PREMIER LEAGUE REPORT CARD - PART TWO

We may only be seven games into the season, but already, it has the makings of becoming a memorable one. Teams have had varying successes in an electrifying first two months as we head into the second international break.

Not many expected Arne Slot's Liverpool to be leading the pack early doors, but the Reds currently sit pretty at the top just one point ahead of the two Premier League title favourites, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Meanwhile, at the bottom end, newly-promoted Southampton have been smacked with the reality of just how tough the league is, while Wolves are more than matching the Saints' poor start to the campaign.

Here at Mail Sport, we kicked off our Premier League report cards by assessing the Gunners all the way through to Ipswich Town. Sadly, fans of the other 10 Premier League clubs have had to wait to see the grade their side has been given.

That waiting is now over: here is the second batch of early-season report cards for you to sink your teeth into.

Leicester City

Position: 15th  Points: 6 

Leicester City fans were fairly pessimistic coming into the new season. It's fair to describe their preparations for a Premier League return as inadequate, and that's me being kind.

The Foxes failed to strengthen their squad sufficiently due top worries over a potential points deduction. In Steve Cooper's debut season at the King Power, he has a squad that is half-baked.

However, after successfuly avoiding punishment regarding spending rules, Leicester now have their full focus on achieveing their survival target. So far, it's been a topsy-turvy start on their route to accomplishing that goal.

Cooper's side finally got their first win of the campaign last weekend, beating Bournemouth at the King Power Stadium. It was the first significant step in proving they are good enough for this level.

However, they have already faced tough tests against Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Arsenal, only managed to take a solitary point from those three fixtures.

In each of those games, Leicester displayed that they will fight tooth and nail in their bid to win points, but their lack of quality throughout the team makes it a problematic task.

Grade: C- 

Position: 1st  Points: 18

The shift from the Jurgen Klopp era to the new dawn under Arne Slot was always going to be seismic. Replacing a messianic figure, such as Klopp is to Liverpool fans, is as difficult as it gets.

So far, Slot is making it look easy. The Dutchman's stamp on what Klopp called 'Liverpool 2.0' has been apparent, the team he was left by the German are taking to his aggressive but calm methods like a duck to water.

The Reds' performances have been superb thus far and they sit top of the table with six wins from their first seven matches. The only blip has been a shock 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest.

The foundation for Slot's early success has been the team's near-watertight defence. Liverpool have only conceded twice in seven games and have the most clean sheets in the division with five.

Slot and his side certainly deserve their praise, they have earned it, however, we are yet to see them be truly tested by some of the league's best teams. They have yet to face anybody who is currently in the top half of the table.

While they beat their bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford with authority, we will truly find out if Liverpool have what it takes to be in the title race when they face Chelsea and Arsenal in their next two matches.

It may be too early to know if this Reds team are good enough to compete for the big prize, but the signs have been mostly positive in the first two months. If they continue on their current trajectory, it could be a highly successful season.

Grade: A 

Manchester City

Position: 2nd  Points: 17

I feel it is always hard to judge how Manchester City are doing based on their start to the season. It's their faultless finishes to Premier League seasons that consistently wins them the Premier League title.

If City are within reach of the top when the turn of the year arrives, they will most certainly be considered favourites to take home a fifth successive crown. With seven games gone, they are positioned right where they want to be.

However, this campaign has not been without its challenges for Pep Guardiola and his side. After starting with four wins from four games, City have struggled to control matches with their usual aptitude.

The draw against Arsenal was an indicator that there is a mammoth threat to City's throne this year. City's inability to break down the 10-man Gunners until the 98th minute was certainly cause for concern for Guardiola.

Nevertheless, going forward they have been as rampant as ever, scoring 17 goals in the league, more than anybody else. 10 of those have come from Erling Haaland, who has been scarily clinical.

But at the back, City are looking leaky. They only have one clean sheet to their name and have conceded eight goals already. With Rodri unavailable for the rest of the season due to a serious knee injury, the defence is going to be working overtime.

Saying that, Guardiola's side are still yet to taste defeat in the league this season and are unbeaten in 30 games in the top flight, the club's joint best-ever run. So, despite a few concerns, City have got off to a promising start. 

Grade: B+ 

Manchester United

Position: 14th  Points: 8

Any Manchester United fans who have scrolled down to this section of the feature will not be looking forward to reading these next few paragraphs. Any early-season optimism from within the fanbase has been drained by United's start.

After a summer of change at the club, in which Erik ten Hag was rewarded a new contract, there was a feel-good factor on the red half of Manchester. Their opening-day win against Fulham only made that feeling stronger.

It didn't take that feeling long to fade, though. Under Ten Hag, United continue to be guided down a path to mediocrity, the same one that led them to their worst-ever Premier League finish last season.

After seven games, they sit on a lowly eight points with just two wins on the board. It is the club's lowest tally after that many matches in Premier League history. In fact, it's their worst start since the 1989-90 campaign.

Heavy home defeats at the hands of Liverpool and Tottenham have shown that the same old problems that haunted Ten Hag's season last year remain an issue. Despite being three seasons into his reign, the Dutchman's footballing identity is still imperceptible.

Ten Hag's future is up in the air, just as it was in May. At the time of writing, it has been reported that the United hierarchy are considering replacing the 54-year-old with former Chelsea and Bayern Munch manager, Thomas Tuchel.

Grade: E 

Newcastle United

Position: 7th  Points: 12

If I could use one word to describe Newcastle's start to the season, it would be 'befuddling'. While results have been mostly positive this season, the usual joyousness within the fanbase is not quite as prevalent.

After missing out on Europe last season, Newcastle's target was to make sure they were back amongst the big boys sooner rather than later. To do that, they need to deliver this season.

Thus far, they are collecting results that reflect that very desire. The Magpies made their best start in 29 years by picking up 10 points from their first four games. Just looking at their results, you'd think their would be plenty to cheer about.

But for the majority of those four games, Newcastle's performances were questionable. The results did not reflect what fans were witnessing on the pitch this week. Nevertheless, picking up points is what matters, right?

In that regard, the Geordies can be happy with where they are placed heading into the international break. Sitting seventh on 12 points is good going and they have already faced Spurs and Man City, picking up four points from two tricky matches.

It may have been a tumultuous start in regards to their transfer window and pessimism off the pitch, but on it, Newcastle can be satisfied with they are at.

Grade: C 

Nottingham Forest 

Position: 10th  Points: 10

Nottingham Forest's first two seasons back in the Premier League were emotionally draining for supporters. In both, they were embroiled in intense battles for survival and prevailed by the skin of their teeth.

This season is different. Forest are flourishing under the stewardship of Nuno Espirito Santo, who is now in his first full season in charge at the City Ground. He is delivering on his promise that things would improve.

While we are only seven games in, the East Midlands club are flying. They have only lost once and are sitting pretty in the top half of the table. Positivity within the club is extremely high due to the level Forest are playing at.

Espirito Santo has made them hard to beat, proven best by their inspired performance at Anfield as they claimed a historic win over Liverpool. As things stand, they remain the only side to have taken points off of Slot's side in all competitions.

Forest have only conceded six goals, so far, which is the joint-second-best defensive record in the division alongside Arsenal. The acquisition of Nikola Milenkovic at the back has proved pivotal to their solidity.

There may be a long way still to go, but Forest have already collected nearly a third of the 32 points they managed last season. If they can keep up their current form, the Reds will be well clear of a third successive relegation scrap.

Grade: B+ 

Southampton

Position 19th  Points: 1

We've seen this film before, we know how it plays out. Russell Martin's side are this year's version of Vincent Kompany's Burnley - they are sticking to the style that got them promoted and it's simply not working.

With promoted sides, you can cut them slack as they adapt to the demanding nature of the Premier League. It can take a while for teams to find their feet in a division stacked with top teams, hence why all three promoted teams went straight back down last season.

However, the Saints are not helping themselves with the system that is being deployed by Martin. Their attempts to play possession-based football in the top flight are getting them torn apart by teams much stronger than them.

They have earned just one point in their opening seven matches, their joint-worst return in Premier League history. The Saints have conceded 15 times while scoring only four goals.

It's been a dismal start to the season, but there has been one positive to come out of it. The rise of 18-year-old Tyler Dibling. The youngster has been a shining light in a gloomy two months, providing energy and skill in a team devoid of confidence.

There is a lot of reflection that needs to be undertaken by Martin and his players during the international break. They need to come out fighting when the league returns, otherwise a return to the second tier will come sooner rather than later.

Grade: F 

Tottenham Hotspur

Position: 9th  Points: 10

If I were to have written this article last week, Tottenham would have got far more praise than they are about to receive. The unpredictability of this Spurs team sees know bounds, and ultimately it leaves supporters scratching their heads.

Ange Postecoglou's footballing identity allows Tottenham to express themselves and it makes for incredible viewing as a neutral. His first season at the club was box office entertainment.

These first seven games have been a similar story, but the outcome is looking a little different. This time last year, Tottenham were flying and everybody was singing Postecoglou's praises as they battled at the top of the table. Fast forward to now, and the critics are out in full force.

The best way to describe this team is Jekyll and Hyde. They started the season poorly, losing the North London Derby in their fourth match, but then responded with wins over Brentford and Man United. Things were looking up.

Then came the match at Brighton on Sunday, now infamous for Spurs capitulation. In the first half, Spurs were in their Dr. Jekyll form, as they dominated the Seagulls. After the break, they were very much Mr. Hyde - the collapse was truly stunning.

You just never know what you are going to get from this Tottenham team, but soon enough they will have to figure out who they really are in order for this season to be a successful one.

Grade: C- 

West Ham United

Position: 12th  Points: 8

You know the saying, 'The grass isn't always greener'. Life under Julen Lopetegui has not been quite as enjoyable as West Ham fans would have hoped after the departure of David Moyes at the end of last season.

There was a sense of renewed optimism among the Hammers faithful when the Spanish manager walked through the door. The new boss then proceeded to bring in an array of talent that had supporters beaming ear-to-ear.

So when they started losing more points than they were gaining, fans were understandably confused. The new era in east London has certainly not started as well as expected.

The Hammers only won one of their opening six matches before the weekend and the pressure was already beginning to mount on Lopetegui. All of a sudden, a good result against Ipswich was a necessity.

Luckily for the Spaniard, his refreshed side delivered their best display of the season so far to sweep aside the Premier League newcomers. The manner of the victory aided by the healthy 4-1 scoreline has certainly restored faith in the project.

The backing of Lopetegui almost proved to be his downfall early on, but in the long run, it could lead to a successful tenure at the club.

Grade: D

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Position: 20th  Points: 1

The rapid decline of this Wolves team has been quite something. Gary O'Neil's first campaign at the club was littered with praise. They may have only finished 14th, but the results in the first half of the season earned him immense credit with the fans.

However, the club's start to 2024-25 has been disastrous. They have just one point, so far, and have conceded a mammoth 21 goals in just seven games. It's the worst defensive record in the league by some stretch - six more than any other side.

O'Neil's credit is slowly starting to waver, some may even say it is gone. The 5-3 defeat away at Brentford brought boos from the away end due to how poor a performance Wolves put in. The Bees could easily have scored two or three more.

The threat of relegation is very real at Molineux. Bar a more encouraging display at home to Liverpool, a game they still lost, positives have been hard to find in what has been a dismal two months.

The thought that O'Neil may be sent packing soon is misplaced, but he has to turn the tide soon otherwise Championship football beckons for the West Midlands side.

Their season will not immediately get easier as they face Man City and Brighton directly after the international break. However, fixtures against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace and Southampton follow. Win those two, and fears will be eased.

Grade: F