With the 2023/24 Premier League season done and dusted, here are five things we learned from yet another thrilling campaign!
Manchester City are the greatest!
Perhaps the most obvious takeaway from the season is the fact that City have become the first-ever side to win four Premier League titles in a row. This remarkable feat seems unassailable for other clubs, in the near future at least, as the Citizens appear likely to achieve a fifth title in a row rather than another team matching their unprecedented achievement. Pep Guardiola's side lost only three games all season, with their last defeat coming against Aston Villa in the first week of December. Impressively, the Manchester outfit won their last eight league matches quite comfortably, scoring 29 goals in the process, which equates to just over three-and-a-half goals per match.
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Managerial sackings declined
Fewer managers were sacked or departed this term compared to the previous three campaigns. According to Transfermarkt, only seven EPL clubs changed coaches this season, including the impending departures of Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton Hove Albion, and David Moyes at West Ham United. This is the fewest managerial changes in a campaign since the 2019/20 season, during the Coronavirus pandemic. Ultimately, clubs showed restraint this term, with relegated sides Burnley and Luton Town sticking by their managers Vincent Kompany and Rob Edwards, respectively, for the whole campaign despite results largely not going their way. The only coaches who were sacked were Paul Heckingbottom at Sheffield United, Roy Hodgson at Crystal Palace, and Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest, while Spanish boss Julen Lopetegui walked out on Wolverhampton Wanderers at the start of 2023/24.
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English players dominated in their country
The Premier League has always been famous for housing some of the best foreign talent, who, at times, have dominated English players in their league. However, this season, Dominic Solanke, Ollie Watkins, Jarrod Bowen, Anthony Gordon, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden all registered 20 or more goal involvements. Foden was also named Premier League Player of the Season, becoming the first Englishman to claim that title so since Jamie Vardy in 2015/16, while Palmer was given the Young Player of the Season award thanks to his 22 goals and 11 assists in 34 games. This past season is likely to give England manager Gareth Southgate a selection headache for the upcoming UEFA European Championship next month!
VAR is a problem
Video assistant referees came under heavy fire this season, with many clubs feeling they had decisions go unfairly against them. According to ESPN, 104 refereeing calls were overturned by VAR, while there was some controversy over some decisions not being reviewed at all. Fans, players, coaches, and media officials alike have been critical of the technology and how it is applied in the Premier League. This has culminated in Wolves putting forward a motion to discontinue VAR next season, with all 20 Premier League clubs set to vote on the future of VAR at a meeting on 6 June. Some criticisms against VAR include the time taken to make decisions, and the fact that some calls are made using the smallest of margins. The Premier League confirmed that they acknowledge the concerns, but they still support the use of VAR, which was introduced in the 2019/20 season.
It was a false dawn for Brighton and Newcastle United
Brighton and Newcastle both enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 season, and many expected them to build off that success this term. The Seagulls finished sixth in 2022/23, their highest-ever finish in the Premier League, ensuring their first qualification for European football. However, the club regressed in this campaign, finishing 11th and parting ways with their manager. It's been a similar case for Newcastle, who qualified for the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League for the first time in 20 years. Unfortunately, the Magpies did not progress past the group stage of the tournament and finished seventh in the Premier League, which is three spots off their fourth-place finish in the campaign prior. It was ultimately a false dawn for both of these clubs, and it will be interesting to see if Aston Villa can avoid a similar fate next season after they finished fourth this time around.
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