The Premier League is well into its second half and, as always, it has not disappointed. Naturally, some things never change, with Arsenal still pushing the leaders (this year, it’s Liverpool), the stock of the Premier League’s ‘middle class’ continuing to rise (clubs like Brighton, Aston Villa, and Newcastle), and a trio of calamitous newly promoted sides seemingly all destined for the drop. However, there certainly have been some brilliantly unexpected stories along the way.

Arguably the biggest story of the season has been the ascendancy of Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth. The fact that both teams are very much in with a chance to qualify for the Champions League is really quite absurd, and very exciting for the neutral. Nottingham Forest have been a revelation, storming to third place in the table with twenty-four games played. While there have been murmurings of a Leicester City–style title charge, unless Liverpool were to collapse, the current nine–point gap does admittedly look like a bridge too far, even for Nuno’s fearless brigade.

A military brigade is an apt description for Forest this season, as they have been a defensively disciplined team, with the pairing of Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo coming into their own this season. As a result, Forest are the third best defensive team in the league in terms of goals conceded, a huge improvement on last year where their defence bore more of a resemblance to a sieve than an impenetrable wall. What makes Forest’s turnaround even more incredible is that last season they had to win on the last day to secure survival. Now they are flying.

“The real revelation of the season though has to be 33–year–old Chris Wood”

There have been improvements all over the park for Forest, with new signings such as Elliot Anderson gelling well with established players such as Morgan Gibbs–White. The real revelation of the season though has to be 33–year–old Chris Wood, and his metamorphosis into an excellent number nine. His clinical goal conversion rate of 33% is a league–leading statistic.

At the other end of the table, weathering what seem to be perpetual storms are Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. United seem to have been in a state of general malaise for many a year now, albeit sprinkled with brief positive interludes such as Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s mega winning runs during lockdown taking them to second, and Erik ten Hag’s honeymoon period post his 4–0 loss to Brentford at the start of the 2022/23 season.

Now though, the gears have ground firmly to a halt, which in the cutthroat, fast-paced, competitive atmosphere of English football, is the equivalent to falling further and further behind. Although much has been made of United’s many calamitous defensive mistakes, the real issue lies with a lack of goal threat, with a mere 28 goals scored this season by a club that likes to be known for attacking talent. The days of Rooney and Ronaldo are firmly over; even Wolves, who are languishing in the relegation places, have more bite with 34 goals in the same period.

Despite the dire conditions at United, somehow Spurs have managed to outdo the Mancunian outfit; they lie just a mere 8 points above the relegation zone at the time of writing. Injuries have of course taken their toll, especially in the defensive area, with the club missing key players such as Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie. Yet as with United, Spurs seem to have an air of mediocrity firmly ingrained in their psyche.

“The once self–adoring Guardiola seems on the verge of a breakdown”

Spurs fans are always quick to point the finger at Levy for his tight purse strings, yet Spurs’ net spend since the 2020/21 season has been even higher than that of the vilified Manchester City. It must be said, however, that Spurs’ future looks eminently more positive than that of United. Much the same as when Liverpool floundered in the 2020/21 season during Virgil Van Dijk’s absence, there is a clear reason behind Spurs’ decline, which when rectified, should be the first step back to challenging further up the table.

It would be rude not to mention Man City’s horrendous run of form over the past few months. The once self–adoring Guardiola seems on the verge of a breakdown, seemingly unable to comprehend the concept of failure. City’s confidence seems to have evaporated overnight, as they have gone from four consecutive Premier League triumphs to being humbled by Spurs, 4–0, and most recently to Arsenal, 5–1.

Before I wrap up, another club that deserves a mention is Bournemouth, with the side from the Victorian seaside resort enjoying their best season in the top flight. Although Forest have won a lot of the plaudits, Bournemouth’s brutal 5-0 beatdown of the tricky trees showed they have more than enough to potentially pip Forest in the league come May.

So how about the rest of this exhilarating season? How will January’s new signings shape up? How strange will it be to see Marcus Rashford at Villa Park, and can Omar Marmoush and Abdukodir Khusanov turn round Manchester City’s fortunes? I imagine that Liverpool will eventually match United’s 20 league titles and Arsenal will once again miss out – could even Mikel Arteta’s position start to be called into question? Whatever happens, it certainly won’t be dull.