It is difficult to find a "true" way to mark that the Premier League 2025-2026 has passed halfway, when a championship contender stumbled again against a team that was labeled relegation right before the season.
Happy New Year and enjoy being still undefeated at home" is the message broadcast through the after-match loudspeaker system, when Manchester City became the latest name powerless to win against Sunderland.
The melody "That's The Way I Like It" by KC & The Sunshine Band resounded, adding to the surreal feeling on a cold night. This is a clear reminder that the Premier League championship race is always a long road, not a sprint.
However, when each team has played 19 matches, the competition for the top spot between Arsenal, Man City and Aston Villa has actually entered a period of acceleration for the second half of the season.
Sunderland, the team that won promotion through the Championship play-offs in May, was once rated very low and was predicted to soon return to the lower division. However, Regis Le Bris's team is currently 7th, only 4 points behind the Champions League spot. And when the season has repeatedly challenged all predictions, no one dares to confirm where the remaining 19 rounds will take Sunderland.
If you have to choose teams that exceed expectations most clearly, perhaps only Sunderland and Villa (currently in third place) have enough grounds to say that. Arsenal is still in a familiar state in this stage - leading, but not creating a safe distance. Man City has lost too much - 4 matches - to be able to see their current position as on track.
Liverpool is declining sharply again after celebrating last season's championship with a 450 million pound summer shopping season. Chelsea are looking for a new coach after leaving Enzo Maresca, in the context of finishing fifth and losing momentum in the championship race when they have only won 1/7 of their recent Premier League matches.
Manchester United are still in the top 6 somehow, but few people at Old Trafford believe that Ruben Amorim's team is okay as they have only won 1 of their last 5 home matches. Including draws against Wolves that have not won and West Ham is facing the risk of relegation.
The list of paradoxes has not stopped. Crystal Palace, the FA Cup champion last season, suddenly dropped to 10th place after a period of threatening the Champions League race. Tottenham is still Tottenham - a new coach, new hope, but their form is still familiar when they finished 12th. Last season they finished in 17th place, so it can be called progress, but the feeling does not allow Spurs to be so optimistic.
Therefore, the second half of the season becomes extremely unpredictable for most teams - except for Wolves. The bottom team is too far from the safe zone to the point of risking heading towards Derby County's sad 11-point record in a Premier League season.
In the championship race, Arsenal, Man City and Villa are the three contenders. Villa still has a chance, even though the 1-4 defeat to Arsenal made them the weakest link in this three-way race.
Man City is famous for accelerating when entering the second half of the season. Pep Guardiola has enough experience to bring the team back to the winning streak when the new year comes, but the start of 2026 at Sunderland is not as desired. Who knows, the biggest surprise from now until May will be that Arsenal maintains the necessary stability to break away from Man City.
No team has finished second for 4 consecutive seasons - that is a record Arsenal did not want at all. But to escape that risk, Mikel Arteta's team needs to find something special. They cannot expect Man City to continue sliding on their own except for the stumble at Stadium of Light.
In a season of many variables and instability, the opportunity to redeem themselves is still for many teams in the remaining 19 matches. Liverpool may return to the right position of champion. Man United still has hope of revival under Amorim. Chelsea may also find a new coach suitable enough to bring their project to glory.
And most importantly, Sunderland is fully capable of maintaining a home unbeaten streak throughout the season to win a ticket to the European Cup. Of course, it is very difficult to answer all with one word yes, but with the Premier League this season, excluding any possibility is a risk.
