The rollercoaster season ended with a chaotic final day on 26 July 2020. A season that transpired over an 11 month period due to a global pandemic all around the world. Many fans were overjoyed by their team’s success while others were disappointed and disheartened. We provide our Premier League 2019/20 Review below:
Let’s analyze teams by grades and review their whole season. We shall start from the bottom and range up to top accordingly:
20. Norwich City:
Premier League 2019/20 was an exciting season but not for every team. A team originally everyone predicted to face relegation and it went that way. With minimal spending, it was going to be a tough crack to survive in such a highly competitive league. Norwich were highly enjoyable to watch and have great young players at their disposal. The win against City at home shall always be remembered as one of the best matches of the season. A David vs Goliath encounter where Norwich was suffering from injuries yet they registered a 3-2 win against the defending champions. Players like Godfrey, Lewis, Aarons, Buendia, and Cantwell will be highly in demand. Overall relegation isn’t a major disaster for them. They have a good project on their hands and financially are a very well run club.
You cant give nothing above D as they have finished on 20th with only 5 wins from 38. But overall it was expected and staying up was always going to be difficult for them.
Grade: D
19. Watford:
Sitting at an absolutely worse state before Pearson’s appointment. After beating champions Liverpool just before the stoppage, everything looked stable. Beating Liverpool who were undefeated before that was a massive achievement. Having players like Sarr, Deulofeu, Doucoure, Hughes, and Pereyra shows their massive attacking venom but the defense proved the downfall. Sacking a manager when only 2 games are left could be the worst decision you can ever undertake. Coming up for them won’t be easy due to the wages and their atrocious defense. Losing the above players will majorly affect their growth. We wish them the best in Championship next year.
With the squad they had, being relegated is majorly disappointing. Having 4 managers in a season is beyond bafflement from the hierarchy which untimely proved to be their downfall.
Grade: E
18. AFC Bournemouth:
A team that came up with a beautiful story. Eddie Howe miraculously brought them up but unfortunately had to face the brunt on their relegation. Bournemouth has already lost the backbone of their team in Nathan Ake and more departures shall follow. They ended the season with important wins over Leicester and Everton yet it proved to be fruitless. Southampton defeat proved to be their final straw for Premier League status.
Solanke and Ibe deals on the amount they signed will always be questioned and they have no one except themselves to blame for relegation.
Grade: D
17. Aston Villa:
Surviving on the last day is always nervous but Villa did enough to retain their Premier League status. With the amount they spent in the window, relegation was always going to be disastrous. But wins against Arsenal and Palace were enough for Villa to leapfrog them above Bournemouth and Watford to safety.
If we are being totally honest, Villa were dreadful the whole season. Grealish had a major hand to ensure their survival but will he be a Villa player next season? Their spending was enormous yet it never bore fruit and they survived just on the concluding day of the season.
Grade: D
16. West Ham:
A team you just cannot predict. They ended the season with a victory and a draw with Chelsea and United respectively along with a 4-0 win against Norwich away. It was surprising to find a team like West Ham fighting for survival. With the money they have spent, the top half must be their aspirations yet they find themselves fighting for safety.
To conclude, West ham had a sub-par season.
Grade: D
15. Brighton
Potter’s appointment raised a lot of eyebrows. Their style of play drastically changed. Short passes and attacking structure became a norm under Potter. Glen Murray unfortunately had to sit most of the season on the bench due to the above change. A double over Arsenal will always be cherished by Brighton’s fans this season. They started as relegation contenders and they comfortably survived it in the end.
To conclude, it was a decent first season for Potter in the Premier League.
Grade: C+
14. Crystal Palace:
Crystal Palace is a clear example of Stability. At one stage they were only 3 points adrift of a Europa League spot yet finished 16 behind the same. They had a good early form to guarantee survival but after that, it was a horrific end with losing the last 4 matches of the season. They had the chance to do something bigger but in the end, survival is must which they accomplished.
Overall, they had an average season which started well but ended badly yet they achieved their objectives.
Grade: C+
13. Newcastle United:
Rafa’s leaving multiplied fan’s rage and it was expected to be a tough season. Bruce’s appointment did not receive much appreciation yet he performed admirably well. Newcastle comfortably survived relegation along with scalping some massive wins this season.
They had a fantastic season but the only doubt remains about ambition from the hierarchy above.
Grade: B
12. Everton:
A club that should be competing for Europa League spots yet find themselves in the lower half of the table. Finishing 12th is a majorly disappointing season for Everton. The only bright light was the appointment of Carlo Ancelloti. Can he strive Everton ahead? This question will properly be answered next season.
To conclude, Everton were horrific and shows what irresponsible spending can do. They need major overhauling next season.
Grade: E
11. Southampton:
Losing is always a bad sight but losing 9-0 is an unbearable experience for any fan. It was inevitable for a club to overhaul and sack the manager yet Southampton stood with Hassenhutl. Patience and stability of the Southampton board bore fruit. They inflicted their revenge by beating Leicester in the return fixture. Also, major scalps against Chelsea and City showed the upturn in their season. Southampton plays amazing football and looks to be the next club to surprise a lot next season.
To conclude, Southampton had a very good season and shall only become better from here.
Grade: B
10. Burnley:
Burnley is the best example of defying the odds. With minimal to no spend, Dyche has worked tremendously well to keep them up in the League. They were in the Europa League race till the end and missed by just 5 points. Since their return in 2016, they qualified for Europa once and nearly got it this year.
Burnley had a tremendous season and Burnley fans will hope their club keeps defying the odds for foreseeable future.
Grade: A
9. Sheffield United:
It brought a smile to lots of fans to see Sheffield back in the Big Leagues. But no one would ever fathom them to be fighting for Champions League spot for three-fourth of the season. Before Lockdown, they were adrift by just 5 points from Chelsea at 4th with also having a game left to play. Since the restart, Sheffield has accumulated only 11 points from 10 games leading to failure in the top 6 race. Beating Chelsea, Tottenham and Wolves were great results after the break but they weren’t able to carry that for the other fixtures. A season every Sheffield fan will remember with glorious memory.
Wilder has garnered major appreciation and he along with his team achieved a major accomplishment. Will they carry it to next season?. This remains the question for all which shall be answered in the upcoming season.
Grade: A+
8. Arsenal:
Arrivals of Nicolas Pepe, David Luiz, Ceballos, and Tierney were expected to help Arsenal secure the top 4. Chelsea suffering from a transfer ban along with uncertainty at United and Tottenham, Arsenal had a clear pathway. They had top 4 in the bag last season until a disastrous end where Chelsea Leapfrogged them to a UCL place and also inflicted a crushing defeat in the Europa League Final. Emery always was under pressure from the start and Frankfurt’s defeat was the final straw in his Arsenal Tenure. Freddie Ljungberg was appointed as interim but it did not go as desired. Finally, they appointed Mikel Arteta and haven’t required to look back. Arteta has just not done a fantastic job but also upped the mentality in the dressing room. The defense has been Arsenal’s Achilles heel yet under him it looks so steady.
Overall, if we take the FA Cup win aside, it’s been below par season in the Premier League. Arsenal fans will want a bounce back next term after the shambolic season they underwent this season.
Grade: B ( FA cup success taken in account)
7. Wolves:
Wolves will only rue the end which cost them a consecutive Europa League place. Loses to Arsenal, Sheffield, Chelsea, and draw to Burnley cost them a European spot next season. They did exceedingly well in Europa League this season but fell off in the Quarters against an Experienced giant in Sevilla. Only Goal difference put them on 7th just behind Tottenham. Their double over City is still one of the most talked-about things this season. They are a well-run club from top to bottom and shall only keep growing from here.
To summarize, Wolves have had an amazing season but will rue the chance to miss on European spots this season.
Grade: B+
6. Tottenham:
Tottenham was one match away from becoming European champions the previous year. Something no fan would have fathomed in 2014 of Tottenham reaching the Champions League final. There were high hopes for this year but cracks of something wrong were already visible to see post-Jan 2019. Tottenham scrapped their way to the top 4. Nobody expected Tottenham to be mid-table with 14 points in 12 games. Inevitably it led to the departure of Pochettino and arrival of Jose Mourinho. He steadied the ship until it inevitably it drowned again and that’s what’s been the story of Spurs season. They had the chance to get top 4 but both times they lost to Chelsea and finished 7 points behind them.
Its been a season to forget for Tottenham fans. Spurs fan will hope for a better season next term and with other clubs spending big, Can Jose Dethrone them? We’ll find out next term.
Grade: D
5. Leicester:
The majority of the season saw Leicester occupying the 3rd spot in the League. An 8 match winning streak will always multiply a fan’s optimism for his team’s season. Even after stutter, they found themselves 8 points ahead of United and 5 ahead of Chelsea before the stoppage. They finished the campaign at 5th sitting 4 points behind Chelsea and Manchester United. Probably this will lead them to lose their lots of promising players like Chilwell, Maddison, etc.
No one expected Leicester to be in the top 5 and they deserve huge credit to get there but overall they did throw it away in the end. With all other teams spending heavily this summer, a chance for the top 4 might never present itself again for them.
Grade: B
4. Chelsea:
It felt gloomy days for Chelsea with Hazard’s departure. A player who contributed in 50 percent of their total goals in the League last season. The problem of the transfer ban was another setback. The appointment of an inexperienced manager only increased doubts towards a bad season for Chelsea. There were joyous moments where Chelsea went on a 6 match winning streak but what followed was disastrous. Chelsea went on a streak with only 2 wins from 8 matches that included 5 losses and a draw. This allowed United and Sheffield to crawl their way back into the top 4 contentions. Wins against City, Arsenal, and double over Tottenham showed the potential within this side. Whereas losses to Bournemouth, Southampton, West ham, and Everton showed how far they are to Elite teams in the world.
With the way Chelsea is acquiring their targets and with UCL qualification secured, the Club is going in a great direction. Frank Lampard has also shown his ability as a manager and will be aware of increased pressure next term.
Grade: B
3. Manchester United:
A draw and loss to Huddersfield and Cardiff at the final stage of last season was a big eye-opener for United fans. Everyone knew it was going to be a humongous task to get them where they want to be. They did spend good money in the summer but they lost Lukaku and Pogba suffered an injury-riddled season. With a front line of James, Martial, and Rashford, attackingly it was going to be difficult for them. Losing Pogba devoid of their midfield of any creativity. It all escalated into toxicity after the Burnley defeat which urged United to complete the transfer of Bruno Fernandes. After the resumption of the League, all the injured players returned and boosted United to a fantastic end to the season. Missing out on a chance to win the Europa League was disheartening but they fulfilled their objectives for the season.
To conclude, it wasn’t a pretty season especially for a club like United but they achieved their objectives they aspired. Acquiring players like Sancho would only brighten their future more next term.
Grade: B
2. Manchester City:
A star-studded team who had hoped to win the Premier League three times in a row. Manchester City had a season to forget. 9 defeats which comprised embarrassing losses to Norwich, Southampton, and a double loss to Wolves. The spending that has been put in the club, such a horrid defense of title is not acceptable.
Manchester City won the Carabao cup but got knocked out in Ucl by Lyon and lost to Arsenal in FA Cup semifinal. Pep has not been able to help City achieve European success and this season, League Campaign was an absolute shambles. He will have big questions to answer next season.
Grade: C+
1. Liverpool:
From European Champions and a 97 point season which put them only 1 behind the champions, optimism among Liverpool fans was high. The players and the coach replicated the same and won the Premier League in a comfortable manner. The ending of the season wasn’t pretty but the job was done way before that. Till the Watford game, they only dropped points once. Invincibles comparisons were floating pre-march until Watford arrived. It had been 30 years since they won the League and what a way to do it.
Winning UCL last year and the League this year, Liverpool’s rise under Klopp has been tremendous. Jurgen Klopp keeps shutting his doubters and will go on to be one of the best managers you will ever see. Now the only question is “Can Liverpool defend their title?. It shall be answered next season.
Grade: A+
This was our Premier League Review 2019/20.
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Credits: Premier League
