Alan Shearer’s Premier League end-of-season report

Goalscoring great looks back on another stellar year

Manchester City

Manchester City have played some of the best football we have seen in the Premier League this season. I think it is too early to call them a great team but they have produced many great things this season.

If they do go on to win it again next season, I think you’d have to revisit that. They have broken all sorts of records and have been excellent throughout the campaign.

Pep will want to win back-to-back titles and he will be desperate to better their Champions League record. Let’s face it, he was hired fundamentally to try and win the Champions League.

They had won the Premier League before under previous managers so he will have to try and win that to satisfy the owners.

Manchester United

Jose has taken Manchester United from sixth to second position in the last year. When you look at that, it is a huge improvement.

The issue is, the style of football they are playing. Their two rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool, are playing exciting and attacking football so it is easy to see why many United fans are unhappy. 

If United go on to win the FA Cup, it will be three trophies in two years for Jose which is a success.

The game against Chelsea at Wembley is huge for them as a victory will give their fans something to cheer about once again.

Tottenham

It has been the same again for Tottenham this season. They have played some wonderful stuff but they have fallen short at the final hurdle in most competitions.

Their priority this season was top four going into the new stadium. They wanted to ensure they have Champions League football there when it opens otherwise that would have been a disaster for them.

That target has been achieved. They have some fantastic players and they will be hoping to be even stronger next season.

Liverpool

As an attacking force, Liverpool have been awesome this season. Defensively, they have improved slightly.

Playing with a regular goalkeeper rather than chopping and changing has certainly helped.

They look like they are going to finish in the top four and they are on the brink of something very special in the Champions League.

If they can beat Real Madrid in Kiev, what an achievement that would be for the club and Jurgen Klopp.

Their star player has obviously been Mo Salah who rightly won the PFA Player of the Year. Nobody would have predicted the season he has had and the number of goals he has scored.

Arsenal

It is difficult to describe how poor Arsenal have been this season other than to say they have been Arsenal.

For them to be so poor away from home in 2018 is very embarrassing. The new manager has a massive job on his hands and it is going to take a lot of time.

I heard Arsene Wenger say this team is only two players away from winning the title but they need a lot more than that. They are at least six or seven players off challenging.

If he genuinely believes that then it is easy to see why they are as far down as sixth in the table.

Chelsea

It was a really poor title defence for Chelsea and it is isn’t the first time it has happened for the champions. They have been unable to reach the high standards they set in the 2016/17 campaign.

I would not be surprised at all if Antonio Conte left the club in the summer, but he still has the FA Cup to play for though and he’d love to go out with a bang by winning that competition.

Burnley

Outside of the clubs in the top four, Burnley have been superb.

I can’t see him getting it but Sean Dyche must be close to being manager of the season.

Guardiola got my vote, only because of the brand of football we have seen all season, but when you look at the budget Dyche has had to play with though, it is some achievement.

Relegated clubs

A lot of credit has to go all three teams which got promoted last season: Newcastle, Huddersfield and Brighton.

They have all managed to retain Premier League football for next season. I was amazed that West Brom let go of Tony Pulis midway through the season when he was allowed to bring his own players in last summer.

It is hard to have any sympathy for West Brom or Stoke given the timing of their dismissals. It will be very embarrassing for them if Tony Pulis is able to bring Middlesbrough up through the play-offs.

Swansea have tried their best but just did not have enough in the end.