One of my favourite things to do at the end of a campaign is hand out report cards.The beauty of football is that success means different things depending on your expectations. Winning the title is obviously the ultimate goal, but avoiding relegation, qualifying for Europe or simply progressing as a club can be just as important.With that in mind, here are my grades for the first half (A-F) of the Premier League.Arsenal To Crystal PalaceArsenal – AWith the Kroenke family spending more than at any point since joining our board, it left Mikel Arteta with little excuse. The final piece of the puzzle was for our young squad to prove they could get over the line.For a side on top of the Premier League for months and reaching a Champions League Final, few teams in that position received as much criticism as the Gunners.After years of Arsenal being told they were soft and easy to bully, suddenly the same critics didn’t like our defensive tactics and success from set pieces.In reality, you didn’t need to be entertained by our tactics, but our manager still deserves respect for finding a way to be better than the rest.He got on the training pitch and accentuated our positives. Isn’t that the point of coaching?The run in was unbearable, but that’s natural when you’re close to achieving something special that hasn’t been done in over two decades. Now that we are finally Premier League Champions, our next title race will not be crippled as much by anxiety.Aston Villa – AHaving thrown away Champions League qualification the season before, constantly needing to be creative in the market to avoid breaching financial rules, and starting the campaign without a win in their first six fixtures, it’s not like Villa were primed for a first trophy since 1996 and a return to Europe’s biggest stage.Unai Emery used his man management skills to steady the ship, as he did when they lost form in February and March.Morgan Rogers has jumped ahead of Phil Foden and Cole Palmer in the England pecking order, while Ollie Watkins responded to being dropped by his country by firing his way back into World Cup contention.Bournemouth – A+No exaggeration, the Cherries sold the majority of their first choice defence last summer and then Semenyo in January, yet still managed to qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.The likes of PSG, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool buying their players show how far the club has come, but also why Andoni Iraola didn’t want to extend his contract.Despite that, his squad continued to play in his image, a high press that requires extreme fitness levels.The Spaniard leaves after an 18 match unbeaten run.Brighton – BBrighton remain the classic example of how a football club should be run, with the perfect balance between youngsters and experienced talent.Many felt Danny Welbeck had played himself into World Cup contention.It highlights how far the club has progressed that some fans started to criticise the style of play during the winter. However, a strong finish to the season means the Seagulls have qualified for Europe for only the second time in their history.Brentford – ALike many, I assumed this might be the season where the Bees finally stopped punching above their weight.Especially when, in the same transfer window, they lost their manager, captain and two top goalscorers.Many underestimated how Keith Andrews would adapt from set piece coach to manager. Obviously, his team were always going to remain effective from corners, but the style of football also remained attractive.Thiago got injured when he first signed in 2024, so it was forgotten that he was effectively a ready made replacement for the goals lost by Mbeumo and Wissa.Only Haaland scored more Premier League goals than the Brazilian.Burnley – FBurnley have become a yo yo club.Outside of Kyle Walker, they invested in young players with little experience at this level, meaning the best case scenario was resale value and the worst case was stabilising themselves for another Championship campaign.It became clear very early on that they lacked the quality in both boxes to stay in the division, although you could never question their attitude.Scott Parker left as soon as relegation was confirmed.Chelsea – GSo many mistakes have been made off the pitch that Chelsea’s owners have felt the need to stress they are entering a period of reflection regarding how they run the club.Enzo Maresca seemed to suggest he left because he was tired of a medical team telling him how long he could play certain players for.Liam Rosenior was then hired largely because he worked within the BlueCo group and appeared to overcompensate by trying to sound clever.Their dressing room reminds me of Arsenal in Arteta’s early years. Lots of talented youngsters but a lack of leaders.Crystal Palace – BGiven that the Eagles sold Eze in the summer and Guehi in January, and their manager announced he would not be extending his contract during a 12 match winless run, Steve Parish managed to get the very best out of a messy situation by lifting only the second major trophy in the club’s history.That success also secured qualification for the Europa League.Throughout the season, Oliver Glasner clearly did not agree with his employer’s ambitions, repeatedly stressing that his squad was not big enough to juggle European football alongside domestic commitments.Yet the Austrian always promised that his departure would not impact his desire to succeed, which he proved by winning the Conference League.Everton To FulhamEverton – CAs he has done since returning to the club, David Moyes continues to stabilise the Toffees.For the first time in years, there was no flirtation with a relegation battle.In fact, had a few more draws been turned into victories, Everton would have been in the conversation for a European place.In that sense, they may feel they missed an opportunity during the run in when they repeatedly conceded late goals.Given how many clubs struggle to adapt immediately to a new home, it has been a solid enough start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.Fulham – CThere is a sense that Fulham stood still in the transfer market last summer, which is why Marco Silva may not sign a new contract, although he has yet to confirm his intentions.Harry Wilson will also be a free agent and has surely earned himself a significant move.The Cottagers may regret a few missed opportunities during the run in.It is still not entirely clear why they rested players in the FA Cup when they were sitting comfortably in mid table and could still have entered the conversation for a European spot.Part Two – Leeds To Wolves will be published tomorrow.What grades would you give these clubs, Gooners? And which of theses teams have overachieved or underachieved the most this season?Dan Smith_____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsPremier League 2025/26 Season Report Cards: Arsenal To Fulham (Part One)2 June 2026, 21:00Man Utd has stepped up their interest in beating Arsenal to coveted youngster2 June 2026, 20:00Newcastle United wants to beat Arsenal to top Serie A defender2 June 2026, 19:00The post Premier League 2025/26 Season Report Cards: Arsenal To Fulham (Part One) appeared first on Just Arsenal News.