The Notable Triumphs and Setbacks of the 2024/25 Premier League Season

Liverpool celebrated their Premier League triumph at a delighted Anfield as they concluded the 2024/25 season on Sunday.

AFP Sport highlights the highs and lows of the season:

Winners

Liverpool

Claiming the championship for a record-tying 20th time, Liverpool excelled throughout the season, wrapping up the title with four matches still to play.

Mohamed Salah’s outstanding performance, as both the league’s top scorer and assists leader, buoyed the Reds, who coped admirably with the absence of their iconic manager Jurgen Klopp, who stepped down last year.

Klopp was present in the stands at Anfield to honour the champions on Sunday, while manager Arne Slot is already laying the groundwork for future success.

Though losing Trent Alexander-Arnold leaves a significant gap, reports suggest Liverpool are nearing agreements for deals involving Bayer Leverkusen duo Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, along with Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

Newcastle

The Magpies clinched fifth place and secured a spot in next season’s Champions League despite a surprising 1-0 home loss to Everton on the last day of the season.

Nevertheless, a return to Europe’s premier competition is merely the cherry on top for supporters on Tyneside, following Newcastle’s first major trophy in 56 years this term.

Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle’s stunning victory over Liverpool (2-1) in March triggered epic celebrations in the devoted one-club city.

Alexander Isak netted the crucial goal at Wembley and was instrumental in Newcastle’s Champions League return, finishing the campaign with an impressive 23 Premier League goals, second only to Salah.

Crystal Palace

Palace had been yearning for silverware even longer, clinching their inaugural major trophy with a win against Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Additionally, the Eagles set a club record with a total of 53 points in the Premier League, finishing 12th after a dismal start to the season.

Oliver Glasner’s squad struggled initially, partly due to the commitments of four England players from the Euro 2024 final and star striker Jean-Philippe Mateta’s involvement with France, who took silver at the Olympic Games.

After winning just once in their opening 13 fixtures due to a disrupted pre-season, Palace turned their fortunes around, only losing six of their last 25 matches—form that would have placed them in contention for a Champions League spot if maintained across the full 38-game schedule.

Losers

Manchester City

Anything short of the title was set to be a disappointment for Pep Guardiola’s side after their unprecedented run of four straight Premier League championships.

However, the extent of their decline during a challenging winter sent shockwaves through the league.

After losing Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to injury, the once-dominant champions managed only one win in 13 matches from late October through December.

Their defeat to Palace in the FA Cup final capped off a trophyless season—the first since Guardiola’s debut in England eight years ago.

Nonetheless, City managed to secure third place, marking the 15th consecutive season they’ll compete in the Champions League.

Manchester United

There were no silver linings for United after experiencing their worst season since being relegated back in 1974.

Manager Ruben Amorim publicly apologised to fans on Sunday for what he termed a “disastrous” campaign, finishing 15th and failing to secure European football for only the second time in 35 years.

The decision to retain Erik ten Hag as manager backfired spectacularly, leading to his dismissal in October.

However, Amorim has managed just seven wins from 27 Premier League matches at a club reeling both on and off the field.

A loss in the Europa League final to Tottenham—costing United roughly £100 million in Champions League qualification—might severely hinder Amorim’s ability to reshape the squad during the summer transfer window.

Promoted Trio

Leicester, Ipswich, and Southampton set a troubling record, as the trio of relegated clubs amassed the lowest combined points total of 59.

These three clubs were also those promoted from the Championship last season.

This marks only the second instance in English top-flight history that the promoted trio faced relegation in consecutive seasons, with strong concerns rising regarding the competitive balance within the Premier League, as the gulf between the top flight and the second tier widens.