Yesterday, I handed out report cards to the first half (A – F) of the Premier League.Now it is time to complete the set.As always, success depends on expectations. Some clubs exceeded them, others fell well short, and a few managed to surprise everyone for reasons both good and bad.Here are my grades for the second half of the division (G – W).Leeds To Manchester CityLeeds – AThe club intentionally recruited players with a physical presence so they could never be bullied.The turning point, though, was in November at the Etihad when, 2-0 down at half time, Daniel Farke changed his formation from a back four to a back five.Even though they still lost in the final seconds to Manchester City, the new system was kept and Leeds never looked back.Liverpool – FIt feels so long ago now, but many made Liverpool favourites to retain their title after the champions spent over £100 million on Florian Wirtz and then Alexander Isak.Wirtz is yet to settle in a more physical league, while Isak never looked fully fit even before his injury problems.Other new signings struggled. Kerkez often tried too hard, while Frimpong’s strengths were not always utilised.Konaté seemed distracted by his contract situation, while Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, despite earning the right to prove this was not one season too many, saw their form dramatically decline.After being praised for not changing what was not broken when he replaced Klopp, Arne Slot gradually lost the faith of some supporters and members of the dressing room.Even when Salah was granted an early release from his contract, he appeared determined to make life uncomfortable for his manager. The Egyptian wanted the club to return to the ethos of the previous regime, fully aware that supporters had not been entertained by what they were watching.Of course, the Dutchman will not now get that chance to change anything at Anfield.Manchester United – BIt appeared the case before the season began, but Ruben Amorim often came across as a man who regretted leaving Portugal.The Portuguese coach kept refusing to move away from a back three, yet won on Boxing Day while playing a back four.Bizarrely, he immediately reverted to his previous system, insisting he had only changed due to an injury crisis.Michael Carrick therefore deserves credit for not overcomplicating things, bringing Maguire and Mainoo back into the first team and deploying Bruno Fernandes in his best position.The question now is how Carrick copes with the role on a permanent basis.There is a huge difference between being an interim manager and being the permanent manager.Manchester City – BFor much of the first half of the campaign, City looked like a team in transition.Individually and collectively, mistakes were being made that you simply do not associate with a Pep Guardiola side.It raised the question of whether the Spaniard still had the energy to build another title winning team.That, along with the discussion surrounding the 115 charges, has never really disappeared.City did prove that value can still be found in January with the arrivals of Semenyo and Guehi, both of whom played key roles in a domestic cup double.Doku and Cherki also timed their best form perfectly for the run in.Ultimately, though, City were not clinical enough and dropped too many points through draws when the title race reached its decisive stage.(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)Newcastle To WolvesNewcastle United – EA mess both on and off the pitch.Newcastle did not even have a sporting director this time last year, leaving them ill prepared for the Isak saga and without a coherent transfer strategy.That is why they panicked and spent £55 million on an injured Wissa, who would have been a free agent 12 months later.Eddie Howe deserves some sympathy and certainly has credit in the bank, but it increasingly looks like the 48 year old should have done more to make it clear he was ready for the England job.The club has stagnated.After a 12th place finish and two derby defeats to Sunderland, the Toon Army are beginning to question their manager’s tactics and decisions.Supporters no longer feel entertained and believe the team lacks a clear identity.Nottingham Forest – ENo disrespect to Forest supporters, but I was pleased when they lost their Europa League semi final.Only because another run in Europe might have convinced the owner that his methods are justified.He sacked Nuno Espírito Santo after the manager publicly questioned the lack of investment before Europe. He then hired Ange Postecoglou, famous for insisting on his own footballing philosophy, before replacing him with Sean Dyche, whose ideas could not be more different.Dyche was then dismissed despite taking the club out of the bottom three.That made Pereira their fourth manager of the campaign.No wonder they struggle to establish any kind of identity.Sunderland – A+Not only did Sunderland and Leeds end the trend of promoted clubs immediately returning to the Championship, but the Black Cats also qualified for Europe.Régis Le Bris deserves enormous credit for the man management required to integrate so many new players while ensuring everyone understood their role.On and off the pitch, Granit Xhaka was one of the signings of the season, playing the Pirlo role superbly.The Stadium of Light has always had the potential to be intimidating if supporters are given something to believe in.It took until February for any team to win there.There is something beautifully old fashioned about Sunderland’s approach. Defenders who love defending and a striker built like a house.Tottenham Hotspur – GBanter aside, Tottenham should never find themselves needing a result on the final day to stay in the division.That earned Roberto De Zerbi the easiest bonus of his career.While injuries undoubtedly played a role, any competent manager should have kept that squad comfortably clear of danger.Those in charge were arrogant.They believed they could appoint Igor Tudor on a short term basis while waiting for their preferred candidate in the summer, assuming they were too good to become involved in a relegation battle.It appears the dressing room never responded to Tudor’s no nonsense approach.Yet it is worth noting that Thomas Frank was also considered too nice.That tells you the squad lacks leaders, characters and standards.West Ham United – GThe season began with Graham Potter still seemingly trying to recover from his Chelsea experience, using press conferences to convince people that claims he was too nice at Stamford Bridge were unfair.It was one of several questionable recruitment decisions.David Sullivan’s critics have long argued that he consistently chooses the cheaper option, and this season that approach finally caught up with him.The result was a squad lacking quality.When things go wrong, the London Stadium can quickly become toxic because many supporters never truly wanted it to become their home, even when results were positive.When they lost to Forest in January, they were seven points from safety.From that perspective, Nuno Espírito Santo deserves credit for taking the fight for survival to the final day.Yet there were opportunities to put even more pressure on Spurs that ultimately went begging.Wolves – GWhen you finish bottom of the table with only 20 points and three wins all season, yet supporters continue turning up with positivity, it tells you two things.You have a loyal fanbase.But it also means the campaign has been so poor that everyone connected to the club has moved beyond anger and disappointment.That is what happens when it takes 20 matches to record your first victory.Which is why bringing Rob Edwards back to Molineux remains the only smart decision made by the club all season.In difficult circumstances, Edwards did well to keep his players motivated and fighting until the end.What grades would you give these clubs, Gooners? And which manager exceeded expectations 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: Leeds To Wolves (Part Two)3 June 2026, 22:00Joe Cole suggests Arsenal should try to sign Man City icon3 June 2026, 21:00“Absolutely nothing” French World Cup winner aims a dig at Arsenal3 June 2026, 20:00The post Premier League 2025/26 Season Report Cards: Leeds To Wolves (Part Two) appeared first on Just Arsenal News.