- A dramatic and long Premier League season came to an end on Sunday
- There were several iconic and unforgettable moments throughout the year
- Mail Sport selects our alternative awards from the last nine promotional months
Nine and a half months, a World Cup, numerous dramatic moments and several dubious VAR calls later, the Premier League season ended on Sunday.
A thrilling and entertaining season featured a title race and a thrilling battle for Europe coupled with a desperate battle for relegation.
Manchester City eventually overtook Arsenal to secure their fifth league title in six seasons, while Manchester United and Newcastle took the top four spots.
In the end, after several twists and turns, Southampton, Leeds and Leicester made it through the dreaded trapdoor and will play championship football next season.
The Winter World Cup in Qatar, which saw the league paused for six weeks between November and December, added added excitement and vulnerability to a season that saw 11 different teams experience at least one change in leadership.
After the end of the Premier League season, Mail Sports will hand out our alternative awards
After completing the campaign mail port looks back on some of the most iconic moments to give our alternative awards.
Longest suicide note
It seems like forever ago, but Cristiano Ronaldo was a Manchester United player earlier in the season until a 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan burned the bridges more spectacularly than any formal transfer request could.
Ronaldo, who was left out of United’s squad by Erik ten Hag after the side started the season with losses to Brighton and Brentford, did not hold back during the November session
“I haven’t seen any development at the club since Sir Alex left. Nothing has changed,” he said. And while many United fans would have agreed at the time, his opinion of ten Hag was more controversial.
“I have no respect for him because he shows no respect for me,” said the former Ballon d’Or winner. That was the endgame. While Ronaldo was on World Cup action, it was announced he and United had split – and he is now playing in Saudi Arabia.
Cristiano Ronaldo left Man United in November after a miserable spell under Erik ten Hag. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was an interview with Piers Morgan when he said he “didn’t respect” Ten Hag.
The most explosive rant
Antonio Conte’s fiery response to a friendly question after Tottenham’s 3-3 draw at Southampton meant he would never be able to manage the club again.
“We’re not a team,” he raged as he explained why Spurs had gambled away a 3-1 lead. He then went on to criticize his players, ownership and club history. He traveled to Italy for the upcoming international break and never returned.
Managers are becoming more and more curious about how to use their platform to route messages.
Pep Guardiola vigorously challenged his players as they fell behind Arsenal by declaring that football can’t just be about ‘happy flowers’. Erik ten Hag made it clear early on that he described Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to end a pre-season game early after being substituted as “unacceptable”.
Antonio Conte’s explosive tirade after a draw against Southampton ended his tenure as Spurs manager
Experts “at war”
Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville spoke with growing emotion as they analyzed United’s 4-0 defeat at Brentford in August. Neville wanted the Glazers to take the brunt, Redknapp blamed the players.
Presenter Kelly Dalglish stood by, partly because it was impossible to interrupt, but mostly because it was great TV. “Jamie, Jamie,” said an annoyed Neville once. “Look at me when I’m talking to you,” Redknapp snapped.
Such confrontations have made analysis almost as watchable as football at times this season.
Jamie Carragher and Graeme Souness sat opposite Neville and Keane after Liverpool beat United 7-0 in what was almost atrocious. When Neville tried to dismiss it as a one-time “freak,” Souness pointed and replied, “He didn’t watch the same game I did,” to which Carragher intervened.
Jamie Redknapp and Gary Neville clashed over who was to blame for Man United’s woes
VAR CRIMES AGAINST COMMON SENSE
Manchester United’s winner against City at Old Trafford in January is still incredible, as Marcus Rashford saved the ball from an offside position and Bruno Fernandes delivered the goal.
Assistant Darren Cann raised his flag, but because Rashford ran alongside the ball instead of physically touching it, referee Stuart Attwell knocked his colleague down and awarded a goal.
VAR panicked and decided they could not overrule Attwell on the Basic Law, but PGMOL later admitted any future iteration would produce a different outcome.
“There is little doubt that an offside would have been a better decision,” they said. “Nobody would have really objected if the goal hadn’t been recognised.”
In a season of multiple VAR mistakes, the decision to allow Bruno Fernandes’ equalizer against Manchester City when Marcus Rashford was ruled offside is one of the worst. Marcus Rashford was clearly offside when the ball was played, allowing Fernandes to head home
The fastest fall of fortune
On January 14, Southampton appeared to be enjoying a healthy rebound under Nathan Jones after beating Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, Manchester City in the EFL Cup and relegated rivals Everton in the Premier League in the same week.
How quickly things change. Less than a month later, Jones was fired on February 12 after three straight league losses, despite the general consensus that his appointment had been a disaster.
Some of Jones’ outlandish post-game comments and apparent accusations of blaming his players helped, but like many of those Saints fans who welcomed his departure had been in Goodison just 29 days earlier to meet James Ward -Celebrating Prowse’s game-winning double and believing in better times was ahead.
Nathan Jones’ disastrous three-month tenure at Southampton ended dramatically
ADVANTAGES OF FAN POWER
Every club in the bottom half of the table has sacked their manager at some point this season, with the exception of Nottingham Forest and West Ham – both of whom have been rewarded for their loyalty by staying in the league.
The Forest situation comes down to the fact that sometimes the fans knew best. A 4-0 defeat at Leicester in October saw Forest bottom after eight games and fears for Steve Cooper’s job given owner Evangelos Marinakis’ record to date.
However, the Forest fan base made their feelings clear, chanting Cooper’s name at all times to let club bosses know that his sacking would cause divisions.
So Cooper stayed and, as a reward for Marinakis, the Forest fans provided the best atmosphere in the league for the rest of the season. There is no doubt they stayed with their homeland in the Premier League – 30 of Forest’s 37 points were won at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest were rewarded for surviving and remaining loyal to Steve Cooper
EXECUTIVES BEHAVE BADLY
Thomas Tuchel’s decision to hold Antonio Conte’s hand extra long after Chelsea’s London derby against Spurs in August almost caused a stir.
His compatriot Jurgen Klopp, too overexcited after Liverpool’s late winner against Spurs, sprinted to fourth official John Brooks and injured his thigh in the process.
Perhaps Klopp had learned lessons from Pep Guardiola. He was so emotional about Manchester City’s goal against Liverpool at the Etihad that he celebrated right in front of Reds substitute Kostas Tsimikas, who had been minding his own business on the touchline during the warm-up.
The infamous handshake between Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte was an extremely dramatic moment
BEST REINVENTION
England centre-back John Stones was appointed right-back and midfielder in City’s win against Liverpool in early April and performed so well that he became a key part of Pep Guardiola’s tactical master plan to win the treble.
Stones is in the best shape of his life wherever he is assigned to play. In the recent 4-0 win over Real Madrid, he helped City dominate a midfield that included the great Luka Modric and was still an extra body at the heart of the defense when needed.
He wasn’t the only one reinventing his game. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s role in Liverpool midfield in possession has played a big part in their good late-season form.
After being used as a full-back at Manchester City last season, Gabriel Jesus was back at Arsenal’s ninth place and led attack as Mikel Arteta’s side returned to the Champions League. Joelinton has excelled in Newcastle midfield after failing as a forward under Steve Bruce.
John Stones’ transformation into a defender and midfielder helped Man City win the title
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