, domestic form has been shambolic, improving slightly under Gary Megson. A good win over Manchester United may be the kick-start they need but right now the Reebok faithful might settle for mid-table mediocrity come next May.

Middlesbrough Grade: D

Could do much better. Home wins over Arsenal and Blackburn suggest that ‘Boro have been short-changing their supporters, attendances suggest that this is no surprise to the denizens of Teesside. Luckily others below them are worse on the road otherwise Championship football next season might already be a foregone conclusion. Other clubs could do well to note Steve Gibson’s loyalty to Gareth Southgate, continuity in the manager’s chair may save them ahead of others.

Wigan Athletic Grade: C –

Having stayed up by the skin of their teeth last season, there was no reason to believe this would be any better. Steve Bruce’s return to the JJB may be a crucial catalyst to their survival fight, something that is indicated by a mini-run of good results recently. Whether or not they can sustain these remains to be seen but two points out of thirty on the road may yet be their downfall.

Fulham Grade: D –

How different things might have been but for the two late goals conceded at The Emirates on the opening day. Had a win been carved out then, the side’s confidence may well have been unshakable. As it is, the self-destruct button has been pushed and cost Lawrie Sanchez his job. Thirty four goals conceded shows their problem although a new manager may be able to bring in more firepower, relegation seems to be the most likely outcome at the moment.

Sunderland Grade: D

Big signing goalkeeper Craig Gordon has not been able to bring good fortune to Sunderland’s road trips; the second worst away record in the division highlights their problem. Fancied by many to stay up, unless Roy Keane can bring more points in on their travels, a swift return beckons as their home form is no better nor worse than those above them.

Derby County Grade: U

Woeful. Conceding one hundred goals is a distinct possibility. Quite possibly the worst side to ever grace the Premier League. Relegation may well be assured by the end of February.

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