Premier League 2017/18: 5 things we didn't expect this season

With 15 games done and dusted, the 2017/18 Premier League season is well underway and headed towards its halfway mark. And like any other season in England's top flight, we have been witness to some high-adrenaline, action-packed games and breath-taking moments already.

Manchester City are running away with the title whilst the rest continue to remain on their coat-tails. The scene at the other end of the table is ever-changing, with some teams experiencing a chance of guard mid-way through the campaign.

However, the season has also produced some staggering prospects one may not have envisaged at the start. Here are the top five.

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#5 Big names tottering at the wrong end of the table

It was Chelsea in 2015. Leicester City followed suit in the following season when they receded into mediocrity after the fairytale triumph. But this year, there has been more than just one notable team that has struggled and plummeted deep down in the standings.

West Ham United, often known for big scalps, have themselves slipped this season. And mightily, for they are currently languishing second from bottom with just 10 points in the bag which led to manager Slaven Bilic biting the dust for their poor run.

Injuries to a bevy of first team regulars has left their campaign severely hamstrung, and their goal-difference of -18 is the worst in the league.

Everton, too, found themselves in uncharted territory only recently, although two victories in the last two matches have seen them weather the storm as they now sit 10th. But that does little to mask the torrid season they're having.

A run of just one victory in 12 games in all competitions that also included utter embarrassments on the European stage knocked the stuffing out of the Toffees, who until then, had no clue whatsoever about what they were doing.

Manager Ronald Koeman was given the boot midway but poor results continued. Their recent results (2-0 vs Huddersfield and 4-0 vs West Ham) indicate signs of improvement at Merseyside as Sam Allardyce takes charge.

But the horror show in the first four months of the season was too much to gulp for even the most staunch Evertonian - especially after spending so much over the summer.

#4 Burnley making a strong case for a European finish

Burnley: The surprise package of the season

The Clarets endured a baptism of fire on their return to top-flight last season as they ensured a survival by the skin of their teeth, finishing 16th in the final standings. Another season of relegation battles beckoned but Burnley did not give in to that this time around.

After 15 games into the new season, they are seventh in the table and level on points with last season's runners-up Tottenham Hotspur with 25 points, dreaming of a European finish after decades in anonymity.

The 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge at the start of the season was a sign, and Burnley have moderately built on the opening day momentum. Despite losing Michael Keane and Andre Gray, the Lancashire outfit have produced the goods up front whilst also maintaining a stringent defense, conceding only 12 times - the joint second-lowest in the league after 15 rounds.

Manager Sean Dyche has improved his side from stem to stern, and currently ride a wave of confidence as Burnley harbor serious Europa League aspirations.

#3 Mohammed Salah taking the Premier League by storm

Mohammed Salah's second stint in Premier League has already been a huge success

When Liverpool splurged £36.9 million to acquire Mohammed Salah from AS Roma, eyebrows were raised and questions were asked. Why would you spend so extravagantly on a player who has already flopped in the Premier League once before, they asked. But after four months and 17 goals, the Egyptian wizard is scripting a tale of his own.

Salah, in his second innings on British shores, has hit the ground running, firing goals left, right and centre as Liverpool contend on three different fronts. In 15 domestic appearances, the former Chelsea man has already accrued 13 strikes whilst assisting another three. Suffice to say, he is already turning into the signing of the summer.

When the rest of Liverpool floundered, Salah stood out, taking over the mantle and guiding his side. His influence has indeed been phenomenal after the 25-year-old slotted seamlessly into Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool set-up, and he has gone on to become an instrumental figure in such a short span.

Whilst the German gaffer is yet to lift a trophy with the Merseyside outfit, the arrival of Salah holds them in good stead in that regard. The Reds are currently fourth in the league and through to the knockout stages of the Champions League.

And the twinkle-toed Egyptian forward will have be a source of inspiration going forward.

#2 Manchester City's domineering run

Manchester City look unstoppable at the moment in the Premier League

At the advent of August, when the odds for the new season were drawn, Manchester City were unquestionably among the favourites. Equipped with new tools in the form of big-money signings, Pep Guardiola finally looked capable of guiding City to their first title since 2014.

Now flip your calendar by four months and they already have one hand on the trophy. Having won 14 games from the first 15 and opening up a frightening 8-point lead at the top, Manchester City have been riding roughshod over the league this time around.

Obliterating everything and everyone on their way, the City juggernaut are comfortably sailing to their third Premier League triumph.

With 46 goals scored, City are the most prolific attack in the league. And with just 10 conceded, they also have one of the best defences. Packed to the rafters with supreme quality, City have never been this complete of a squad.

And such a formidable squad it is. Such is the aura about them right now as they set a club-record 23-game unbeaten streak.

It has truly been a whirlwind of a start for City who are yet to lose a game this season. The imperious vein of form has left all and sundry befuddled to the hilt, as within a matter of few months, City, as hard it maybe for you to believe, have truly become the best side in Europe.

#1 Premier League breathes new life into the Champions League

Can any English club go all the way in Champions League this season?

In an era where the Spanish teams have stamped their authority in Europe, the English teams are experiencing something of a renaissance this season. With all five teams - Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Liverpool - through to the knockout stages, the Premier League has come up trumps in the Champions League.

The most commendable of them all are Spurs, who not only progressed to the round of 16 but also topped the group comprising of two-time defending champions Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.

Whilst the going will get tougher here on, the Premier League squads aren't half-shabby either. For the first time, we may see English teams going the distance in a competition they once dominated. Even though Real Madrid, Barcelona, and PSG are the usual suspects, Premier League clubs' great run in Europe's biggest club competition should throw interesting propositions.

After collective disappointments in the recent years including last season where England's sole representative in the quarter-finals were a burgeoning Leicester City, the league breathes new life this time around with relatively better showings from its representatives.

Anyone willing to bet on an English club being crowned champions in Kiev next May?