The Sunday Times - UK (2022-05-22)

2 May 22, 2022The Sunday Times

Football Premier League

THE SEASON IN STATS

Most goals Most assists Most tackles Most saves Most yellow cards

M Salah

(Liverpool)

Son Heung-min

(Tottenham)

C Ronaldo

(Man United)

H Kane

(Tottenham)

K De Bruyne (Man City);

D Jota, S Mané (Liverpool)

M Salah

(Liverpool)

T Alexander-Arnold

(Liverpool)

J Bowen (West Ham);

M Mount (Chelsea);

A Robertson (Liverpool)

H Barnes (Leicester City);

P Pogba (Man United)

22

21

18

16

15

13

12

10

9

1

2

3

1

2

=3

=6

4

=5

C Norgaard

(Brentford)

J McGinn

(Aston Villa)

T Mitchell

(Crystal Palace)

S Dallas

(Leeds United)

M Cucurella

(Brighton)

109

105

102

93

91

1

2

3

4

5

I Meslier

(Leeds United)

K Schmeichel

(Leicester)

D de Gea

(Man United)

J Sá

(Wolves)

J Pickford

(Everton)

139

130

126

120

117

1

2

3

4

5

J Firpo

(Leeds)

J Bednarek (Southampton);

Y Bissouma (Brighton);

J Brownhill (Burnley);

C Gallagher (C Palace);

T Mings (Aston Villa);

J Tarkowski (Burnley);

G Xhaka (Arsenal)

11

10

1

=2

A

nd so, for the first time in
Premier League history, it is
mathematically possible for
each club’s position to
change after the final round
of matches. But only three
binaries really matter:
Leeds United or Burnley for
relegation, Tottenham Hotspur or
Arsenal for a Champions League spot
— and, of course, Manchester City or
Liverpool for the title.
It has felt an epic season, thick with
storylines, and the last day big reveal
seems befitting a competition that
cannot go a single week without some
new, outlandish drama. Remember
Roman Abramovich being sanc-
tioned? That was only ten weeks ago.
Sean Dyche’s sacking? That was only
last month.
Watford’s manager until October?
Think... you do know this. Yes. Xisco
Muñoz.
You need not just an expensive TV
subscription but a decent notepad to
follow the Premier League these days.
But will the last day be epic, and
bring turnarounds — or just tease
about the possibility of them happen-
ing? This is the ninth time that the Pre-
mier League title race has been still
alive so late in the campaign, but no
team leading that race has been over-
hauled on the final afternoon.
You have to go back to 1989, and
Michael Thomas scoring in stoppage
time at Anfield to wrest the old first
division championship off Liverpool
for Arsenal, to find an example of the
English title lead changing hands in
the ultimate round. However, that
was a unique situation — when the
first-placed team played the second-
placed one in the last game, with the
crown up for grabs.
For a parallel of what it would
involve for City to lose this race — ie

JONATHAN
NORTHCROFT

Football Correspondent

A

CLASS

APART

surrender their advantage by failing

to beat a non-rival team in their final

match — you have to delve through the

annals to 1937-38, when Wolverhamp-

ton Wanderers blew No 1 spot by los-

ing 1-0 away to Sunderland, who had

nothing to play for. This allowed

Arsenal, who thrashed Bolton Wan-

derers 5-0, to jump from second and

claim the title on goal average.

Bizarrely, instead of celebrations, the

History may be

on City’s side

but don’t bet

against one last

turn in season’s

epic journey

Arsenal team then travelled to the

Netherlands for a friendly against Fey-

enoord the following day.

So there you have it. Eighty-four

years. It is that long since there was a

collapse like the one City would have

to have, for first place to change today.

Pep Guardiola has not been behaving

like a man suffering any wobbles of

faith. He was relaxed in his Friday

press conference, and has been

1988-89 champions: Arsenal

Arsenal needed to win by

two goals at Anfield to take

the title off Liverpool.

Goals from Alan

Smith and a

91st-minute

strike from

Michael

Thomas, right,

meant the

visitors won the

league on goals

scored.

1994-95: Blackburn Rovers

Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn

lost 2-1 to Liverpool at

Anfield but pipped

Manchester United to the

title by one point after

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side

could do no better

than draw 1-1 with

West Ham United,

despite numerous

attempts at goal.

1995-96: Manchester United

United clawed back a 12-point

deficit to Kevin Keegan’s

Newcastle United —

who drew 1-1 on

the last day

against

Tottenham

Hotspur — and

sealed the title

with a 3-0 win at

Middlesbrough.

United won the title by

four points.

1998-99: Manchester United

United won the first trophy of

a historic treble by

coming from behind

to beat Tottenham

2-1 thanks to

goals from David

Beckham, left,

and Andrew

Cole. They

maintained their

one-point lead over

Arsenal, who lost their

penultimate game of the

season.

2007-08: Manchester United

United and Chelsea were

level on points going into the

last day, though United’s goal

difference was superior by 17.

Ferguson’s side won the title

with a 2-0 victory against

Wigan Athletic — goals from

Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan

Giggs — finishing two points

ahead of Chelsea after they

drew 1-1 with Bolton

Wanderers.

WHEN IT GOES DOWN

TO THE WIRE: HOW

TOP-FLIGHT TITLE

RACE HAS PLAYED

OUT ON LAST DAY

OF THE SEASON