StaffAlthough there are still a handful of games remaining, the current Premier League season is slowly drawing to a close. The English top flight is the most watched sporting competition in the world, attracting 3.2 billion viewers globally and with several clubs having splashed the cash in January, it also boasts many of the game’s most notable stars.
As always, this season has been packed full of drama and excitement and has had its fair share of talking points. We’ve taken a look at who has managed to exceed their pre-season expectations and which sides have fallen dreadfully short of theirs.
Overachievers
Newcastle
Despite the Saudi investment, Newcastle’s transfer business was relatively modest. The Magpies were certainly expected to improve upon last season’s mid-table finish and under the guidance of Eddie Howe, they have smashing all of their pre-season targets.
Although they endured a mid-season wobble and failed to win a single game during February, the Toon appear to have regained a foothold and with their sizeable injury list having dissipated in recent weeks, they are currently embroiled in battle for third place alongside Manchester United.
Aston Villa
At the beginning of the campaign when the best betting sites priced up their pre-season odds, it was implied that Aston Villa were set for a fairly mundane mid-table finish. Things went wrong for Steven Gerrard at Villa Park and the club won just two of their opening 11 matches.
Nevertheless, Unai Emery’s appointment has completely transformed their season and they now find themselves in a battle for fifth place with Liverpool and Spurs.
Between February 25th and April 25th, Villa won eight of their ten matches and drew the remaining two.
Brighton
When Graham Potter packed his bags and made his way to West London, you could have been forgiven for thinking that the Seagulls were in danger of getting sucked into a relegation battle. However, the appointment of former Sassuolo boss Roberto di Zerbi has propelled them into the top ten and they also reached the FA Cup semi-finals before crashing out on penalties.
Underachievers
Leicester
Leicester’s fairy-tale Premier League success may have been less than a decade ago, however, it is likely to feel like a lifetime ago for Foxes fans.
The East Midlands club have looked good in spells, however, they’ve struggled to put together a positive sequence of results and find themselves in an unexpected relegation battle.
The club called time of Brendan Rodgers’ tenure at the club in March and replaced him on a temporary basis with Norwich failure Dean Smith. The likeable gaffer has overseen a slight upturn in form, however, it may not be enough to avoid an unwanted return to the second tier.
Everton
Everton are part of the top flight furniture. The Toffees have been a constant presence in the Premier League, yet their status is currently under threat. The Merseyside club hired Sean Dyche in an attempt to steer them clear of the relegation mire, yet the former Burnley boss has been unable to build on his promising start.
The Toffees have scored just ten times on the road and with no Everton player having scored more than four times this season, it’s easy to see why they are languishing at the wrong end of the table.
West Ham
It might seem a little harsh to include West Ham in this section, however, despite still being in with a chance of clinching silverware this season (in the Europa Conference League), their top flight status remains far from assured.
The Hammers have picked up in 2023, yet prior to mid-January, they’d picked up just four victories and it took until the second week of April to pick their second away victory of the campaign.
The Premier League continues to deliver when it comes to pure entertainment and fans of the sport can expect plenty more ups and down throughout the 2023-24 campaign.
