We've
now been able to get a good look at each team post-lockdown, and we've provided
grades for each Premier League side based on performances and results since the
restart.
Arsenal: B
LLWWW
Arsenal
are on a three-game winning streak (in all competitions), something that didn't
feel particularly possible after back-to-back losses—one of which was to
Brighton & Hove Albion—dogged their immediate return to action.
The
wins have helped put the losses into context: Manchester City were too tough a
nut to crack in the opener, and they battered Brighton for a good 60 minutes
before imploding.
Since
then? Southampton and Norwich City were well beaten in the league, Sheffield
United were overcome in the FA Cup and Bukayo Saka has signed a new contract.
Aston Villa: C+
DLDL
Villa
look a different side since the restart—but "different" doesn't
necessarily mean "better."
They've
gone from expansive but leaky to...well, the opposite, grinding through games
in a controlled manner but really lacking any spark, any ingenuity and any pace
up front. They're now difficult to beat but dry up top.
They
were the better side against Sheffield United, Newcastle United and arguably
Wolverhampton Wanderers, but they squeezed just two points out of those games.
Wins need to come or the season will probably end in relegation, but at least
they're working off a solid base.
Bournemouth: F
LLL
What
on Earth?
Bournemouth
weren't in a good place before the break, and somehow they've come out of it
looking even worse. They've lost all three games played, have lacked the sort
of fluency and personality Eddie Howe's team usually play with and were
defensively calamitous against Newcastle United in midweek.
Their
fixture list from here reads: Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester
City, Manchester City, Southampton, Everton. And they're already in the
relegation zone. Gulp.
Brighton & Hove
Albion: B-
WDL
A
win, a loss and a draw has kicked off Brighton's home straight. It's solid,
unspectacular, steady—three words you'd be comfortable using to describe the
Seagulls' season so far, fittingly.
They
hung in against Arsenal and then took their chances to earn a surprise win
before competing against Leicester and holding them at bay.
The
only mark against them is the Manchester United game; they were too passive in defence
and were taken apart as a result.
Burnley: B
LWW
The
Clarets had their hides handed to them by Manchester City in their first game
back, but they have recovered to record back-to-back 1-0 wins.
They've
managed that without either of their first-choice strikers (Ashley Barnes and
Chris Wood) and have finally incorporated January signing Josh Brownhill into
the side.
They
have nothing to play for, yet Burnley are doing a better job of playing
lockdown football than most.
Chelsea: B+
WWWL
It
was all going perfectly. Chelsea were on the charge, two league wins from two
under their belt and looking for a third, heading into Wednesday's clash with
relegation strugglers West Ham United.
Leicester
City lost earlier that day, meaning a win would vault the Blues into third. It
was all set up. And then a series of defensive implosions—hardly an
unfamiliar sight to Chelsea fans this season—led to a 3-2 loss that derailed
what had been a perfect restart.
It's
still a solid return—they're well in the hunt for a UEFA Champions League spot
and they've progressed to the FA Cup semi-finals—but that West Ham game is a
major missed chance.
Crystal Palace: C
WLL
Along
with Burnley, Palace are one of the least relevant clubs in the Premier League
run-in. That's not a slight on them; it's just a realisation of where they are,
locked in mid-table, safe on 42 points, lacking the gas in the tank to pull off
a true surprise and challenge for a European spot.
They're
playing pretty much according to that.
Everton: A
DWW
Everton
looked a candidate to be grouped in with Burnley and Palace as an also-ran
across the final furlong; relegation wasn't a threat, Europe felt too far off
and they could easily have sputtered out.
But
the Toffees' case is slightly different. Carlo Ancelotti has not long been in
the job, and they're clearly trying to put building blocks into place ahead of
a full 2020-21 campaign with him at the helm.
That's
led to full commitment and great strides; seven points from nine, one of which
came against archrivals Liverpool, is an excellent return. They've taken
advantage of the indifferent form of others to put themselves in with a shout
of Europe.
Leicester City: D
DDLL
So...Leicester.
What's happened, guys?
Two
draws (against relegation candidates) and a loss to Everton, in which they
started so poorly they simply couldn't recover in the second half, leaves them
with just one point from nine.
They're
not playing with the zip expected, they're not creating chances for Jamie
Vardy, they're not defending with much authority and individual mistakes are
hurting them.
The
five-point gap they had on fourth in March is down to one, plus they're out of
the FA Cup. Can they shake themselves out of this stupor?
Liverpool: C
DWL
There's been no middle ground
in Liverpool's performances since the break; they were poor against Everton,
incredible against Crystal Palace and then terrible against Manchester City.
You can forgive them for their
4-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium—it seemed clear the week leading up to it had
been spent celebrating a Premier League title win, not preparing for a match—so
while a grade of C is disappointingly accurate, they probably won't care.
Manchester City: A-
WWLWW
City have already played five
games since returning, having to catch up on Premier League matches while also
participating in the FA Cup.
They've destroyed Arsenal,
Burnley, Newcastle United and Liverpool in the space of two weeks, showcasing
the sort of attacking prowess Pep Guardiola's teams are famous for.
But they also lost to Chelsea
in that span, falling in part thanks to some calamitous defensive errors that
have, regrettably, also become somewhat symbolic of this Guardiola team.
So, to be honest, it's been
business as usual for the Citizens.
Manchester United: A
DWWW
Life's good for Manchester
United right now.
Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes
are dazzling in midfield, Marcus Rashford's back, Mason Greenwood's turning
heads...the list of positives feels endless.
They're into the FA Cup
semi-finals, hammered both Sheffield United and Brighton and look the sharpest
team in the hunt for a Champions League spot.
Newcastle United: B+
WDLW
There didn't seem to be much
for Newcastle to play for upon the restart, but their good form, resulting in
seven points from nine, has made them an outside shout for the last Europa
League place.
Allan Saint-Maximin has caught
fire and is destroying teams almost single-handedly, and in place of what many
thought would be apathy toward the final stretch, there's a real fire.
They bowed out of the FA Cup to
Manchester City via a 2-0 scoreline. Given Arsenal lost 3-0 and Liverpool lost
4-0, that's more than respectable.
Norwich City: D
LLLL
Norwich have done little to
dispel the widespread belief they'll be going down in 20th place.
Opening with a 3-0 loss to
Southampton is the wrong kind of tone-setter, and while they always enjoy a
good spell in games, they seem to lack the mettle at either end to capitalise
and generate results.
Sheffield United: C
DLLLW
Thursday night saw the Blades
rediscover their rhythm. It was good to welcome them back.
The behind-closed-doors element
affected the team badly, and losing two key men on the eve of the restart
hardly helped, so the first set of performances against Aston Villa, Newcastle
and Manchester United were really poor.
We saw flickers of life in the cup
against Arsenal, then they exploded back into form against Spurs on Thursday,
winning 3-1 thanks to a performance Chris Wilder could finally point to and
proudly associate with.
Southampton: B-
WLW
It appears home games
are still a mountain too high to climb for Saints—despite there being
literally no crowd—and their 2-0 loss to Arsenal ensured they remain the worst
home performers in the league.
But away from home? Still
golden. Even more so, perhaps. Comprehensive wins over Norwich City and Watford
have lifted them to the 40-point mark and into probable safety.
Tottenham Hotspur: C
DWL
A fresh round of questions
landed at Jose Mourinho's feet after Tottenham's performance against Sheffield
United on Thursday.
Even a cursory glance at social
media reveals questions over the starting XI, the subs, the attitude and, of
course, the treatment of Tanguy Ndombele.
Four points earned against
Manchester United and West Ham United heading into the fixture seemed fine, but
four from a possible nine isn't good enough if the club's aspirations
(Champions League football) are to be realised. They're down to ninth!
Watford: D
DLL
Outside of the three seconds it
took Craig Dawson to unfurl his leg over his head and smack a remarkable,
last-gasp equaliser in against Leicester City, Watford have been extremely
underwhelming post-lockdown.
Burnley kept them at arm's
length, and Southampton took them apart. One point from nine is a fair
reflection of their performances, which have the fanbase deeply concerned about
relegation.
They're lacking attacking
inspiration outside of Ismaila Sarr, and they look far from sound defensively.
It's not a good mix.
West Ham: C+
LLW
Wednesday's thrilling win over
Chelsea saves West Ham's grade.
The performance was well worth
the three points, and they even managed to overcome a VAR farce, offering robustness
in defence, a threat from set-pieces and the sort of raw speed that caused the
Blues defence to collapse.
Up until then, the results
hadn't made for good reading (back-to-back 2-0 losses), but this was a reminder
of what they're capable of—and why they shouldn't be down at the bottom.
Wolves: A
WWW
It's easy to forget Wolves were
only promoted to the Premier League in 2018.
The fact they're challenging
for a Champions League spot is part of that, but the other is how professional
and calm they appear to be on the pitch. They grind out results in the way
seasoned challengers do.
They haven't hit top level but
still boast a max haul of nine points from nine, bringing them to within three
points of the third.
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