Emery’s Aston Villa vying with Arsenal to be second best to Man City in 2023
Further proof here, if it were needed, of the remarkable job being done by Unai Emery at Aston Villa. Through 2023, only all-conquering Manchester City have gathered more points so far.
League tables by season are so passé. Here’s how the Premier League looks through the whole of 2023…
1) Manchester City – 82 points
P35 W26 D4 L5 GD+53
The Treble winners have surpassed 2022’s total by three points. They have also scored the most goals and conceded the least, almost like they’re the best team in the world.
2) Arsenal – 71 points
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They are six points shy of their 2022 total over 35 games after the title collapse of April/May.
3) Aston Villa – 71 points
P35 W22 D5 L8 GD+26
Genuinely astonishing, the difference Unai Emery has made at Villa. One game short of the number of games they played in 2022, the Villans have already amassed 30 (thirty) points more than last year.
4) Liverpool – 67 points
P35 W19 D10 L6 GD+31
Liverpool finished with the same 79-point total as City in 2022. They have six games left to surpass that total this year.
5) Manchester United – 67 points
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The Premier League’s best run of form over the last six games has seen United open up a seven-point gap to Newcastle while overtaking them in the proper, far-less-interesting table.
6) Newcastle – 60 points
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Newcastle achieved 72 points in 2022. They have already played four games more and gathered 12 points fewer. Howe out.
7) Brighton – 60 points
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Roberto De Zerbi’s first full calendar year in charge is a big improvement on 2022, having already gathered nine extra points.
8) Tottenham – 56 points
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Ange Postecoglou is responsible for almost half of these points, in a little over a third of the games.
9) Brentford – 52 points
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The Bees continue to make solid progress, already surpassing last year’s total by three points.
10) West Ham – 46 points
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The Hammers have enjoyed a fine year, though not because of their domestic form which, mercifully, has improved this season. In Irons terms, 2023 will always be about European glory.
11) Wolves – 43 points
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Had they not been so badly stitched up by officials this season, Wolves would be top half for 2023, which is quite the achievement given the turnover of players and staff through the summer.
12) Fulham – 42 points
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So far, Fulham’s best work this year came through the first part and the back half of last season when they picked up 1.28 points per game.
13) Crystal Palace – 38 points
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All Palace’s nine wins this year have come since Roy Hodgson returned to the club in late March. Prior to that, under Patrick Vieira, the Eagles lost seven and drew five of the first dozen games of 2023.
14) Nottingham Forest – 38 points
P35 W9 D11 L15 GD-13
A point per player signed for Forest over the last year, we reckon. It kept them in the league last season and they look well equipped to swerve the drop again.
15) Chelsea – 36 points
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A hell of a lot of money has been spent to be the 15th best team of 2023. Ouch.
16) Everton – 35 points
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The Toffees have spent much of 2023 being dog muck. They finally looked to be a team in their manager’s image with 2024 promising to be a lot less sh*t. But then came the points deduction.
17) Bournemouth – 35 points
P34 W10 D5 L19 GD-30
The Cherries have bobbed around the relegation zone for much of 2023 but swerved it when it mattered at the end of last season. They face a fight to pull the same trick next year.
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