Liverpool were the runaway champions, but at least their rivals stood a chance of scooping some of our made-up prizes instead…
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The Premier League season is pretty much over, folks. Save for the final day Champions League scramble, all of the important races are done and dusted. There's even a seemingly unanimous pick for the Player of the Year, with Mohamed Salah set for a clean sweep of the various awards.
That doesn't mean the season was without event, drama or comedy, though. Far from that. The beauty of the Premier League is that even when the stakes are reduced, you can still find enjoyment in it.
So come and take a walk down GOAL's red carpet as we take you through our alternative awards ceremony…
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportGame of the season 👏
There were quite a few candidates for our first award, with Everton's last-gasp 2-2 draw against Liverpool in Goodison Park's final Merseyside derby still fondly lingering in the imagination. Instead, we've gone with Arsenal's 5-1 hammering of Manchester City that had just about everything you want from a fierce Premier League encounter.
After competing for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 titles, it's become very obvious that Arsenal and City do not like each other on any sort of level. When the Cityzens snatched a point off the Gunners in September's 2-2 draw, Erling Haaland's taunt to Mikel Arteta that he should 'stay humble' was the extra bit of edge this new-age rivalry needed. They are also words that came back to haunt the Norwegian.
The reigning champions were torn limb from limb at the Emirates Stadium. Teenage sensation Myles Lewis-Skelly, who was also picked on by Haaland in the reverse fixture, got his own back by copying the striker's zen celebration, while 'Humble' by Kendrick Lamar sounded out over the PA at full-time. Petty? Of course. But does football need this sort of bite? Absolutely.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWorst game of the season 🤮
Unfortunately for Cityzens fans, this is not an article that will make for pleasant reading. Pep Guardiola and his troops also dishonourably and infamously contributed to one of the worst games of football played anywhere on this planet.
Manchester City's 0-0 draw at neighbours Manchester Unitedmust be scrubbed from history. It sent the footballing world into a collective state of irrational mourning for what the game used to be. Fortunately for us, the last two months of this sport have been superb entertainment and we have all done a lot to forget the disgrace of Old Trafford.
Getty Images SportBiggest overachievers ⏫
Hands up, who had Nottingham Forest fighting for a Champions League spot heading into the final day of the season? Who had them sitting in the top three for much of the campaign?
Even the most passionate of Forest fans will admit they did not see their 2024-25 fortunes coming. They have become the first team in Premier League history to double their points tally from one season to the next and, regardless of what happens against Chelsea on Sunday, they will be returning to European competition next year. Kudos to Nuno Espirito Santo for navigating his way through the City Ground chaos.
Getty Images SportBiggest disappointments ⏬
There were many doubts outside of Manchester United heading into this season given their haphazard decision not to sack Erik ten Hag over the summer and instead back him with another £200m worth of signings. It really shouldn't have shocked the Red Devils that they got off to such a poor start they were left with no option but to belatedly remove the Dutchman from his post.
The expectation, both internally and externally, was that Ruben Amorim would vastly improve fortunes after arriving from Sporting CP, particularly after caretaker boss Ruud van Nistelrooy had steadied the ship. Somehow, United got even worse and are averaging less than a point a game under the Portuguese coach.
The real kicker, besides still having the chance to finish 17th (, for crying out loud), is that United missed their golden opportunity to salvage the campaign with a trophy and an unlikely place in next season's Champions League, losing to Tottenham in Wednesday's Europa League final. Whatever happened to 'lads, it's Tottenham'?
