With the first seven Premier League matches wrapped up and the October international break upon us, Grosvenor Sport ambassador Jamie O’Hara delivers his verdict on how a selection of clubs are shaping up, handing out grades for the season so far.
Arsenal – C
It’s been a decent start to the season for Arsenal , and Mikel Arteta’s men are where you’d expect them to be. They’re in the mix and have played some okay football.
That said, I don’t think Arsenal have been brilliant in terms of their performances, but they’ve found a way to secure much-needed points. They’ve picked up a couple of injuries. Martin Ødegaard is a massive loss, which could be why we’re not seeing the best of them yet.
I can’t give them an A – there’s room for improvement. C seems fair, and let’s see what happens next. They’re where they should be, so all in all, a solid start!
Aston Villa – A
Aston Villa get an A from me. They’ve really pushed on from where they were and shown they deserve to rub shoulders with the elite. They’ve had big games in both the league and Europe. Beating Bayern Munich is massive, and they’re right up there fighting for a top-four spot – exactly where they want to be!
Yes, they drew against Man United and had a bit of a dip, but they’ve shown enough in the other games to warrant an A. Unai Emery has got the place buzzing, and the fans are loving being Villa supporters right now. Fair play!
Chelsea – B
You’ve got to say that Chelsea’s season so far is a B, nearly an A! Enzo Maresca has come in to basically a new team with so many fresh faces, and a lot of money has been spent. The question was always whether the team could gel quickly and to be fair, they have – with some really decent results.
It goes without saying Chelsea have some brilliant players – Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, and even Jadon Sancho have looked good. Nicolas Jackson is scoring goals and looks more confident in front of goal. They’ve shown more than I was expecting at this stage of the season, so it’s been a very impressive start from Maresca and his side.
Manchester City – C
I’d say Manchester City deserve a C, the same as Arsenal. I’m yet to see anything amazing, but like Arsenal, they’ve got the results they needed. Erling Haaland is scoring goals, as one would expect, but the defence are still conceding chances and have given away a few cheap goals.
In certain games, City have made it hard for themselves, but once again, they’re where they should be – in touching distance at the top, right in the mix. They’ll be in the title race by the end of the season, no doubt.
Manchester United – F
Manchester United are an F – it’s literally been a failure! They need to get rid of Erik ten Hag and put him out of his misery. I’m fed up with seeing his press conferences saying, “We’ve got a clear plan” – there’s no clear plan, Erik, not with you in charge!
I don’t understand what this INEOS meeting is about. It should be, “Hands up, who wants Ten Hag to go?” and everyone should be touching the ceiling! Come on, you’re Man United, you’re 14th in the table, and you’ve broken your own record for the worst start to a Premier League season. And the manager’s still there? Seriously?
I reckon you could get the chef to manage Man United, and he’d do better than 14th with the players they have. I think I could take over – it’s embarrassing!
Liverpool – A
I’ve got to give Liverpool an A. Arne Slot has come in and you never know what kind of response you’ll get from that squad, but they’ve been playing really well. The only thing stopping them from getting an A* is that they haven’t faced many big teams yet. There are some big fixtures coming up, and that’s when they’ll really be put to the test.
You can’t say they’re lower than an A – they’re top of the league, it’s been a great start, and a really solid showing. They’ve only conceded two goals off the back of an era everyone loved. This is a new era, and it’s a good one!
Tottenham – D-
Tottenham get a D- from me. Ange Postecoglou seems to have lost the plot a bit, especially when he started digging out the team. But in fairness, the capitulation against Brighton was shocking, and he has every right to be angry about it.
Losses to Brighton, Newcastle, and Arsenal – all teams fighting for top four – isn’t good enough. Spurs need to adapt, and the tactics when they’re winning just aren’t right. Ange needs to step up, and so do the team.