Premier League roundup: The team, player, youngster and signing of the season so far

There may still be one gameweek still to play in the Premier League in 2018 but the Boxing Day fixtures - and clash between Southampton and West Ham the following day - brought an end to the first half of the campaign.

Every team has now pitted their wits against one another and, at the midway point in the season, it’s Liverpool that are out in front with a relatively commanding lead. The Reds had played second fiddle to Manchester City for the majority of the first half of the campaign but they are worthy front runners having stayed on the champions coat tails and exploited a shock slip up from Pep Guardiola’s side.

Indeed, the exploits of Jurgen Klopp’s side have been somewhat downplayed owing to a fantastic streaks from a number of sides this season, but the Merseysiders have been the only side to sustain their terrific run. Indeed, they are unbeaten after 19 matches of the season, dropping just six points thus far. Their points haul may not match that of City’s last season after as many games but, with 51 on the board, they are still on course to rival and indeed beat the ultimate 100-point record Guardiola’s men set last season.

That’s despite only scoring two more goals than they had when they sat fourth after 19 matches last season, pointing towards a quite remarkable shift in the club’s defensive resolve. A total of just seven goals conceded is a record at this stage in any Premier League season and a whopping 16 fewer than Liverpool had shipped this time last year.

Player of the season so far: Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - 7.96

The Blues may be some way off the pace in the title race but were not for Eden Hazard the 11-point gap to the top would have been a whole lot wider. The Belgian is one of only four players to reach double figures for goals this season (ten), whilst leading the lead in assists on nine. All in all he has had a direct hand in more goals than any other player in the league (19) and already three more than he managed over the entirety of the previous campaign. Having just become the first player to 50 for both chances created and dribbles (53) in the Premier League this season, his WhoScored.com rating of 7.96 will take some catching.

2nd: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 7.70, 3rd: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City) - 7.67

Young player of the season so far: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (Crystal Palace) - 7.26

The right-back impressed when he broke into the Palace first team towards the tail end of last season but few could have predicted quite how quickly he would adjust to top-flight football. The 21-year-old is now one of the first names on the Eagles teamsheet and has combined tough tackling with a strong attacking work rate to shine to this point. The youngster ranks among the top five players in the league for both tackles (67) and interceptions (46) and is as high as eighth for successful dribbles (34), showcasing his talents both in and out of possession.

2nd: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) - 7.20, 3rd: Richarlison (Everton) - 7.03

Signing of the season so far: Felipe Anderson (West Ham) - 7.37

He may have broken the club’s transfer record in the summer but Anderson has proven to be worth every penny that the Hammers handed over to Lazio to secure his signature. It’s fair to say the Brazilian has made an even bigger impact than the man whose record he smashed, fan favourite Marko Arnautovic, and while he hasn’t quite hit the heights of Dimitri Payet before him just yet, the winger is on course to go down as one of the club’s most talented players in the Premier League era. The 25-year-old has scored some stunning strikes amongst a tally of eight this season that would have been enough to end the season as the club’s top scorer five years ago - well on course to top Arnautovic’s team high total of 11 last time around.

2nd: Lucas Digne (Everton) - 7.35, 3rd: Ricardo Pereira (Leicester) - 7.23

Surprise package so far: Watford

With just two points separating the six teams directly below the top six this was a tough call but the Hornets get our vote having been among the favourites for the drop at the start of the campaign. The likes of Leicester, Everton and Wolves were all tipped to be more or less where they find themselves at this stage, while Javi Gracia’s side have surpassed expectations and looked a very capable side in the process. More than any other stage since their promotion, the side looks settled and as a result they’ve invariably picked up points from the matches they would have pinpointed as opportunities to do so.

2nd: West Ham, 3rd: Cardiff

Underachievers so far: Manchester United

There is no debate in this category, and while United have looked rejuvenated in their two matches under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the reign of Jose Mourinho this season left them seriously off the pace. A top four finish isn’t out of reach now, eight points shy of Chelsea, but the Red Devils have it all to do to ensure they earn a place in the Champions League. Only six sides have conceded more goals in the division thus far (31), and while the goals are flowing of late, a total of two clean sheets in the league all season is simply not good enough.

2nd: Burnley, 3rd: Manchester City