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Football can be a cruel sport. It can haunt you for years and, sometimes, entire lifetimes. If this is what football can do to us fans, we can only wonder what the men who actually live it go through.
The game is such a wonderful leveller. Ninety minutes with two teams of 11, backed by millions. And nothing else matters. What history recounts is who won in the end.
Yet, every once in a while, there is a team that leaves a mark on the fabric of the game despite the records not reflecting the whole truth.
So.. In fond recollection of 5 times such teams gave us some magical memories despite losing out on the league title, we've decided to create this compilation.
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#5 Tottenham '16/17 (Champions - Chelsea)
Last year was a season fought intensively in the capital of England. Tottenham and Chelsea both pushed each other right till the end of the season.
The rivalry forged during last season will remain for some time to come but finds its roots in the season that preceded it when Chelsea handed a blow to their neighbours by beating them at Stamford Bridge and duly handing the title to Leicester City.
Tensions peaked last season though, as Tottenham found a way to keep their form going from the previous campaign. The eventual champions got off to a decent start in the league - winning all of their opening 4 fixtures. Liverpool managed to end their unbeaten streak at Anfield and bossed the game right from the off.
Things got worse on Conte's first visit to the Emirates with Arsenal hammering their rivals 3-o on the night. Chelsea looked far from their best on the night, but the defeat resulted in a change in outlook of the manager who reverted to his familiar tactics of three at the back.
The adjustment worked wonders as Chelsea went on a 13-match winning streak with victories against United (4-0), Spurs (2-1) and City (1-3) included in the run.
Although the humiliation of former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho may have been merited, but the wins against Spurs and City were from from. Spurs bullied the West London side no their home turf right through the first half and should have added at least a few more to Christian Eriksen's opener.
The second half was more of an even contest but the Blues still can't claim they had control over the match, but luck was on their side as Chelsea managed to sneak in an equaliser right at the stroke of half-time before winning it in the second. Tottenham couldn't understand what had hit them and failed to recuperate in the remainder of the match.
If the match against Tottenham was fortunate, the one against City was smash and grab.
Chelsea once again got dominated all over the pitch and failed to make any impression right uptil the hour mark, when Costa finally managed to bully his way to goal to draw them level. Two other attempts on the counter were enough for Chelsea to put the game to bed, and Pep's team's inability to finish off their chances cost them dearly.
This in addition to the lack of fixture trouble for the Blues, owing to an early exit form the EFL Cup and absence from any competition in Europe, was enough to help them find a way ahead of Spurs in the final League standings.
Meanwhile, Spurs held their own against the top 6 teams, beating Chelsea in the reverse fixture, drawing and beating Arsenal in the league, and humbling United at White Hart Lane. Only Liverpool managed to take more points off of them with a draw and a win in the two fixtures.
Anyone who followed the entire campaign properly will tell you that the team playing all the football that season were Tottenham Hotspur, but Chelsea managed to eclipse them by doing all the winning.
#4 Arsenal '02/03 (Champions - Manchester United)
The '02/03 season would've remained an incredibly sore subject for the Gunners had they not been able to erase all disappointments from the season by going unbeaten the whole of next.
But a recap of the season will definitely lead you the same conclusion that sees the particular side from Arsenal find a place on the list.
Arsenal were dominant throughout the season and had found themselves on top of the league table for the majority of the campaign. Manchester United were a distant second in the league at best.
Arsenal got off to a flier, fresh from their conquest of the league from the previous campaign. They were undefeated in the first nine fixtures in the league. Manchester United meanwhile, couldn't have gotten off a worse start picking up just 8 of a possible 18 points in their opening 6.
The Gunners pretty much maintained their superiority right through the season until they over-compensated for their good start to the league, with a horrendous showing in the final 9 games of the season. Manchester United, on the other hand, found a vein of form and finished off the season with a solid final push.
The North London side managed to win just 4 out of the last 9, failing to put away the likes of Bolton Aston Villa and their fellow league contenders, while the final nail in the coffin came at home against Leeds United in week 36.
Despite scoring twice Arsenal managed to concede 3 goals - the final one in the penultimate minute of the game, to essentially hand the title to their bitter rivals United, who had gone unbeaten in the last 18 games in the Premier League.
Arsenal played some scintillating football scoring the most number of goals in the league and laying the foundation for the side to go unbeaten the following year. But it was United who managed to get over the line when it mattered the most, leaving the Gunners to lick their wounds.
#3 Liverpool '13/14 (Champions - Manchester City)
One of the most iconic moments of Premier League football in this decade has to be the most difficult moment in the Liverpool legend's 19 year illustrious career.
Stevie G is the most revered figure in Liverpool's recent history. The club captain is one of the most liked professional footballers in the world. And it's down to this, that the biggest slip-up in Liverpool's history is forgiven wholeheartedly by the Anfield faithful.
The Reds were in scintillating form throughout the season with Luis Suarez playing out of his skin in each and every game. His brilliance rubbed off on the likes of Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge who formed the most lethal trio in European football that year along with the Uruguayan.
The front three went on to score three goals or more in 23 out of the 43 matches in all competitions in the season. Unbelievable numbers those.
Luis Suarez caught the world's attention that season and has never looked back since. A staggering 31 goals in just the League resulted in Barcelona knocking on Liverpool's door.
Brendan Rodgers managed to lead his side to victories against Manchester United, Everton, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and eventual champions Manchester City in the League, but the fast-paced lethal attacking football on display was some of the finest to come out fo the club in a really long time.
#2 Bayer Leverkusen '01/02 (Champions - Borussia Dortmund)
Bayer Leverkusen had a sensational campaign in '01/02 as they became only the second side in the history of football to not only finish runners-up in the league but also lose the final of both the Champions League and domestic cup.
Not the kind of stat you want associated with your side if you from Leverkusen, but revisiting their brilliant performances of the season in discussion will give the faithful a lot of reasons to be proud.
Bayer Leverkusen in 2002 could boast of players of tremendous ability in their side, with Michael Ballack in midfield and Dimitar Berbatov up-front. The spine of the team was incredibly strong, and along with the management, they managed to conjure up a formula that would see them achieve their best results in recent history.
Bayer found themselves leading the table more often than not in the season and their failure to win against the big boys - Bayern and Dortmund - with a win and a draw each was probably the reason they lost out on their first league title since '79.
The side from Leverkusen were on course for the league title with just 4 games to go, but successive draws to Schalke and Bayern left Dortmund with an opening. They rushed through it, winning all of their last 4 games and clinching the German title with a solitary point.
Bayer Leverkusen's misery was far from complete as they lost the domestic cup final to Bayern Munich before succumbing to a Zinedine Zidane special in the Champions League final.
The '01/02 season must've left the side wondering about what could've been. However, they haven't completely recovered from the campaign as they've failed to hit the lofty standards they'd set around the start of the millennium.
#1 Newcastle '95/96 (Champions - Manchester United)
The most entertaining Premier League team to not win the league title has to Kevin Keegan's team from Newcastle United.
It’s over 20 years since one of the Premier League’s most exciting teams faltered after leading by 12 points. Loving called "The Entertainers", King Kev's team played some of the most memorable football in the Premier League era.
Our recollection tells us that Kevin Keegan’s side scored for fun that season, and conceded just as easily. In fact, they found the net just 66 times, one fewer than in the previous campaign, and conceded 37, only two more than eventual champions Manchester United. But why let the truth get in the way of a great story? And what a story it was.
When assessing his time as Newcastle manager, there is one game which simply cannot be ignored: the 5-0 demolition of Manchester United represented a perfect home performance.That all-out approach, coupled with a lack of title-winning experience within the squad, ultimately proved to be their downfall.
Unlike their title rivals Manchester United, who by then were approaching the height of their unpopularity under Alex Ferguson, Newcastle found it increasingly difficult to grind out results on the road. Just one of their eight defeats that season came at St James’ Park.
Despite their shortcomings, which were in plenty, that particular side from Tyneside has left a strong impression on the world of English football and will always be recalled fondly.
