Manchester City are inevitable
Manchester City’s inevitable march to the Premier League title has ended in glory as they round off yet another remarkable season with a 3-1 win over West Ham.
After being crowned champions for the 4th time in as many years, we’ve looked at the five best runners-up in Premier League history.
It’s worth noting that Manchester City denied Arsenal the title for the second consecutive season, punishing them to 3rd place in this list.
After their 2-1 win over Everton, Mikel Arteta’s squad notched up 89 points to go along with a club record of 28 wins in a trophyless season.
Honourable Mention: Tottenham, 2016/17 (86 points)
Champions: Chelsea (90 points)
A Golden Boot winning Harry Kane led Spurs to their most ever points in the Premier League and it still wasn’t enough to secure their 3rd League title.
Spurs only lost four games all season and went undefeated at home, showcasing the remarkable steps they had taken as a club.
With their most consecutive wins in a season (9), to go alongside their most wins in a season (26). Plus, if you add on that they had three players score more than 20 goals.
It’s hard to imagine them falling short… but that’s Tottenham for ya.
Despite Chelsea winning the league, there was a general consensus that Tottenham were the best English football side since the start of 2017.
5. Liverpool, 2008/09 (86 points)
Champions: Manchester United (90 points)
Trying to keep up with Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, and Dimitar Berbatov scoring goals at one end, while trying to get past Edwin van der Sar who enjoyed a record-breaking season in goal seemed like an impossible task for most.
But… Liverpool managed to go toe-to-toe all season long with the star-studded United cast.
Rafa Benitez’s side even managed to score wins in both of their home and away fixtures against the champs.
Having only lost two matches all season and dominating the eventual champs 4-1 at Old Trafford they still fell four points short after a series of disappointing draws.
4. Manchester United, 1994/95 (88 points)
Champions: Blackburn (89 points)
The two-time reigning champions were relentless in their pursuit of the league leaders, Blackburn. They managed to close the gap to just two points going into the final day of the season.
Blackburn only needed a win to secure the title, but Liverpool dashed their hopes with a last-minute winner from Jaime Redknapp leaving the door open for a last twist in the tale.
All United needed was a win over 13th-placed West Ham to secure the title for the 3rd straight season.
Would Alex Ferguson’s men punish Blackburn to be runners-up for the second season in a row?
If it wasn’t for the Hammers goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko, they almost certainly would have. Miklosko denied the United attack holding them to a 1-1 draw, sending the title to the Lancashire club.
Man United’s 88 points was more than they managed in eight of their title-winning seasons, but in this case, it wasn’t enough as Blackburn just crawled over the line.
3. Manchester United, 2011/12 (89 points)
Champions: Manchester City (on goal difference)
Here is where it all began for Manchester City, the only time the Premier League has been decided by goal difference.
After holding an eight-point advantage with six games to go, United uncharacteristically for a Ferguson-led side dropped points in a 1-0 loss to Wigan and again with a 4-4 draw to Everton.
Going into the final day of the season level on points, Wayne Rooney’s goal against Sunderland looked to be enough to seal the deal for United with their local rivals trailing to QPR at home.
Albeit for a moment forever etched into the history books as City scored twice in injury time to be crowned Premier League champions for the first time in 44 years.
As if you needed reminding, that was the day everyone associated with the Red Devils stood (or sat) in disbelief as Martin Tyler screamed those famous words.
“AGGUUEEERROOOO! I swear you will never see anything like this again!”
2. Liverpool, 2021/22 (92 points)
Champions: Manchester City (93 points)
For the second time in three seasons, Liverpool surpassed 90 points on their way to yet another second-place finish behind the same team to beat them the first time they surpassed 90 points, Manchester City.
Oh, how poetic it could have been. Steven Gerrard at the helm of an Aston Villa team with the opportunity to help his old club secure the silverware.
An Aston Villa win away from home against the reigning champs would go a long way to help the Reds lift the trophy.
For a moment, Liverpool fans were teased as Villa took a 2-0 lead into the 75th minute before three City goals in a 5-minute span broke the hearts the same way they were broken two seasons earlier.
Chasing a quadruple after winning the League Cup and the FA Cup, the Reds had a disappointing end to the season not only falling one point short of City, and in a rematch of the 2018 final – lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid.
1. Liverpool, 2018/19 (97 points)
Champions: Manchester City (98 points)
Led by Mo Salah and Sadio Mane who shared the Golden Boot with 22 goals, Liverpool looked to be putting together one of their best Premier League seasons.
Incredibly, they lost only one league match all season.
Rather than highlighting the mistakes – if there were any – made by Liverpool, it’s hard not to point to City’s astonishing dominance down the stretch to win 14 consecutive matches to be crowned champions once again, beating out the Reds by one point.
Amassing a tally of 97 points would end up being enough to win every Premier League season apart from City’s back-to-back titles in 2018 (100 points) and 2019 (98 points).
Jurgen Klopp and his side did have something to cheer for a few weeks later as Mo Salah slotted a penalty in the second minute of the Champions League final against English rivals Tottenham.
A match they would eventually go on to win 2-0 and earn their sixth Champions League title.