Arne Slot achieved an impressive debut season by winning the Premier League with Liverpool, spearheaded by a talented Mohamed Salah, who undoubtedly became the best player in the league.
The Reds finished with high marks, but what about the other 19 teams this season? Well, it’s report card time for the Premier League. Did your club fly or flop? Was their season a success or a shocker? Here are my grades considering what teams actually achieved based on their expectations from last August.
First place, 84 points
It would have been an A+, had it not been for defeats against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League and Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final. Other than that, Liverpool were stylish and unexpected champions in what was supposed to be a transition year for new coach Arne Slot.
Slot barely put a foot wrong as his side cruised to a 20th title, aided by a record 47 goal involvements for Premier League Player of the Season Mohamed Salah. New deals for him and captain Virgil van Dijk, with the promise of significant summer signings, will mean Liverpool start as favorites to retain their crown. The only sour note was the booing of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who looks to be on his way to Real Madrid.
GRADE: A
Ninth place, 56 points
Another team to tot up their record points total in the top flight. Andoni Iraola, the architect of their success, will be on the radar of top clubs around Europe. Two electric displays in January underlined how dangerous these all-action high-pressers could be, demolishing Newcastle 4-1 at St James’ Park and then hammering Nottingham Forest 5-0. Center back Dean Huijsen became a sensation at only 20 and will be at Real Madrid next season.
GRADE: A-
10th place, 56 points
A team to watch inspired by the goals of Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade, all of whom hit double figures. Served up a series of goal festivals in home matches (4-2 wins against Newcastle and Brighton, 4-3 against Manchester United and Ipswich Town). They broke their Premier League points record by getting 56.
Can they keep superb manager Thomas Frank off the shopping lists of rivals for much longer? And are they open to offers for Mbeumo?
GRADE: A-
11th place, 54 points
Up two places and seven points on last season, they were yet another club to break their record for Premier League points. In European contention until losing three of their last four matches, they were always a team to be reckoned with, as Liverpool found out in a 2-2 draw at Anfield. Too many dropped points at Craven Cottage proved costly.
GRADE: B-
12th place (and FA Cup winners), 53 points
A historic year for Palace as they collected the first trophy in their 119-year history, winning the FA Cup with a brilliant defensive display in the final against Manchester City. Only a bad start (they were in the drop zone in late November) prevented them from storming the top six. The question now is how many of their stars can they retain as rivals cast eyes at Eberechi Eze, Adam Wharton, Marc Guéhi, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Ismaïla Sarr, and not to mention, manager Oliver Glasner.
GRADE: A
13th place, 48 points
A feel-good factor at last for the Toffees. Rescued from their habitual relegation fight by the return of David Moyes in January, they finished well clear of trouble with three wins to sign off their final year at Goodison Park.
With shrewd work in the summer, they could well kick on next season under new owners in their sparkling new stadium at Bramley Moor Dock.
GRADE: B
14th place, 43 points
Down five places and nine points from last season. Desperately disappointing. Fancied to go well after some big spending last summer, but they never got going under Julen Lopetegui or his successor Graham Potter. No dynamism through central midfield, and they need more pace in the team. On the plus side, Hammer of the Year Aaron Wan-Bissaka proved a great signing.
GRADE: D+
15th place, 42 points
United’s worst season since they were relegated 51 years ago. This campaign was a calamity, starting with the ill-judged decision to retain Erik Ten Hag only to fire him in November after he had spent £200 million. The expected upturn under Ruben Amorim failed to materialise amid his slavish adherence to a 3-4-2-1 system, which did not suit the players at his disposal.
The team had a great chance to save the season, but failed to show up for the Europa League final against Spurs in an abject display. Amorim promised that “the good times are coming back”, but it will take major surgery and some financial gymnastics this summer.
Amorim could well be gone by November unless results and performances change.
GRADE: D-
2:06
Is Amorim right to take the heat for Man United’s struggles?
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens look back at Ruben Amorim’s end-of-season speech at Old Trafford after Manchester United’s nightmare campaign.
16th place, 42 points
Vitor Pereira proved one of the best managerial appointments of the season, coming in to replace Gary O’Neil in December with Wolves five points adrift of safety. In between drinking beer with the fans, the likeable Pereira tightened the defense and got the team shooting up the table with six successive wins in March and April, pulling them well clear.
Losing the lethal Matheus Cunha for £62.5m — probably to Manchester United — will be a blow, but the team coped well when he was injured or banned.
GRADE: C+
17th place (and Europa League winners), 38 points
Winning the Europa League and ending the club’s 18-year trophy drought gave Spurs fans a magical and historic night. In the final, Ange Postecoglou showed he does have a tactical Plan B as his team defended superbly. But 22 league defeats and a finish one place outside the bottom three is appalling. Postecoglu’s job is hanging by a thread.
GRADE: B+
1:52
Will Ange Postecoglou still be sacked despite Europa League win?
Gab & Juls discuss Ange Postecoglou’s future after Tottenham finished the Premier League season with 22 defeats.
18th place, 25 points
They were keeping their heads just above water until they fired Steve Cooper after only 12 games. Replacing him with the relatively unproven Ruud Van Nistelrooy did not work. At one stage, the Foxes lost eight successive home games without scoring as the season became a horror show. But a fitting finale for Jamie Vardy as he scored his 200th Leicester goal at least lifted the mood at a club with enough recent storylines to fill 10 Hollywood movies.
GRADE: D
19th place, 22 points
After rocketing up from England’s League One to the Premier League in successive years, they found the top flight a bridge too far. Manager Kieran McKenna agreed they had risen too far, too soon, and conceding 82 goals underlined a defensive naivety at this level. But don’t bet against a quick return. Liam Delap will be staying in the Premier League after delivering 12 goals, with Manchester United reportedly being a possible destination for him.
GRADE: D+
20th place, 12 points
Managed just 12 points and finished with a goal difference of minus 60, making them one of the weakest teams ever to play in the Premier League. Neither Russell Martin nor his successor Ivan Jurić ever looked like stopping the tidal wave of defeats. The only bright spot was the emergence of young Tyler Dibling.
GRADE: E
