Monday 14 May 2018

Goodbye Premier League... HELLO WORLD CUP!

Welcome back everyone!

Yes I know, it's been a minute, but Ebony Loves Sports is BACK with regular blog posts and updates in the beautiful world of sports (and just in time for a certain mega football competition...).

Speaking of football, this past weekend was a big one for my favourite sport, as the curtain closed on the final games of the 2017-18 Premier League season. The domestic football calendar has now paused for a couple of months until its return in August, and for those of you who like high-drama (me!) on the last day of the season, this one was a slight disappointment. With Man City having been crowned run-away champions a month ago, and the three relegated clubs only sealing their long-awaited fate, all the last day drama was left up to Liverpool and Chelsea in the race to secure the fourth and final coveted Champions League place for next season. 

With Liverpool and Chelsea on 72 points and 70 points respectively going into their final games, Chelsea's bid for fourth place was essentially out of their hands. A win against opponents Newcastle, along with the hope that Liverpool lost to their opponents Brighton, was required in order to leap-frog them in the table. With Newcastle in 10th place and nothing to play for, a comfortable Chelsea win was widely expected. 

But ohhh how we were wrong!

One of the many things I love about the Premier League personally is its unpredictability. The sheer level of competition amongst all 20 teams, unrivalled in any other domestic league in my opinion, is what makes for outrageous results like the one we saw against Chelsea on Sunday. Losing 3-0 when they had so much to play for was an abysmal way to end their season, a season categorised by their failure to defend their Premier League title and one that will almost certainly see their manager Antonio Conte leaving the club. 

Aside from the race to fourth place and the otherwise muted end to the season however, the past 9 months of football will be remembered for a couple of reasons:

1. Man City Record Breakers

Man City Premier League Champions 2017-18
















When the manager Pep Guardiola was appointed in 2016, many people were sceptical as to whether the Spaniard could replicate his overwhelming success at Barcelona at Bayern Munich with the Manchester club. After this formidable season, in which the team broke seven records, very few will still be doubting his credentials. Let's have a quick look at Man City's stats shall we?:

  • Most points achieved: 100 (previous record was 95 set by Chelsea in 2004-05)
  • Most wins: 32 (previous record was 30 set by Chelsea in 2016-17)
  • Most goals: 106 (previous record was 103 set by Chelsea in 2009-10)
  • Most away wins: 16 (previous record was 15 set by Chelsea in 2004-05)
  • Biggest positive goal difference: 79 (previous record was 71 set by Chelsea in 2009-10)
  • Biggest title-winning margin: 19 points (previous record was 18 set by Man United in 2009-10)
  • Least tine trailing: 153 minutes (previous record was 170 minutes set by Arsenal in 1998-99).

So yeah, they were pretty decent this year.



2. Arsene Wenger leaves Arsenal

Arsene Wenger 
















After 22 years at the helm, manager Arsene Wenger finally said goodbye to the club he has become so synonymous with, it almost bears his namesake. 

As an Arsenal supporter myself, I have to admit I leapt out a shout of praise when it was announced earlier last month that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. I have long been a frustrated member of the #WengerOut club, not because I don't like Wenger, but because towards the latter end of his tenure, his team increasingly became the epitome of complacency, stagnation and mediocrity. From having won the Premier League without losing a single game in 2003-04, to being content for yearssss with a 4th place finish, the club now find themselves languishing in 6th position without the prospect of Champions League football next year for the second season in a row. Whilst our rivals have consistently progressed, we have diligently regressed, all under the leadership of a man who was too stubborn and set in his ways to fix Arsenal's glaring squad deficiencies, thus enabling them to seriously challenge for the title once again. 

It was time for a change, and though the Arsenal faithful will always be grateful and have fond memories of what Wenger has achieved at the club over the past two decades, it is both refreshing and exciting to see the direction the new manager will take the club in. 


So as the door shuts on another eventful Premier League season, this is usually the time where I mourn an upcoming summer without any football to enjoy. 

Not this time though! As the World Cup in Russia is due to take place from 14th June - 15th July, I can eagerly look forward to a whole MONTH of pure joy and entertainment. With 64 matches, 32 national teams, non-stop coverage and endless punditry, all culminating in one grand-stand final, what's not to be excited about?

Ebony Loves Sports will be blogging about all of it of course, so make sure you watch this space!






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