City and Mo shine in lacklustre season
It may seem something of a paradox, but despite the outstanding performances of Manchester City and certain individual players like Mo Salah at Liverpool, it was hardly a classic season for the English Premier League.
With City having virtually sewn up the title by Christmas it was the relegation battle that provided the main interest for the final third of the season with a dozen clubs looking vulnerable. Even so, on the final day there was nothing much to play for.
There was a heavy casualty toll amongst Premier League managers, with 11 parting ways with their clubs during the season and two more — Sam Allardyce and David Moyes — leaving this week.
It turned out to be a triumph for most of the birds, with the Eagles, Gulls and Magpies all defying relegation, although the Swans were unable to stay afloat.
With Chelsea and Arsenal falling away badly, the top four places were all but ensured for City, United, Liverpool and Spurs. It must be hoped that next season at least one of these pursuing clubs will give City a run for their money.
Let’s not detract from City’s achievement. Pep Guardiola’s boys broke just about every record in the book and probably a few more that weren’t in there. Any season with 106 goals and 100 points can’t be bad. Then there is the little matter of winning the title by a massive 19 points.
At times City were a joy to watch with Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva pulling the strings, backed by the superb Fernandinho. With Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling providing plenty of spark up front they sliced their way through defences with consummate ease. England will be hoping Sterling does the same in the World Cup.
It was a satisfactory season for Manchester United, runners-up in the league and a chance to win the FA Cup final today. Despite this, Jose Mourinho’s men have hardly set the league alight with their style of play. And everyone knows Mourinho doesn’t like coming second, especially in the shadow of Guardiola.
Liverpool were fun to watch thanks to the exciting trio of Sadio Mane, Bobby Firminio and the extraordinary Salah who has deservedly already won two player of the year awards. What makes the Egyptian’s success all the more enjoyable is that he seems such a decent guy. Two years after being discarded by Chelsea, he has become a Premier League folk hero.
Tottenham will be relatively happy how the season progressed considering the forecasts of woe that went with them having to play at Wembley the whole season. The feared “Wembley jinx” did not materialise and led by Harry Kane’s goalscoring instinct they had some great moments. Alas, they are still desperate for silverware.
For Chelsea and Antonio Conte it has been a miserable season. Conte has a last chance to redeem himself in today’s Cup Final, but calls his side the “underdogs” between two teams who haven’t won anything this season.
Chelsea were dire in last week’s defeat at Newcastle and the manager’s curious team selections suggested he was sending a message to the Russian Tsar at the Bridge. The danger for Chelsea is that they could lose disillusioned stars like Eden Hazard and Willian, although Hazard has indicated he might stay if the club makes some decent signings.
We must not forget Arsene Wenger’s last hurrah at the Gunners. The Arsenal fans gave him a decent send-off, although many of them felt it should have happened a few years earlier. But it would be amiss to forget his achievements in the early days and his three league titles and seven FA Cups is nothing to sniff at.
In the mad scramble to avoid relegation you cannot ignore the amazing recovery of Crystal Palace under Roy Hodgson who would surely have been a candidate for manager of the season if it were not for Guardiola.
For a team that lost their first seven games to eventually finish in 11th place is quite an achievement. Hodgson might not have won many admirers as England boss, but he’s got plenty at Selhurst Park along with Wilfried Zaha.
Another team punching above their weight are Bournemouth who, under Eddie Howe, once again defied the odds to finish 12th.
All three newly-promoted clubs — Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield — secured their place in the top flight, only the third time this has happened in the Premier League era.
Newcastle ended in a comfortable 10th place under Rafa Benitez and if the Spaniard can get the right financial support the Magpies can firmly reestablish themselves in the top flight.
Brighton also did well to avoid the drop under the astute leadership of Chris Houghton. And what better way of ensuring Premier League status than beating Manchester United at home.
Pre-season favourites for the drop, Huddersfield Town, had a strange season, but will be delighted at surviving. After a bright start, David Wagner’s side looked like they had done enough, but then suffered an alarming drop in form. They just hung on and with nail-biting draws against Manchester City and Chelsea in the final week, no one would begrudge their survival.
The season was of course a disaster for Swansea, Stoke and West Bromwich Albion, although the Baggies showed belated signs of life under Darren Moore, who could have done with a few more weeks in charge after the Alan Pardew fiasco.
The demoted clubs often start as favourites to bounce back, but considering what Sunderland experienced this season, the Swans, Potters and Baggies know it won’t be a picnic in the Championship.