The 2019-20 season of Premier League will always be special. We witnessed a season-ending in July due to the pandemic plus we had Liverpool as the champions of England. Liverpool fans had been waiting for this moment for the last thirty years. It was their first title in the Premier League era. Liverpool dominated most of the season and finished with a massive 99 points. With Manchester City at a distant second place, Chelsea and Manchester United were the other two teams seeking the UEFA Champions League qualification.
The drama for the Champions League spots as well as the relegation battle was quite alive till the last minute of the league. Jack Grealish led Aston Villa to sneak out of the relegation zone, whereas Bournemouth and Watford along with Norwich will be playing the Championship next season. Leicester City were looking comfortable for a Champions League finish before the lockdown, but things did not go according to their plans after the restart, whereas Bruno Fernandes became an inspiration for Manchester United and he led the team to the third position in the league table.
The break between the seasons is not a long one and we will be entertained by the Champions League action soon. We got hold of a few football fans who have a great understanding of the game. They had a closer look at the campaign and have their say about this special Premier League season. Let’s have a look at their views.
Player of the Season
Arihant: Kevin De Bruyne
While many might argue that Jordan Henderson, Liverpool's tireless midfield engine has rightly been awarded the honour for being a vital link for his men whenever they needed it, the Belgian maestro should not be slept on. A creative box to box midfielder who's been performing consistently since his transfer to Manchester City, De Bruyne's 20 assists this season speak for themselves.
Ketan: Kevin De Bruyne
Goal scorers often take away all the glory of scoring goals and the efforts of assist providers are not much recognized. But Kevin De Bruyne stood apart from all other assist providers and goal scorers. Not only did he match Thierry Henry’s record of 20 PL assists in a season (PL season 02-03), but also found the back of the net 13 times. This took his direct goal contribution count to 33, maximum by any player in this season. His set-piece prowess, the weight of his passes and through balls, are always unmatched. He has always held the ball into the midfield, creating chances for the strikers and playing his defensive duties at times. He is the most creative player in Manchester City’s side and truly deserves the Player of the Season award.
Kshitij: Kevin De Bruyne
This PL season, we witnessed some great individual performances. Jamie Vardy, Danny Ings and Aubameyang scored 20+ goals in the season. Every Player in the Liverpool side played their role well and had a great season. Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Mohammad Salah can be the serious contenders for this award. But once, it comes down to select one best player, it gets very difficult. However, after going through various parameters, I couldn’t look beyond Kevin De Bruyne for this title. His work rate was fantastic and along with 33 goal involvements, he maintained a pass accuracy of 82% throughout the tournament. His stint with Manchester City has been a great one and he just looks to get better and better with every passing day.
Find of the Season
Arihant: Mason Greenwood
He's fast, he's two-footed, and he’s 18. Manchester United couldn't be happier. Along with his blistering pace, Greenwood's fluidity of use of both feet is commendable and has led to many memorable moments. Another find (at least on the premier league level) is Jack Grealish, who singlehandedly has got his club promoted and subsequently saved from relegation.
Ketan: Jack Grealish
Villa came out of the relegation zone after 5 months on Matchweek 37 after defeating Arsenal. They were in a cut-throat competition with Bournemouth and Watford in the relegation race. They made 'The Great Escape' by drawing levels on the last matchday with Hammers and grabbing that crucial point that ended their season just above the danger zone. And thinking of this escape, only 1 man comes to everyone's mind, JACK GREALISH! Netting the ball 8 times, and assisting 6 goals, Grealish seemed like a one-man-army carrying his team out of the relegation zone. Scoring when Goal Difference was an important factor for them, scoring and winning games for his side, creating chances in every game, he became the most valuable player in his team. He was the one man holding up the team's attack and making sure that they win important games for their club. A young player as Jack Grealish took the responsibility of the team well on his shoulders and did the job for the team. He is truly the FIND of the tournament.
Kshitij: Bukayo Saka and Dean Henderson
Arsenal’s squad had a lot of youngsters this season, looking to establish themselves in the top flight. Tierney and Martinelli had a good season with the club, but Saka looked different from others. He proved to be an asset for the Arsenal’s side as he provided his manager with an opportunity to play him at different positions. Saka may not have the best numbers and may even look to be a little less valued than his English counterpart Mason Greenwood, but his addition has helped Arteta during the campaign. His versatility will help him and his team in the coming future.
I must say that the English National Team has found a bunch of new guns looking to have their say in the coming future. Dean Henderson has also impressed this season and his goalkeeping abilities have helped Sheffield United to be one of the best defensive sides of the league. For me, he was the best goalkeeper of the league beating Nick Pope, Allison and Ederson by a little margin.
Signing of the Season
Arihant: Bruno Fernandes
Probably this year's most awaited signing, Bruno Fernandes brought from his stint at Sporting Lisbon a creative and aggressive flair that United last saw when they signed a different 18-year-old winger. The rest is history. Bruno has efficiently linked with Pogba in the midfield to make an amazing creative machine that can send out assists and the occasional screamer or two. Coming a very close second is Danny Ings. The ex-Liverpool man has transformed Southampton's attack completely, grabbing a goal or two in almost every match.
Ketan: Bruno Fernandes
Without any doubt, Bruno is the most successful signing of this season for Manchester United in this Premier League season 19-20. He brought the winning days back to Old Trafford. In just 14 appearances, he was directly involved in 15 goals, scoring 8 of them and assisting 7. That’s the kind of energy and impact he brought with him to rather struggling Manchester United side. After he arrived at Old Trafford, Ole’s side hasn’t lost a single PL game. Let’s call a spade a spade and agree with the fact that if it weren’t for Bruno Fernandes, United couldn’t have booked themselves a CL spot for the next season.
Kshitij: Bruno Fernandes
We all have heard about teams getting manager’s boost wherein a new manager comes in and the team starts to perform better. However, I have never seen a player becoming such a big inspiration in a team and making them play at a completely different level. Bruno Fernandes was a much-anticipated the signing of the league and was expected to bring a change in the Manchester United side. He played his part well and led them to a Champions League position. He has been the player of the month of the league on last two occasions. He has been involved in 15 goals in the campaign. He has been able to adapt with his teammates well and has linked with Pogba and Rashford to take United home. United are unbeaten in the league since his arrival and his inclusion makes the side a serious title contender next season.
Christian Pulisic has also been a good signing for Chelsea. Chelsea looked like an inexperienced side with a new manager along with a transfer ban for the season. However, they managed to play well and finished fourth in the league. It will be really interesting to see Pulisic linking up with Ziyech and Werner in the next season
Disappointment of the Season
Arihant: Naby Keita
Touted to be Fabinho's new partner in crime, Keita has now had a string of poor seasons for Liverpool. He has arguably lost some of the flairs that he had at RB Leipzig. However, some sporadic flashes of brilliance show us that maybe it's not too late for a comeback. Better late than never.
Ketan: Leicester City after the restart
Brendan Rodgers’s side was off to a great start in this PL season, always grabbing opportunities, winning matches and collecting enough points to remain in the top 4 alongside Liverpool and Manchester City. With the Golden Boot winner, Jamie Vardy on their side, scoring goals and winning matches for his team, and overall team effort, Leicester was enjoying its season sitting on the 3rd place in the table and almost confirming their Champions League spot after 5 years. But things started to go south post-lockdown. Leicester could grab only 9 points out of last 27 available in the post lockdown football action. They struggled all along and were eventually pushed down to 5th position denying them their almost confirmed CL spot. Based on their performance pre-lockdown, Leicester deserved to play in UEFA CL, but as it came out to be a big disappointment for their team, they ended up 5th in the table and have qualified for UEFA Europa League next season
Kshitij: Tottenham Hotspurs
Tottenham have consistently performed in the Premier League for the last few seasons. With teams like Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal along with Liverpool failing to make it to the top 4, Spurs were seen as a serious title contender. However, things didn’t look good for them in the latest season. The expectations were high from them after they made it to the Champions League final in 2019.
Spurs started poorly in the league and within three months the board sacked their ‘most successful’. They lost some of their best players due to injury while some didn’t look settled. Spurs lost some important games in the middle and the Champions League spot looked like a distant dream for them. They played well in the last few games and got lucky enough to grab that sixth position ahead of Wolves in the league standings, settling for a Europa League spot next season. For a team like Spurs, we expect better results and their performance this season was a sheer disappointment for me.
Team of the Season
Arihant:-
Goal Keeper- Allison Becker (Liverpool)
Defenders- Trent Alexander Arnold (Liverpool), Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool), John Lundstram (Sheffield United), Andy Robertson (Liverpool)
Midfielders- Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Attackers- Mohammad Salah (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Ketan:-
Goal Keeper- Nick Pope (Burnley)
Defenders- Trent Alexander Arnold (Liverpool), Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool), Harry Maguire (Man Utd), Andy Robertson (Liverpool)
Midfielders- Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), David Silva (Man City)
Attackers- Raheem Sterling (Man City), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Kshitij:-
Goal Keeper- Dean Henderson (Sheffield United)
Defenders- Trent Alexander Arnold (Liverpool), Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool), James Tarkowski (Burnley), Andy Robertson (Liverpool)
Midfielders- Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Attackers- Mohammad Salah (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Raheem Sterling (Man City)
We will expect that the next season will be a little more competitive and there will be more than two teams competing for the league title. It would be interesting to keep a check in the transfer market as many players might leave or join the Premier League clubs. It will be interesting to see Leeds United playing in the Premier League after 16 long years. The action will be back soon and hopefully with much more excitement.
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