Premier League, 2022 (2021-22)

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  • The 2021-22 Premier League was the 30th season in the competition's history.
  • With their fourth title in the last five seasons, Manchester City won a sixth Premier League title as they became England's league champions for the eighth time.
  • With the easing of restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new campaign returned to a familiar mid-August start date. A winter break was re-instated (23 January 2022 to 7 February 2022).
  • Due to a winter surge of COVID-19 cases, several games were postponed in December. A meeting of all clubs decided that fixtures should be fulfilled if 13 fit players and a goalkeeper were available.
  • All spectator restrictions were removed. The total attendance at the 380 games was 15,036,524: an average of 39,570 (a 3.64% increase on 2018-19, the most recent restriction-free season).
  • This was the third season that the Premier League had featured the use of video assistant referees (VAR).
  • The title contest was soon reduced to three teams. Chelsea led the way in December before Manchester City's run of 12 consecutive wins gave them a 13-point lead in January. Liverpool then went on to win ten games in row and it wasn't until the final day of the season that City's champions success was confirmed.
  • For the first time in the competition's history, none of the 20 positions in the table were confirmed prior to kick-off on the final day.
  • Tottenham Hotspur claimed the fourth UEFA Champions League qualifying place.
  • Arsenal and Manchester United qualified for the UEFA Europa League while seventh-placed West Ham United qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
  • Returning to the top division for the first time since 1947, Brentford became the 50th club to play in the Premier League, finishing in a most creditable 13th position.
  • However, both Norwich City and Watford were relegated and made an immediate return to the Championship.
  • Burnley's six seasons in the division came to an end as Leeds United survived with a final day win at Brentford. Everton narrowly avoided departing the top flight for the first time since 1954.
  • In controversial circumstances, ownership of two clubs changed during the campaign.
  • In October, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund completed a £300m takeover of Newcastle United to end Mike Ashley's 14-year ownership.
  • In March, in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was one of the Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government. This forced the sale of the club which concluded in May when a £4.25billion deal was agreed with the American Todd Boely / Clearlake Capital consortium.
  • Having led Liverpool to a domestic cup double and runner-up in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, Jürgen Klopp was named League Managers' Association Manager of the Year and the Premier League's Manager of the Season.
  • Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne was voted the Premier League's Player of the Season while Mohamed Salah of Liverpool won the Football Writers' Association's Footballer of the Year award.
  • Mohamed Salah became the sixth player to win the PFA Player of the Year award on two occasions (previously in 2017-18).
  • City's Phil Foden was named both Premier League Young Player of the Season and PFA Young Player of the Year for a second season in a row.
  • Mohamed Salah and Tottenham Hotspur's SON Heung-min shared the Golden Boot award with 23 goals each.
  • Mohamed Salah won the Premier League's Goal of the Season award (for Liverpool versus Manchester City on 3 October 2021).
  • The PFA Premier League Team of the Year was:
  • - Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
  • - Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool), Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea), Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
  • - Kevin De Br