For the record: Tuchel guides Chelsea to European glory

2020-21 PREMIER LEAGUE
• CLUB-BY-CLUB REVIEW •

 
(1) MANCHESTER CITY
[W27 D5 L6 F83 A32 Pts 86] • UCL R/U • FAC SF • LC Winners • Top scorer Gundogan (17)
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• Manchester City won their third Premier League title in four years - and a fourth League Cup in a row - but missed out on the big one again. In fairness, Pep Guardiola's men have never been closer, reaching the European Cup Final for the first time but they were disappointing on the big stage against Chelsea. As such, a season which included a remarkable 21 consecutive victories in all competitions between December and March has been somewhat overshadowed by their failure in Porto. It is certainly not the note on which Sergio Aguero wanted to end his time at the Etihad - although the Argentine did come off the bench to find the net twice late on in the 5-0 final day thrashing of Everton to finish fourth on the Premier League all-time list on 184 goals, behind Alan Shearer (260), Wayne Rooney (208) and Andy Cole (187).

(2) MANCHESTER UNITED
[W21 D11 L6 F73 A44 Pts 74] • UCL GS • UEL R/U • FAC QF • LC SF • Top scorer Fernandes (28)
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• Ole Gunnar Solksjaer described his second full season at Old Trafford as "not a successful one" as an 11-10 defeat on penalties against Villarreal in the Europa Cup Final left Manchester United without silverware for a fourth successive term. Indeed, it is now eight years since the Red Devils last won the Premier League in the final days of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign - and, while Solksjaer's charges improved both their league placing and points total compared to 2019-20, they did not really come close to mounting a genuine title challenge. Some better results were regularly undermined by the all-too-regular slip-ups against Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and others - and the protests against the Glazer family, which followed the collapse of the European Super League and caused the postponement of the match against Liverpool, confirmed patience is no longer the watchword at Old Trafford.

(3) LIVERPOOL 
[W20 D9 L9 F68 A42 Pts 69] • UCL QF • FAC 4R • LC 4R • Top scorer Salah (31)
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• Liverpool won their last five Premier League matches - and went unbeaten in their last 10 - to salvage a train wreck of a campaign which suffered regular derailments. The nadir perhaps was a first league defeat at Anfield in three-and-a-half years - 1-0 to Burnley on 21 January - which prompted an unwanted club record sequence of six home league defeats in a row. For sure, the Reds' home form problems can be attributed to the lack of fans - and the short turnaround after 2019-20 appeared to cause more injury problems than usual. But neither of those difficulties were unique to Liverpool - and, while the long-term absence of Virgil Van Dijk left a rather obvious hole in the defence, Jurgen Klopp would do well to reflect instead on why his attacking players, bar the unrelentingly consistent Mo Salah, drastically underperformed.

(4) CHELSEA
[W19 D10 L9 F58 A36 Pts 67] • UCL Winners • FAC R/U • LC 4R • Top scorer Abraham, Werner (12)
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• Twice champions of Europe - the Chelsea hard-core who travelled in the 1980s in the pouring rain for a Second Division match must be pinching themselves. The Blues are a different club nowadays with much greater expectations, so much so that even Stamford Bridge legend Frank Lampard paid with his job for a series of shambolic defensive performances. In came Thomas Tuchel from Paris Saint-Germain - and the German immediately tightened up the Blues' backline to secure a place in the top four despite a defeat on the final day against Aston Villa. Perhaps Chelsea were merely saving themselves for the Champions League Final in which defensive midfielder N'Golo Kante stole the show as part of a perfect demonstration of Tuchel's tactical nous.

(5) LEICESTER CITY
[W20 D6 L12 F68 A50 Pts 66] • UEL Last 32 • FAC Winners • LC 3R • Top scorer Iheanacho (19)
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• Leicester City finally added the FA Cup to their silverware collection with a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Final, following four previous defeats in the Wembley showpiece in 1949, 1961, 1963 and 1969. It was undoubtedly the least which the Foxes deserved after an almost carbon copy of a league season - just like in 2019-20, Brendan Rodgers's men spent a long spell in the top four, only to miss out after costly defeats in the closing week of the season to Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. By then, though, Youri Tielemans was already the toast of Leicester following his long-range embley winner against the Blues - enabling likes of Jamie Vardy, Wes Morgan and Kasper Schmeichel to add yet another winners' medal to their career collection.

(6) WEST HAM UNITED
[W19 D8 L11 F62 A47 Pts 65] • FAC 5R • LC 4R • Top scorer Antonio, Soucek (10)
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• West Ham United fans would have bitten an arm off, and maybe a leg too, if a place in the top six had been offered to them at the start of this campaign - and yet there might be a slight tinge of regret that only a few late defeats prevented the Hammers from pushing a little harder for the top four place. Nevertheless, after a sluggish struggle to 16th in the second half of the 2019-20 campaign under David Moyes, this season was something of a revelation with Moyes - in his second spell at the club - rehabilitating his reputation following a few career missteps by overseeing a series of tight tactical wins. The arrival of Jesse Lingard on loan from Manchester United also deserves a mention - the 28-year-old scored nine times after January to keep the bubbles at the London Stadium flying high with European qualification in East London secured for the first time since 2016-17.

(7) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 
[W18 D8 L12 F68 A45 Pts 62] • UEL Last 16 • FAC 5R • LC R/U • Top scorer Kane (33)
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• Tottenham Hotspur took too late to act after it became abundantly clear that Jose Mourinho was not working out. The Portuguese manager was eventually sacked by Spurs on 19 April, a week ahead of their League Cup Final defeat to Manchester City. The dismissal also came just a day after Spurs caused much mirth among rival fans by attempting to tag onto the coat-tails of the failed European Super League despite having last won top division in England in 1961. With the return of loanee Gareth Bale to Real Madrid and the likely departure of Harry Kane to a club which actually wins things, the amusement at Tottenham's expense may continue for some time yet, even if things across North London are going no better. 

(8) ARSENAL
[W18 D7 L13 F55 A39 Pts 61] • UEL SF • FAC 4R • LC QF • Top scorer Lacazette (17)
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• Arsenal finished eighth for the second time in a row but this time - without cup success - it is a position which means the Gunners will be without European football next season for the first time in 25 years. Indeed, it would be difficult to make a particularly strong argument at the moment in favour of current manager Mikel Arteta over his predecessor Unai Emery, especially with the latter ending any hope of Arsenal rescuing their season when he led Villarreal to victory in the Europa League semi finals on the way to lifting the trophy. Domestically, Tottenham Hotspur have finished above Arsenal for the last five seasons in a row now - and, at the time of their audacious attempt to join the European Super League, the Gunners were ninth. Only their customary late-season form - five wins out of five to close the campaign - prevented the very realistic chance of a finish in the bottom half of the table coming to pass. 

(9) LEEDS UNITED
[W18 D5 L15 F62 A54 Pts 59] • FAC 3R • LC 2R • Top scorer Bamford (17)
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• Leeds United lived up to their promise and brought a breath of fresh air to the Premier League with a relentless attacking approach which got results - at least at first.  A difficult run came in the New Year in which the Whites won two and lost six of eight league games between February and mid-March - and season-long defensive naivety from set-pieces threatened to drag the Yorkshire club towards the fringes of the relegation battle. Unexpectedly, though sensibly, manager Marco Bielsa became a little more pragmatic and his team were able to learn the value of taking a point in home draws against Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. Still, though, Leeds were at their best when they attacked - and Bielsa's men finished with a flourish, taking 12 points out of 12 and scoring 12 goals in their last four fixtures. 

(10) EVERTON
[W17 D8 L13 F47 A48 Pts 59] • FAC QF • LC QF • Top scorer Calvert-Lewin (21)
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• Everton made a blistering start, winning their first four league games of a season for the first time since 1969-70- but, despite an ultra-rare win against Liverpool at Anfield in February and regular goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin across the campaign, they subsequently blew several promising opportunities to break into the top six. Conversely, dreadful home form meant the Toffees drifted disappointingly down to 10th with just one win and one goal in their last four, including a defeat at Goodison Park to Sheffield United and a 5-0 battering at Manchester City on the final day. Finishing positions of 12th and 10th at Everton are the only occasions in his 26-year managerial history that Carlo Ancelotti had completed a campaign outside of the top six places of his domestic league - and the Italian has already made off elsewhere to take on Real Madrid for a second time. Not for the first time in recent years, the blue half of Merseyside has been left in limbo pondering exactly what comes next.

(11) ASTON VILLA
[W16 D7 L15 F55 A46 Pts 55] • FAC 3R • LC 4R • Top scorer Watkins (16)
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• For much of the season, it looked as if Aston Villa were going to finish in the top half, although 11th place still represents an excellent improvement for the Villa on their last-gasp survival in 2019-20. In fairness, Dean Smith's men were in no danger of falling any lower than their final position as they ended 10 points clear of the next team down, Newcastle United - and, just like the other teams ensconced in mid-table, had a regular source of goals. In Villa's case, that was Ollie Watkins, signed last summer from Brentford - but, more than anything, the Second City club were once again indebted to the creativity of the outstanding Jack Grealish, and they missed him dearly for a few weeks in the run-in when he sustained a shin injury.

(12) NEWCASTLE UNITED 
[W12 D9 L17 F46 A62 Pts 45] • FAC 3R • LC QF • Top scorer Wilson (12)
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• Typically tumultuous, another season for Newcastle United - still trapped by the apparently reluctant ownership of Mike Ashley - will be, nevertheless, recorded in the history books as having passed largely without incident. The living reality of the campaign was rather different, especially when - despite a solid start of 17 points from the first 11 matches - Steve Bruce's men then produced a desperate sequence of just two draws from nine league games and also lost in both domestic cups between mid-December and the end of January. Another winless run between February and March actually resulted, very briefly, in the Magpies being dumped in the bottom three when Fulham took the lead against Aston Villa on 4 April, before going onto lose. However, the return from injury of the extremely talented Allan Saint-Maximin and the arrival of prolific Arsenal loanee Joe Willock led to a pretty strong late-season recovery - and Willock, in fact, equalled the club record held by Alan Shearer of seven consecutive Premier League scoring appearances when he netted on the final day against Fulham. It now seems inevitable, though, that Ashley will refuse to meet the Gunners' asking price for a player who quite clearly enjoyed his time on Tyneside.

(13) WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 
[W12 D9 L17 F36 A52 Pts 45] • FAC 5R • LC 2R • Top scorer Neto, Neves (5)
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• A difficult campaign at Molineux ended on a rather sad note as Portuguese manager Nuno Espirito Santo parted ways with the West Midlands club despite a largely successful reign during which Wolverhampton Wanderers had previously recorded back-to-back seventh place finishes. Another relatively decent start promised a tilt again at the European places but a devastating skull fracture injury to main striker Raul Jiminez in the win against Arsenal on 29 November unsurprisingly had a significant effect. Wolves, consequently, scored a total of just 36 league goals in their 38 matches - but, by the end of the campaign, it was not just the attack which was struggling with some soft goals given away. Perhaps that was enough to convince Nuno that he had indeed taken Wolves as far as he could - and he now looks likely to be replaced by compatriot Bruno Lage.

(14) CRYSTAL PALACE 
[W12 D8 L18 F41 A66 Pts 44] • FAC 3R • LC 2R • Top scorer Zaha (11)
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• Crystal Palace waved a fond farewell to Roy Hodgson after the former England manager comfortably kept his boyhood club in the Premier League for an eighth consecutive season - but most Eagles fans will agree that it was time for the 73-year-old to step aside. Of course, Palace fans - like those of most midtable teams - harbour no great ambitions beyond a respectable league position and the occasional cup run. However, this season made for a tough watch at times, and the Eagles' record without their talisman Wilfried Zaha was execrable. Palace were in a similar position to now in 2016-17 when they appointed Frank de Boer for his ill-fated, short-lived tenure which lasted just four games. Whoever arrives next at Selhurst Park, though, simply must look to increase the team's scoring options beyond their tireless 28-year-old winger.

(15) SOUTHAMPTON 
[W12 D7 L19 F47 A68 Pts 43] • FAC SF • LC 2R • Top scorer Ings (13)

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• So, it happened again - remarkably, after briefly leading the Premier League in early November, Southampton repeated their 9-0 defeat to Leicester City in 2019-20 with another 9-0 defeat this season to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 2 February. Manager Ralph Hasenhüttl again retained his position as Saints manager - but, this time, it somehow feels different. In 2019-20, the Austrian led a recovery which took Southampton to an extremely creditable finishing position of 11th - but, despite doing enough to secure safety again in 2020-21, there were several other heavy defeats and 68 goals conceded overall, more than any other team except West Bromwich Albion. Certainly, the likes of Danny Ings, James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams will feel as if they can only swim against the tide for so long if the Saints carry on as they are.

(16) BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION 
[W9 D14 L15 F40 A46 Pts 41] • FAC 5R • LC 4R • Top scorer Maupay (8)
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• According to the xG geeks, Brighton and Hove Albion should have apparently finished fifth in the Premier League - thankfully for now at least, though, football is still played by human beings and not robots. Brighton, in fact, finished in 16th position with nine wins, 14 draws and 15 defeats - identical to their record in 2019-20, though with one more goal scored and eight fewer conceded. The draw specialists of the division can be considered therefore to be making progress - but it is coming at a glacial rate. Certainly, the main improvements must still come in front of goal with the match against West Bromwich Albion on 27 February exposing the Seagulls' failings in this area when both Pascal Gross and Danny Welbeck missed penalties - and they lost 1-0. In fairness, Graham Potter's men kept their nerve - and wins from March onwards against Southampton, Newcastle United, Leeds United, and - wonderfully - in front of fans at home against Manchester City, has set up an impressive fifth successive season in the top flight for the Sussex club. 

(17) BURNLEY 
[W10 D9 L19 F33 A55 Pts 39] • FAC 5R • LC 4R • Top scorer Wood (12)
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• For the first time in their latest stint in the top flight, Burnley failed to make it to 40 points, not that it was ever going to take as many as that for survival this season. Far more lamentable, though, was their goal record with the Clarets hitting the net just 33 times in the 38 league games - while, even by 2020-21 standards, Turf Moor was far from a happy place this year without its fans. Five draws and six defeats in their last 11 home league and cup matches meant Burnley's last win on their own patch came on 27 January against Aston Villa - although, on the road, they managed to win at Anfield for the first time since 1974, and became the first league team to win away there in 69 games. Overall, though, this was a campaign to forget for manager Sean Dyche who cut a frustrated figure right up until the final day when his team lost to already-relegated Sheffield United.

(18) FULHAM
[W5 D13 L20 F27 A53 Pts 28] • FAC 4R • LC 4R • Top scorer Decordova-Reid (7)
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• Yo-yo club Fulham came closest to surviving out of the bottom three - and yet still finished on just 28 points, fully 11 points short of Brighton and Hove Albion in 17th. For sure, this was, collectively, the worst bottom three of the Premier League era with the Cottagers paying for a lack of goals and a leaky start in defence which suggested the Londoners were badly out of their depth. True, Scott Parker tightened up the defensive unit but the lack of killer instinct remained and - while Fulham lost only four times between the start of December and the end of February, they also won only twice in that period and drew 10. Nevertheless, a 1-0 win over Liverpool on 7 March reignited hopes of reeling in the pack above - but any chance of a recovery was quickly drowned when Parker's side took just two measly points out of the last 30 available. Still, as long as he looks smart in a Burton menswear suit.

(19) WEST BROMWICH ALBION 
[W5 D11 L22 F35 A76 Pts 26] • FAC 3R • LC 3R • Top scorer Pereira (12)
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• West Bromwich Albion extended their own yo-yo existence, losing their place in the Premier League for a fifth time, a joint-record with the now-returning Norwich City. At the same time, Fat Sam Allardyce relinquished his record of never having been relegated from the Premier League - although he did not have a completely clean sheet having dropped from the third tier with Notts County in 1998 - and he should have done better this time. Allardyce arrived at the Hawthorns with West Brom only three points from safety despite them having only won one in their first 13 games - but, rather than improving the Baggies, they suffered four consecutive home defeats by a horrendous 17-0 aggregate, and ended up finishing 13 points adrift of 17th. There were a couple of decent back-to-back three-goal wins in April, remarkably against Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel, as well as Southampton, but even they could not prevent Albion from holding a shockingly bad goal difference of -41.

(20) SHEFFIELD UNITED 
[W7 D2 L29 F20 A63 Pts 23] • FAC QF • LC 2R • Top scorer McGoldrick (9)
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• Sheffield United suffered a terrible dose of second season syndrome as they followed up their highly creditable ninth place in 2019-20 by finishing rock-bottom this time around. A terrible start brought a horrendous record-breaking winless run as the Blades drew just two of their opening 17 matches - and failed to take all three points from a game until 12 January when they beat Newcastle United. That long-awaited success came by a single goal, just like the outcome of 17 of their 29 defeats - but, conversely, nine of their 14 wins in 2019-20 had also been by only one goal. The Blades had lived on a knife-edge in their two-year tilt at the top flight - and, having latterly parted ways with boyhood fan Chris Wilder, amid some acrimony, during this dreadful campaign, it is difficult to envisage too quick of a recovery. 

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WINNERS AND LOSERS

ENGLAND

Premier League

Champions	Manchester City
Runners-up	Manchester United
Champions League	Liverpool (third place), Chelsea (fourth place)
Europa League	Leicester City (FA Cup winners, fifth place), West Ham United (sixth place)
Europa Conference	Tottenham Hotspur (seventh place)
Relegation	Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United

Championship

Champions	Norwich City
Runners-up	Watford
Playoff winners	Brentford (won 2-0 v Swansea City)
Relegation	Wycombe Wanderers, Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday*

* Sheffield Wednesday received a 12 point deduction, subsequently reduced to 6 points, for breaching the League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules.

League One

Champions	Hull City
Runners-up	Peterborough United
Playoff winners	Blackpool (won 2-1 v Lincoln City)
Relegation	Rochdale, Northampton Town, Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers

League Two

Champions	Cheltenham Town
Runners-up	Cambridge United
Also promoted	Bolton Wanderers
Playoff winners	Morecambe (won 1-0 aet v Newport County)
Relegation	Southend United, Grimsby Town

National League Premier

Champions	Sutton United
Playoff winners	Hartlepool United 1-1 aet Torquay United. Hartlepool United won 5-4 on penalties.
Relegation	[see NOTE]
Results expunged	Dover Athletic*
Expelled	Macclesfield Town**

* Dover Athletic refused to play matches due to a lack of promised funding, starting with their fixture on 30 January 2021. On 26 March 2021, it was announced the club would play no part in the rest of the season.
** Macclesfield Town were deducted 17 points for entering into administration in 2019-20, and then were expelled from the league on 29 September 2020 at which point, the club had played no matches.

Domestic Cup Finals

FA Cup Final	Leicester City 1-0 Chelsea
League Cup Final	Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
FA Community Shield	Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool.  Arsenal won 5-4 on penalties.
EFL Trophy 2020 EFL Trophy 2021	Salford City 0-0 aet Portsmouth. Salford City won 4-2 on penalties. [see NOTE] Sunderland 1-0 Tranmere Rovers
FA Trophy 2020 FA Trophy 2021	Harrogate Town 1-0 Concord Rangers [see NOTE] Hornchurch 3-1 Hereford
FA Vase 2020 FA Vase 2021	Hebburn Town 3-2 Consett [see NOTE] Warrington Rylands 3-2 Binfield

⚽

SCOTLAND

Premiership

Champions	Rangers
Runners-up	Celtic
Europa League	St Johnstone (FA Cup winners), Hibernian (third place), Aberdeen (fourth place)
Relegation	Kilmarnock, Hamilton Academical

Championship

Champions	Heart of Midlothian
Runners-up	Dundee
Relegation	Alloa Athletic

League One [see NOTE]

Champions	Partick Thistle
Runners-up	Airdrieonians (not promoted)
Relegation	Forfar Athletic

League Two [see NOTE]

Champions	Queens Park
Runners-up	Edinburgh City (not promoted)
Relegation	Brechin City

Domestic Cup Finals

FA Cup Final 2020 FA Cup Final 2021	Celtic 3-3 aet Heart of Midlothian. Celtic won 4-3 on penalties [see NOTE] St Johnstone 1-0 Hibernian
League Cup Final	St Johnstone 1-0 Livingston
Challenge Cup Final	Cancelled due to coronavirus [see NOTE]

⚽

WALES

Cymru Premier

Champions	Connah's Quay Nomads
Europa Lg	The New Saints (runners-up), Bala Town (third place), Newtown (playoff winners)
Relegation	None [see NOTE]

Welsh Cup Finals [see NOTE]

FA Cup Final	Cancelled due to coronavirus
League Cup Final	Cancelled due to coronavirus

⚽

NORTHERN IRELAND

Irish Premiership

Champions	Linfield
Europa Conference	Coleraine (runners-up), Glentoran (third place), Larne (playoff winners)
Relegation	None [see NOTE]

Irish Cup Finals

IFA Cup Final	Linfield 2-1 Larne
League Cup Final	Cancelled due to coronavirus [see NOTE]

⚽

EUROPE

UEFA Finals

Champions League	Chelsea (Eng) 1-0 Manchester City (Eng)
Europa League	Villarreal (Spa) 1-1 aet Manchester United (Eng). Villarreal won 11-10 on penalties.
Super Cup	Bayern Munich (Ger) 2-1 Sevilla (Spa), after extra time

Major European league champions

Spain	Atletico Madrid
Italy	Internazionale
Germany	Bayern Munich
France	OSC Lille
Portugal	Sporting Lisbon
Netherlands	Ajax Amsterdam
Belgium	Club Brugge
Greece	Olympiacos
Turkey	Besiktas

⚽

[NOTE] Coronavirus continued to cause disruption to football in the 2020-21 season:

• On 18 February, the National League North and National League South was declared null and void, therefore there was no relegation from the National League Premier
  
  
• On 4 March, Scottish League One and Scottish League Two clubs agreed to shorten the season to 22 matches, with each team playing all other teams twice, followed by a split in the table to determine the final four matches
  
  
• On 18 March, both the Cymru North and Cymru South had their seasons cancelled by the FA of Wales, therefore there was no relegation from the Cymru Premier
  
  
• On 2 February, the NIFL Championship was declared null and void, therefore there was no relegation from the NIFL Premiership
  
  
• The following tournaments had their Final matches cancelled (on the following dates): the Scottish Challenge Cup (20 October), the Welsh FA Cup (31 March), and the Welsh League Cup (31 March). The Irish League Cup tournament was cancelled altogether
  
  
• The following tournaments played their 2019-20 Finals in the 2020-21 season (on the following dates): the FA Trophy (3 May), the FA Vase (3 May), the EFL Trophy (13 March), and the Scottish FA Cup Final (20 December)
  

Super League coup attempt leaves nasty scar

AUDACIOUS plans by the dirtiest dozen clubs in Europe may have collapsed into a laughable mess within 48 hours of their announcement - but, sadly, their attempted coup will most likely leave a permanent scar on English football.

On Sunday night, six Premier League clubs - the so-called Big Six of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and, rather bafflingly, Tottenham Hotspur - took turns to confirm their intention to join a European Super League via their official social media accounts.

The English clubs were set to be joined by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid from Spain, and Juventus, AC Milan and Internazionale from Italy.

But, by the end of Tuesday night, it was clear the plans were in total disarray as Chelsea and Man City led a rapid retreat by all six of the English clubs following widespread anger from nearly all football fans.

Chelsea were first to crack, undoubtedly as a result of the fury vented by Blues supporters who protested against the plans outside of Stamford Bridge ahead of their Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Man City quickly followed - and it never made sense quite what exactly owner Sheikh Mansour was thinking in the first place, given his almost unmatched riches already. 

Then, towards the end of the night, Man United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli had stepped down from their lofty positions.

On Wednesday morning, John W Henry - the Liverpool owner - apologised for the "unnecessary negativity" which had occurred over the previous couple of days.

And, with that half-apology from Henry, it became clear for certain that the whole idea was dead in its birthing pool waters.

A sense of relief, perhaps even elation, swept over the proper match-going supporters who have realised this week that they can still have a real influence on a sport which is being increasingly drowned by money.

The 12 original members - and three other unnamed clubs - would have received €3.5 billion to support infrastructure investment plans and to offset the impact of a pandemic which has affected everyone.

They would also enjoy a perpetual place in the competition along with five hugely disadvantaged invitees. 

Invited teams would be selected annually on some sort of merit system literally to make up the numbers with the 15 founding clubs of the Super League sharing 32.5% of all of the commercial revenues.

A further 32.5% would be distributed between all 20 participating teams and another 20% allocated based on performance in the Super League.

Finally, 15% would be shared based on broadcast audience size - and clubs would also be allowed to retain all revenues from gate receipts and club sponsorship deals.

Of course, the Premier League itself was a breakaway movement from the Football League back in 1992 - and, along with UEFA and the broadcasters, it has been accused of merely trying selfishly to protect their interests.

However, the Premier League was at least not a completely closed shop.

Rather, to begin with at least, it was an - arguably much-needed - rebranding exercise which unashamedly featured unfashionable clubs like Oldham Athletic and Wimbledon among its inaugural members. 

Furthermore, it retained direct connections to the English football pyramid via promotion and relegation, allowing the likes of Brighton and Bournemouth to recover from the depths of the basement division.

Football backwaters such as Wigan, Hull and Swansea have seen their clubs enjoy the best days in their history since 1992 - and, as it stands, 49 different teams have played Premier League football.

At the same time, it is hardly as if the criticisms of UEFA, the Premier League and the broadcasters are entirely without merit.

In Europe and in England, more and more money has been concentrated into the pockets of a select few teams, while Sky Sports and BT Sport have been more than happy to push the interests of a European elite abroad and their Big Six construct domestically.

Is it really any wonder then that these clubs have consequently felt empowered to act as disgracefully as they have this week?

Worse still, there is currently little sign of any punishment being meted out to the guilty clubs by the Premier League or UEFA - despite, in the case of the former, the rules of the organisation having clearly been breached.

Rule L9 of the Premier League rule-book states: “Except with the prior written approval of the board, during the season a club shall not enter or play its senior men’s first team in any competition other than:

L.9.1 – The UEFA Champions League
L.9.2 – The UEFA Europa League
L.9.3 – The FA Cup
L.9.4 – The FA Community Shield
L.9.5 – The Football League Cup or
L.9.6 – Competitions sanctioned by the County Association of which it is a member.”

Yet there is no genuine expectation that spineless Premier League chief executive Richard Masters will have the bottle to act as he should.

Project Big Picture - proposed by Liverpool and Man United, and supported by Tottenham - came just over six months ago. The scheme was voted down on 14 October 2020 but no sanctions followed.

Next time really might be the last time - and, indeed, it probably will be, considering the stack of bargaining chips held by the likes of UEFA and the Premier League have been rapidly reduced recently.

For now, at least, there is still an understandable sense of relief that the worst of it is over with the European Super League having been prevented.

More than ever, though, it feels as if football is quite prepared to indulge continually in gross acts of self-harm - and, one day, the cuts will simply run too deep to heal.

Premier League preview: Know your place

▪️ ARSENAL @Arsenal
Last season 8th FA Cup Winners League Cup Fourth round Europa League Last 32
Last major trophy FA Cup 2020
Ownership Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (USA)
Head coach Mikel Arteta (since December 2019)
New signings Pablo Mari, Cedric Soares, Willian, Gabriel Magalhaes, Dani Ceballos*, George Lewis, Tim Akinola, Salah-Eddine, Jonathan Dinzeyi
Those long-suffering Arsenal fans had another FA Cup to celebrate - a fourth in six years and record 14th overall - as Mikel Arteta picked up the pieces following Unai Emery's largely unimpressive tenure. But, despite their Wembley success, the Gunners merely bounced around the mid-table places throughout the campaign, and so it was really quite remarkable that skipper and talisman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang managed 29 goals in all competitions. Willian has now arrived from Chelsea to provide another attacking option with his wages no doubt covered by the 55 staff who were made redundant during this coronavirus pandemic. Expect a modest improvement at the Emirates. 
Prediction [5th]

▪️ ASTON VILLA @AVFCOfficial
Last season 17th FA Cup Third round League Cup Runners-up
Last major trophy League Cup 1996
Ownership Nasser Sawiris (EGY) and Wes Edens (USA)
Head coach Dean Smith (since October 2018)
New signings Matty Cash, Ollie Watkins, Ben Chrisene
Aston Villa must still feel rather blessed to be taking their place in the Premier League this season considering they would, most likely, have been relegated if the goal-line technology had been switched on against Sheffield United in the first game to be played after lockdown. Villa made the most of their extremely good fortune to overtake Watford in the final week to secure safety but Dean Smith will certainly be looking for a more comfortable ride this time around. Coincidentally, the new campaign begins with another home match against the Blades.
Prediction [16th]

▪️ BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION @OfficialBHAFC
Last season 15th FA Cup Third round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Tony Bloom (ENG)
Head coach Graham Potter (since May 2019)
New signings Joel Veltman, Adam Lallana, Zak Emmerson, Jensen Weir, Lars Dendoncker
Brighton scrambled just above the 40-point mark to maintain their record as the only current club in the top flight not to have been ever-present in the Premier League era and yet never having gone down. At the same time, though, the Seagulls are yet to win 10 games in a single season and they have so far recorded two finishes in 15th and a narrow escape in 17th in 2018-19. Now, as many bottom half dwellers have found to their cost in the past, repeated seasons of struggle cannot be sustained forever - and, unless Neil Maupay fires on all cylinders, the Amex Stadium-based Seagulls will be in danger of running out of credit.
Prediction [19th]

▪️ BURNLEY @BurnleyOfficial
Last season 10th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy First Division 1959-1960
Ownership Mike Garlick (ENG)
Head coach Sean Dyche (since October 2012)
New signings Will Norris, Marc Richter, Will Rickard, Marcel Elva-Fountaine, Conor Barrett  
The indefatigable Sean Dyche led Burnley to their highest finish since ABBA went to the UK number one spot with Waterloo in the summer of 1974 - yes, I checked - but such relative success should not really come as any sort of surprise. Nick Pope kept 15 clean sheets last season behind a defence which is marshalled superbly by James Tarkowski while - between Chris Wood, Ashley Barnes, young Dwight McNeil, and Jay Rodriguez - there is a more than decent array of attacking talent on show. The Clarets have certainly made good progress on the pitch then - but, while it would be a terrible shame for a Football League founder club to move away from their traditional Turf Moor home, the frankly dangerous conditions in the away end badly need to be rectified for when supporters can attend once again.
Prediction [9th]

▪️ CHELSEA @ChelseaFC
Last season 4th FA Cup Runners-up League Cup Fourth round Europa League Last 16
Last major trophy Europa League 2019
Ownership Roman Abramovich (RUS/ISR)
Head coach Frank Lampard (since July 2019)
New signings Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Malang Sarr, Ben Chilwell, Thiago Silva
Frank Lampard was lauded last season despite 12 Premier League defeats, and eight losses at home in all competitions. True, the Stamford Bridge legend was always going to be given more room for error than his predecessors and he reacted to his hands being tied in the transfer market with a refreshing level of trust in his youth prospects. But, with the transfer ban now lifted, Lampard has been entrusted with millions of Roman Abramovich's Russian roubles, bringing in Timo Werner and Kai Havertz from Germany and thereby completely reinvigorating the Blues' attack. As such, even Lampard loyalists are expecting a far better season than last time out.
Prediction [3rd]

▪️ CRYSTAL PALACE @CPFC
Last season 14th FA Cup Third round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Steve Parish (ENG), Joshua Harris/David S Blitzer (USA)
Head coach Roy Hodgson (since September 2017)
New signings Michy Batshuayi*, Eberechi Eze, Jake Giddings, Nathan Ferguson
The preview for Crystal Palace could pretty much almost be copied and pasted from last year's assessment. Keep star player Wilfried Zaha at Selhurst Park and the Eagles will steer clear of the worst of the trouble. But if the main man in South Norwood gets injured - or, worse, departs elsewhere then an already poor attack will become still yet further blunted. Palace hit the net only 31 times in their 38 league games - only rock-bottom Norwich City scored fewer - although this can hardly come as a surprise given the propensity of manager Roy Hodgson to play up to three holding midfielders in the same line-up.
Prediction [15th]

▪️ EVERTON @Everton
Last season 12th FA Cup Third round League Cup Quarter finals
Last major trophy FA Cup 1995
Ownership Farhad Moshiri (IRN)
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti (since December 2019)
New signings Niels Nkounkou, Allan, James Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Doucoure
Everton have made some eye-catching moves in the transfer market this summer - bringing in World Cup 2014 Golden Boot winner James Rodriguez from Real Madrid as they attempt to arrest their slide into the bottom half of the table. If anything, though, the Merseysiders' humiliation last season was worse still in the FA Cup where they lost to a Liverpool reserve side in the third round. Now barely able to boast even being the second best team in their city, it would be no surprise if the Toffees once again come unstuck with the new clown prince Jordan Pickford in between the goalposts.
Prediction [11th]

▪️ FULHAM @FulhamFC
Last season 4th (promoted from Championship via playoffs) FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy None
Ownership Shahid Khan (PAK/USA)
Head coach Scott Parker (since February 2019)
New signings Antonee Robinson, Harrison Reed, Mario Lemina*, Alphonse Areola*, Kenny Tete
Fulham immediately bounced back from relegation by winning the playoff final for the second time in three years, beating local rivals Brentford on 4 August. Of course, when the Cottagers last went up, they spent upwards of £100m on a new starting line-up trying - and failing - to stay in the top flight. This time, there is more cohesion but, having bombed so miserably in 2018-19, Scott Parker's men will simply be happy if they inflict their bizarre neutral zone on the Premier League for more than a single season.

Prediction [17th]

▪️ LEEDS UNITED @LUFC
Last season 1st (promoted from Championship) FA Cup Third round League Cup Second round
Last major trophy First Division 1991-92
Ownership Andrea Radrizzani (ITA)
Head coach Marcelo Bielsa (since June 2018)
New signings Rodrigo Moreno, Robin Koch, Illan Meslier, Helder Costa, Charlie Allen, Jack Harrison*, Joe Gelhardt, Cody Drameh, Sam Greenwood
It might have taken 16 years involving points deductions - and a three-year detour to the third level - but Leeds United have finally made it back to the Premier League. The Whites will find quite a lot has changed in the intervening years - mainly that the so-called top six now have such an iron grip, even the most inventive management will only result in limited success - perhaps a top half finish like Sheffield United achieved. Regardless of the outcome, though, Marcelo Biesla's attacking principles will provide a welcome change to much of the drudgery in modern football even if, ultimately, it exposes a certain naivety in the way he sets up.
Prediction [10th]

▪️ LEICESTER CITY @LCFC
Last season 5th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Semi finals
Last major trophy Premier League 2015-16
Ownership Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha (THA)
Head coach Brendan Rodgers (since February 2019)
New signings Timothy Castagne
Leicester blew a big advantage, winning only four of their last 17 league and cup games, to allow Manchester United and Chelsea to overtake and deny them what, at Christmas last year, seemed like a certain Champions League place. Now, excepting the wonders of the 2015-16 title win, fifth is still a historically strong placing for the East Midlands club. Nevertheless, many supporters were flabbergasted by the manner of the collapse - and so manager Brendan Rodgers begins the new term under a fair deal of pressure. At least, for the Foxes' sake, last season's Premier League top scorer - Jamie Vardy - has now committed himself to the King Power Stadium until 2023.
Prediction [12th]

▪️ LIVERPOOL @LFC
Last season Champions FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Quarter finals Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy Premier League 2019-20
Ownership Fenway Sports Group (USA)
Head coach Jürgen Klopp (since October 2015)
New signings Kostas Tsimikas
It will not have escaped anybody that Liverpool followed up a sixth European Cup in 2019 by winning the Premier League for the first time for a 19th English title. Certainly, it appears to be the sole aim of Liverpool fans to ensure no one ever forgets it. True, the Reds title win was extraordinary and record-breaking on many counts - but it still undoubtedly lost some of its lustre when ultimately relegated Watford strolled to a 3-0 win ahead of defeats for Jurgen Klopp's men after lockdown at Manchester City and Arsenal. While the unbeaten record at Anfield has now extended to an incredible 59 league matches over a three-year period, it will be fascinating to see if the same imperfections as those shown in the post-lockdown period affect Liverpool while they are on the road to their principle rivals during the whole of next nine months.
Prediction [2nd]

▪️ MANCHESTER CITY @ManCity
Last season 2nd FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Winners Champions League Quarter finals 
Last major trophy League Cup 2020
Ownership Khaldoon Al-Mubarak (UAE)
Head coach Pep Guardiola (since July 2016)
New signings Ferran Torres, Nathan Ake, Pablo Moreno, Scott Carson*
Manchester City gave English football a taste of what it must be like to watch Celtic in the Scottish game in 2018-19, winning all three domestic trophies on offer. But, last season, Pep Guardiola's men had to settle for the League Cup only despite fielding the best player in the top flight in Kevin De Bruyne. The weaknesses appeared clear enough - the defence still misses the presence of Yaya Toure and Vincent Kompany while the back-up for Sergio Aguero in attack is not effective enough. Of course, the Abu Dhabi billions could soon fix that - but, surprisingly, this has been a relatively quiet close season so far.
Prediction [Champions]

▪️ MANCHESTER UNITED @ManUtd
Last season 3rd FA Cup Semi finals League Cup Semi finals Champions League Semi finals 
Last major trophy Europa League 2017
Ownership Joel Glazer and Avram Glazer (USA)
Head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær (since December 2018)
New signings Donny van de Beek
Manchester United went unbeaten in their last 14 league games to recover from seventh place to the third and Champions League football for only the third time in the seven years since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. Mid-season Portuguese arrival Bruno Fernandes proved an inspired signing, if nothing else but for his penalty taking ability as the Red Devils were given unfathomable 22 spot-kicks in all competitions. And yet, despite this, the Old Trafford trophy cabinet had no silverware added to it with three semi final defeats leaving troll-faced Norwegian manager Ole Gunnar Solksjaer with a nearly man reputation to shrug off in the coming campaign.
Prediction [4th]

▪️ NEWCASTLE UNITED @NUFC
Last season 13th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Second round
Last major trophy UEFA (Fairs) Cup 1969
Ownership Mike Ashley (ENG)
Head coach Steve Bruce (since July 2019)
New signings Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Jeff Hendrick, Jamal Lewis, Mark Gillespie, Niall Brookwell
 Newcastle have been distracted throughout the close season by a classic Geordie soap opera in the form of a takeover by the Saudi Arabia-based Public Investment Fund, only for Premier League chief executive Dick Masters now declared officially to have blocked the bid at the behest of Arsenal, Everton, Liverpool, Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves. Bitterness and concern have more recently given way to relief as Mike Ashley has, seemingly, sought to protect his investment from a third relegation during his 13-year tenure. After suffering the sight of £40 million man Joelinton up front throughout last season, Callum Wilson arrives at St James Park with a genuine top-flight pedigree and things could get quite exciting if he links up with Ryan Fraser like he did at Bournemouth in 2018-19. For now, though, this feels like a campaign which could go either way for the Magpies.
Prediction [13th]

▪️ SHEFFIELD UNITED @SheffieldUnited
Last season 9th FA Cup Quarter finals League Cup Third round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1925
Ownership Prince Abdullah Bin Mosaad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (KSA)
Head coach Chris Wilder (since May 2016)
New signings Aaron Ramsdale, Wes Foderingham, Ethan Ampadu*, Jayden Bogle, Max Lowe, Oliver Burke
Second season syndrome is a bit of a football cliché considering the first year up is still the most difficult for most promoted teams - but, after breezing through their first season back in the Premier League, Chris Wilder's men will surely find a repeat performance beyond them. After all, form rather deteriorated in the period after lockdown - and, even when they were flying, the Blades were often too easily blunted by their opponents. Certainly, much stranger things have happened in 2020 than Sheff United falling from a place top half to a relegation struggle - even if the South Yorkshire club, in contrast to others, can count on backing from Saudi Arabia without Premier League interference.
Prediction [18th]

▪️ SOUTHAMPTON @SouthamptonFC
Last season 11th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Fourth round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1976
Ownership Gao Jisheng (CHN)
Head coach Ralph Hasenhüttl (since December 2018)
New signings Kyle Walker-Peters, Mohammed Salisu
Southampton took a refreshing approach to their struggles last autumn by keeping faith in manager Ralph Hasenhüttl. The move to stick paid off as 2019 summer signing Danny Ings hit great form to finish with 22 league goals and elevate the Saints to a creditable 11th-placed finish. The 2020-21 season promises to be more successful if Southampton avoid another bad start - and any more 9-0 home defeats. Aye, *that* defeat was always going to be mentioned somewhere in this piece...
Prediction [8th]

▪️ TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR @SpursOfficial
Last season 6th FA Cup Fifth round League Cup Third round Champions League Last 16
Last major trophy League Cup 2008
Ownership ENIC International Limited (ENG)
Head coach José Mourinho (since November 2019)
New signings Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Hart, Matt Doherty
Tottenham failed to hang onto the coat-tails of the top four last season so are back to Thursday nights in the Europa League only 12 months after an appearance in the Champions League final. There was slightly improved form after Jose Mourinho arrived - and Harry Kane's goals will no doubt keep Spurs somewhat competitive. But impatient fans, eager for a first trophy since 2008 beyond the Audi Cup, will not be happy as it stands with the lack of a marquee signing in the close season.
Prediction [6th]

▪️ WEST BROMWICH ALBION @WBA
Last season 2nd (promoted from Championship) FA Cup Fifth round League Cup First round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1968
Ownership Lai Guochuan (CHN)
Head coach Slaven Bilić (since February 2019)
New signings Matheus Pereira, Cedric Kipre, Grady Diangana, Callum Robinson
West Brom boinged back to the big time after just two years in the summer - though it would be far from an understatement to suggest they made hard work of it. From a position of control in their own destiny, the Baggies ended up stumbling over the line, taking just three points - all from draws - out of last 12, and ultimately relying on Brentford bottling it. The Bees duly obliged as the prospect of a first top-flight season since 1946-47 created pressure on the present-day team which they could not overcome. Slaven Bilić simply cannot rely on Premier League clubs being as generous as that.
Prediction [20th]
 
▪️ WEST HAM UNITED @WestHam
Last season 16th FA Cup Fourth round League Cup Third round
Last major trophy FA Cup 1980
Ownership David Sullivan (ENG) and David Gold (ENG) Head coach David Moyes (since December 2019)
New signings Tomas Soucek, Ossama Ashley
West Ham unsurprisingly continue to suffer the effects of having had their soul ripped out following their ill-fated move to the London Stadium - and the surprise return of David Moyes was the clearest sign yet that the Hammers have completely lost their way. To be fair to Moyes, dour though he is, the Stratford-based club stayed up without having to deal with final day nerves. But, while Karren Brady calls the shots alongside her smut trader friends David Gold and David Sullivan, it is difficult to envisage West Ham ever amounting to much.
Prediction [14th]

▪️ WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS @Wolves
Last season 7th FA Cup Third round League Cup Fourth round Europa League Quarter finals
Last major trophy League Cup 1980
Ownership Jeff Shi of Fosun International (CHN)
Head coach Nuno Espírito Santo (since May 2017)
New signings Marcal, Matija Sarkic, Fabio Silva, Vitinha*
Measured by all metrics except league placing, Wolves improved on their 2018-19 performance in 2019-20 as they matched their seventh-placed finish. However, this time, the Cup win for Arsenal means there will be no Europa League at Molineux in the coming campaign. In fairness, that might be no bad thing for Nuno Espírito Santo's exhausted squad, considering the Europa qualifiers right at the start, and then the coronavirus pandemic, extended the Midlanders' season to an amazing 383 days. Indeed, the much-reduced schedule should allow the undoubtedly morally squeaky clean Chinese-backed Old Gold to continue knocking hard at the door of the top six.
Prediction [7th]

*refers to loan signing