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Clubs set objectives at the start of the season and 19 is a good number of games to evaluate their performance so far. With that in mind, let us see how last year's top 6 have fared this time around compared to what they hoped to achieve at the start of the season.
The ratings are done with respect to the relative objectives of the club at the start of the season, their transfer spend and performances in other competitions as well.
#6 Manchester United - 7/10
It has not gone totally according to plan for Mourinho and Manchester United. Despite huge summer transfers and astute signings, they sit second after half of the season gone with hopes of the league title slipping away.
Add to that a defeat in the quarterfinals of the League Cup to Bristol City and this has been an ordinary season for Manchester United so far. They topped their group in the Champions League, albeit a relatively easy group, and now face a winnable tie against Sevilla.
Although most teams would say this has been a successful start to the season, with United certainly far better off this time compared to last season, for a team of United's ambitions and the transfer outlay in the summer, it has been a failure till now.
All that can change come the end of the year if they win the Champions League or FA cup but for now, with the league (pretty much) and League Cup gone, the fans will be hugely disappointed they are so far off Manchester City.
#5 Arsenal: 8/10
Arsenal have flattered to deceive in recent seasons. Last season they failed to qualify for the Champions League and as a consequence tasted Europa League group stage action for the first time this season. While it was always going to be tough to get in the top 4, they are just a point off Liverpool in 4th with a half of the season still left.
Coupled with the fact that they are in the semi-finals of the League Cup and topped their Europa League group with ease, Arsenal have actually met their expectations. They are still fighting in all cup competitions while having a great chance of finishing 4th come the end of the season.
Arsenal's biggest failure has been off the pitch, where star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil might leave for free. New signing Alexandre Lacazette has done well in the Premier League and Jack Wilshere looks better than he has ever before. Plenty of positives so far this season for Arsenal fans and they will be hoping that the team only gets better.
#4 Liverpool: 8/10
The same problems as last season still haunt Liverpool. Their defence leaks goals left, right and centre but they have the capability to outscore any team on their day. New signing Mo Salah is quite possibly the signing of the season and the fact they kept hold of Philippe Coutinho in the summer is commendable.
A Champions League group topping-run rewarded them with a match against Porto in the round of 16 and they are currently 4th, one point ahead of Spurs and Arsenal. Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool fans will be quite pleased with what they have seen this season, with the attacking talent providing a feast of good football to all football fans. They have lost leads which they should not have and that is perhaps why they have just met expectations instead of exceeding them.
All in all, a first half of the season which gives Liverpool a good platform to finish strongly.
#3 Manchester City: 10/10
To say Manchester City have been outstanding this season would be an understatement. Pep Guardiola has completely taken over the Premier League, with his team winning matches at a canter and entertaining fans in a way never thought possible on the English shores.
19 matches played. 18 matches won in the league with one draw. This City team is a machine and not just a well-oiled machine pumping out results, they bulldoze their opponents like a bullet train.
This record-breaking team might just end the season unbeaten and go down as the greatest team in English football history. They have lost one game in all competitions this season, a dead rubber against Shakhtar Donetsk.
They have a winnable tie against FC Basel in the last 16 of the Champions League and when all is said and done and the curtain falls on this season, we might just be saying this team broke the records of the Invincibles and the treble winning United team, all in one season playing the best football England has ever seen.
#2 Tottenham Hotspur: 8.5/10
Whatever happens until the end of the season, this will go down as one of Tottenham's best seasons. Topping a Champions League group consisting of Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund and just being a point off 4th midway through the season is something every Tottenham fan would have gladly accepted before the season began.
They have kept hold of their important players and while their transfer outlay was paltry in comparison to other top teams, they have done well to challenge on all fronts this season. They are still missing the elusive trophy to cement this team's legacy but the FA Cup will provide a fantastic opportunity to achieve that.
They are playing their home games at Wembley this season and all things considered, Spurs have built a solid base upon which to enter the second half of the season and exceed expectations.
#1 Chelsea: 7.5/10
This was always going to be a difficult season for Chelsea. Recent history has shown that Champions always falter while defending their Premier League Crown. Coupled with horrendous transfer window Chelsea had, it is quite satisfactory for the fans to see that they are safely third, closer to 2nd than to 4th and still with a chance of winning 3 competitions.
The Champions League group stage did not go to plan although they had a tough group to negotiate. It resulted in a round of 16 tie against Barcelona which will be quite difficult. All in all, this has been a weird season for Chelsea of sorts, with a mixture of good and poor performances.
They are in the semi-finals of the League Cup and, if they have a successful winter transfer window, they might just finish the season with some silverware.
