Premier League review: The good, the bad and the ugly

Referee Chris Kavanaugh sends off Aleksander Mitrovic and Willian in an FA Cup game that ultimately saw the Serbian banned for eight games. (Photo credit: GOAL)

The Premier League season has ended with teams celebrating their wins (in their own rights) and others licking wounds and reflecting on what could have been, but for us, it’s time for us to evaluate and review the 2022–2023 season.

From the title charge to the top-four battle to the unprecedented European place challenge by the likes of Brighton, Aston Villa, and Brentford to the excruciating relegation dogfight that saw the three promoted sides survive and three mainstays relegate, it was a crazy league season in England.

A season that surprised many, from Arsenal’s unlikely title push to Newcastle punching far higher than expected to the heroics of the Seagulls and the Bees and the utter disappointment of Leicester City, West Ham, and Chelsea

It was a season of lengthy bans. Aleksander Mitrovic was handed an eight-month ban for his indiscretion in a cup game against Manchester United, and you wonder what could have been for Fulham if their talismanic forward wasn’t missing for eight game rounds.

The English FA has a strict disposition towards betting breaches, and after months of investigations, Brentford striker Ivan Toney faced the wrath of the law and was heavily banned worldwide from football-related conversations. He’d be like a January signing when the ban expires.

It was a season of a flurry of managerial changes: from Ralph Hassenhuetl to Thomas Tuchel, from Scott Parker to Bruno Lage, from the rant that eventually got Antonio Conte sacked to the incompetence that led to the dismissal of Frank Lampard at Everton, it was a lot.

Unexpectedly, Lampard took over for Graham Potter and Unai Emery replaced Steven Gerrard. That proved to be an epic failure, as he went out nine times and recorded only one win in all, leading Chelsea to their worst-ever league finish of the modern era.

How can we review the season without reminding ourselves of the Cristiano Ronaldo saga? Who would have guessed the ill-advised interview with celebrity broadcaster Piers Morgan and the fact that United improved after he left?

There’s a whole lot to pick from, and we’ll take it one club at a time. Ahead of the FA Cup final that takes place at Wembley on Sunday, we’ll review the league season club by club.