Review of the Premier League Season (Top 6)

So it is done. The 2018/19 Premier League season is officially over with Manchester City crowned champions with 98 points, beating Liverpool to a solitary point. Chelsea and Tottenham with play in the Champions League next season while Arsenal and Manchester United will play Thursday Night Football in the Europa League (Unless Arsenal wins the Europa League). Wolves was the best of the rest finishing seventh while Cardiff City, Fulham and Huddersfield Town were relegated and will play in the Championship next season. This is a review of the Premier League season, specifically on the top 6.

Manchester United (My Prediction: 3rd, Final Position: 6th)

Manchester United will be glad that the season is over and that Liverpool didn't win the league. However, they were very underwhelming this season finishing 6th with 66 points. Five points behind 4th placed Spurs, 21 points behind Liverpool and 22 points behind Manchester City. The signs of how bad the season would go was there from pre-season with the friction between José Mourinho and the United hierarchy over transfers. That continued into the season with a string of poor results as the Portuguese was booted out in December after a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield. Former United player and Cardiff City manger Ole Gunnar Solskjær was appointed on an intern basis and experienced a good run of results that included a 3-1 win against PSG in the Champions League Round of 16. He was given the job full-time and then the results truly reflected the quality of the squad as United won only won two of their last 12 games in all competitions with those games including a poor 1-1 draw against Huddersfield, a 4-0 drubbing at Everton and a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City on the final day. This season reflects the terminal decline of Manchester United as a force in Europe over the past six years with a lot of things to be sorted out both on and off the field. Solskjær has a lot on his hands to fix and there's even some uncertainty with him as well despite signing the contract. From the players, the coaching staff, the United board and fans, this season is one to totally forgot.

Best player: Paul Pogba
Most improved: Victor Lindelöf
Biggest disappointment: David de Gea
Player to get rid off: Alexis Sanchez
Stat of the season: United have kept just two clean sheets at home all season in the EPL.

Arsenal (My prediction: 6th, Final Position: 5th)

Arsenal have managed to finish a place higher to where they were last season. Arsène Wenger left and Unai Emery was appointed to take Arsenal back competing again after years of stagnation. Things started well for the Spaniard as the Gunners went on a 22 game unbeaten run between September to December. At the turn of the year, Arsenal still managed to get results and had the fate of finishing in the top four but fell on the final hurdle with defeats to Everton, Crystal Palace, Wolves and Leicester City with a home draw to Brighton sealing the fate that they will not get Champions League football through the league. They still have redemption as they will play in the Europa League Final against Chelsea and winning it will mean they will play in the Champions League next season. Emery has done well in some aspects, Arsenal are the third highest scorers in the Premier League, the third best home record, got results from their top six rivals barring Manchester City and made some smart signings in Sokratis, Bernd Leno and Lucas Torreira. However, some of the things that affected Arsenal last season remind. Arsenal have not improved much away from home and their defence is still weak as they are prone to errors. There's also issues behind the scenes with Mesut Özil's contract situation as he has had a difficult relationship with Unai Emery, Aaron Ramsey leaving for Juventus on a free transfer and head of recruitment Sven Mislintat leaving his post in February. There have been some good things with Arsenal this season but a lot of improvement is still left to be done and now that Stan Kroenke has total control, will he back Emery in the transfer market?

Best Player: Pierre Emerick-Aubamenyang
Most improved: Hector Bellerin
Biggest disappointment: Mesut Özil
Player to get rid off: Shkodran Mustafi
Stat of the season: Aubamenyang is the first Arsenal player to score 20 league goals since Robin van Persie.

Tottenham (My Prediction: 4th,  Final Position: 4th)

It has been a strange season for Tottenham Hotspur. They didn't sign any players in both the summer and winter transfer windows, they were in a title race until they weren't, lost 13 times in the league, losing Harry Kane for much of the season due to injury and had a poor end to the season. Despite their struggles, Spurs will be playing Champions League football next season in their new 62,000 stadium which is important for their final standing and can look forward to a Champions League Final after a fantastic campaign in Europe's Premier Club Competition. Mauricio Pochettino has done well in utilizing his squad to the bare bones with the likes of Son Heung-Min and Lucas Moura becoming important players for the Lilywhites, particularly during Kane's absence and going far in the cup competitions. Speaking of Pochettino, the Argentine was subject of speculation of leaving North London for Manchester United which didn't come to fruition as United went for Solskjær instead. While that should be the end of that story, there's still rumbling of Pochettino's future if he is leaving Spurs after the Champions League Final. Spurs are the team likely to challenge Manchester City and Liverpool next season but they need heavy reinforcements to do that especially in midfield where they have struggled and defence with the likes of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen ageing. To do that, they may have to sacrifice on of their key players in Christian Eriksen, who has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. Spurs have everything they need to make that jump in becoming a top dog and after their Champions League run, Daniel Levy must give the financial support Pochettino needs or risk losing him in the near future.

Best Player: Son Heung-Min
Most improved: Moussa Sissoko
Biggest disappointment: Kieran Trippier
Player to get rid off: Vincent Janssen
Stat of the season: Spurs had lost 13 times this season. Having the same amount of defeats Everton had in the 04/05 season.

Chelsea (My Prediction: 5th,  Final Position: 3rd)

Chelsea finished 5th last season and booted out Antonio Conté. Maurizio Sarri came in from Napoli to get the Blues back into the Champions League and play some exciting football too. They managed to do all these things but it was no easy path. Chelsea started the season in fine form with a 14 game unbeaten run in the league but after losing to Spurs in early December, teams started to find out the Italian tactics as Jorginho, who Sarri took from Napoli in the summer, was targeted and Chelsea experienced some horrible results from the 6-0 hammering to Manchester City to their shock 4-0 defeat to Bournemouth. Many thought that he was going to be sacked following their League Cup Final defeat to Manchester City which includes a public bust-up with keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, pressure to start Chelsea academy graduate Callum Hudson-Odoi and the fans turning on him in their 2-1 win against Cardiff City. Chelsea have managed to finish third and reach the Europa League Final, so it's to say that Sarri has done a good job. He will have to thank Eden Hazard for that as the Belgian has had his best season for the Blues with 16 goals and 15 assists which dragged a poor Chelsea attack with the likes of Gonzalo Higuaín, Álvaro Morata, Willian and Pedro having very low goal contributions. However, this may prove to be his final season as he looks to be moving to Real Madrid. With rumours of owner Roman Abramovich to sell the club, many things look to be changing at Stamford Bridge and with Hazard potentially gone plus a transfer ban, Chelsea look to be unable to compete for the title for the next few years.

Best Player: Eden Hazard
Most improved: Antonio Rüdiger
Biggest disappointment: Mateo Kovacić
Player to get rid off: Marcus Alosno
Stat of the season: Eden Hazard is the fourth player in EPL history to make double digits in goals and assists.

Liverpool (My prediction: 2nd,  Final Position: 2nd)

Liverpool made a lot of moves last summer with many putting as City's likely challengers for the Premier League title.  Liverpool finished last season 25 points behind City so closing that gap was going to be a tall task. However, Liverpool managed to exceed expectations finishing the season with an incredible 97 points, having the best defence with 21 clean sheets and defender Virgil van Dijk awarded PFA and premier League Player of the Season having transformed Liverpool's weak defence to the best in the league. However, despite the fantastic things Jürgen Klopp has done with Liverpool, it does feel like a lost opportunity for Liverpool to win the title. Liverpool had the advantage in January with a seven point gap ahead of City but the defeat to City at the Etihad plus draws against Leicester City, West Ham, Manchester United and Everton have come to cost the Reds their advantage at the top as City caught up and beat them to just one point. The draws against United and Everton in any other season for Liverpool would be decent results but the standards City have made over the past two seasons have made them poor results which shows the fine margins that went against Liverpool. They will be disappointed but should not be disheartened. It's not the end of the cycle like it was for the 08/09 team nor was it a one-season fluke like 13/14. Liverpool are here to stay, they will be near City again next season and have a Champions League Final to look forward to. However, to catch City, they have to improve their squad depth in their attack as they are heavily reliant on the front three, having a midfielder who can get up to ten goals and winning games against their top six rivals away from home. Again, great season for Liverpool but it's not enough.

Best Player: Virgil van Dijk
Most improved: Joël Matip
Biggest disappointment: Naby Keïta
Player to get rid off: Adam Lallana
Stat of the Season: Liverpool's 97 points would have been enough to win the EPL in 25 of the 27 seasons.

Manchester City (My Prediction: 1st, Final Position: 1st)

After winning the league with a hundred points and blowing everyone out of sight, it looked as if Manchester City will walk through the league again. They did win it but they had a challenger in Liverpool and were pushed all the way to the final day of the season with a scare when they went behind to Brighton. However, it was as if someone poked a beast as City responded with a 4-1 win clinching the title in the process. It was a satisfying title for City and for Pep Guardiola having a poor December which enabled Liverpool to increase the gap on them. The game against Liverpool in January at the Etihad proves to be very decisive in the title race with John Stones clearing the ball off the line which was centimeters away from becoming a goal for Liverpool and Leroy Sané getting the decisive goal. Since the turn of the year, Manchester City have dropped just three points and that was a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle. For Manchester City, they needed this title race to prove how great and special they are. The old guard of Vincent Kompany, David Silva and Sergio Agüero provided important experience in the run-in with Bernardo Silva and Raheem Sterling have excellent campaigns,  and managed to do this without Kevin De Bruyne and Benjamin Mendy for much off the season due to injury. They have cemented their legacy as one of the greatest Premier League teams and Pep Guardiola have transformed the landscape of the league. They are on the cusp of a domestic treble with the FA Cup Final coming up which will seal a historic season for the Citizens. The big jump for them is the Champions League as they have only appeared in the semifinals once but they have been close. With domestic dominance, Europe is the next one.

Player of the Season: Raheem Sterling
Most improved: Bernardo Silva
Biggest disappointment: Gabriel Jesus
Stat of the season: Manchester City have amassed 198 points in two seasons. That's 99 points on average.