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A uniquely entertaining 2020-21 Premier League campaign has finally run its course. It has been a weird season, to say the least, with no fans in the stadiums until the penultimate gameweek. The Covid-19 outbreak caused frequent scheduling headaches, yet the privilege of being able to consume live sports during pandemic was refreshing to some.
The unusually condensed Premier League season provided its share of late drama. A three-way battle between Liverpool, Chelsea & Leicester for Champions League qualification went to the wire on the final day of the campaign. The Foxes were the unlucky ones to miss out as they failed to qualify for Europe’s top competition on the final day for the second season running.
Manchester City romped home to yet another Premier League title under Pep Guardiola (his third in four seasons). Meanwhile, two of the new boys, Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, went straight back to the Championship. They were joined by last year’s surprise packages, Sheffield United, who finished the season rock bottom with 23 points.
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Meanwhile, Leeds United, returning to the Premier League after a gap of 16 years, were a breath of fresh air for the league. They finished ninth under the guidance of arguably one of the managers of the season in Marcelo Bielsa.
As the dust settles on another Premier League campaign, we compare the teams’ performances from the previous season to find the most improved and declined teams:
#1A: Improved – West Ham United
2019-20 Standings: 16th (39 Points)
2020-21 Standings: 6th (65 Points)
Touted by many as relegation candidates under David Moyes, the Hammers boss and his team responded emphatically to their detractors. They ended the season finishing sixth in the Premier League, just two points off fourth-placed Chelsea.
To put this achievement into context, this was West Ham’s highest league finish since the 1998-99 season. In terms of numbers, the Hammers were 26 points and 10 places better off than last campaign.
The Czech duo of Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal turned out to be shrewd summer signings. Soucek finished the season as the club’s joint-top scorer in the league with 10 goals. The January arrival of Jesse Lingard was the wind in West Ham’s sails as the Englishman returned an astonishing 13 goal contributions (nine goals, four assists) in just 16 appearances.
The West Ham faithful will be eagerly waiting for next season to come around as European ties beckon for the Hammers.
#1B: Declined – Sheffield United
2019-20 Standings: 9th (54 Points)
2020-21 Standings: 20th (23 Points)
If West Ham were the biggest improvers from last season, then Sheffield United suffered the biggest descent this season. A fantastic campaign last year saw them finish ninth in the Premier League, only just missing out on European football. Their performances this season barely resembled their previous campaign.
Chris Wilder’s side suffered from second season syndrome and a clear lack of improvement in the goalscoring department, aiding their downfall. Veteran striker David McGoldrick scored 40% of the Blades’ goals this season (a mere eight in total) as their record signing Rhian Brewster failed to open his account.
The Blades finished the campaign 31 points shy of their record last season, dropping 11 places in the process. At one stage in the season, they had accumulated a paltry two points from their opening 17 games. Derby County’s infamous 2007-08 record had looked like it could be broken.
Hopefully, under the leadership of new manager Slavisa Jokanovic, Sheffield United fans will be optimistic about making a swift return to the top flight next season.
#2A: Improved – Aston Villa
2019-20 Standings: 17th (35 Points)
2020-21 Standings: 11th (55 Points)
After avoiding relegation essentially by a matter of millimeters last year, Aston Villa were expected to struggle in the Premier League again this season. A combination of astute signings and experience from last year allowed Dean Smith and his men to finish comfortably mid-table in 11th.
Emiliano Martinez (15 clean sheets) and Matty Cash shored up the second leakiest defense since last year. The arrivals of Ollie Watkins & Bertrand Traore eased the attacking burden off Jack Grealish’s shoulders.
Anwar El Ghazi’s excellent form this campaign (10 goals) meant that Villa’s campaign stayed on track even after the injury to their talisman Grealish.
Despite tapering off a little towards the end of the campaign, Villa were one of the most entertaining teams. That was encapsulated by their stunning 7-2 victory over defending champions Liverpool earlier in the campaign.
They also completed a league double over Arsenal for the first time since the 1992-93 season. Villa ended their Premier League campaign strongly with a 2-1 victory over eventual Champions League winners Chelsea.
#2B: Declined – Burnley
2019-20 Standings: 10th (54 Points)
2020-21 Standings: 17th (39 Points)
Sean Dyche’s aim at the start of the season would have been to ensure top-flight status at Turf Moor at the end of the season. And that’s exactly what he managed to achieve. Despite finishing 17th, Burnley steered 11 points clear of the drop zone, indicating a comfortable end to their Premier League season.
With fans not allowed in the stadium, the Clarets found it tough to score at Turf Moor, netting just 14 times in 19 games. It was the third worst scoring record at home in the Premier League, after Sheffield United and Fulham.
Despite the lack of creativity around him, Chris Wood finished the season as Burnley’s top scorer with 12 goals. This meant he breached the double-figure barrier for goals in all four seasons at the club. To put things into context, the next highest scorer had three goals this season, highlighting the Kiwi’s importance to the team.
With new ownership at the club, fans will certainly be hoping of replicating their previous 10th place finish next campaign.
#3A: Improved – Everton
2019-20 Standings: 12th (49 Points)
2020-21 Standings: 10th (59 Points)
A season that promised so much at the beginning, ended with a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of champions Manchester City.
Despite the negative end to the season, Everton fans will certainly be encouraged by the improvement that their team has shown over the course of the season. Carlo Ancelotti’s pull was certainly evident in the transfer market as the marquee signings of James Rodriguez and Allan greeted the Goodison faithful. In the end, it was a shame that the fans only got to see them in action in the penultimate game of the season.
Although Everton finished the season with a wretched home record, their away performances were certainly encouraging. Only Manchester City, Manchester United & Leicester had better away numbers. Their first victory over bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield since 1999, and first-ever victory at the Emirates were the silver linings of a grueling campaign.
With fans expected to be back in the stadiums at the start of next season, the Toffees are expected to push for European spots next year.
#3B: Declined – Wolverhampton Wanderers
2019-20 Standings: 7th (59 Points)
2020-21 Standings: 13th (45 Points)
After finishing seventh in the previous two campaigns, qualifying for Europe would have been a realistic target this season for Wolves. However, the season turned out to be a disaster for them. Although they were never really in a relegation battle, a top 10 finish did not seem likely either.
A season-ending injury to talisman striker Raul Jimenez certainly played a huge role in the lack of goals for this Wolves team. Their production dropped from 1.34 goals per game in 2019-20 to 0.95 goals per game in 2020-21. Pedro Neto and Ruben Neves finished as top scorers with a modest return of five goals apiece.
With Nuno Espirito Santo stepping down as manager, whoever replaces him will have a tough job to start afresh.
