Top ten results that defined the 2023/24 Premier League season
After 38 rigorous rounds of football, 380 games and 1,246 goals scored, the 2023/24 Premier League season climaxed on Sunday.
Manchester City were crowned champions for the fourth time in a row and the sixth time in the last seven years, beating Arsenal to the finish line by two points.
Despite being another year where City came out as the best of the lot, the 2023/24 PL season was among the most competitive.
From the beginning to the end, Premier League tickets were among the most sought-after sports tickets this season, as several teams enjoyed new highs and lows.
Aston Villa became the newest member of the Premier League to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, while regulars Chelsea and Manchester United struggled to qualify for Europe.
At the lower end of the table, the three sides that got promoted last season, Luton, Sheffield United and Burnley, all dropped back to the Championship after one season in the top flight.
But of the 380 games, which are the most crucial and memorable? What are the top games that shaped the season?
We look at the top ten in this article.
Newcastle 1-2 Liverpool
Liverpool's 2-1 win over Newcastle United in their third league game of the season is one of those results that had the most significant impact on the Premier League this season.
Jürgen Klopp's side had finished the previous season outside the Premier League’s top four, and after a summer of several changes, they were not expected to be among the title contenders.
But they showed in this game against Newcastle at St. James’ that there was a chance.
After going 1-0 down in the 25th minute, the Reds’ misery was compounded in the 28th minute when Virgil van Dijk was sent off.
The previous week, Liverpool had been reduced to ten men and still managed to beat Bournemouth 3-1.
But unlike against Bournemouth, when they were already ahead before Alexis MacAllister was unjustly sent off late in the game, the Reds were to play over an hour of football with a man down.
The signs were ominous, and Klopp's men were expected to collapse.
But rather than collapse, Liverpool rose to the challenge and, against all odds, beat Newcastle 2-1 at home thanks to a brace by substitute Darwin Nunez late in the game.
The comeback win proved that Klopp's ‘Mentality Monsters’ were back if nothing else.
After the previous year's disappointment, it convinced Liverpool fans that their club could go the distance again.
Sheffield United 0-8 Newcastle
After gaining promotion back to the Premier League, many fans expected Sheffield United to fight for a place in the top flight as they did in their most recent PL promotion season.
But rather than fight, Sheffield United rolled over and allowed every Premier League team to tickle them.
The Blades ended the season as one of the worst side statistically, conceding 104 goals on their way to getting relegated.
But it's safe to say that Sheffield United didn't get relegated in April or May; they were relegated in September when they were beaten 8-0 in front of their own fans.
The Blades perpetually remained bottom from that day until the last day of the season. That result was the biggest loss in the Premier League this season, underscoring just how poor their season was.
Chelsea 4-4 Manchester City
Chelsea's 4-4 draw with Manchester City may be insignificant in terms of affecting the overall outcome of the Premier League season. However, it was arguably the most entertaining game of the campaign.
City travelled to Stamford Bridge as favourites, as Chelsea was struggling then.
But the Blues didn't let Pep Guardiola's side bully them. They closely matched the Cityzens in everything.
The game ended with nine shots for Mauricio Pochettino's side, while Pep Guardiola's side had ten shots on target.
Chelsea saw less of the ball by 5% but became one of the only teams to score four times against a team managed by Guardiola.
After the game, Manchester City remained top of the Premier League, but fans were treated to a spectacle. It also showed Chelsea fans what their team could do on a good day.
Aston Villa 1-0 Manchester City
After Aston Villa’s 5-1 loss to Newcastle in the Premier League’s opening weekend, only one man publicly backed them to do well this season–Sir Alex Ferguson.
Despite the heavy loss, the legendary manager saw what many couldn't see, praising Unai Emery's side. While many scoffed, Ferguson and Emery were vindicated at the end of the season as they secured Champions League football for next season.
However, it was against Manchester City at Villa Park that the work really began, and Villa was taken seriously.
Before their meeting, Villa were on a 15-game winless run against City (D2, L13). They were expected to crumble when Pep Guardiola's bulldozing side visited West Midlands.
But Emery's men produced arguably their best display of the season, completely bossing City and overtaking them in the table with a 1-0 win.
To prove it was not a fluke result, Aston Villa repeated the trick the next week, beating Arsenal 1-0 at home to establish themselves in the top four.
Meanwhile, the result pushed City to its lowest point of the season, as it remained in fourth position for a while.
Manchester United 0-3 Bournemouth
The 2023/24 Premier League season is surely one that most Manchester United fans will be keen to forget.
The Red Devils hit many lows this season, suffering their worst-ever Premier League finish amid several other terrible lows.
However, no result was more embarrassing or had the biggest impact on their season, and the Premier League in general, than their 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth in December.
Bournemouth was still in the relegation discussion before the meeting at Old Trafford and was just seven points ahead of 18th-placed Luton Town.
Meanwhile, Manchester United was still very much in the title discussions, as even though they were nine points behind Liverpool, they were sitting in sixth position, just three behind fourth-placed defending champions Manchester City.
However, they were thoroughly embarrassed by Bournemouth in front of their fans, with the Cherries earning their first-ever away victory against United.
The win made it four wins in five Premier League games for Andoni Iraola’s side and ended any conversation that United were a title contender.
From there, Bournemouth grew in confidence and finished the season in 12th position, while United withered and finished the season in eighth position.
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Fulham
That Nottingham Forest survived relegation this season despite being deducted four points by the Premier League is almost down to their huge 3-1 win over Fulham in early April.
Before beating Fulham, Nuno Espirito Santo’s men had won just once in eleven games and were on the edge of the relegation zone.
But with this result, Forest moved five points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town, eventually finishing six points ahead of the Hatters after 38 games.
Chelsea 4-3 Manchester United
Despite heavily investing in their squad last summer, Chelsea had one of their worst-ever seasons in terms of results.
However, the Blues could have finished even lower than the sixth place they managed to secure at the end of the season if they hadn't beaten United in April.
As at the 25th game of the season, Chelsea were stuck in midtable, nine points behind Man United in sixth.
But a late run, which saw them win nine of their last 15 PL games (D5, L1), moved them to sixth place, above United, who, up until Matchday 31 when both sides met at Stamford Bridge, were the favourites to finish inside the top six.
By winning that game 4-3 thanks to a late double by Cole Palmer, Chelsea narrowed the gap between them and Erik ten Hag's side to four points.
That game also gave them hope that they could finish above United, also serving as a springboard as they launched a late charge towards a top-six finish.
Manchester United 2-2 Liverpool
Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United was not only among the biggest upsets in Europe this season but also played a massive part in the outcome of the Premier League season.
Before facing Erik ten Hag’s side, Liverpool was still firmly in the title race and was joint-top with Arsenal, who were leading in goal difference.
Win United and Jurgen Klopp’s men would be outright favourites for the title, as the Red Devils were their most formidable opponent in the run-in.
But despite their supremacy, Liverpool failed to leave Old Trafford with maximum points, effectively ending their title quest.
They would go on to lose to Crystal Palace (1-0) and Everton (2-0), but failure to win at Old Trafford was arguably their greatest undoing this season.
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Even Guardiola admitted after lifting the PL trophy that his side would not be champions if Aston Villa did not win against Arsenal.
Unai Emery’s men produced an outstanding performance to stun Mikel Arteta’s side at Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners had a rare off day, conceding late goals through Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins to fall to their first league loss of the year and again put Manchester City in pole position for the title.
It meant Arsenal missed a chance to return to the top of the table and ended the day two points off City.
Arsenal's disappointing result rounded off a fine weekend for City, who won 5-1 against Luton, while Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield.
Tottenham 0-2 Manchester City
Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Tottenham on May 14 is arguably the single most decisive game of the season. The result moved the Cityzens one win away from a historic fourth successive Premier League title.
Many had pencilled in the match as City’s final big hurdle in the title race. But they jumped the hurdle, albeit with much drama, as substitute keeper Stefan Ortega deputised superbly for the visitors, denying Spurs captain Son Heung-min a huge chance to equalise just before City's second.
According to Opta, Arsenal would have had an 81% chance of winning the title if City had lost to Tottenham - and a 75% chance if that match had ended in a draw.
But City won and also beat West Ham 3-1 on the final day of the season to be confirmed champions.
