Derek Whyte: Premier League best and worst so far this season

This content was originally posted in 7DAYS UAE website at: Derek Whyte: Premier League best and worst so far this season We’re exactly midway through the Premier League season and what a season it has been so far. To mark the New Year and the second half of the campaign I have put together a mid-season report on the best and worst players, teams and moments from the English top-flight. Do you agree? Let me know your thoughts by tweeting @7DAYSSPORT PLAYER OF THE SEASON (SO FAR) Easy, it’s that man Jamie Vardy (pictured, right). The Leicester City striker has had an incredible season. He beat Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record of games scored in succession in the Premier League and looks likely to be picked in the England squad for next year’s European Championships in France. Vardy’s team-mate Riyad Mahrez has also been superb, but for me Vardy is the pick for best player. BEST TEAM The fact that Leicester City go into 2016 level on points with league leaders Arsenal is a huge achievement. After 19 games they are three points ahead of big spenders Manchester City in third and four ahead of Tottenham in fourth. Manager Claudio Ranieri has created a belief around the club that they can challenge for the top spot and from a neutral’s point of view they have been the star team. Wouldn’t it be great if they could go on to lift the title? WORST TEAM  Two words: Aston Villa. Bottom of the league with only eight points from 19 games, Villa are almost certainly down. They have been so poor and I can’t see them winning many games in the second half of the season. They lost a huge clash at Norwich last weekend and their trip to second-from-bottom Sunderland on Saturday is a must-win. If they fail to pick up three points, it’s curtains for Villa. BIGGEST SHOCK Many would pick one of the struggling big teams or a manager sacking, but for me the biggest shock this season has been the unpredictability of the league. It’s amazing how much has happened in the first half of the campaign and some of the results have been mindblowing. This just goes to show how much quality the Premier League has. BEST RESULT Like I said, the results have been mindblowing and two that spring to mind are Liverpool’s 4-1 victory at Manchester City and Everton’s 6-2 win over Sunderland, both in November. However, the pick of the results so far has to be Bournemouth’s 1-0 victory against champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on December 5. Glenn Murray’s 82nd-minute winner secured a famous win for the Cherries. The way Bournemouth play football is a joy and with Eddie Howe (above) at the helm you can expect them to spring a few more surprises. Howe is a superb manager and I can see one of the big clubs coming in for him in the future. THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT  He’s struggled with injuries and had a poor time at Old Trafford, so why on earth did Chelsea sign Radamel Falcao? He looks a shadow of the player that was scoring goals for fun at Porto, Atlético Madrid and Monaco and it will obviously just be a matter of time before his loan spell at Stamford Bridge is cut short. MOMENT OF MADNESS Only one choice for me and that’s the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Chelsea’s fall from champions to strugglers has been the story of the season, but I never believed that the Blues would sack their main man. Someone of his stature will get plenty of job offers and he won’t be out of work that long.   Read the original story at: Derek Whyte: Premier League best and worst so far this season