The English Premier League recently concluded in entertaining fashion. While some teams will be pleased with their final standings, others will be far from satisfied. In this article, we assess whether each of the top eight sides over or under-achieved this season:
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1 – Manchester City
Manchester City secured their fourth consecutive Premier League title, breaking the record for the most successive title victories in the division’s history. While this is a fantastic achievement for Pep Guardiola’s men, City’s recent dominance has made this outcome somewhat expected. Thus, their season can be seen as neither an overachievement nor an underachievement.
2 – Arsenal
Arsenal finished runners-up for the second consecutive year but pushed Manchester City until the very end, finishing just two points behind the champions. Mikel Arteta’s side scored a brilliant 91 goals while conceding a league-low 29 times. Despite falling short of the title, this season was an overachievement for the Gunners.
3 – Liverpool
Liverpool were part of the three-horse race for the title for most of the season. However, three draws and two losses in their last eight games saw them fall away from the top two, eventually finishing nine points behind Manchester City. This disappointing end to Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Liverpool marks their season as an underachievement.
4 – Aston Villa
Aston Villa remarkably secured a fourth-place finish and a spot in next season’s UEFA Champions League, marking their first appearance in the competition. After a seventh-place finish last season, expectations were for another European place contention. Unai Emery’s side exceeded expectations, making this an overachievement.
5 – Tottenham Hotspur
Following Harry Kane’s departure last summer, many expected Tottenham to struggle under new manager Ange Postecoglou. However, they were unbeaten and top of the league after 10 matchdays. Their fortunes changed with a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on matchday 11, and they eventually finished fifth, failing to catch Aston Villa. Given their strong start, this season is an underachievement.
6 – Chelsea
Chelsea had a starkly contrasting season compared to Tottenham. They started poorly, with 10 losses in their first 23 games, but a strong finish saw them lose just one of their last 15 matches, securing sixth place on the final day. After last season’s 12th-place finish and a poor start, their eventual sixth place is an overachievement.
7 – Newcastle United
Newcastle United fans had high hopes of competing for Champions League places after a fourth-place finish last season and significant summer signings. However, they never placed in the top four from matchday two onwards and were 11th with nine games to go. A late improvement in results salvaged seventh place, but this season is still an underachievement for Eddie Howe’s side.
8 – Manchester United
After finishing third last season, expectations were high for Manchester United to at least secure a top-four finish. Instead, they ended up in eighth place, recording their worst-ever Premier League season. Their 14 league defeats are the most since 1989/90, and their -1 goal difference marks their first negative goal difference in Premier League history. This is undoubtedly the biggest underachievement of any side in this list.
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