Team by team review of Premier League season

 

Team by team review of Premier League season The 2024-25 Premier League season was a thrilling campaign marked by surprises, standout performances, and significant shifts in the established order. Below is a concise team-by-team review of the season:

Liverpool (1st, Champions)

Arne Slot’s debut season was a triumph, with Liverpool clinching the title with four games to spare, equalling Manchester United’s 20 English league titles. A 26-game unbeaten run, led by Mohamed Salah (46 goal involvements, EA SPORTS Player of the Season), Virgil van Dijk, and Ryan Gravenberch, powered them to glory. Alisson’s goalkeeping was pivotal, though cup exits dulled the shine slightly.

Arsenal (2nd) Arsenal secured second place and a Champions League spot but fell short of their title ambitions, finishing 11 points behind Liverpool. Declan Rice was a standout, earning a nomination for the EA SPORTS Player of the Season award with double-digit goal involvements. A semi-final run in the Champions League highlighted their progress, though inconsistency in key moments cost them.

Arsenal (2nd) Arsenal secured second place and a Champions League spot but fell short of their title ambitions, finishing 11 points behind Liverpool. Declan Rice was a standout, earning a nomination for the EA SPORTS Player of the Season award with double-digit goal involvements. A semi-final run in the Champions League highlighted their progress, though inconsistency in key moments cost them.

Chelsea (4th) Enzo Maresca’s first season delivered a Champions League spot, secured with a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on the final day. Despite spending over £1 billion since 2022, Chelsea struggled mid-season but finished strongly. They face Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final, aiming to avoid embarrassment in Europe’s third-tier competition.

Newcastle United (5th, 66 pts, +21 GD) Newcastle secured a Champions League spot with 66 points, also winning the EFL Cup to end a 56-year trophy drought. Alexander Isak’s 23 goals and six assists earned him an EA SPORTS nomination, while Eddie Howe’s tactics delivered a memorable season.

Aston Villa (6th, 66 pts, +7 GD) Villa finished sixth, also on 66 points, but missed out on the top five due to goal difference. Youri Tielemans (six assists), Ezri Konsa, and Boubacar Kamara were key, with a win over Tottenham boosting their European hopes, likely securing a Europa League spot.

Nottingham Forest (7th, 65 pts, +12 GD) Forest were the season’s surprise, finishing seventh with 65 points and earning European football for the first time in 30 years. Morgan Gibbs-White (six goals, eight assists) and Chris Wood (20 goals) shone, with a 7-0 win over Brighton marking their high point.

Brighton (8th, 61 pts, +7 GD) Brighton’s eighth-place finish with 61 points exceeded expectations. Kaoru Mitoma’s stunning goal against Chelsea was a highlight, but they fell short of European qualification despite a solid campaign.

Bournemouth (9th, 56 pts, +12 GD) Bournemouth’s ninth-place finish with 56 points was a major overachievement after last season’s relegation battle. A 2-1 win over Arsenal showcased their growth, marking a +9 improvement over pre-season predictions.

Brentford (10th, 56 pts, +9 GD) Brentford secured 10th with 56 points, driven by Bryan Mbeumo’s 19 goals and seven assists, earning an EA SPORTS nomination. Mark Flekken led the league in saves, though defensive leaks (35 goals conceded at home) capped their ceiling.

Fulham (11th, 54 pts, 0 GD) Fulham finished 11th with 54 points, a slight improvement over expectations. Antonee Robinson’s 10 assists were a highlight, but they couldn’t push for European spots despite a steady season.

Crystal Palace (12th, 53 pts, 0 GD) Palace ended 12th with 53 points, surging late with 18 points from their final 12 games. Daniel Munoz’s defensive work and five assists, alongside Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr, were bright spots. An FA Cup final appearance offered Europa League hope.

Everton (13th, 48 pts, -2 GD) Everton narrowly avoided relegation, finishing 13th with 48 points. A late five-match winless run nearly cost them, but James Tarkowski’s defensive contributions kept them safe despite offensive struggles.

West Ham (14th, 43 pts, -16 GD) West Ham’s 14th-place finish with 43 points was underwhelming. Back-to-back wins late in the season weren’t enough to salvage European hopes, and a 2-1 loss to Forest highlighted their inconsistency.

Manchester United (15th, 42 pts, -10 GD) United had a dismal season, finishing 15th with 42 points. Erik ten Hag’s sacking after a 2-1 loss to West Ham (when United were 14th) led to Ruben Amorim’s appointment, but a 2-0 loss at Wolves and a 2-2 draw at Anfield showed little improvement.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (16th, 42 pts, -15 GD) Wolves finished 16th with 42 points, sacking Gary O’Neil after 11 losses in 16 games. Vitor Pereira’s arrival brought a slight uptick, with Matheus Cunha’s seven goals a rare positive in a relegation-threatened campaign.

Tottenham Hotspur (17th, 38 pts, -1 GD) Tottenham narrowly escaped relegation, finishing 17th with 38 points. A 4-0 win at City was a high, but a 6-3 loss to Liverpool showed their inconsistency. Winning the Europa League secured a Champions League spot, salvaging a dire domestic season.

Leicester City (18th, 25 pts, -47 GD, Relegated) Leicester’s return to the Premier League was disastrous, finishing 18th with 25 points. Steve Cooper’s tenure saw just two wins in 12 games, and Ruud van Nistelrooy couldn’t stop their slide, confirmed by a 2-2 draw with Forest.

Ipswich Town (19th, 22 pts, -46 GD, Relegated) Ipswich, back after 22 years, finished 19th with 22 points. Their grit earned respect, but they were relegated alongside Leicester and Southampton, marking the first time since 1997-98 that all promoted teams went down after one season.

Southampton (20th, 12 pts, -60 GD, Relegated) Southampton were relegated with seven games left, finishing with just 12 points and a -60 goal difference. Ivan Jurić and interim boss Simon Rusk couldn’t turn things around, setting a record for early relegation. See also: FULL LIST: Qualified EPL teams for 2025–26 Champions League, Europa League, Conference League.