The festive season is done and dusted and business and usual resumes as we head into a new year of Premier League football. The campaign so far has been stacked with drama, intrigue and shocking results, with the final run-in promising to deliver as one of the best seasons in recent years. Indeed, the Premier League betting odds haven’t been this open for years, with several teams putting their name in the hat for the title, as well as Champions League qualification.
Elsewhere, the battle for relegation has seen several clubs dragged in, and it’s tough to call who can beat the drop come the end of the season.
It’s been a campaign defined by surprise packages. From teams punching above their weight to others that have defied all expectations, this article takes a look at the teams that have caused upsets across the 2024/25 Premier League season so far. Read on to find out more.
Liverpool
While Liverpool were title challengers until the final weeks of last season – injuries and fatigue preventing Jurgen Klopp’s final season being one in which they challenged Arsenal and Manchester City until the end – few would have expected the Reds to be top of the tree at Christmas under Arne Slot.
In his first season at Anfield, the Dutchman traded Klopp’s heavy metal football for a softer rock alternative, as Liverpool enjoyed a fantastic start to the campaign with more control over games, losing just one of their first 19 while also leading the standings in the new format of the Champions League.
Only time will tell if Slot can continue his good form in 2025 – a state of affairs that would ultimately bring a second league title in five years to Merseyside and the first with a full crowd in the stands.
Nottingham Forest
At the time of writing, only one side has bested Liverpool this season, with Nottingham Forest fans dreaming of a return to the Champions League for the first time in 40 years.
Nuno Espirito Santo has galvanised this Forest side, and while few expected them to build any momentum after that win at Anfield back in September, they have carried the baton and find themselves with more points after 19 games than they had the entirety of last term.
Currently sat in third, the East Midlanders will need to remain consistent to hold off pressure from the likes of City and Newcastle United, who will be hot in their tales after a busy Christmas period.
Bournemouth
When Bournemouth sacked Gary O’Neil in the summer of 2023, many eyebrows were raised. The Cherries had avoided relegation, but the board felt the club needed a fresh start, bringing the relatively unknown Andoni Iraola from Rayo Vallecano.
Flash forward 18 months and the Spaniard is perhaps one of the best tacticians in the league, while O’Neil was just sacked from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Iraola’s Bournemouth combine possession football with devastating counterattacks, and despite losing star striker Dominic Solanke to Tottenham Hotspur, the likes of Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo, alongside club record signing Evanilson, have chipped in with goals that have led to wins over Spurs, Manchester United and Arsenal.
Fans on the South Coast could soon be dreaming of European football in some capacity, with the Cherries seventh in the table at the time of writing.
