Chapter 809: Season Overview
Throughout the entire Premier League season, it can be described as thrilling and colorful, with Manchester City's strong performance in the league contrasting sharply with their consecutive defeats in cup competitions.
Although achieving 100 points in the league cannot be compared to Arsenal's unbeaten run of 49 games or even Real Madrid's flawless championship, it is still considered one of the miracles of football.
Summer signings such as Walker and Mendy performed excellently in defense, while goalkeeper Ederson kept 21 clean sheets.
Of course, the foundation of the Sky Blues' success lies in their attack, with multiple players contributing to their scoring.
However, this also brought a new problem: in cup competitions, where randomness plays a significant role and on-field performance is emphasized, it's difficult to achieve success.
In the League Cup, FA Cup, and even the Champions League, Manchester City fell short, partly due to Wang Feng's declining dominance, but mainly due to the transition of the team's core players.
Fernandinho, Toure, and others phased out of the lineup, while De Bruyne and Gundogan took control of the midfield.
Guardiola also consciously cultivated substitutes, hoping players like Sane and Sterling could turn the tide at critical moments like the Chinese superstar.
Despite Manchester City's stellar performance, their cross-town rivals Manchester United appeared relatively weak, although their performance was commendable.
The Red Devils achieved a record of 6 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses against the top six clubs, a performance that in the past would have made them strong contenders for the title.
However, compared to their heyday of European dominance during the era of the treble-winning team, their performance fell short, especially losing to mid-table teams like West Bromwich Albion and Brighton.
Since Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United has gone through three managers in a row. Although the enigmatic coach Mourinho failed to lead the team to a championship, he at least brought them back to the Champions League, considering they finished sixth last season.
On the attacking front, Manchester United had more firepower, scoring 14 more goals than the previous year. However, the anticipated partnership between Pogba and Lukaku failed to materialize.
Sanchez's arrival in the winter somewhat expanded the team's attacking options but reduced the opportunities for Pogba and Lukaku to shine.
Especially Lukaku, known for his ability to carry the ball forward, was forced to play as a stationary target, earning him the nickname "Chuzhuang Wang" (The King of Poles) from Chinese fans.
Regardless, Manchester United must seek new solutions in attack, preferably relying on fast and efficient forwards who excel in off-the-ball movement.
Liverpool fans felt genuine happiness this season, despite the team still giving away points to teams like Swansea and West Bromwich Albion, defeating the dominant Manchester City is something to be forever remembered.
Looking back on the entire season, Salah was perhaps Liverpool's biggest find, with his 30+ goal tally ranking only below Wang Feng and Cristiano Ronaldo, placing him third in Premier League history.
However, they barely secured a Champions League spot until the final round of the league, mainly due to their poor defense.
Apart from Van Dijk, Robertson, Lovren, and Matip were not up to the standards of top clubs.
The Dutch defender was also signed in the winter for a record-breaking transfer fee of ￡75 million from Southampton. His excellent physical awareness and resilient spirit proved his worth, making him a strong contender for the team's next captain.
If Liverpool wants to break through, it is imperative to sign another defensive stalwart before next season.
In addition to Salah, Liverpool also has Firmino and Mane on the attacking front, all of whom are very young, with an average age of less than 26, promising a bright future.
Chelsea's fall from runners-up last season to missing out on Champions League spots is regrettable, but there were many signs early in the season.
Letting go of Matic, missing out on Lukaku, and Morata and Bakayoko taking time to adapt were some of the issues.
Moreover, all the signings seemed to be made without addressing the team's existing problems, resulting in chaos.
Last year, coach Conte's use of the 3-5-2 formation caught many clubs off guard, but the Premier League changes rapidly, and sticking to one tactic is bound to lead to elimination.
Morata's contribution of 11 goals in 24 games cannot be considered a disaster, but it does not live up to his title of record-breaking transfer.
Furthermore, he experienced a three-month goal drought in the crucial second half of the season, making Giroud, who was relegated to the bench, even more outstanding in comparison.
Hazard's form and statistics also declined. The player once hailed as the most promising talent after Messi found himself in a similar predicament as his predecessor: possessing good stats and skills but unable to lead the team to championships.
Messi persevered for over a decade before finally winning the La Liga title, while Ronaldo tirelessly pursued success despite changing teams.
Many media and professionals believe that Hazard may also need a change of environment, especially since he is already 27 years old, wasting his peak years might not be worth it.
From the club's perspective, efforts must be made to keep this core forward. Conte's next task will be to restructure the team and improve their fighting spirit.
Wenger's departure was filled with sadness. In April, a short statement shocked the football world as he confirmed his departure from Arsenal after 22 years of dedication.
Compared to his long coaching career, this farewell letter seemed particularly simple. "After discussions with the club, I feel that now is the right time for me to step down as Arsenal's manager."
In previous years, although the team fell out of the title race, securing a Champions League spot was still a decent result. However, in the last season and this season, they failed to maintain this standard, leaving the Emirates Stadium in turmoil.
In such a situation of mutual dissatisfaction, Wenger chose to take the first step, preserving a last shred of dignity.
From the course of the game, it is not difficult to see that everyone has done their best. Arsenal basically won all the games they should have won, such as home victories over Tottenham and Everton.
However, they failed to produce miracles in matches with a significant difference in strength, suffering a 0-3 defeat to Manchester City in both legs, deeply hurting the hearts of the fans.
With Mertesacker retiring, Koscielny suffering a serious injury, and Cech showing signs of aging, the Gunners are full of problems, and it's time to rebuild.
Tottenham still maintains a lukewarm state, losing several key players like Walker but introducing cost-effective quality newcomers. Economically, this approach has been successful as they retained their Champions League spot and earned a lot of money.
However, this approach undoubtedly limits the club's development potential. Endless buying and selling of players, lack of stability, and continuity means they will ultimately struggle to challenge for the championship trophy.
Levy may be a shrewd businessman, but he is not a qualified club leader. Under his leadership, Tottenham will never become a true powerhouse.
Apart from the Big Six, the most eye-catching small team in the Premier League this season is undoubtedly Burnley. They were struggling in the relegation zone last year but have now risen to seventh place, surpassing Everton.
The standout star in the team was undoubtedly the new English goalkeeper Pope, with the team conceding only 39 goals in all 38 league matches, comparable to Liverpool and Chelsea.
However, their development is constrained by their attacking capabilities, and it is believed that next season the club will still aim to maintain their Premier League status.
In the Champions League, Real Madrid made it to the semi-finals but encountered Bayern Munich and once again fell at the feet of the Bavarians, while Liverpool faced the Bundesliga giants at the pinnacle of Europe.
In the end, Bayern determined the outcome of the battle and lifted their fifth Champions League trophy in history!
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