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The 2013-2014 Premier league will go down in history as one of the most thrilling seasons of all time. In a season where one of the most open title races grabbed all the headlines, there were twists and turns even at the bottom half of the table.Arsenal spent 128 days at the top, Chelsea 64, Liverpool 59 and Manchester City 15. This unpredictability added to the most exciting Premier League title campaigns. There was drama throughout the league which involved the miraculous escape of the Black Cats, meteoric rise of Crystal Palace, the title slip-up by Liverpool anda shambolic season for Manchester United to name a few.We look back at the 10 top moments in the Premier League this season.
#10 Controversies galore at Cardiff City
A disaster of a season from the start to the end of the campaign. It was their first chance in the top flight after 51 years, but all of it would be remembered for are the struggles both on and off the field. Vincent Tan is one person who will definitely not be missed in the Premier league. The club’s struggles and deserved relegation in the same season can be attributed to his crazy ways of working.
The season was always mired with controversies created by Tan; most notably the change in the historical home kits, the public gaffes, controversial statements, much maligned public spat and the sacking of Malky Mackay.
Apart from winning the Welsh derby against Swansea and stunning Manchester City in a 3-2 thriller, Cardiff had no other memorable moments in an otherwise forgettable season.
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#9 Refereeing howlers
The season was marred by refereeing bloopers which ended up deciding the fate of many matches. Shocking penalty decisions, wrong offside decisions (read Sterling against City), sending offs, leniency towards some unsporting tackles and behavior to name a few.
However, what transpired on March 22 at Stamford Bridge was the most bizarre decision seen in Premier league history. Chelsea were at full throttle ripping apart the Arsenal defense at will in the first 15 minutes. At 2-0, Oxlade-Chamberlain pulled off a brilliant goal-line save by stretching full stretch to palm the ball around the post.
A straight red card beckoned for the offence but what does referee Andre Marriner do? He sent off Kieran Gibbs. In the melee that followed Chamberlain owned up that it was he who had palmed the ball away but Marriner stuck by his decision without consulting any of his support staff.
What followed was a tirade of hilarious tweets and posts by football enthusiasts all around the globe.
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#8 Goal of the season - Jack Wilshere vs Norwich City
Arsenal have always been known for their smooth, silky and stylish style of play. However, the goal scored during their 4-1 win at home against Norwich in October may well be one of the best orchestrated goals in the club’s history.
The whole sequence leading up to Jack Wilshere’s 18th minute goal was a thing of beauty, engineered from sheer telepathic understanding between Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud, as much as it was from skill. The entire goal involved two back-heels, three one-twos, four first-time passes and a volleyed finish.
The goal should deservedly be crowned as the best goal of the season as it was a goal that encapsulated what Arsenal as a team is all about.
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#7 Alan Pardew\'s headbutt
What is wrong with Alan Pardew? He started the season with the aim of propelling Newcastle United close to the top of the table but all he has at the end is the tag of the league’s craziest manager.
A few weeks before the infamous headbutt, the Newcastle manager pushed a linesman and celebrated in Arsene Wenger’s face. This was then capped off against Manchester City, when he took offence to an offside call and let out a range of expletives at Manuel Pellegrini. The Newcastle manager was "reminded of his responsibilities" after the incident and it looked like an end to the craziness.
Then came the headbutt on Hull City’s David Myler. The act, which landed Pardew a lengthy suspension, was more notable for the simple fact that a manager had put himself in the situation than the actual force of the hit itself.
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#6 Arsenals Collapse
Isn’t it the same story year on year? The same script follows, they set to make a challenge for the top of the table, then fade away. The north London club, who finished fourth, led the league for 128 days, 114 more days than the champions, Manchester City.
After the opening day capitulation at the hands of Aston Villa, it looked like Arsenal might struggle this season. However, Mesut Özil came in on the final day of the transfer window to boost the hopes of the team.
Aaron Ramsey was in imperious form at the start of the season scoring 13 goals in all competitions by Boxing day. Heading into the busy festive period, it was Arsene Wenger’s side’s title to lose. When Aaron Ramsey went down injured against West Ham on Boxing Day, the Gunners’ hopes went with him.
The club dropped 20 points in the second half of the season as they struggled to fill the void created by his absence.
Yet again it remained a season of “What if “for Arsenal, but they finally ended their trophy drought when they won the FA Cup.
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#5 Jose Mourinho The good, bad and the ugly
If there was one thing that cost Chelsea the 2014 Premier League crown, it was their performances against the sides in the bottom half of the league table.
Jose Mourinho’s proud 77-match unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge was ended by Sunderland in April, and with it went the Blues’ title hopes.
He was at his tactical and masterful best against the top sides, especially City and Liverpool whom he defeated both at home and away. However, he could not find solutions to his own tactics which were employed at will by teams that were fighting relegation. He found ways of shifting his shortcomings in such matches to the officials, media and also to his “Young Eggs”. His constant complaining appeared to be just a shield for his team’s weaknesses.
Mourinho ended the campaign without any silverware, promising that his side would come back stronger next season. Whether it happens or not remains to be seen.
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#4 From the Chosen One to the Wrong one
David Moyes was chosen to be the man who would bring a long term stability to the club, but in the end all it delivered was a season of frustration for the club and supporters.
Being handpicked for the role by Sir Alex Ferguson brought all sorts of pressure on him to deliver with an ageing squad. He never had the belief of the players, was undermined by the senior ones, questions were raised about his training and tactics which showed with the performances of the players on the pitch.
United broke all manner of unwanted records under Moyes, with Premier League rivals feasting on the instability at Old Trafford, as the Red Devils finished the season in seventh, missing out on Europe for the first time in 25 years. United had recorded seven home losses, their highest in the premier league era.
The Scotsman was sacked on April 22 by the board, bringing an end to an era which promised to be dark for years to come.
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#3 Crystal Palace
One of the other fascinating stories of the Premier league was the survival story of Crystal Palace. It might not be as dramatic as Sunderland’s but it was just as impressive and brilliant.
Touted to be the team that would be relegated, they were one of the best teams in the second half of the season. They struggled early in the season under Ian Hollaway with some uninspiring performances. Tony Pulis took over from Ian Holloway in late November and the former Stoke City boss was able to collect 37 points from 25 games in charge, including five wins on the bounce in March and April.
They survived relegation, despite the Eagles sitting at bottom of the table. The instrumental role played by Pulis in reversing the fortunes of the team won him the Premier League managerial award.
In one of the matches of the season against Liverpool, trailing 3-0 with just 15 minutes to go, Palace pulled off the comeback of the season, snatching back all three goals and ripping through a paper thin defence to earn them a draw and end Liverpool’s title ambitions.
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#2 Gus Poyet - The Miracle Man
The fight at the bottom of the table was as intriguing as the one taking place at the top of the table. Sunderland’s survival act was one of the most enduring stories of the 2013-2014 season.
Sunderland were at the bottom of the table at Christmas and looked down and out by March. However, a stunning five game unbeaten run late in the season saw them collect 13 points from a possible 15 – including wins against Chelsea and Manchester United – ensuring they will be in the top flight again next time around.
Few would have bet on them surviving after their struggles, but the players rode their luck with inspiring performances in those memorable 5 games.
“I don’t know if something like this will ever happen again, but I believe in miracles now,” was the enigmatic Poyet’s assessment.
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#1 Steven Gerrards Slip
He has been one of the most instrumental persons in leading Liverpool on an improbable title chase this season. He enjoyed a superb season scoring 13 goals, adapting to a new deep lying role which earned him a place in the PFA team of the Year.
Liverpool’s win over City in mid-April had given them the initiative to lay hands on the title that has eluded them for the past 24 years. His emotional rallying cry “ We don’t let this slip, we go again” at the end of that high voltage game was supposed to spur the team to greatness.
Hence, it was ironic that he of all the persons would be the one to make a mistake that saw the title snatched away from them. He lost his footing and that slip allowed Blues striker Demba Ba to open the scoring as the Reds saw the title ascendancy snatched away from them. Liverpool never recovered from that blow as their fate was finally sealed after a shocking collapse against Crystal Palace.
Manchester City went on to win their remaining 5 games to break million of hearts and edge the Reds by 2 points. The sooner Gerrard recovers from this heartbreak the better, as Liverpool would need their captain next season to hopefully lead them on another enthralling title race.
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