A win for Manchester City against West Ham ends all permutations and earns the Citizens a historic four-peat. But a share of the spoils at the Etihad Stadium tilts the tide towards the Gunners who host Everton in the final lap.
Title Race
Arsenal looks to complement a decent run this season with a bite at the cherry, having lagged two decades behind in winning the English Premier League since 2003/04, their third League title in the modern era (inc. 1997/98, 2001/02).
Mikel Arteta would be proud of his team’s performance across the board, with the arrival of Brentford loanee David Raya over the Summer seemingly challenging Aaron Ramsdale’s place as the first choice.
The €3.34 million loan move for the 28-year-old Spaniard was rewarding as Arsenal poses with the most clean sheets and the best defensive stats in the league, with the compliments of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba as center-back pairings.
Title hopes for the Gunners hinge on permutations at the Etihad Stadium, with a draw or a loss to the Citizens enough to clinch the much elusive Premier League gong, should things go well at the Emirates.
Erling Haaland’s League tally of 27 goals in 30 games this season is the most for any player as the Citizens continue to produce the most League goals since 2017/18, placing Haaland in pole position for a consecutive Golden Boot award after netting 36 goals in 35 games last term.
City's Goal Tally in EPL Since 2017/18
2017/18 - 106
2018/19 - 95
2019/20 - 102
2020/21 - 83
2021/22 - 99
2022/23 - 94
2023/24 - 93*
The Citizens also produced the Player of the Season in Phil Foden who had a tremendous campaign, producing 17 goals and 8 assists, his best return in a League Season since making his senior team debut in 2017/18.
The City Academy product has been immense for Pep Guardiola’s team as a utility player, featuring on the Left, Right, Center, and Attacking Midfield positions, the Left and Right Wings, and as a Center Forward.
Arguably City’s Best Player, Rodrigo was shockingly left out of the POTY nominations having gone all season unbeaten as a player in the league (26 wins and 7 draws).
Rodrigo has gone 49 games unbeaten in the EPL since the loss to Tottenham Hotspur on the 5th of February 2023
EPL Stats
Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish, Jeremy Doku, Kevin de Bruyne, Mateo Kovaciç, and Julian Alvarez have also performed decently when selected highlighting the squad depth in Pep Guardiola’s Arsenal (no pun intended).
Champions League Spot
Down the pecking order, Aston Villa astonishingly secured a spot in Europe’s Elite competition for next season following a brilliant campaign under Unai Emery who stands a chance to be nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
The Villans took maximum points at least once against Mancity and Chelsea while defeating Tottenham and Arsenal home and away, after going on an eight-game winning streak at Villa Park early in the season.
Tottenham’s loss to City at home on MatchDay 37 sealed their fate outside the Top 4, with Spurs’ European hopes still hanging on a balance should Sheffield United get maximum points, Chelsea win Bournemouth, and Manchester United win the FA Cup.
European Participation
A win for Chelsea seals either 6th or 5th positions which guarantees the side a spot in Europe (unless Manchester United wins the FA Cup, or Spurs defeats Sheffield United) by depriving Bournemouth a chance to finish at the top half of the log should the Cherries get the better of the Blues.
Brighton hosts Manchester United at the Amex stadium hoping to finish amongst the top 10 if results stay positive, with the Red Devils only hope of European participation hinging on the FA Cup Manchester Derby final.
Relegation Waters
Everton and Nottingham Forest overcame daunting tasks to maintain Premier League status after escaping relegation despite sanctions of points deduction by the Jury, with the likes of Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United returning to the Championship the same way they came.
Sheffield United set the record for the most goals conceded in the English Premier League era (101) this season since Swindon Town bagged a century of goals in 1993/94.
It’s also the most goal conceded by a club in Europe’s Top 8 Leagues in 2023/24 including the Dutch Eredivisie, Belgian Jupiler Pro, and the Portuguese Primera Liga.
Project Exclusives 