Home of football statistics and historyLiverpool put an emphatic end to Manchester City’s four-year reign in the Premier League in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.
Despite heading into the 2024/25 campaign with many uncertainties after Jurgen Klopp’s departure, the Reds strolled to a record-equalling 20th title in England’s top flight.
Slot’s men left second-placed Arsenal ten points behind en route to their first Premier League title since a Covid-plagued 2019/20 season, securing one out of five Champions League qualification spots.
With 29 goals, Mohamed Salah won the Golden Boot. The Egyptian phenom inspired Liverpool to an elusive second championship in the Premier League era with sterling form throughout 2024/25.
On the other hand, Mikel Arteta’s side had to settle for a third consecutive runner-up finish, though they never stood a chance of challenging Liverpool’s title credentials in the second half of the campaign.
It’s been a while since Man City last played a less significant role in the title quest, as Pep Guardiola’s charges had to fear for their Champions League status until the final day.
Who qualified for Europe?
With Liverpool waltzing away with the title long before the final weekend, all eyes were on one of the most enthralling top-five races in recent Premier League memory.
Arsenal finished best of the rest, locking down a Champions League qualifying berth with several games to spare despite a woeful form towards the end of the season.
However, five teams headed into the final round battling it out for the five remaining spots at Europe’s top table, including surprise package Nottingham Forest.
Unfortunately, the Tricky Trees could return to the most prestigious club competition for the first time since the mid-1980s, falling behind Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle United.
Man City beat Fulham 2-0 on Matchday 38 to clinch a third-place finish – their joint-lowest final ranking since Guardiola’s first season in the dugout back in 2016/17.
As for Chelsea, they halted a two-year absence from the Champions League with a hard-fought 1-0 win at the City Ground in the last round, setting themselves up perfectly for the Conference League final.
Despite slipping to a dreadful 1-0 home loss to bottom-half Everton, Newcastle clinched their second Champions League finish in three years, courtesy of a superior head-to-head record over Aston Villa.
Unai Emery’s team fell to a 2-0 loss at Manchester United, eventually finishing sixth, which means they’ll compete in the Europa League next term.
Forest will seek a long-awaited return to continental action through the Conference League play-offs.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur endured their worst Premier League campaign since 2008, but halting a 17-year title drought with a historic Europa League win over Man Utd saw them secure automatic Champions League qualification.
Chelsea’s win in the Conference League final against Real Betis dashed Brighton & Hove Albion’s hopes of returning to Europe, denying the eighth-place finishers a spot in Europe’s third-tier competition.
Crystal Palace’s stunning FA Cup victory saw them reach Europa League football for the first time in club history.
Who suffered relegation to the Championship?
Interestingly, all three newly promoted teams failed to hold onto their top-flight status, with Southampton barely avoiding making an unwanted Premier League history.
The Saints finished bottom of the table with a measly 12 points after only winning twice all season, with Leicester City and Ipswich Town joining them in the drop.
Newly-crowned Europa League winners Tottenham Hotspur finished as the highest-ranked surviving team, though their life in the elite was never in doubt.
Beaten Europa League finalists Man Utd slumped to their worst finish in the Premier League era, ending the season in 15th, with only 11 league triumphs.
Who won promotion to the Premier League?
After narrowly missing out on top-flight promotion last term, Leeds United claimed a top-table finish in the Championship by hitting a 100-point landmark.
Only goal difference separated the Whites from second-placed Burnley, who secured an immediate return to the Premier League.
Though Sunderland finished fourth in the regular season, the Black Cats will dine out at England’s top table for the first time since 2016/17 after seeing off Sheffield United in the play-off final.
Who won the FA Cup?
Crystal Palace pulled off an epic upset in the FA Cup final, beating seven-time winners Man City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium to hoist the first piece of major silverware in the club’s 119-year history.
Who won the EFL Cup?
Newcastle won their first-ever EFL Cup title at the expense of reigning holders Liverpool, overcoming the Reds 2-1 in the Wembley showpiece.
0 Comments