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Grading the Big Six’s campaigns: A 2023-24 Premier League season review
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While there is still plenty to play for in the 2023-24 Premier League campaign at the time of writing, especially in terms of the title race between Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool, it goes without saying that the season has been a rollercoaster of emotion for the so-called ‘Big Six’.
As the season draws to a close, we take a look at how each team has performed relative to expectations, their high standards, and where they currently sit in the Premier League table.
So, without further ado, here’s our grading of their campaigns based on how we predict the remainder of the season is going to pan out.
Manchester City – Grade: A
The favourites to retain the title according to the betting on football online, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City continue to be the standard-bearers in English football.
Despite the immense pressure and high expectations, Man City look like they are going to come out on top once again and win the title for an unprecedented fourth time in succession.
While Guardiola’s side arguably haven’t been as impressive as in previous campaigns, their quality and ability to churn out results is why they get an A.
Liverpool – Grade: B+
After a somewhat disappointing 2022-23 season by their high standards, Liverpool have bounced back impressively this campaign.
Jurgen Klopp has reinvigorated his squad with new signings like Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai blending well with their already established stars.
The Reds are still currently in the title race, showing significant improvement. However, they look set to narrowly miss out on giving Klopp the perfect send-off, keeping them just shy of the top grade.
Arsenal – Grade: B+
Arsenal’s young squad, under Mikel Arteta, has continued to develop and challenge the established Liverpool and Manchester City teams.
This season, the Gunners have once again showcased some scintillating football and have managed to stay competitive in the title race.
However, their inability to win crucial matches and some unexpected drops in form, particularly during the festive period, means they will likely miss out on the silverware once again.
Tottenham Hotspur – Grade: B-
After the departure of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in the summer, and another lengthy process to find their new manager, expectations were low for Tottenham Hotspur going into this season.
However, Spurs have arguably performed much better than many would have expected and they are set to return to European Football in some form next year.
Nonetheless, Ange Postecoglou will undoubtedly be kicking himself over the fact that his side have not been consistent enough to maintain their spot in the top four and securing a Champions League spot is now an uphill task.
Manchester United – Grade: C-
Expectations were high for Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United after finishing third and winning the League Cup last season.
However, this campaign has been a reality check as the Red Devils have struggled to maintain form and cohesion, resulting in them spiraling down the table.
While they still have the chance to win a trophy for the second year in a row when they face rivals Man City in the FA Cup final, their overall inconsistency and underperformance in the league have been disappointing and they might not even seal a European football spot.
Chelsea – Grade: D
Chelsea are still in a transitional state, and they have once again struggled for consistency, with a squad overhaul in the last couple of seasons taking a long time to gel while Mauricio Pochettino is the fourth manager in the Todd Boehly reign.
While there have been glimpses of what the team could achieve, a lack of reliability in the EPL betting and a failure to close out games could see them fail to achieve European football again next season.
Solid runs in the cup competitions and some good results in the Premier League, like the 6-0 victory over Everton recently, have shown that there is a foundation to build upon.
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