This week weâÂÂre having a look at the progress being made by the Premier LeagueâÂÂs great and good, using information provided to us by our friends at Catalyst, using their PowerTable.
On Monday we looked at the âÂÂTier 4â sides and on Tuesday we assessed the merits of the sides deemed to be in âÂÂTier 3âÂÂ.
This morning weâÂÂre, of course, looking at Tier 2, sides which the Catalyst describe as âÂÂclubs with the potential or ambition to compete at the highest level, but ones that need to achieve breakthrough performance. WeâÂÂre also told that the gap between Tiers 1 and 2 is the widest, Daniel Levy take note...
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Newcastle started the season well, in that they went a whopping two games unbeaten, before embarking on a eight game streak without a win. However they appear to have turned the corner, with two wins in their last two lifting them to 14th.
Despite their recent resurgence, Newcastle are still down in terms of points per game, goals scored and goals conceded this season on the same period of last year. TheyâÂÂve also had more problems with discipline, with two red cads to their name already this season.
The Magpies have a 0% effectiveness rating against Tier 3 sides, which sadly for them includes local rivals Middlesbrough and Sunderland (who theyâÂÂve already lost to) and next opponents, Fulham.
We reckonâ¦
Newcastle are probably more likely to finish in or around the bottom five than the top five, but if they can continue to be as effective against Tier 4 sides (67% so far this season), they shouldnâÂÂt be in any major trouble.
MANCHESTER CITY
Despite all the early season hullaballoo, City have yet to set the Premier League alight this season.
Infact theyâÂÂre performing worse than last season in terms of goals conceded (1.64 a game this season compared to 1.18 in the same period last year) and points accrued (down 0.82 to 1.18 from last year).
City are only 33% effective against Tier 4 teams so far, combine that with their poor away record and a defeat at Hull next weekend looks a distinct possibility.
We reckonâ¦
City are struggling to beat the top sides (0% effective against Tier 1 so far this season) and havenâÂÂt travelled well. This means itâÂÂs unlikely theyâÂÂll get anywhere near the top four this season, at least not without spending big in January...
EVERTON
Everton endured a slow start to the season, not winning at Goodison until the sixth time of asking.
The Toffees are scoring as regularly as they did in the firs t11 matches of last season (1.36 times a match), but at the other end theyâÂÂre conceding 0.65 more every 90 minutes.
David MoyesâÂÂs side are performing well against Tier 4 sides, with a 83% effectiveness rating from their four matches against those teams so far this term, the same as they scored from all 10 matches last season. They have, however, underperformed against the other sides thus far.
We reckonâ¦
Everton should surge further up the league in the next month, with three matches against Tier 3 and 4 sides followed by a trip to White Hart Lane, where theyâÂÂve won in the last two seasons.
PORTSMOUTH
Pompey seem to be suffering a post-Redknapp hangover, and are currently four matches without a win.
In the first eleven matches of the season they scored less, conceded more and picked up less points than the first eleven matches of last season, with the drop in goalscoring from 1.73 a game to 1.00 being the most alarming, especially considering Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe have arrived in the meantime.
All of the Fratton Park sideâÂÂs league goals have come from the aforementioned strike duo, which may be a problem should one of them be injured (or smuggled out in Harry RedknappâÂÂs swag bag) later in the season.
We reckonâ¦
The next five matches will shape PompeyâÂÂs season. Three of which are against Tier 3 sides and two of which are against Tier 4 sides. Take less than eight points and they may face a rough couple of months, although their end of season run-in doesnâÂÂt look too daunting.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Amazingly, despite their current bottom place standing in the league, Spurs are performing better than they did in the first 11 matches of last season.
TheyâÂÂve conceded less, down 0.54 goals a match on last season, and picked up an extra point, taking their average up to 0.82 a game.
And people say Martin Jol was harshly treated?
Their goals per game ratio is down however (from 1.64 a game to just 1.18) unsurprising given that Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe have all been sold in the meantime.
We reckonâ¦
If Spurs can continue their current resurgence under Harry Redknapp, which would incidentally mirror a marked improvement made at the same time last year, thereâÂÂs no reason why Spurs shouldnâÂÂt be able to push for Europe through the league, especially as theyâÂÂre only six points off seventh place with 27 matches to play. TheyâÂÂll need to start beating Tier 3 and 2 teams, though.
Teams to come: Tier 1 - Aston Villa, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea & Man Utd
For the in depth subscribers edition of the PowerTable go to www.powertable.co.uk and read more about the Catalyst Power Table in the December issue of FourFourTwo, out now.
