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We’ve reached the halfway point of the Premier League season and the table has begun to take shape with Manchester City looking set to march to the league title.
While City supporters are in dreamland with Pep Guardiola’s men sitting 13 points ahead of nearest rivals Man United, fans of bottom-placed Swansea have endured an agonising first half to the campaign.
Here, fans of the 20 teams give their verdicts on the story so far by giving their sides report cards with results ranging from A+ to F-…
Our season in three words: Par for course.
Best player - Mesut Ozil: Amazing what zero interest in your services can do to focus the mind when you’re in the final year of your deal.
Best signing this season: We all love Alexandre Lacazette. He has a great presence and he seems to have gelled nicely with his new side.
What we need in January: In a dreamland, it’d be ideal to find someone with the engine and speed of N’Golo Kante with the distribution of Granit Xhaka.
Verdict on season so far: C-
Our season in three words: Hesitant, strenuous, poor.
Best player: Nathan Ake just shades it ahead of Asmir Begivic.
Best signing this season - Nathan Ake: He reads the game so well and is a battler. Bournemouth are going to need everyone to roll their sleeves up in the second half of the season.
What we need in January: Apart from confidence, a quality and experienced Premier League player who can lift the team. If we could sign a scoring midfielder like Ross Barkley I’d be pleased.
Verdict on season so far: D-
Our season in three words: Heads above water.
Best player: There are four candidates in Lewis Dunk, Shane Duffy, Pascal Gross and Mat Ryan, but I am going for Mat Ryan who has saved us plenty of points already.
Best signing this season - Pascal Gross: He has glided into the Premier League under the radar, and at a splendid price, and is a very gifted deliverer of a football.
What we need in January: A striker. Glenn Murray is good but we need somebody brilliant. But that will cost an obscene amount.
Verdict on season so far: C+
Our season in three words: Beyond wildest dreams.
Best player: It’s a team game and that’s our strength, but if I had to pick one it would be Steven Defour. He has been a completely different player to last season.
Best signing this season: How on earth did we get Jack Cork for £8million? He has dovetailed perfectly with Defour in midfield.
What we need in January: A young central defender to add competition and someone to fill the void left by the injured Robbie Brady.
Verdict on season so far: A+
Our season in three words: Must do better.
Best player - Eden Hazard: Again outstanding, whether as part of an attacking three, through the middle in our false-nine formation or in behind the striker.
Best signing this season - Alvaro Morata: To come to a new country and league and settle the way he has done has been impressive.
What we need in January: We need another striker because the manager does not rate Michy Batshuayi. We also need a genuine left-back/wing-back.
Verdict on season so far: B-
Our season in three words: Disappointing, sacking, promising.
Best player - Wilfried Zaha: In the form of his life. Strikes fear into opposition defenders and fans alike.
Best signing this season: Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a class act, even if he is mostly being played out wide.
What we need in January: A striker and a goalkeeper. Just having to rely on Benteke up front has been tough. Impressive Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun would be worth looking at.
Verdict on season so far: D+
Our season in three words: Angry Birds sponsor.
Best player - Dominic Calvert-Lewin: Everton using long balls means he is the only player in the final third to knock them down. His finishing isn’t up to scratch but he is impressive shielding the ball and has fantastic pace.
Best signing this season - Wayne Rooney: Had my doubts but he’s one of our first players in a long time to turn up in big games.
What we need in January: A defence, and midfield that creates chances and doesn’t use long balls.
Verdict on season so far: E
Our season in three words: Home form crucial.
Best player: Christopher Schindler has been unreal at the back. Outstanding last year, but he’s stepped up even further. Also mentions for the ever-reliable Aaron Mooy and Jonas Lossl.
Best signing this season - Jonas Lossl: He came on loan, with a cheap option to buy, and has made crucial saves to win us points
What we need in January: We lack match-winning quality from the three behind the striker, but that comes at a cost.
Verdict on season so far: A
Our season in three words: Exciting times ahead?
Best player: Riyad Mahrez is starting to show flashes of his old brilliance, while Vicente Iborra has found his feet after a few injuries and is looking very assured in midfield.
Best signing this season: Harry Maguire has been a rock in defence alongside Wes Morgan.
What we need in January: I think we need another centre back in January as cover and perhaps another central midfielder.
Verdict on season so far: B
Our season in three words: A wild ride.
Best player - Mohamed Salah: He’s been better than anybody could have envisaged. He’s a superstar. We’ve not seen enough of ‘Big Game Gini’ Wijnaldum this season and too often he’s been invisible, especially away from home.
Best signing this season: Salah, obviously.
What we need in January: The same thing they needed last summer. A top quality centre back.
Verdict on season so far: B
Our season in three words: Simply sensational. Wow!
Best player - Kevin De Bruyne: Has taken his game to a different level this season and from a squad of stars, he has been the highlight.
Best signing this season: Ederson has given the whole side confidence with his shot-stopping and distribution. Kyle Walker has exceeded expectations, too.
What we need in January: A centre back to replace Eliaquim Mangala, especially if Vincent Kompany’s injury troubles continue.
Verdict on season so far: A+
Our season in three words: Not quite City.
Best player - Nemanja Matic: Antonio Conte must be fuming that Chelsea forced him to sell as he’s become our most important midfielder alongside Paul Pogba.
Best signing this season - Matic: £40m? What a bargain.
What we need in January: A Pogba alternative. It’s never going to happen in January but finding somebody who is capable of creating when Pogba is out… Antoine Griezmann would be ideal.
Verdict on season so far: B
Our season in three words: Wins are overrated.
Best player - Mikel Merino: He has coped well with the demands of the Premier League and has even kept Jonjo Shelvey out of the side in recent weeks.
Best signing this season - Merino: Originally arrived on loan but has already completed a permanent transfer.
What we need in January: A goalscorer. Joselu and Dwight Gayle are not cutting it and it looks very unlikely Benitez will turn to Aleksandar Mitrovic any time soon.
Verdict on season so far: D
Our season in three words: Void of inspiration.
Best player: Ryan Bertrand has further proven his professionalism, maintaining high standards of attitude and performance when few others have.
Best signing this season: The intensity that Mario Lemina brings on and off the ball is exceptional; he glides past players with ease and is always searching for a positive pass.
What we need in January: A mobile goalscoring winger, and competition for Fraser Forster.
Verdict on season so far: D
Our season in three words: Conceding goals everywhere.
Best player: It’s a toss-up between Xherdan Shaqiri and Joe Allen. The former has scored great goals to give us occasional hope, while the latter runs himself into the ground.
Best signing this season: Nobody has really made a difference to a team which was starting to struggle last season and has continued to do so.
What we need in January: A bit of everything off the pitch and some new ideas from the manager.
Verdict on season so far: E
Our season in three words: Messy, shambolic, agonising.
Best player: Lukasz Fabianski who’s been extremely busy! He is a top keeper, always commanding his box and making great reflex saves.
Best signing this season: Tammy Abraham has been one of the only bright sparks for us. It’s just a shame he’s only on loan.
What we need in January: The American owners to put some money in and buy what we needed in the summer — an adequate replacement for Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Verdict on season so far: E-
Our season in three words: Great in Europe.
Best player: Son-Heung-min has been underrated by everyone, even seemingly the manager. However, Harry Kane has been our best player so far, undoubtedly.
Best signing this season - Davinson Sanchez: For his age he already has the stature of an experienced Premier League centre back.
What we need in January: Someone with the ability to get in behind on the opposite flank to Son would give us an X Factor.
Verdict on season so far: B
Our season in three words: Dramatic, exciting, frustrating.
Best player: Abdoulaye Doucoure, without a doubt. We need to see more from Andre Gray — we paid a club-record fee of £18.5million for a goalscorer who isn’t scoring anywhere near enough goals.
What we need in January: A striker… and also a centre back.
Verdict on season so far: B
Our season in three words: Pulis, Pardew, poor
Best player - Ahmed Hegazi: A real old-fashioned defender who gets stuck in. Has made Jonny Evans look average this season.
Best signing this season - Hegazi: A shout-out to Kieran Gibbs though who’s one of the best full backs I’ve ever seen at the Albion.
What we need in January: Find somebody who can put the ball in the net. We’re in desperate need of goals, and our strikers look shot of confidence.
Verdict on season so far: F-
Our season in three words: Just predictably farcical.
Best player: Pablo Zabaleta continues to give his all when the going gets tough. Recent performances of Angelo Ogbonna and Marko Arnautovic cannot go unmentioned.
Best signing this season: We made just four and they haven’t helped the side climb the table, but Zabaleta has been a consistent performer every week.
What we need in January: Additions in defence and a robust holding midfielder.
Verdict on season so far: D-
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