Premier League Season Review (Part II)

Newcastle United. Potential Finish: 19th. Final Position: 13th



Steve Bruce was appointed following the departure of Rafa Benítez. It was an unpopular choice as Steve Bruce have not managed a Premier League team in four years and Benítez was a popular figure on Tyneside. The former Sunderland manager was able to shut down his critics as the Magpies finished comfortably in mid-table without any fear of relegation. The football was not pleasing for everyone with Newcastle playing an ultra-defensive style of play and only scored 38 goals. Only Norwich, Watford and Crystal Palace scored less goals. Allan Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle fans some excitement with his trickery while Joelinton has been a massive flop following his £40 million pound move from Hoffenheim. There seems to be changes going on at Newcastle with a massive takeover from a Saudi consortium which means that Steve Bruce will be fighting to keep his job next season if the takeover goes through.


Everton. Potential Finish: 8th. Final Position: 12th



Another season of lofty expectations that ended in calamitous failure for Everton. Many was expected from them and former manager Marco Silva to make a strong attempt in breaking into the top six this season. However, they lost nine games in their first fifteen games, putting them close to the relegation zone which cost Marco Silva his job. Former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson, steadied the ship before they appointed former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti in December 2019. The Italian has given the Toffees a new sense of optimism at Goodison Park but their squad needs a lot of trimming with the likes of Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean and Jean-Philippe Gbamin unable to make the mark. Gylfi Sigurðsson looks to be offloaded in the summer while Jordan Pickford has had a season to forget. Ancoletti has a lot of work to do going into next season.


Southampton. Potential Finish: 11th. Final Position: 11th



On Matchday 10, Southampton lost 9-0 at home to Leicester City. It was their worst home defeat ever and the joint heaviest defeat in Premier League history. In any given scenario, that would have been the end for manager Ralph Hasenhüttl but the Southampton hierarchy backed the Austrian and has paid off. The Saints finished comfortably in mid-table with wins against Chelsea, Leicester City, Tottenham and Manchester City as well as getting points off Arsenal and Manchester United. Danny Ings has the highlight of the season for the Saints, the former Liverpool striker has had his best goalscoring season till date, scoring 22 goals with only Jamie Vardy scoring more. They are set to lose Pierre Hojbjerg as the midfielder is set to move away from St. Mary while giving Hasenhüttl a new contract. The Saints will be hoping for some improvements next season, especially to reduce their dependency on Danny Ings.


Burnley. Potential Finish: 13th. Final Position: 10th



Sean Dyche's side had their season under the radar which is quite disappointing as the Clarets in the top half of the Premier League for only the second time since they gained promotion in 2016. Burnley under Sean Dyche are your typical physical side that will wrestle the ball away from you but have been quite progressive this season, particularly with the emergence of Dwight McNeil, who has given the Clarets a different and creative outlet. Chris Wood has shone this season, finishing as their top goalscorer with 14 goals while Nick Pope has gained plaudits for his heroics in front of goal, keeping 15 clean sheets. The only worry is the future of manager Sean Dyche. There has been speculation surrounding his future and whether he will leave Turf Moor. He has built Burnley in becoming a staple in the Premier League and Burnley fans will be rightfully concerned about the club's future if he leaves.


Sheffield United. Potential Finish: 20th. Final Position: 9th



What a magnificent season for the Blades. Following their promotion from the Championship, many wrote them off as the quality of their squad was not good enough to stay in the Premier League. Even though the likes of Norwich and Villa have players that can play close to the top level in the Premier League, it is hard to find that in Sheffield United. They really over-exceeded expectations this season, being in the mix for European places, making the pundits to eat their words, and were tactically innovative with the use of overlapping centre-backs which has not been used before in the Premier League. The likes of John Lundstram become a favourite with fantasy players, John Fleck, Oliver McBurnie and John Egan all had standout moments while Dean Henderson become one of the best performing keepers this season. However, this wouldn't have been possible if not for Chris Wilder. His tactical nous and his use of psychology to motivate his players has brought one of the best seasons for a promoted side. A great shout for Manager of the Year, Wilder has this team in his own image and we are excited to see their follow-up next season.


Arsenal. Potential Finish: 4th. Final Position: 8th



Many thought the Gunners will make an attempt to finish in the Champions League places this season following the acquisition of Dani Cellabos, David Luiz, Kieran Tierney and Nicolas Pépé with the goalscoring exploits of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. This season has been a poor one for Arsenal, having their worst Premier League finish in twenty-five years with the possibility of no European football next season. There has been a sense of disunity both on and off the field from the players not backing Unai Emery to the whole Granit Xhaka fiasco, which angered the Arsenal fans and looked like the Swiss international was gone. Eventually, the Arsenal hierarchy decided to sack Emery and appoint former Arsenal player Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard has brought hope and stability to the Emirates plus the introduction of young stars like Bukoya Saka and Martinelli have brought the excitement of what the future can bring. However, Aubameyang has not yet signed a new contrat and they will be an offload of unwanted players. A lot of things will have to be done in house by Arteta as well as the board on how much they will back Arteta.


Wolverhampton Wanderers. Potential Finish: 9th. Final Position: 7th



The European adventure that Wolves were taking part off this season, could affect their league form going into the season and it looked that way. They failed to win in their first six league games and were in the relegation zone. To the credit of Nuno Espirito Santo, he altered Wolves and utilized his squad more this season and has paid off. Despite not finishing in the European places this season, this season has been a success for Wolves, particularly balancing their league campaign with the Europa League. Raúl Jiménez carried the spotlight, scoring 17 league goals while Adama Traore shows how effective he can be with end product with great performances like his double against Manchester City at the Etihad. They will still be exciting to watch but with João Moutinho ageing and the lack of attacking depth when Jiménez is not fit, Wolves would have to continue their upward trajectory and consolidate themselves as a top half Premier League team.