 "Liverpool are flying high in the Premier League as well as the Champions League. AP")
The 2024-25 season of the English Premier League has produced several surprises already, from Manchester City’s dramatic downfall to United’s struggles under Ruben Amorim. Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, are on top of the Premier League standings with 45 points, eight more than Nottingham Forest, who are in second place with 37 points. Forest’s rise to the top two of the standings was quite unexpected, but it’s been that kind of a season where you cannot predict what can happen next.
With the season having approached the midway phase, we take a look at five key talking points:
Liverpool thrive under Arne Slot
Liverpool seem to be thriving under new manager Arne Slot. Sure, parting ways with Jurgenn Klopp at the end of last season would have been difficult, but the Reds seem to have adjusted to life under Slot. The Dutch manager has won 23 out of 27 matches in all competitions as Liverpool boss and are on top of the 36-team UEFA Champions League standings with 18 points from six games. Liverpool have also qualified for the League Cup semi-finals.
Mohamed Salah has been the catalyst with 17 goals and 13 assists in 18 Premier League games. Even speculation over the futures of Egypt forward Salah, captain Virgil van Dijk and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are all out of contract at the end of the season, has not derailed Liverpool’s rampant run.
Arsenal, nine points back, appear their most serious challenger, but Liverpool are well on course to match Manchester United’s record of 20 English top-flight titles by May.
Man City’s fall from grace
City’s run of two wins in their last 14 matches has been the story of the season so far, with Pep Guardiola admitting their record streak of four consecutive titles will not extend to a fifth. The defending champions are 14 points off the top, down in sixth and look in need of an overhaul if they are to return to their former glories.
“In some positions we need help,” Guardiola said after Sunday’s 2-0 win at Leicester ended a run of eight away games without a victory.
The loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a season-ending knee injury in September has been pivotal to City’s collapse, while Guardiola’s defence has been ravaged by injuries. Now they face a fight just to extend their 14-year run of qualifying for the Champions League.
Forest lead surprise packages
Forest only secured survival on the final day of last season but are enjoying a dream campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo. Famous victories at Anfield and Old Trafford have been the highlights as the two-time European champions have their eyes on a return to the Champions League next season for the first time in 45 years.
Only Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded fewer goals, while journeyman New Zealand striker Chris Wood has joined Salah, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak in the race for the Golden Boot. The struggles of the traditional giants has also opened the door for other unlikely contenders for Europe. Bournemouth sit sixth, with Fulham in eighth.
Man Utd sink to new depths
Much has changed at Old Trafford over the past 12 months, but results have only got worse . Since buying a minority stake in the club, Jim Ratcliffe has implemented a new sporting structure off the field, sacked manager Erik ten Hag and overseen another expensive spending spree in the transfer market.
United’s eighth-placed finish last season was their worst for 34 years. After 19 games they are 14th and closer to the relegation zone than the top four, with just seven points separating them from the bottom three.
United have lost four successive games in all competitions and five of their last six league matches, including their last three at home. Ruben Amorim has won just twice in the league since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in the worst start of any new United manager in nearly 100 years.
Promoted trio in trouble
For just the second time in the history of the Premier League, all three promoted sides were relegated last season. That feat is on course to be repeated with Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester ending the year in the bottom three.
The trend raises concerns over the growing gulf between the Premier League, which boasts the world’s most lucrative TV revenue streams, and the second-tier Championship.
Southampton’s return of six points is on course to break Derby’s unwanted record from 2007/08 as the worst team in Premier League history.
With inputs from AFP