The Premier League Halftime Report!

The 2013/14 Premier League is approaching its "half time" will all clubs having played 19 out of their 38 games for the season.

It has been quite an intriguing season so far with no clear team taking control. In the absence of a Ferguson led Manchester United, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and even both Merseyside clubs, Liverpool have laid claim to be the best team in England but each have stumbled in their quest to pull away from the rest at the top of the table.

It is quite difficult to say at this point who might have the edge in this most thrilling of seasons - City and Chelsea have the home form, Arsenal have the away form, Liverpool have Suarez, easily the best striker in the Premier League right now and don't write off Everton who have just about hung around thanks to their terrific home form. Indeed, you could say only Arsenal have been the most consistent, but only just while City and Chelsea have had their struggles away from home.

Everton have won their first game at Old Trafford against Manchester United in eons

Even though Roberto Martinez only took the reins at Goodison Park in the summer, Everton looked to become even better although their form has dipped in recent times. Ross Barkley has taken over where Marouane Fellaini left off while loan signings Robert Lukaku, Gareth Barry and Gerard Deulofeu have really made an impact in the blue half of Merseyside.

At this stage, even Newcastle, Tottenham and Manchester United have a chance to get back into the title race - or at worst push their claims for a Champions League spot.

Manchester United needing to get back into the title race? Perhaps, it was to be expected in United's first year without Ferguson and the start of what looks to be a major transition period not just on the coaching panel but also in the player personnel. It is clear that David Moyes has to reform the team if they are to become consistent title contenders, particularly in midfield and defence. Indeed, it is only through Wayne Rooney's sparkling form that United are still in the top half of the table.

With Gareth Bale now at Real Madrid, Wayne Rooney could be favourite for PFA Player of the Season, contending with Liverpool's Luis Suarez and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey at this stage.

Everton and Newcastle have reaped the benefits of stability to be in contention for Champions League football next season.



Meanwhile, on Tyneside, the faith from the top in Alan Pardew, despite a woeful last season, has paid off and the Magpies are sitting quite pretty in the top 10 of the Premier League. Papiss Cisse may have stopped scoring goals but Loic Remy has taken over as Newcastle's key talisman with 10 goals this season.

Eriksen has looked quality

Speaking of stability, Tottenham have shown none of that this season. The profitable sale of Gareth Bale may have been made the most of with the biggest signing spree of the summer by any Premier League side - Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Erik Lamela, Christian Ericksen, Roberto Soldado, etc. all signed in summer. Out of that lot, Paulinho and Christian Ericksen have looked the most convincing but the rest have taken their time - which is what Daniel Levy does not appear to have, making the ridiculous decision to sack AVB despite being aware that this was always going to be a major season of transition.

AVB is gone

Tim Sherwood might turn out to be a genius at management but the decision to get rid of AVB must be the second most contentious managerial decision of the season - more on the most contentious shortly - and it looks like Spurs will struggle to even finish in the European spots this season.

Besides AVB, there have been some major managerial decisions this season - Paolo di Canio was the first casualty of the season, replaced by Gus Poyet at Sunderland, then Martin Jol, Steve Clarke and AVB in almost the same week.

However, the most contentious managerial decision probably of the season has to be the sacking of Malky Mackay - even if it was not surprising after a horrific month as manager and chairman failed to see eye to eye. Quite remarkable really given Cardiff's respectable introduction to the Premier League this season where they beat Manchester City, drew Manchester United and Everton and beat their bitter rivals, Swansea City in the first ever Welsh derby in Premier League history. Dato Vincent Tan had gripes over Mackay's spending in the summer and felt that despite the money spent on Steven Caulker, Gary Medel and Andreas Cornelius, Cardiff had failed to deliver in their first season in the Premier League.

Last season, Southampton's chairman, Nicola Cortese, made the controversial decision to sack Nigel Adkins with the Saints in a respectable position in the Premier League table, replacing him with former Espanyol - and still-monolingual - manager, Mauricio Pochettino. In hindsight, that move appears to have been a masterstroke with Southampton having their best start to the season even if they are winless this month, after surviving last season.

One wonders if Vincent Tan has got the next Pochettino lined up in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Craig Bellamy or Sven-Goran Eriksson if the rumours are to be believed.

Southampton's Adam Lallana has been one of the standout players of the season

Speaking of Southampton, they along with Hull City have been the surprises of the season but appear now to be just holding their head above water in what looks set to be the most open relegation battle in Premier League history.

While the odds are not with Gus Poyet and a cash-strapped Sunderland who were in the dreaded bottom spot at Christmas, in my opinion, anyone from Swansea City who are currently 11th on 21 points is in danger of being dragged into the relegation battle.

Fulham and Crystal Palace are fighting hard to survive

The London clubs, Fulham, West Ham and Crystal Palace are right in the mix of the survival battle - this despite Adidas' big money on Fulham and West Ham, with Palace's form whilst inconsistent but still good enough to keep them in the Premier League if they were lucky.

As are West Ham and Sunderland

Indeed, consistency could very well be the deciding factor in this most thrilling of Premier League seasons as we head into the 2nd half of the season - and it could very well be a string of single digit games that settles the championship and survival this

Goal of the Season (so far)? Pajtim Kasami, Fulham v Crystal Palace

Player of the Season (so far)? Luis Suarez

Team of the Season (so far)?
GK - Simon Mignolet, Liverpool

LB - Leighton Baines, Everton
CB - Dejan Lovren, Southampton
CB - Phil Jagielka, Everton
RB - Aleksander Kolarov, Manchester City

CM - Yaya Toure, Manchester City
AM - Aaron Ramsey, Arsenal
AM - Adam Lallana, Southampton

FW - Wayne Rooney, Manchester United
FW - Loic Remy, Newcastle United
FW - Luis Suarez, Liverpool

(Not the) Player of the Season (so far)?

Erik Lamela or Stevan Jovetic for me. Tottenham and Manchester City paid big money for both players and while they need time to bed in and haven't been helped by injury, they just haven't delivered on the field as much as their clubs paid for them.

Moment of the Season (so far)? Fabio Borini's winner against Newcastle, Sunderland 2-1 Newcastle

Game of the Season (so far)? Everton 3-3 Liverpool