Premier League mid-season report part one - Arsenal to Fulham

Arsenal – A

The Gunners will be hoping that the old adage 'you have to lose one before you can win one' proves to be true for them, after they went so close to toppling Manchester City last season.

Having fallen short last season there were questions as to whether Arsenal could mount another title push this season but as they look down from the top of the table on Christmas Day, those questions appear to have been answered.

Mikel Arteta’s summer gamble to pay West Ham €116m for the services of Declan Rice is paying off handsomely with the midfielder already proving to be one of his side’s key players, offering defensive solidity by screening the back four while breaking forward at the other end to showcase his creativity.

Rice’s addition has helped Arsenal to look more secure and exert a greater level of control in games, while their other big summer signing Kai Havertz is finally starting to settle and produce the goods after a tricky start.

The only slight concern that Arsenal fans may have is that the fixture list has been kind to their side so far. They face trips to Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United towards the business end of the season along with games against Chelsea and Aston Villa but they showed against Liverpool at Anfield that they can dig in and grind out a result when they have to.

Aston Villa – A+

The standout side of the season thus far, Unai Emery has remoulded and rebuilt Villa into a team that not only have realistic Champions League ambitions but one which are now being taken seriously as potential dark horses to break Manchester City’s stranglehold on the league.

Initial signs weren’t entirely positive. An opening day 5-1 defeat away to Newcastle and a 3-0 reversal at Anfield a few weeks