5) Manchester United topping the Premier League table
In Louis van Gaal’s first season, Manchester United found some sort of stability as they returned to the Champions League with a top-four finish. And fans expected the Red Devils to kick on and challenge for the title in 2015/16.
After the first seven games, things were going according to plan for the Dutch manager. New signings such as Memphis Depay were slowly integrating themselves into the lineup, Anthony Martial had scored on debut in a win over rivals Liverpool and Wayne Rooney had just broken his longest ever Premier League goal scoring drought. United were soon top of the league – after what felt like ages – following a 3-0 win over Sunderland.
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That was when the dream came crashing down and it first started going wrong at the Emirates. A 3-0 mauling at the hands of Arsenal saw United slip. Draws in the Manchester derby and against Crystal Palace did not help as their grip on the top four also started to look shaky.
Finally, a run of six games that saw three draws and three consecutive defeats (against Bournemouth, Norwich City and Stoke City) ended any hopes of topping the table again this season. Van Gaal’s side were also knocked out of the Champions League group stages in what was a relatively easy group on paper with defeats away to group winners Wolfsburg and runners-up PSV Eindhoven.
The Red Devils would eventually end the season without qualifying for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons.
