Well, what a season that was folks. The 2024/25 Premier League certainly threw up some surprises among the usual drama, excitement and controversy.
And for the recognised “Big Six,” there was a real mixed bag of achievement and non-achievement, with a particular cloud looming over Manchester, where the Northern powerhouse saw both its teams suffer. The preseason Premier League 2025 betting odds backed Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City to pick up a fifth consecutive league title, but they never challenged.
When the last round of fixtures kicked off, the Sky Blues still needed a result in their last game of the season to guarantee their place in the 2025/26 Champions League, and they ended the campaign trophyless. But, despite their underachievement, City had a decent outcome compared to their neighbours, as Manchester United suffered their worst Premier League season ever. In 2023/24, the Red Devils finished eighth, their lowest position since the competition began, but this season, they blew that one out of the water, ending up in 15th with a paltry 42 points from 38 games.
So, what constitutes the “Big Six?”
Well, it’s an informal concept used to describe the wealthiest and most successful clubs in England’s top-flight, comprising Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. These six mega-clubs have accounted for roughly half the total annual revenue generated by the Premier League over the past two decades. With Newcastle United and Aston Villa frequently gatecrashing the top table, and the Magpies now having more financial weight than any other club, there is an argument to say the Big Six has now become the Big Seven at least. But in this SBOTOP analysis, I’m sticking with tradition.
So let’s start with Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who won the league at a canter as he became the first Dutchman to lift the trophy as a head coach. The Reds were clearly the best team in the competition with established leaders in the side in the shape of Virgil van Dijk at the back and Mohamed Salah at the front.
The Egyptian legend finished the campaign as top scorer with 29 goals and an incredible 18 assists to be streets ahead of any other player in either measure. Salah scored Liverpool’s equaliser in their last home game of the campaign at home to Crystal Palace to ensure their fans could celebrate with a positive result, while van Dijk has, once again, been imperious at the back. It has been a breakthrough season for two Netherlands stars under Slot, as Cody Gakpo has scored 10 goals and made four assists, while Ryan Gravenberch has emerged as a world-class midfielder.
Runners-up Arsenal are the bridesmaids again after trailing Manchester City for the past two years, and the big problem which faced Mikel Arteta throughout the campaign was the lack of a striker. Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz were both tried, though the German was absent with injury in the run-in and Mikel Merino also stood in from time to time. It’s a problem Arteta needs to solve as Liverpool strengthen, and Manchester City are unlikely to have another poor campaign.
The third placed Sky Blues were two points ahead of Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea, who can count it as a successful campaign if they can win the Europa Conference League on Wednesday night too. The Blues have been there or thereabouts for much of the season, and there seems to be some stability at Stamford Bridge after a couple of years of big spending with little or no outcome.
The Magpies finished fifth though there was a huge amount of controversy as Aston Villa, who ended up sixth, were denied a crucial goal against Manchester United as VAR once again proved itself unfit for purpose.
The Red Devils’ victory over the Villans lifted them up to 15th place in the league table, a shocking outcome for a club with such a rich history and deep pockets. United have spent unwisely over the past five campaigns or so, and this current team has been carried by skipper Bruno Fernandes, who is the club’s joint top scorer with eight league goals and top assist maker with 10.
But Fernandes couldn’t inspire Manchester United to a Europa League win, losing the final to our sixth “Big Club” Tottenham Hotspur. But if you thought United’s Premier League 2025 results were poor, then look at Spurs, who lost 22 of 38 league matches to finish 17th.
The Whites are officially the worst team to avoid relegation from the Premier League this season, but they are in the Champions League.
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