2011/12 – One of the greatest seasons yet?

The Barclays Premier League recently announced The Premier League 20 Seasons Awards where fans were given the opportunity to vote for their favourite season in the past 20 years of the Premiership. The votes came in and the results were out. The latest addition to the shortlist wound up picking up the honours as the 2011/12 campaign was voted as the best ever Season of the Premier League.

37 games down, and it looks like this season is all but wrapped up. Manchester City already has one hand on the Premiership title and Bolton one foot in the relegation zone. However, stranger things have happened in Football and no more so than in this year’s edition of the Barclays Premier League. The beauty behind this absolute gem of a season lies in the fact that with just one game remaining, virtually nothing is decided yet. The season still hangs by a thread for most teams involved and it all boils down to that one final day – 13 May, 2012.

The 2011-12 campaign seems to have captured the imagination of the millions of viewers all across the globe. It has been a rollercoaster ride right from day one. Fans went from an almost complacent state of bliss to a state of despair and back in just a matter of a few weeks.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore says he believes 2011/12 is a deserving winner.

“We’ve never had a season in our 20 where all three things – Title, Champions League places and Relegation too – have gone down to the last day,” said Scudamore.

“Generally, everyone’s upped their game. Teams are going for victories more and there’s lots of attacking football and lots of goals.

“Many great players and great managers have come together to create the excitement we’ve seen and it’s a wonderful cocktail to have. Long may it continue into the next season.”

Oh and what would we have done without you Mario?

Here are a few of the reasons why I consider this to be the greatest season yet

1. The Title Race

We’re down to the last day and all that separates the two teams at the top is Goal Difference. Never in the past 20 years of the Premiership, has the Title been decided on Goal Difference. There was a point during the winter months of 2012 when Manchester City had a firm grasp on the top spot and seemed to be cruising towards their maiden Premier League Title, only for them to gradually lose their way and allow their local rivals to surpass them in due time.

Manchester United were now the new league leaders and even comfortably extended their lead at the top with only a few games to spare. However they too managed to slip up and dropped vital points against Everton and eventually their noisy neighbours Manchester City. This came at a vital juncture of the season and could eventually prove to be their undoing in this crazy title race.

2. The Return of Legends

This campaign also saw the return of two of the Premierships biggest ever legends, one Thierry Henry and another Paul Scholes.

Henry’s return to Arsenal from the MLS could only be described as magical. Coming on as a substitute against Leeds in the FA cup and scoring the winner with only his second touch of the game was something straight out of a movie script. It was undoubtedly an emotional moment for anyone who had the pleasure of witnessing Thierry Henry grace English Football in the past. It was truly a sign of many good things to come Arsenal’s way.

Although his comeback at Arsenal was a brief one, Henry’s contribution to their Premier League campaign was nothing short of significant. None more so than his last minute winner against Sunderland to bag Arsenal three vital points in their hunt for a Champions League spot.

And now to Paul Scholes. This diminutive midfielder is nothing short of sheer genius, a true midfield maestro. His spectacular return from retirement came at a time when Manchester United needed him most. After a humiliating home defeat to their biggest rivals City, United looked completely lacking in central midfield. They desperately required someone to control the game in the centre of the park and there’s no one better than Paul Scholes at doing just that. His return proved to be the catalyst United so urgently required as they went on to drop only 2 points in the next 11 games. This stunning return saw United go the summit of the league up until Gameweek 35.

3. Champions League positions

This season has seen a nerve racking race for the 3^rd and 4^th positions in the table which would result in Champions League qualification. It has been tighter than ever before with Arsenal, Tottenham as well as Newcastle vying for the spots up until the very last day. Chelsea were also in the race up to the previous week but thanks to a crushing defeat at the hands of Liverpool, their only hope for Champions League football next season is victory in the final at Munich. However, this only serves to add to the intrigue of the situation because the team that finishes 4^th will not be eligible to play in the Champions League next season if Chelsea manage to win in Munich later this month. I feel this would be especially heartbreaking if Newcastle were to finish 4^th because they have had an extraordinary campaign this time around. A few good buys and an attractive style of football have seen Newcastle challenge the dominance of Chelsea and Liverpool, two of the formerly heralded “Big 4”, and rise to a position in the table that they had grown accustomed to in the yesteryear’s.

4. It’s Raining Goals!

With 10 matches left in the campaign, so far 1,034 goals have been scored – with 1,063 the record for a 38-match season, set in 2010/11.

Big matchups have traditionally been low scoring affairs in the past but not this season. Some of the highlights were Manchester United’s 8-2 mauling of Arsenal; Manchester City thrashing United 6-1 at Old Trafford; Arsenal’s 5-2 comeback win over rivals Spurs; and their 5-3 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. And these don’t even include some stunning performances by the lower ranked teams. There have been some stunning goals too. Cisse’s physics-defying volley against Chelsea and Ben Arfa’s solo run stood out for me.

In conclusion, this has been a phenomenal season and an absolute treat for football fans all over the world. 13 May is going to be fittingly unpredictable end to a season that was fraught with so many twists and turns throughout. Regardless of what happens, not a single person could claim to have not been thoroughly entertained.

We all pride ourselves on being pundits and being able to predict the result. This year, you got to the end of each weekend and you must be thinking ‘How on earth did that happen?’