The China Mail - Five talking points at the midway point of the Premier League season

A season of unexpected twists has featured Nottingham Forest making an astonishing surge to second place, with United and Tottenham wallowing in the bottom half of the table.

AFP Sport looks at five takeaways at the midway point of the 2024/25 campaign:

No Klopp, no problem for Liverpool

The emotional departure of Jurgen Klopp, who earned legendary status on Merseyside for winning the Premier League and Champions League during his near nine year-stint in charge, had dampened expectations of a title challenge before the campaign began.

But Klopp had crucially rejuvenated his squad before passing the reins to Arne Slot, who has made a near flawless start.

The former Feyenoord boss has won 23 of his 27 matches in all competitions, which also includes a 100 percent record to top the Champions League and progress to the League Cup semi-finals.

Mohamed Salah has been the catalyst with 17 goals and 13 assists in 18 Premier League games.

Even speculation over the futures of Egypt forward Salah, captain Virgil van Dijk and England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, who are all out of contract at the end of the season, has not derailed Liverpool's rampant run.

Arsenal, nine points back, appear their most serious challenger, but Liverpool are well on course to match Manchester United's record of 20 English top-flight titles by May.

Man City's fall from grace

City's run of two wins in their last 14 matches has been the story of the season so far, with Pep Guardiola admitting their record streak of four consecutive titles will not extend to a fifth.

The defending champions are 14 points off the top, down in sixth and look in need of an overhaul if they are to return to their former glories.

"In some positions we need help," Guardiola said after Sunday's 2-0 win at Leicester ended a run of eight away games without a victory.

The loss of Ballon d'Or winner Rodri to a season-ending knee injury in September has been pivotal to City's collapse, while Guardiola's defence has been ravaged by injuries.

Now they face a fight just to extend their 14-year run of qualifying for the Champions League.

Forest lead surprise packages

Forest only secured survival on the final day of last season but are enjoying a dream campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Famous victories at Anfield and Old Trafford have been the highlights as the two-time European champions have their eyes on a return to the Champions League next season for the first time in 45 years.

Only Arsenal and Liverpool have conceded fewer goals, while journeyman New Zealand striker Chris Wood has joined Salah, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Alexander Isak in the race for the Golden Boot.

The struggles of the traditional giants has also opened the door for other unlikely contenders for Europe. Bournemouth sit sixth, with Fulham in eighth.

Man Utd sink to new depths

Much has changed at Old Trafford over the past 12 months, but results have only got worse.

Since buying a minority stake in the club, Jim Ratcliffe has implemented a new sporting structure off the field, sacked manager Erik ten Hag and overseen another expensive spending spree in the transfer market.

United's eighth-placed finish last season was their worst for 34 years.

After 19 games they are 14th and closer to the relegation zone than the top four, with just seven points separating them from the bottom three.

United have lost four successive games in all competitions and five of their last six league matches, including their last three at home.

Ruben Amorim has won just twice in the league since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in the worst start of any new United manager in nearly 100 years.

Promoted trio in trouble

For just the second time in the history of the Premier League, all three promoted sides were relegated last season.

That feat is on course to be repeated with Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester ending the year in the bottom three.

The trend raises concerns over the growing gulf between the Premier League, which boasts the world's most lucrative TV revenue streams, and the second-tier Championship.

Southampton's return of six points is on course to break Derby's unwanted record from 2007/08 as the worst team in Premier League history.

O.Tse--ThChM