Are you on the hunt for football tickets in UK? Course you are, a supporter without football tickets is a supporter left out in the cold, and that’s not acceptable to us. We offer to buy football ticket packages cheap enough to make your days out at grounds all over the country even more enjoyable than they already are.
Browse our website for the finest online football ticket deals about, or sign-up to our mailing list for exclusive access to our best hospitality package promotions. Football is meant to be experienced live, not on a TV screen, and with cheap football ticket and hospitality packages like ours, there’s simply no reason to leave any fan behind. Get fully behind your team and get amongst the electric atmosphere that English football offers for a true experience with Box Office Events.
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Find tickets for your favourite Premier League team
Since being rebranded in 1992, the English Premier League has soared and is now the most exhilarating league in the world – and we can give you good value English Premier League football tickets in UK for it. The top flight of English football has seen legends of the game throughout the years and stars of that altitude make the division as watchable as it is in the modern day. Unpredictability, shock, delight – it’s not just about the big stars, because it’s been solidly proved that every single team involved can achieve anything.
Leicester City are a prime example, stunning the world of football to win the Premier League under Claudio Ranieri in the 2015-16 season despite being relegation favourites after narrowly escaping the drop the year prior. Most of the action is unmissable and whether you’re interested in Manchester United vs Liverpool or Newcastle United vs Watford, we have you covered. Even though we can’t promise you a good result, we can promise you an amazing day out so claim your English Premier League football tickets online or buy football tickets and become a part of the golden history of the Premier League.
The UEFA Champions League – possibly the only competition ever to have a theme song more special than the football itself. 32 elite sides enter the Champions League every season in an attempt to win the most desired piece of silverware in the history of club football including first ever back-to-back winners Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and more.
We hate how most people have to sit in front of a TV screen to watch the best sporting action possible in the modern day, so you can now get yourself Champions League football tickets in UK and buy hospitality packages to attend selected games of your choosing. Our Champions League football tickets online offer high value for money every time so you can be just as happy with the price than what you’re watching, so what are you waiting for?
The League Cup, now known as the EFL Cup, is up and running for the new campaign with new sponsors Carabao and early signs show this year’s edition will be just as exciting as ever before. Box Office Events offer League Cup football tickets online in this competition from when the Premier League clubs enter onwards, all in the lead up to what is always an epic climax at Wembley Stadium.
Involving all 92 clubs in the English football hierarchy, the League Cup has run since 1960 after replacing the Southern Professional Floodlit Cup and rolls from August to February every winter under the floodlights to give us a break from league action. There’s nothing much better than knockout cup action, especially if your club is involved, so don’t hesitate to buy football tickets in UK for League Cup and hospitality packages with us today and experience the unmissable drama unfold before your very own eyes.
It’s unlikely you’ll find a competition with a more magical feel than the FA Cup, and we are proud to offer cheap football tickets in UK for FA Cup from Round 3 onwards this season. 736 teams ranging from the country’s heavens to the depths of non-league fought for the coveted trophy last time around, narrowly missing out on the record of 763 set in 2011. There nothing much better than your team going on an FA Cup ‘adventure’ and with Box Office Events you can meet them at the end of the road at Wembley Stadium.
Atmospheres don’t get more electric than when two sides reach the climax of a cup run at the fortress of English football, and our service makes it possible for you to be a part of every second of the action. All FA Cup football tickets in UK purchased from our service offer access to Club Wembley and other thrilling hospitality options available, so don’t hesitate to come and be a part of the oldest cup competition in the history of the beautiful game.
Since the eventual winners have been rewarded further than just the iconic trophy with a place in the next Champions League group stage, waves of clubs have recently upped the ante in the Europa League which has made the competition much more watchable. With the wide range of countries that team’s come from in Europe’s secondary competition we can’t ensure you’ll want to travel to Ukraine to see your team in action while you can do that in the comfort of your own home, but we can give you Europa League football tickets in UK for those special European nights at your regular ground.
Huge teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have taken part in recent memory so the quality of football on display isn’t far off that of the Champions League and we offer you a great opportunity to see this kind of action live. Formally the UEFA Cup, the prestige is still there and Box Office Events want you to join in the action by taking a look at our Europa League cheap football ticket and match day hospitality packages today.
Often thought of as the final friendly of pre-season, but in actual fact the first competitive game of the new campaign, the FA Community Shield sees the Premier League champions take on the FA Cup winners in a colossal showcase at the home of football, Wembley Stadium. The Community Shield match is one of the most eagerly-awaited fixtures on the calendar because of the long close season coming to an end and, of course, we have you covered with Community Shield football tickets in UK if you’re wanting to be a part of the day.
The event was originally named the Charity Shield from its birth in 1908 but was renamed in 2002 because of disputes with the FA about money, and it’s grown larger and larger in reputation by the year since. Even if your own team aren’t fortunate enough to be involved, make sure you’re part of the terrific atmosphere and secure and buy cheap Community Shield football tickets in UK and hospitality with Box Office Events.
Are you on the hunt for online football tickets in London? Course you are - a supporter without online football tickets is a supporter left out in the cold, and that’s not acceptable to us. We offer to buy football tickets deals and hospitality packages cheap enough to make your days out at grounds all over the country even more enjoyable than they already are.
Browse our website for the finest football ticket deals about, or sign-up to our mailing list for exclusive access to our best hospitality package promotions. Football is meant to be experienced live, not on a TV screen, and with football ticket and cheap hospitality packages in London like ours, there’s simply no reason to leave any fan behind. Get fully behind your team and get amongst the electric atmosphere that English football offers for a true experience with Box Office Events.
England’s Premier League is the highest attended association football league in the world, with over 14.5 million spectators going to watch matches in the 2017/18 season alone.
Outside of the country, the division is watched globally by hundreds of millions of keen football fans, with all 20 teams in the league having followings in numerous parts of the world.
Its global success and fame attracts supporters into wanting to attend live matches inside the stadium whenever possible.
However, it can be tricky to source online football tickets to watch many of the teams involved, especially the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, who are all amongst the top six best followed sports teams on social media on the planet.
Clubs in the Premier League have numerous ways for fans to get hold of official tickets and here are just some of the ways of doing so.
The best way of securing tickets to watch all of any team’s home league fixtures is by purchasing a season ticket.
In most cases, season tickets entitle you to a seat for all of your team’s 19 league matches on home soil, however, certain clubs, such as Arsenal, do include some FA Cup and UEFA Europa League tickets as one of their many benefits for season football ticket holders.
Depending on which club you purchase a season ticket from, benefits can vary. Some of the potential benefits involved include: priority access to tickets for away matches and games in other competitions, discounts on retail products and savings on football match ticket prices. Manchester City, for example, also offer season ticket holders the chance to win ‘money can’t buy experiences’, such as away travel with the team to their matches in the UEFA Champions League.
Season tickets for most clubs can be purchased in almost all areas of the stadium, which allow fans to sit where they want for the whole of the campaign. For matches outside of the Premier League, where season ticket holders do have to purchase individual tickets, many clubs, such as Chelsea, give season ticket holders the chance to purchase a football ticket inside the seat where their season ticket is located.
Most clubs also offer discounted season ticket prices for young adults, children, senior citizens and disabled supporters. Crystal Palace also offer a family discounts, which entitles season ticket holders that are part of the same family to a significant price reduction on their season ticket, whilst Leicester City offer free season tickets to supporters under the age of 10 that sit in the Family Stand of the King Power Stadium.
If you are likely to attend all home league matches in a season, it is best to buy a season ticket, as it often works out as being cheaper per match than the total price of individual football match ticket prices.
For supporters unable to commit either their time or funds to becoming a football season ticket holder at their club but would like to receive exclusive access to tickets and other benefits, then the best option is to buy a club membership.
Almost all clubs offer membership to its supporters, with different clubs including various benefits for its members.
Many clubs offer different types of memberships depending on the fan’s age. An example of this is at Manchester United, who offer different types of membership for fans aged under two years old, between two and four, children aged from five to 10, supporters aged between 11 and 15, 16 and 17-year olds, young adults aged between 18 and 20, adults aged from 21 to 64 and for senior citizens of 65 years of age and older.
Manchester City offer digital membership for no fee, which offers fans the chance to use the Cityzens mobile phone application, find other City supporters to watch matches with, be entitled to exclusive rewards and have a say in club decisions; however, compared to the rest of the market, who almost all charge for club membership, its rewards are minimal.
Some clubs, such as Crystal Palace and West Ham United, offer memberships specifically tailored for fans living outside of the United Kingdom, so that supporters residing overseas can still be a part of the club and receive exclusive membership benefits and not suffer for not living within the same part of the world as the team that they follow.
In most cases, members of any given club will receive exclusive access to match tickets as soon as season ticket holders have had chance to secure tickets and before they reach general sale.
However, this is not the case with all clubs. With Crystal Palace, season ticket holders are also required to purchase memberships.
Meanwhile, Watford do not have a membership scheme in place for its fans.
If you are planning on following a team regularly, it is recommended that you purchase a membership with your chosen club to increase your chances of getting tickets, exclusive rewards and more.
A common way of purchasing tickets is via general sale, which can be risky.
Matches to watch some Premier League clubs often sell out very quickly, meaning that if you are not either a member or a season ticket holder, then it can be incredibly difficult, and you are often unlikely to obtain tickets for matches, particularly when trying to get tickets to watch one of the more popular teams.
In some instances, clubs increase the prices of match tickets for supporters who are not members or season ticket holders with the club.
However, some clubs, such as Watford, will still allow fans who purchase general sale tickets to collect loyalty points every time they buy football tickets, in order to gain priority access to matches that are in popular demand.
Box Office Events will also be selling official home tickets for 13 of the 20 Premier League teams competing during the 2018/19 season, including all seven of the London-based sides, both Manchester clubs and Liverpool Football Club.
Tickets to watch matches for teams with reasonable-sized stadiums, but not as popular support, such as Burnley, Southampton and Watford, can be easier to access due to their lower percentage of average filled capacity.
Teams with a strong global following, such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, play in front of sell out crowds at almost every home match. However, if one these types of teams are playing against a lower-ranked side in either a friendly or a domestic cup match, then it is often easier and cheaper to get hold of tickets to watch sides of such magnitude.
When tickets do reach general sale, they tend to be in less-popular areas of the stadium, which may mean that the only available tickets are in seats which have a poor view of the pitch and/or a lack of atmosphere.
Some clubs offer their own football ticket exchange service, which allows fans who can no longer attend matches to sell their tickets to other supporters.
In most cases, ticket exchanges are designed for season ticket holders who cannot attend particular matches to sell their tickets to other season ticket holders, members, or the general public. Most clubs insist that only season ticket holders and members can use their ticket exchange service, whilst other clubs allow ticket exchange access to all of its supporters.
Official club ticket exchanges tend to be used when a match is sold out.
Depending on which club’s ticket exchange service you are using, there are different ways to receive payment if you are selling your match ticket/s via this method. Some clubs give sellers the face value of their tickets as a direct payment, whilst other clubs, such as Tottenham Hotspur, will refund a percentage of their total season ticket cost and other teams, such as West Ham United, will pay sellers in either e-vouchers or via savings on their season ticket renewals.
West Ham’s ticket exchange also allows season ticket holders to donate their seat to the West Ham Foundation, which means that supporters in deprived local areas can attend matches should season ticket holders donate their seat when they cannot attend a match.
All clubs offer hospitality seating within their stadiums, allowing supporters and businesses to enjoy a matchday with a number of premium benefits.
Most Premier League clubs offer a range of hospitality, in both its cost and its potential perks. This allows fans from a range of financial statuses to find a package which suits both their requirements and their budget.
Many benefits that are often part of hospitality packages in UK include: premium seating with stunning views of the match action, a range of inclusive a la carte fine dining, visits from both former and current first-team players, complimentary matchday programmes, the use of licensed betting facilities and more.
In some stadia, all hospitality packages in UK are situated within the same area, whilst others scatter their hospitality seating around several different sections of the ground.
A lot of clubs also offer the chance to purchase private executive boxes for groups of people to watch all home league matches from for the entire season. Private boxes can be rather expensive, but they often provide the chance for: the use of your box both on matchdays and non-matchdays, your own waitress/waiter, the option of customizing your box with personalization and/or branding, private match seating and more.
Whilst many football hospitality packages are similar, some clubs offer unique packages to its supporters. An example of this can be found at Fulham, whose Gin Bar provides a one of a kind experience, which combines premium football hospitality with Gin tasting opportunities. Manchester City also offer tunnel club experiences, which allows hospitality spectators to experience what goes on inside the tunnel, by offering views inside the tunnel and the chance to greet players upon their arrival. Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, which opens later this year, will also be offering a similar opportunity.
London is one of the most iconic cities in the world; to many, it is best recognised for Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace and many other of its historic landmarks, but to sports fans, it is very well known for its football heritage.
Out of the 20 teams competing in the 2018/19 Premier League campaign, 35% of them are based in and around London, all seven of which have etched historic football moments on to the capital’s sporting timeline.
All of these teams offer season tickets to its supporters, ranging in price. The cheapest adult season tickets can be found at either West Ham or Crystal Palace, with adult season ticket prices for both teams starting at just over £300, meanwhile, the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur boast the most expensive, which can cost up to around £1800 for a season card in standard seating. However, Arsenal offer entry to all 19 of their home league matches and seven games from the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League, whilst most clubs tend to just offer entry to league matches.
Supporters wishing to experience premium hospitality during a matchday can do so with any of London’s Premier League sides. Hospitality is available on either seasonal or on a match by match basis. Understandably, hospitality packages are significantly more expensive than standard match tickets, but many clubs do offer a variation of package deals, which vary in both price and benefits.
In some cases, particularly when attempting to purchase Arsenal football tickets, Chelsea football tickets or Tottenham Hotspur football tickets, matches can sell-out very quickly. However, many clubs offer ticket exchanges which allow season ticket holders and members to pass on their seats for sold out matches, should a game go off-sale.
Fans hoping to buy football tickets online to watch any of these London Premier League clubs next season can do so via Box Office Events.
The fast-paced vibrance of the city Manchester is best known for its music and its football, via its two prestigious football teams, Manchester United and Manchester City.
Oasis, The Stone Roses and Take That are just some of the illustrious bands to have hailed from England’s second largest city and their creative influence, combined with the city’s love for football, has turned Manchester into a pilgrimage destination for many a lover of music and football.
Since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of City in 2009, both clubs have been constantly battling it out for all of England’s major trophies. Eight of the last 12 top-flight division titles have been won between these two powerhouses from the North West.
Both clubs offer the chance for supporters to buy football tickets via their over the phone box office, on the official club websites and at their respective stadiums’ box offices.
Season tickets at either club secures you a seat for all of their home matches in the Premier League. For adults, prices start at £532 with United and at just £400 for season passes with City, with the most expensive standard adult season ticket costing £940 or £950 at City and United respectively.
Supporters unable to either pay for an entire season or that cannot attend matches weekly should consider becoming a member with their chosen side. There are many benefits to becoming a member, including: a number of discounts and offers, priority access to match tickets, merchandise and more. Manchester City even offer Digital membership to its supporters free of charge, although its benefits are much smaller compared to its other paid membership alternatives.
Manchester United and Manchester City also offer ticket exchange services that allow the club’s season ticket holders and members to sell their seats to other season ticket holders and members, should they no longer be able to attend.
The duo of Manchester sides also has a variety of hospitality packages available, allowing both fans and corporate business to hire executive boxes, lounges and premium seating on both a seasonal and match by match basis.
Home tickets to watch both clubs can also be purchased via Box Office Events.
Situated just 35 miles away from Manchester are noisy North West neighbours, Liverpool.
The red side of the city certainly has more footballing heritage than local rivals Everton, with their 18 English league titles only bettered by Manchester United.
Due to Liverpool Football Club’s global popularity, tickets can be hard to come by, but here are the ways of purchasing them.
A season Liverpool football ticket will grant you access to all 19 of the Reds’ home league matches and will cost between £685 and £869 for the season for adults aged between 22 and 64. One of the season tickets that the club sell is tailored for up to 500 supporters residing in the Liverpool postcode and there is a significant price reduction for any fans purchasing one these season tickets.
An alternative option to stand a good chance of gaining access to Liverpool football tickets is by purchasing a yearly membership with the club. There are many benefits to this, such as priority ticket access, free merchandise and more. Prices and the benefits of membership vary, depending on the member’s age and chosen membership package.
All individual Liverpool football match tickets can be purchased directly from the club via their ticket office at Anfield, using their over the phone box office or by using the club’s official website.
Should tickets for any given match sell out, the club do have their own ticket exchange service in place, which allows season ticket holders to sell their seat for matches when they are unable to attend.
As well as standard seating, a variety of premium hospitality packages can also be purchased, allowing fans to experience a matchday alongside a number of benefits, which can include, inclusive a la carte premium dining, complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks, luxury leather seating and more. Anfield’s hospitality seating locations are scattered across all four of the stadium’s main stands.
Alternatively, Liverpool football tickets can also be purchased via Box Office Events.
On the eastern side of the north of England currently lies fellow Premier League side Newcastle United.
Their fame particularly rose during the 1990s and the early 2000s, where they challenged for the league title and in European competitions, including a run which saw them qualify for either the UEFA Cup or the Intertoto Cup for six consecutive seasons under the likes of Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson.
Over the past few terms, the club have yo-yoed between England’s top two divisions, but despite their uncertainties off the pitch, the club’s supporters have continually turned out in large crowds to watch The Magpies regularly.
The three main ways of purchasing Newcastle United football tickets from the club is via their official ticket website, at their box office at St James’s Park or by using the club’s over the phone box office.
Season tickets with the club, which cost between £397 and £772 for adults for the season, comes with priority access to tickets, guaranteed entry to all of Newcastle’s 19 home league matches and other exclusive offers and benefits.
Newcastle also offer a range of membership packages to its supporters, which can entitle them to priority ticket access, merchandise and more.
You do not have to be a member at Newcastle to purchase Newcastle United match tickets, however, your chances of getting hold of a ticket are significantly reduced and you are likely to be charged slightly more when buying tickets on general sale.
A range of hospitality packages are also purchasable, which allows fans the chance to enjoy a matchday from the luxury of premium seating. Several other perks that come with hospitality packages, which include: acknowledgment inside the official matchday programme, licensed betting facilities, executive seating, visits from current and former Newcastle players and more.
Official Newcastle United football tickets to watch The Magpies play on home soil can also be purchased via Box Office Events.
In the 2015/16 season, Leicester City did the unthinkable by becoming only the sixth team ever to lift the Premier League trophy.
They mesmerised football supporters all over the world, winning the hearts of all whilst increasing their fan base to a global one that the club and city could not have even dreamed of.
The Foxes will be one of only two teams from the Midlands to be competing in England’s top-flight this season and their large support in the local area and overseas can make it difficult to track down Leicester City football tickets.
Purchasing a season ticket directly from the club will grant you admission to every home league match during the 2018/19 campaign and comes with other bonuses, such as priority access to tickets for away matches and domestic cup ties. For adults this costs between £395 and £730 for the season in regular seating areas, whilst fans under the age of 10 that sit in the Family Stand of the King Power Stadium do not have to pay for their season card.
Leicester also offer a membership scheme to its fans, which allows non-season ticket holders the chance to have priority access to match tickets after them, eligibility to a whole host of offers, club merchandise and more.
For spectators wishing to upgrade their matchday experience, the club do offer several different hospitality packages which can include a number of exclusive premium benefits. These are purchasable on both a seasonal or on an individual match basis. Some of the benefits involved include: complimentary matchday programmes, padded seating, a matchday concierge, appearances from current and former Leicester players and more. Benefits and prices vary depending on which package you buy.
Individual match tickets and season tickets can be purchased directly from the club via: their website, the ticket office at the King Power Stadium and over the phone.
Official tickets to watch Leicester City can also be bought via Box Office Events.
On the heart of England’s South Coast lies the port city of Southampton, best known for its services to the marine industry and its stunning coastal scenery.
Although most of the southern-based sides reside in and around the heart of London, the Saints do tend to draw in large crowds, particularly since re-establishing themselves as Premier League regulars since earning promotion in 2012.
Their social media following of almost one million people is almost twice the size of local rivals Portsmouth and Bournemouth combined, showing just how well Southampton are followed.
The best way of overcoming highly sought-after tickets is by purchasing a season ticket with the club, guaranteeing you a seat at all of Southampton’s home league matches and both of their friendly matches at home. With prices costing between £541 and £682 for adults, season cards come with entry to all 21 of those matches, first-hand access to match tickets outside of home matches in the Premier League and more.
Alternatively, Southampton fans can become members, granting them the opportunity to get access to both tickets and merchandise, as well as other key benefits. Membership options are available for both adult and junior supporters.
Southampton also offer several different hospitality packages to fans who are after first-class entertainment. Some of the many features of hospitality packages include: luxury seating, premium dining, complimentary matchday programmes, access to a street food market, complimentary beers wine and soft drinks, as well as a range of other high-class in-house facilities. All benefits vary depending on which package is bought. The stadium’s hospitality seats are situated within the Kingsland and Itchen stands of St Mary’s Stadium.
Season tickets, match tickets and memberships can all be purchased from the club at their website, ticket office or over the phone.
Official football tickets to watch Southampton in action can also be acquired via Box Office Events.
Arsenal:
A disappointing 2016/17 campaign for The Gunners left them without UEFA Champions League football, condemning them to the Europa League
Although manager Arsene Wenger made just two signings prior to the start of the season, the arrivals of Bosnian defender Sead Kolasinac and French international striker Alexandre Lacazette looked to be shrewd ones.
Their fluctuating start to last season left them in sixth place going into Christmas. Although their home form had seen them lose just once in their first 10 home matches in the top-flight, on the road, they had picked up just nine out of a possible 27 points.
January was a very busy month for them full of ups and downs. The signings of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund and Manchester United respectively, were set to change their fortunes, following the departures of Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud.
On the pitch, there were many mixed results: although they reached the final of the EFL Cup, they crashed out of the FA Cup in the third round after a shock 4-2 defeat to Nottingham Forest.
Wenger’s side were beaten in the EFL Cup final a month later by Manchester City, leaving them with just the league and Europa League to focus on.
In Europe, Arsenal reached the last-four stage, only to be beaten by eventual winners Atletico Madrid.
The league was much of the same; the North Londoners remained in sixth place for the whole of the final five months of the campaign and their poor away form got even worse. Their only points away from home in 2018 came in a 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town on the final day of the season, in what proved to be the final match of Wenger’s 22-year reign as Arsenal manager.
Reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League and the final of the EFL Cups were highlights of a disappointing season for the Gunners, whilst another finish outside of the league’s top four, 16 out of a possible 57 points away from home in the league and the earliest possible exit from the FA Cup certainly put a dampener on their entire campaign.
Bournemouth:
For Bournemouth, the 2017/18 campaign was all about avoiding the infamous Premier League ‘second season hangover’, which has cursed so many sides over the years.
Whilst The Cherries spent £30 million on new players, they recruited smartly, bringing in experienced goalkeeper Asmir Begoivc, former England striker Jermain Defoe and defender Nathan Ake, who is starting to establish himself within the Netherlands’ international setup.
Bournemouth made a poor start to the season, seven points out of a possible 30 left them in 19th place at the beginning of November, a run which included defeats against West Bromwich Albion and Watford.
Back to back wins over Newcastle United and Huddersfield Town at the start of November started a run of only one loss in six matches, moving them up to 14th at the end of their minor purple patch, but after the consecutive victories came a winless streak of eight matches and at the halfway point of the league season, Bournemouth looked destined for the drop.
Their turning point of the season came on Boxing Day, where a last gasp goal from Callum Wilson against West Ham United earned a 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium and kickstarted a run of eight unbeaten matches, which included wins over Arsenal and Chelsea.
At the start of February, Bournemouth were in ninth place and their earlier worries of relegation had all but evaded them. Another run of just seven from a possible thirty points did hit them over Spring, but it hardly affected their league position; back-to-back wins over Swansea City and Burnley in their last two matches saw them finish in 12th place. It may not have been as impressive as their ninth placed finish a year earlier, but they certainly turned a corner at the start of 2018 and never looked back.
In the domestic cups, there was also high and low moments. Bournemouth reached the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, only to be knocked via an injury time goal by Chelsea’s Alvaro Morata. Meanwhile, in the FA Cup, Sky Bet League one side Wigan Athletic forced them not only to a third-round replay, but comfortably beat Bournemouth 3-0 in the return fixture at the DW Stadium.
Brighton & Hove Albion:
Brighton were making their Premier League debut last season and did well to avoid the drop.
They were dealt the trickiest hand on the opening day, where they were forced to play eventual league winners Manchester City on home soil. Their 2-0 loss was their only defeat at the AMEX Stadium during their opening seven home league matches.
A 1-0 win at the start of November away at Swansea moved them up to eighth place in the league, their highest position all season and certainly one of the highlights of The Seagulls’ campaign.
Their return after the international break saw them win just one of their next 14 league matches and at the end of January, Brighton found themselves in 15th place.
Chris Hughton’s side reacted to their disappointing festive period with 10 points out of a possible 12 during their next four matches, including a 2-1 win over Arsenal at the start of March which moved them back into the top half.
However, Brighton once again were troubled by a poor run of form, failure to win six consecutive matches during the remainder of March and all of April dropped them to 14th with three matches remaining.
In their final home game of the season, Brighton secured safety in style with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United. Losses away from home against Manchester City and Liverpool in their last two outings saw them finish in 15th, but it was a respectable first season for Brighton, who were only in the relegation zone once during their 38-game league schedule.
The EFL Cup saw them exit in the third round after an extra time defeat to Bournemouth, whilst a 2-0 loss to Manchester United saw them depart the FA Cup at the quarter-finals.
Burnley:
The opening day of the 2017/18 season saw Burnley earn a shock 3-2 victory away at the home of Premier League champions Chelsea. That day, Sean Dyche’s side were full of confidence and determination and that match really set the tone for what proved to be a historic season.
They made a number of important signings, including the likes of Jack Cork, Chris Wood and Aaron Lennon and it helped to build a solid foundation that helped Burnley to maintain their impressive form for the entire season.
After seven league matches, The Clarets found themselves in sixth place having lost just once all season, a run which included a win away at Everton and draws away at Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Nine clean sheets in their opening 18 matches saw them rise to a seasonal best of fifth position just before Christmas.
It wasn’t all plain sailing for Burnley; a goalless draw just before Christmas against Brighton sparked an 11-match winless run in the league which saw them drop to seventh place.
March and April proved to be decisive months for The Clarets, a five-match winning streak helped to secure a seventh-placed finish, and the goal-scoring form of strikers Wood and Ashley Barnes propelled the Lancashire side into the qualification places for next season’s Europa League.
Dyche’s side may have failed to win in any of their last five league matches, which featured a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal, but they had already done enough to record their highest top-flight finish since 1974.
Their poor domestic cup runs failed to overshadow their success last season, a second-round exit of the EFL Cup against Leeds United was soon followed by a third round FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
Cardiff City:
Neil Warnock’s Bluebirds earned a return to the Premier League for the first time in five seasons during the last campaign, despite being heavily tipped by bookmakers to finish nearer to relegation than promotion.
By Christmas, Cardiff had spent just over £4 million on 12 new signings, including Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Callum Paterson, Craig Bryson, Lee Tomlin and Lee Camp.
Victories in all five of their opening league matches, including wins away at eventual Sky Bet Championship winners Wolverhampton Wanderers and home triumphs over Aston Villa and Sheffield United, saw Cardiff finish the opening month at the top of the table.
Defeats on the road at Preston North End and Birmingham City were part of a bumpy September and October, but Cardiff still did enough to stay in second going into November.
After a minor blip against local rivals Bristol City, Cardiff went on to pick up 16 out of a possible 18 points during the rest of the month and the opening half of December, as they continued to pile the pressure on Wolves.
Their festive period was one to forget, four consecutive defeats in the space of nine days, which included home losses to Fulham and Preston, saw Cardiff drop down to fourth for only the second time all season.
A 4-0 win against Sunderland midway through January revitalised Cardiff’s hopes of reaching the automatic promotion places. That comfortable win started a run of 13 matches unbeaten, where Warnock’s side picked up 33 out of a possible 39 points, a staggering patch of form which came to its eventual end at home to Wolves at the beginning of April.
Cardiff earned just 10 points in their final seven league matches, but it was still enough to earn second place and a deserving spot back in the big time.
Burton Albion shocked Cardiff by dumping them out of the EFL Cup in the second round; they were more fortuitous in the FA Cup, reaching the fifth round before being eliminated by would-be top-flight champions, Manchester City.
A low budget, smart investment and tactical know-how bought Cardiff back to the Premier League and their performances right from the start of last season showed that The Bluebirds were always going to be there or thereabouts.
Chelsea:
Going in to the 2017/18 campaign as defending Premier League champions was always going to be difficult for Chelsea, but just like their disastrous title defence of the 2015/16 campaign, it was a season to forget for the Blues.
John Terry, Nemanja Matic and Diego Costa all left massive holes in Chelsea’s squad upon their departures.
The club spent £185 million on six new signings in the summer that were meant to not only fill vacant gaps but provide the squad depth needed to not only retain the title but to go on and thrive in the Champions League.
Alvaro Morata became the club’s new record signing and the Spanish forward seemed to be a masterstroke signing, until November, scoring 10 times in his first 16 appearances for the Blues, before a baron run of just five goals in his other 32 matches.
In mid-October, Chelsea were fifth in the league table, after league defeats in three of their opening eight matches and having picked up just four out of a possible 12 points at Stamford Bridge.
They went on to lose just once in their next 16 league matches, including a 1-0 win over Manchester United and it saw Chelsea consistently in the top four of the league between November and January, which included a brief appearance in second place.
Their hopes of a top four place came to a grinding halt at the start of April, after a run of just two league wins in eight matches saw them fall to fifth position, which included defeats against Bournemouth, Watford and the two Manchester sides, as well as the worst possible defeat for a Chelsea fan, a first home league loss to Tottenham Hotspur for 28 years.
That poor run dropped them to fifth, where they stayed for the rest of the campaign, despite a six-match unbeaten run across April and May.
Their poor league run was best summarised on the final day of the season, after a 3-0 defeat against Newcastle United.
Chelsea’s return to the Champions League could have gone better. They did enough to progress from a difficult group, which included Roma and Atletico Madrid. However, Chelsea missed opportunities on home soil against both of their other big competitors, by drawing matches that they should have won. A victory in either would have set them up with a round of 16 clash against Shakhtar Donetsk, but instead, their second-placed finish saw them face Spanish league champions Barcelona.
The home leg saw Chelsea held to a 1-1 draw, in another match they should have won and a 3-0 defeat at the Camp Nou saw them exit the competition.
In the domestic cups, it was quite a good campaign for Chelsea. They reached the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, where a lack of conviction once again cost them against Arsenal. They did lift the FA Cup trophy after a 1-0 win against Manchester United, but it wasn’t enough to convince Chelsea fans after failing to qualify for the Champions League.
Crystal Palace:
Against all odds, Crystal Palace maintained their Premier League status during the 2017/18 campaign.
The start of the season saw the arrival of manager Frank de Boer, who lifted a catalogue of trophies as a player, but failed to re-create that success as Palace manager.
He spent £34 million on defenders Mamadou Sakho and Jairo Riedewald, but at the start of the campaign, it failed to make any impact. After four league matches, Palace were rock bottom of the table, without a point or league goal to their name, leading to the dismissal of De Boer.
Former England manager Roy Hodgson was appointed to take the reins, but immediately suffered three straight defeats against Southampton, Manchester United and Manchester City, still without a goal.
Palace’s hopes of avoiding the worst imaginable season were eased after a shock 2-1 home win against defending champions Chelsea in October.
Between the middle of November and January, a streak of only one loss in 12 matches in the league, which included victories over Burnley, Watford and Leicester City, saw them move up to 12th place.
The Eagles started to flirt with the idea of relegation once again following a run of seven matches, where draws against West Ham United and Newcastle saw them pick up just two out of a possible 21 points, seeing them drop back into the relegation places.
Hodgson got them back to the form they were in before the turn of the year and they only lost once in their final eight matches, with three straight victories against Leicester, Stoke and West Brom warranting them a surprise 11th-placed finish, their highest ever since joining the Football League.
Crystal Palace did reach the fourth round of the EFL Cup, the competition which saw De Boer and Hodgson both earn their maiden victories as managers of the club.
In the FA Cup, Palace were eliminated in the third round by arch-rivals, Brighton.
Everton:
After a seventh-placed finish in the 2016/17 campaign, Everton were determined to break down the top six and invested heavily in the summer.
Wayne Rooney, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jordan Pickford and Michael Keane were just some of the names arriving at Goodison Park as The Toffees spent £133 million on new signings in the summer transfer window. The sale of Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United did bring in £75 million, but it left Everton with a serious lack of fire power upfront, which they struggled to replace until January.
Four points from their opening two games against Stoke and Manchester City suggested that maybe, it was going to be Everton’s season, but that quickly changed.
Ronald Koeman was sacked in October after following up his opening two matches with just four league points out of a possible 21 in his next seven games, with their only league win at that time coming against Bournemouth and his side had dropped to 18th place.
Former Everton defender David Unsworth took charge for the next five league games, where home wins over Watford and West Ham moved Everton up to 13th prior to the arrival of new manager, Sam Allardyce.
The new manager and former England boss, Allardyce, continued the rebuilding work that had begun under Unsworth and with a six-match unbeaten streak in his first six league games, Everton moved up to ninth, a run which included a win at Newcastle and draws with Liverpool and Chelsea.
Despite three consecutive losses against Bournemouth, Manchester United and Tottenham at the turn of the year, The Toffees maintained their position.
Allardyce spent a further a £27 million on attacking duo Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun in the January window, keen to add goals in an attempt to try and snatch a late qualification place for the Europa League.
A poor run of three straight away losses against Arsenal, Watford and Burnley saw Everton drop down to 11th place with only nine league matches to go.
Just two defeats in Everton’s remaining league matches saw them end the campaign in eighth spot, not good enough for a Europa League place and a finish that really questioned the significant injection on new signings.
Everton did compete in the Europa League last season, but with just four points in their six matches, all of which came against Cypriots Apollon Limassol, they exited at the group stage.
They were unlucky with the opposition they faced in domestic cup competitions. A third-round elimination in the FA Cup came against Liverpool was mirrored a fourth round EFL Cup departure thanks to Chelsea.
Fulham:
The Cottagers were competing in the Championship for a fourth straight season, but it proved to be their last for now.
Several arrivals both permanently and on loan at the start of the season, which included the likes of Lucas Piazon, Tomas Kalas and Oliver Norwood added quality to Slavisa Jokanovic’s Fulham squad.
It wasn’t the best of starts from the South West Londoners and with just three points and no wins in their opening four league games, they found themselves in 19th place.
The end of August and September really fluctuated in results, but Fulham’s back-to-back away victories against Nottingham Forest and Queens Park Rangers saw them end September in eighth place.
However, a run of six league matches without victory, including defeats to Aston Villa, Bristol City and Derby County, saw Jokanovic’s team drop down to 17th position.
Home wins over Millwall, Birmingham City and Barnsley, as well as 5-4 thriller at Sheffield United moved Fulham up to 11th going into Christmas, which began Fulham’s rapid promotion charge.
January saw Fulham win all four of their league matches, featuring 4-1 and 6-0 home demolitions of Ipswich Town and Burton Albion respectively.
Fulham then acquired the loan signing of Serbia’s first choice striker Alexsandar Mitrovic from Newcastle, who added 12 goals in his 20 games and helped to continue Fulham’s purple patch of results.
They earned countless victories in the second half of the season, including wins over fellow promoted sides Cardiff and Wolves.
Jokanovic’s side spent the final three months of the season in the play-off places and even spent a brief period in second, before being overtaken by Cardiff with three games remaining.
Between the 23rd of December and the end of April, Fulham were unbeaten in 23 league matches, a run which came to a shock end at Birmingham on the final day of the season, ending both their lengthy streak and their chances of gaining automatic promotion.
The play-offs pitted Fulham against Derby in the semi-finals and after a 1-0 defeat at Pride Park in the first leg, goals from breakout star and Football League Player of the Year, Ryan Sessegnon and Denis Odoi in the return meeting earned them a place in the final against Aston Villa. Tom Cairney’s goal midway through the first half secured a 1-0 victory at Wembley and a return to England’s top-flight.
In the cup competitions, Fulham were dumped out of the EFL Cup in the second round by Bristol Rovers, before a third-round departure against eventual semi-finalists Southampton in the FA Cup.
It was a superb season from Fulham, which they will hope is the start of great things to come on SW6.
Huddersfield Town:
After winning the Championship play-offs, Huddersfield Town were coming into the Premier League as debutants and extreme underdogs.
The club invested heavily in new recruits with a view to make their squad ready for the top-flight. As well as making the loans of Aaron Mooy and Elias Kachunga permanent deals, Huddersfield acquired strikers Steve Mounie and Laurent Depoitre on permanent deals, and made other signings including Thomas Ince, Mathias Jorgensen and the loan acquisition of Jonas Lossl.
Wins in The Terriers’ opening two matches against Crystal Palace and Newcastle saw them end the second week of the season, in top spot, whilst a goalless draw at home to Southampton saw Huddersfield finish their first ever month in the Premier League in third place.
A run of five matches without a win, where draws with Burnley and Leicester sourced Town’s only two out of a possible 15 points, saw David Wagner’s side drop down to 11th.
Huddersfield returned to the top half of the table in November after home wins over Manchester United and West Brom, before a baron run of four straight defeats saw them fall to 16th at the start of December.
With wins over Brighton and Watford and draws against Southampton, Stoke and Burnley, Town ended 2017 back in 11th place.
The Yorkshire side started 2018 with five consecutive league defeats, which came against Leicester, West Ham, Stoke, Liverpool and Manchester United and it left Huddersfield in a season lowest, 19th position.
A 4-1 win at home to Bournemouth was followed by a 2-1 victory at West Brom, moving Town back up to 14th at the end of February.
One point from a possible 12 in March dropped Huddersfield back into the potential threat of relegation, but they followed up a 1-1 draw away at Brighton with a 1-0 win over Watford, helping to keep them in a respectable 16th place prior to the final three games of the campaign.
On paper, three final fixtures against Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal were all going to end in defeats that would have left Wagner’s side in danger of a last-minute relegation, but two draws in the space of three days away at City and Chelsea was enough to keep Huddersfield afloat and even a 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal on the final day of the league season didn’t prevent Huddersfield from a respectable 16th-place finish.
Huddersfield were dumped out of the FA Cup in the fifth round by runners-up, Manchester United. Meanwhile, fellow top-flight side Palace knocked Town out of the EFL Cup in the third round in September.
It was a commendable debut Premier League season for Huddersfield, but they only just did enough to survive and unless a significant improvement is made in the 2018/19 campaign, they could suffer from the deadly ‘second season syndrome’.
Leicester City:
The start of the 2017/18 season felt like a blank canvas for Leicester City, as they no longer had the pressure of being defending league champions or competing in the Champions League.
Their only noticeable departure was Danny Drinkwater, who left for Chelsea, but his hefty sales fee was put towards the club’s total season transfer expenditure of over £80 million, which helped to bring in the likes of Harry Maguire, Adrien Silva, Vicente Iborra and Kelechi Iheanacho.
A 2-0 win during Leicester’s first home match of the season over Brighton came in between away defeats to Arsenal and Manchester United, leaving The Foxes in 15th place at the end of August.
Five winless matches in the league in September and October left Leicester in the relegation zone and led to the sacking of manager Craig Shakespeare.
Frenchman Claude Puel inherited the side and really changed their fortunes. One defeat in his first four league games preceded a four consecutive match win-streak, including victories over Tottenham and Newcastle, moving Leicester up to eighth going into 2018.
Seven out of a possible nine points in Leicester’s opening three league matches in January, which came in the form of home wins over Huddersfield and Watford and s goalless draw at Chelsea, moved Leicester up to a season best position of seventh, but five matches without a win across February and March saw The Foxes drop to eighth.
Puel’s side finished March with wins away at West Brom and Brighton, keeping their hopes of finishing seventh and qualifying for the Europa League still possible.
All Leicester needed for a Europa League place was 11 points in their final seven league matches, but The Foxes picked up just four. Although a 3-1 win at home to Arsenal in their final match at the King Power Stadium of the season was impressive, their lack of consistency in their final seven matches cost their chances of European football and subsequently, they finished ninth.
Leicester were incredibly unfortunate in the cup competitions, they reached the quarter finals of the FA Cup and EFL Cup, but were knocked out in both by respective winners, Manchester City and Chelsea.
It could have finished in joy and celebration for the Leicester faithful, but it wasn’t meant to be, and their finish left many fans calling for Puel to be relieved of his duties.
Liverpool:
Although Liverpool failed to lift any major trophies during the 2017/18 season, it was certainly a campaign to remember.
The club spent £80 million at the start of the season, which saw Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mohamed Salah arrive at Anfield, the latter of which went on to score 44 goals in his debut season in all competitions and win the PFA Premier League Player of the Year award. Lucas Leiva and Mamadou Sakho were the most noticeable departures, who left Merseyside at the start of the season for Lazio and Crystal Palace respectively.
The Reds ended August in second position, after a 3-3 draw at Watford on the opening day was followed up by home wins over Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
Jurgen Klopp’s side suffered a 5-0 battering at Manchester City at the start of September, which sparked a run of just one league win in six, dropping Liverpool down to ninth in mid-October.
A 14-match unbeaten streak between October and January, which culminated in a 4-3 victory which dealt Manchester City their first league defeat of the season; draws at Arsenal and at home to Chelsea, saw Liverpool move up to third in January.
The start of January saw Liverpool break their transfer record and their sales record. The £70 million signing of defender Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton was funded via the £105 million sale of Phillippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
Liverpool’s progression in the Champions League kept them incredibly busy with their fixture scheduling, but after a shock 1-0 defeat at Swansea, wins at Huddersfield and Southampton, as well as a point against Spurs, saw Liverpool enter March still in third.
Nine out of a possible 12 points in March kept Liverpool’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League intact, but after a run of just one win in five, featuring a defeat against Chelsea which almost ruined Liverpool’s league season, they needed a win over Brighton at home on the final day to secure a place in Europe’s elite club competition.
Not only did Liverpool get the win they needed, but a 4-0 victory, with goals from Salah, Dejan Lovren, Solanke and Robertson saw them end the season in fourth.
Liverpool played exciting football in the league, but it was a season of near-misses for Klopp’s goal-happy side.
In the Champions League, wins over Porto, Manchester City and Roma in the knockout rounds and 7-0 whitewashes over Maribor and Spartak Moscow in the groups saw Liverpool reach the final for the first time in 11 years.
Unfortunately, an injury to Mo Salah dropped Liverpool’s heads midway through the first half as it was goalless at half time in the final against Real Madrid. Sadio Mane cancelled out Karim Benzema’s opener just four minutes later, but it was substitute Gareth Bale who stole the show. The Welshman struck twice after coming on, the first of which was an outrageous overhead kick that came moments after his introduction. It was a valiant effort from Liverpool, but they failed to prevent Real Madrid from lifting the trophy for a third consecutive season.
The Reds struggled in both domestic cups during the 2017/18 term, a third round EFL Cup exit against Leicester was only just bettered by a fourth-round home FA Cup defeat against West Brom.
Manchester City:
Manchester City quite simply became the Premier League’s greatest ever side after smashing the record total of points in a season during the 2017/18 campaign.
They spent around £200 million on new players in the summer, with Monaco duo Benjamin Mendy and Bernardo Silva arriving, as well as Ederson, Kyle Walker and Danilo.
Away wins at Brighton and Bournemouth either side of a 1-1 draw at home to Everton left Pep Guardiola’s side in second after their final game of August.
These three matches were the beginning of a 22-match unbeaten streak in the league which left
City miles ahead at top of the league standings. City won many games heavily during this period, which included 5-0 victories at home to Liverpool and Crystal Palace, a 6-0 win at Watford and a 7-2 demolition of Stoke.
Liverpool ended City’s incredibly unbeaten run in the league with a 4-3 win at Anfield in January.
Guardiola’s side’s only other defeat in the league came at home to Manchester United at the beginning of April, but City secured the trophy with five games to spare a week later after local rivals United were beaten 1-0 at home to West Brom, who were already destined for relegation.
They did not let off the pace after securing the title, 13 out of a possible 15 points in their final five league games helped them to finish on 100 points for the season, five higher than the previous record set by Chelsea during the 2004/05 season.
The Cityzens also lifted the EFL Cup last season, after a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arsenal in the final. Meanwhile Sky Bet League One side Wigan Athletic, surprisingly knocked Man City out of the FA Cup in the fifth round.
City reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the second time in three seasons, after defeating Basel in the round of 16, but they were beaten by Liverpool, the side that ruined their chances of going invincible in the league in January.
Nevertheless, two major trophies and countless records broken meant the it was arguably Manchester City’s greatest ever season throughout the club’s history.
Manchester United:
Although The Red Devils finished second in the league table, it felt like a disappointing season for many of United’s supporters.
The club purchased Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic for a combined total of over £120 million, which added both goals up front and stability in midfield. Club legend Wayne Rooney was the most noticeable absentee at the start of the season, whilst Henrikh Mkirtaryan departed for Arsenal in a swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez arrive at Old Trafford and Zlatan Ibrahimović left in March for Los Angeles Galaxy.
Jose Mourinho’s side looked impressive from the start of the season, 13 out of a possible 15 points in United’s opening five league games saw them retain top spot until the back end of September.
After not losing in the league until October in a shock defeat at Huddersfield Town, a defeat a fortnight later at Chelsea dropped Mourinho’s side down to second, where they stayed until December.
United’s 2017 league schedule ended with draws against Leicester, Burnley and Southampton, which saw them fall to third spot, their lowest league position of the season.
Local rivals City embarked on a record breaking title charge, leaving United’s chances of becoming league champions non-existent. United’s highlights of 2018 in the league came with wins over Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal, but defeats against Spurs, Newcastle, West Brom and Brighton saw Mourinho’s team finish in second place, 19 points behind City.
They reached the final of the FA Cup but were beaten 1-0 at Wembley in May by Chelsea. Championship side Bristol City were full of surprises during the EFL Cup, their biggest saw them knock United out in the quarter-finals.
In Europe, they comfortably reached the round of 16 of the Champions League, after an almost perfect record in Group A, but Spanish giants Sevilla shocked them with a 2-1 win at Old Trafford, eliminating United in the process.
A cup final and a second-placed finish were the highlights of United’s season, but even their best of performances all-year round were never going to catch City.
Newcastle United:
The Magpies were making their return to the top-flight during the 2017/18 campaign after winning the Championship in May 2017.
Manager Rafael Benitez invested over £35 million at the start of the season on five new signings, including Christian Atsu from Chelsea and Jacob Murphy from Norwich City. Mikel Merino, who had initially joined on loan from Borussia Dortmund in July, also made his move to St James’s Park permanent in October costing, £8 million. Florian Thauvin’s £9.5 million return to Marseille was the most noticeable exit from Tyneside, as he flourished back in his native France and earned a place in their 2018 FIFA World Cup squad.
Newcastle began their league campaign with defeats against Tottenham and Huddersfield but ended August in 14th place after a 3-0 win at home to West Ham.
Their three points against The Hammers was followed up with back-to-back wins over Swansea and Stoke, moving them up to a seasonal best of fourth place, but a defeat at Brighton saw them end September in tenth.
A brief rise to seventh in October after draws with Liverpool and Southampton and a win over Crystal Palace, was their only real success for two months.
Between October and December, Benitez’s side acquired just one out of a possible 27 points in the league, a run which saw them lose four times at home and only earn a draw at West Brom, who went on to be relegated. The disappointing end of Autumn saw them fall to a season lowest 18th place after their penultimate match before Christmas, following a 1-0 loss to Arsenal.
Newcastle begun 2018 in 16th, after a win at West Ham and a point against Brighton. A run of just two defeats in eight saw them begin March in 16th place, with the loan arrivals of Kenedy, Martin Dubravka and Islam Slimani all making their marks.
The final nine matches of the season were very eventful for The Magpies, four straight wins against Southampton, Huddersfield, Leicester and Arsenal were followed up by four straight losses. Defeats against Everton, West Brom, Watford and Tottenham turned out not to be too costly, as their winning streak moved them up to 10th, a position they secured with a 3-0 home victory over Chelsea on the final day of the season.
Ayoze Perez was their top goalscorer with 10 goals in all competitions, Newcastle’s form fluctuated throughout, but a mid-table certainly exceeded many people’s expectations for what on paper, appears to be a squad that lacks real quality.
Domestic cup competitions proved not to be a priority of Benitez’s, they exited the EFL Cup in the second round with a defeat to Nottingham Forest and a FA Cup fourth round departure was forced upon them after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in January.
Southampton:
Despite a good start to the 2017/18 term, Southampton almost found themselves relegated at the end of the campaign.
Defenders Wesley Hoedt and Jan Bednarek arrived at St Mary’s Stadium as part of a £35 million spending spree that also saw The Saints sign Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina. Jay Rodriguez left the club on a permanent deal to join West Brom for £12 million.
An unbeaten opening month, which included a 3-2 win over West Ham, left Southampton in sixth position at the end of August.
Three defeats out of a possible four, in a month where Southampton’s only win came via a 1-0 at Crystal Palace, left Mauricio Pellegrino’s side in 12th at the end of September.
An unbeaten October, including a 1-0 victory over West Brom moved Southampton back up to ninth place going into November.
The next 20 league games saw Southampton win just twice and pick up only 15 out of a possible 60 points between November and mid-March, seeing them fall to 17th and costing Pellegrino his job. Wins at West Brom and at home to Everton, as well as a draw with Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham were the only high points during the disastrous four-and-a-half-month period.
Former Stoke boss Mark Hughes was the new man in charge, but three consecutive league defeats at the start of his tenure left Southampton in 18th with only five games left; they were unlucky with the latter two of those, having lost 3-2 to both Arsenal and Chelsea after taking the lead in both matches.
Hughes responded by picking up eight from a possible 12 points in his next four matches, with a win at fellow relegation-threatened rivals Swansea on the penultimate game of the season both securing safety and relegating The Swans. They finished in 17th, with their season climaxing in a 1-0 home defeat against league winners, Manchester City.
A high-point of Southampton’s season came during the FA Cup where they reached the semi-finals, before losing 2-0 to would-be cup winners, Chelsea. The EFL Cup saw them exit after their first match, which came in the second round against Championship winners, Wolves.
Tottenham Hotspur:
Tottenham’s 10-year wait for silverware did not come to an end during the 2017/18 season, but not through the want of not trying.
Colombian international defender Davinson Sanchez arrived at Spurs for £42 million from Ajax, as did Serge Aurier and Fernando Llorente. Defenders Kyle Walker and Kevin Wimmer both exited for moves north of the capital, as they joined Man City and Stoke respectively, whilst Argentine international Federico Fazio left for Roma.
The club were playing their matches at Wembley Stadium for the year, whilst their White Hart Lane home was being re-developed.
Just four points in their opening three games, including a home loss to Chelsea, saw Tottenham end August as low as ninth.
They picked up 16 out of a maxiumum 21 points in September and October, with their only defeat coming against Manchester United, ending October firmly in third spot.
A rocky November, which included away losses at Arsenal and Leicester and a draw with West Brom, saw Spurs finish the month in seventh place.
December didn’t start fantastically on the road, a draw at Watford was followed by a 4-1 bruising at Manchester City and with 20 games to go, Spurs were struggling to cement a top-six spot.
However, winter proved to be momentous as Tottenham embarked on a 14-match unbeaten streak, which included a historic 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge, their first league victory at the home of former Champions League winners Chelsea since 1990, a run that left Tottenham comfortably in the running for a top four spot.
Wins for Spurs in their last three home matches, ending with a 5-4 thriller against Leicester saw them clinch third place, a great season for them.
On paper, Tottenham weren’t expected to go very far in the Champions League after being pitted against Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund in the group stage, but they remained unbeaten and finished in top spot, only to be knocked out by Italian giants Juventus in the round of 16.
After beating AFC Wimbledon, Newport County, Rochdale and Swansea City, Spurs reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and were left to focus on their league campaign after being beaten by Manchester United.
Spurs exited the EFL Cup in the fourth round after a 3-2 defeat against local rivals West Ham.
Watford:
Watford were competing in their third consecutive season in the top-flight during the 2017/18 campaign for the first time since the 1980s.
The Hornets started the season with Marco Silva as manager, who signed English midfield trio, Tom Cleverley, Will Hughes and Nathaniel Chalobah and Brazilian starlet Richarlison, as well as, winger Andre Carillo on loan.
Just one defeat in their opening eight matches and an impressive 10 from a possible 12 points on the road saw Watford sit in fourth place in mid-October, their highest position during the entire season; defeats to Chelsea, Stoke and Everton saw Silva’s side slip to ninth place at the start of November.
Consecutive wins against West Ham and Newcastle looked set to get Watford’s season back on the front foot, but a poor run of form saw The Hornets pick up just one out of a possible 18 points and drop down to 10th at the midway stage of the season.
A victory on Boxing Day against Leicester was Silva’s last as Watford manager, a run of just one point in four matches immediately followed and the Portuguese manager was sacked in mid-January, with the club sitting in 10th.
The arrivals of new manager Javi Gracia and new loan signing Gerard Deulofeu quickly turned Watford’s form around, a 4-1 win at home against Chelsea preceded two 1-0 wins over Everton and West Brom and found themselves back in ninth with just nine games to go.
Gracia was unable to maintain his early success, their only win in the final quarter of the season came at home to Newcastle during Watford’s final home match at Vicarage Road, as The Hornets picked up just five out of a possible 27 points and slumped to a 14th-place finish.
Watford suffered early exits in both cup competitions; the EFL Cup saw Silva lose 3-2 at home to Bristol City in the second round, whilst a fourth round FA Cup departure was forced upon them at the hands of Southampton.
West Ham United:
At the start of the 2017/18 season, many West Ham fans would have been aiming to either challenge for a Europa League qualification place, get far in either of the domestic cups or at the bare minimum, finish in the top half of the Premier League table; The Hammers failed to do either of these.
They started the season under the guidance of Slaven Bilic, who recruited five new permanent signings in the summer, including the experience of Pablo Zabaleta and Javier Hernandez and quality in the form of Austrian forward Marko Arnautovic from Stoke; Joe Hart also arrived on loan from Manchester City.
All three of West Ham’s opening matches away at Manchester United, Southampton and Newcastle ended in defeat and they found themselves rock bottom at the end of August.
Their first home league game of the season ended in a 2-0 victory over Huddersfield, which started to build some belief into The Hammers’ season prospects, but a draw at West Brom and a loss against Tottenham overshadowed a 1-0 victory over Swansea; West Ham rose only to 15th.
Four matches without a win across October and November led to a return to the relegation zone for West Ham and Bilic’s dismissal.
Ex-Manchester United and Everton boss David Moyes took the job, but he struggled to make a quick impact with just a point in his opening four games, lowering West Ham to 19th position.
A shock 1-0 triumph over Chelsea at the London Stadium in December set Moyes off the mark in the league, and the win sparked a run of just one defeat in ten league matches across December and January, including three-goal wins at Huddersfield and Stoke, as well as a goalless draw with Arsenal. They entered February in 11th spot, their highest position of the season.
Moyes’ luck quickly ran out, just one win in five culminated in a 3-0 home defeat to Burnley, which led to numerous ugly protests from fans. With eight games remaining, West Ham were in 16th place.
West Ham were swift to avoid dampening themselves down with any concerns of facing the drop, they lost just twice in their last eight games and wins over Southampton, Leicester and Everton and draws with Chelsea, Stoke and Manchester United saw West Ham finish in 13th place.
Arsenal came in between West Ham and an EFL Cup semi-final against Chelsea, but they were less fortunate in the FA Cup, after being dumped out by League One outfit, Wigan.
Wolverhampton Wanderers:
With Nuno Espirito Santo at the helm, Wolverhampton Wanderers went on to the lift the Championship trophy during the 2017/18 campaign.
The Portuguese manager oversaw 12 permanent signings, including Porto starlet Ruben Neves, experienced Norwich duo John Ruddy and Ryan Bennett and Scottish wing-back Barry Douglas. The quartet of Willy Boly, Diogo Jota, Alfred N’Diaye and Leo Bonatini, who all joined in the summer on loan, helped to build a real spine in the team.
Wins over Middlesbrough and at Derby and Hull saw Wolves go up to second after their opening three games, but a month later, The Old Gold had slipped to fourth following a run of just one win in four league games. A defeat against Sheffield United came in between victories against Barnsley and Burton, Wolves finished the month in second place and went on to stay in the top two of the league for the remainder of the season.
In October and November, Wolves picked up 21 out of a possible 24 points, a run which propelled them to the top of the league table and included wins over Aston Villa, Leeds and Fulham.
Wolves spent their final 31 league matches at the top of the pile, losing just four times in that period. Regular pressure from Cardiff and Fulham proved not to be enough to derail Wolves, who were tipped to break Reading’s 106 Championship points record from the 2005/06 season, but dropped points against the likes of Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Hull and Villa in the latter stages of the campaign, denying them the chance of breaking records.
The team’s Portuguese contingent shone, with the likes of Neves, Jota and Ivan Cavaleiro earning regularly plaudits from critics and supporters alike.
Santo’s stars reached the EFL Cup fourth round, only to be defeated by Manchester City via a penalty shootout. Wolves forced Swansea to a third-round FA Cup replay but were unable to seal victory in South Wales.