Fans of each Premier League club give their verdict on their own side’s 2021/22 season with a summer of some kind of change expected.
History was made, records were broken, new memories – good and bad – have been created, and with that in mind, BBC Sport have took to see how supporters reflected on it all.
They have provided a review, an analysis of of another rollercoaster campaign, so let’s see what they had to say below, including who they thought was the best player and who flopped.
The story of the #PL season… 📈 pic.twitter.com/O9oKCWhu4c
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 22, 2022
Arsenal
Oli Price-Bates, The Fresh Arsenal podcast
Rating: 7/10
Best performance: The 3-1 win over Spurs earlier in the season was impressive, but for performance, Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City was the first time we’ve seen the Gunners be the better footballing team against one of the top two.
Player of the season: Bukayo Saka
Player whose time is up: Alexandre Lacazette
Opposition player you’d love at your team: Declan Rice
Happy with your manager? Progress has been made. It’s a big disappointment given where we found ourselves, but the points tally would have finished joint third last season and in the top four the previous year. A slim squad weakened in January was the difference.
One learning to take into next season: Picking one is difficult. Ultimately, Arsenal’s lesson has to be that when their first XI was fit, they were very good – but the back-up players were not of the required quality.
Aston Villa
Jat Sogi, Punjabi Villans
Rating: 6/10. I had hoped to better last season’s points tally.
Best performance: Leeds away and, although we lost, Liverpool at home.
Player of the season: Jacob Ramsey – a star in the making.
Player whose time is up: It’s a main first-team player – Douglas Luiz. He doesn’t look interested and it seems like his head has been turned.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: Sadio Mane. What a player. His work-rate is second to none.
Happy with your manager? I have to say yes. He has the ability to attract big name players.
One learning to take into next season: On the pitch, concentration levels. Cutting out silly errors, especially at the back, and we need to be more clinical up front. Off the pitch (though still on the training pitch), our fitness levels need improving because we tire a lot quicker than other teams.
Brentford
Ali Mullaley, Her Game Too ambassador
Rating: I’ll give it 9/10. Not only have we stayed in the Premier League, we have done it in style.
Best performance: It really has to be the 4-1 thrashing of Chelsea. It had everything – brilliant football, Christian Eriksen’s first goal for the Bees and Thomas Tuchel trying to blame the weather.
Player of the season: This is really hard – there have just been so many standout performers. For me, the majestic Christian Norgaard just edges it over Rico Henry.
Player whose time is up: Sad to say, but probably Marcus Forss. I don’t think we’ll see him in a Brentford shirt again.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: Assuming I don’t have to be realistic about the prospect of making the signing… Son Heung-min – the most criminally underrated player in the Premier League.
Happy with your manager? What’s not to love?
One learning to take into next season: Close opponents down on the edge of the box. We seem to have been caught out so many times not doing this.
Brighton & Hove Albion
Scott McCarthy, We Are Brighton
Rating: 8/10. A record Premier League points haul and the club’s highest finish in English football. Why not 10? Five home wins all season, a run of 96 days without a goal at the Amex and a three-month stretch without a victory between September and Boxing Day.
Best performance: The obvious one is hammering Manchester United – but I actually think the win away at Wolves a week earlier was more impressive.
Player of the season: Marc Cucurella. At only 23, he could become one of the best full-backs in the world.
Player whose time is up: Aaron Connolly. Six months in the Championship with Middlesbrough was meant to be a kick up the backside, but it hasn’t worked.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: Boring pick, but Harry Kane. Still need a clinical striker to capitalise on the possession and numerous chances.
Happy with your manager? Football is about results and Graham Potter has delivered.
One learning to take into next season: The poor selection of wine at the Amex – and improving the home form.
Burnley
Natalie Bromley, No Nay Never
Rating: 1/10. Woeful tactics, ineffective performances and inadequate transfer windows. The one goes to ‘Super Mike Jackson’, who gave us hope and pride in the final eight games.
Best performance: Nick Pope against everyone. That man should wear that England number one shirt.
Player of the season: Probably Pope, but I would give a special mention to James Tarkowski, who led in place of Ben Mee.
Player whose time is up: Wout Weghorst. Turns out he wasn’t a superior Chris Wood after all.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: We need upgrades in most positions, but I would love Kieran Trippier and Danny Ings back. They just get us as a club and a town.
Happy with your manager? Sure, if we had one… I have no problem with Sean Dyche going, even though the gamble didn’t play off. I am hugely grateful for the past decade – but time was up and we had to move on.
One learning to take into next season: Be proud of your history, but also look to the future. We need an image overhaul to move away from the defend-for-your-lives football we have become famous for. And, perhaps, have a shot on target.
Chelsea
Ross Mooring, Chelsea Fancast
Rating: 8/10. Becoming just the fifth European team in history to have won every domestic and international club competition possible, unluckily losing two domestic finals, plus par in the league, has to be a successful season.
Best performance: Outplaying Real Madrid at the Bernabeu is up there, but thrashing Juventus 4-0 at Stamford Bridge in November was electrifying.
Player of the season: Arguments could be made for Reece James and Antonio Rudiger but, for me, Mason Mount just pips Thiago Silva.
Player whose time is up: Skipping those already departing, I’m going for Kepa Arrizabalaga. Nobody in blue had a truly poor season.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: Sticking in the Premier League, I’ve long rated Tottenham’s Son Heung-min.
Happy with your manager? Yes. Give the man a new central midfielder and another world-class centre-back.
One learning to take into next season: On the field, Mount is ready to take over the club captaincy should Cesar Azpilicueta leave. Off the field, make sure the supporters are given a fair voice.
Crystal Palace
Jay Crame, The Eagles Beak
Rating: 7.5/10. This season was meant to be one of transition, but we reached an FA Cup semi-final.
Best performance: Manchester City 0-2 Crystal Palace. To not concede against City this season is quite an accomplishment.
Player of the season: Both centre-backs have been exceptional and it’s almost harsh selecting one over the other, but Joachim Andersen has been excellent.
Player whose time is up: Luka Milivojevic. The Serbia and Palace captain has been a wonderful servant to the club but needs regular game time.
Happy with your manager? Yes, very. Patrick Vieira is not the finished article and still has a lot to learn, but he has had an impressive first season at the club.
Lesson to take into next season: There have been questions about in-game management by Vieira, but he is a reactive manager and has shown that he can improve things. Off the field, recruitment continues to be key.
Everton
Mike Richards, Unholy Trinity
Rating: 2/10. One mark for Frank Lampard’s appointment and one for the fans.
Best performance: 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. It needs no explanation.
Player of the season: Anthony Gordon. Fatigue in recent weeks has certainly impacted him, but he’s stepped up this season and shown other players up. He’s got a bright future at the club.
Player whose time is up: How long have you got? There are a fair few out of contract, but I feel Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina and Michael Keane could all be moved on.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: We need a lot of work, but in terms of a reachable player, I’d be going for Conor Gallagher.
Happy with your manager? 100%. The best thing that has happened to the club this season.
One learning to take into next season: Get a proper off-field structure in place and shift out certain board members. This season has highlighted past mistakes and how operating as an amateur club doesn’t work in the Premier League.
Leeds United
Adonis Storr, The Roaring Peacock
Rating: 2/10
Best performance: West Ham 2-3 Leeds – Jack Harrison’s performance sticks out after scoring three in our biggest scalp of the season.
Player of the season: Raphinha. He’s had his critics but he almost doubled last season’s tally and dragged us through at times.
Player whose time is up: Tyler Roberts. Never repaid the faith of Marcelo Bielsa in the Premier League in the way Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood have done.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: Realistically, Emmanuel Dennis or Ismaila Sarr from Watford.
Happy with your manager? I am happy for Jesse Marsch that he gets a chance to embed his philosophies away from the peril of a relegation scrap. Following Bielsa was a near-impossible job, but he’s earned a chance.
Lessons learned for next season: On the pitch, keep it simple. Pass and move and don’t try impossible killer passes. Off the pitch, investment is needed.
Leicester City
Sam Holloway, LeicesterFanTV
Rating: 4/10 at best. Yes, we have had good bits, like the semi-final of the Europa Conference League, but in every other competition we have been poor with shocking tactics.
Best performance: A 4-2 win at home against Manchester United.
Player of the season: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. He has come through late at the age of 23, but has taken his chance and run with it, and is still running now!
Player whose time is up: Youri Tielemans. Since Christmas, he has been on the beach waiting for his move.
Opposition player you’d love at your team: Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka. Energetic and offers loads of attacking threat on the wing.
Happy with your manager? Not really. Brendan Rodgers is too stubborn to change when it isn’t working. We are the worst at defending set-pieces, we can’t score or create anything from set-pieces ourselves, and Rodgers plays players out of position.
One learning to take into next season: Practise set-pieces in training!
Click on the next page button to see more as fans of each Premier League club give their verdict on their own side’s 2021/22 season…
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