As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...
ing in football has become an obsession.
The tiki-taka style of Barcelona has now become the basis of managerial philosophies across the leagues and lands of Europe and beyond.
The problem is, few teams have the ability to execute it at the level required to make it effective.
Pep Guardiola took it to another level when he was in charge of the La Liga giants and it has served his Manchester City side well since he took charge in 2016 having won 18 trophies in the following nine years.
And, if the Premier League season had come down to how well teams the ball, unsurprisingly the eight-time champions would have been celebrating a ninth title.
With nearly 90% accuracy, they rarely put a foot - or - wrong.
And yet, in reality, it did not translate to success on the pitch this year.
Whether it was teams finally finding the chinks in the ing-machine armour or the side's misplaced es proving more costly than in previous seasons without key players, City could not take advantage of their dominance with the ball.
And for one of the most acute examples of ability with the ball not translating to on-the-pitch success, we only have to look at Southampton.
The Saints at one point looked set to break Derby County's record for the least amount of points in a Premier League campaign, and yet they were less than 1% behind actual league champions Liverpool when it came to ing accuracy.
While fans could have some appreciation for watching nice football, they might have appreciated some scrappy displays that resulted in hard-fought results and possible safety more.
In contrast, Crystal Palace had the least accurate ing of any team in the league.
And yet, Oliver Glasner's side ultimately finished 12th - just three points off a top-half finish - and won the FA Cup final against the club with the best ing ability of them all.
They are not the only team to have had successful seasons in their own right while being in the bottom six for ing accuracy.
Nottingham Forest were 19th in this table metric, but in reality were fighting for Champions League places.
Bournemouth and Brentford also battled for possible European spots into the final weeks of the season, and even Everton finished the campaign comfortably away from relegation that at one point they looked set to be in a battle to escape.
So what does this tell us? When it comes to winning football matches, ing the ball well is not the be-all and end-all.
*Table data from Opta
Crystal Palace part-owner John Textor, who also owns French side Lyon, is trying to sell his majority share in the Premier League team, as the Eagles try to avoid being disqualified from the Europa League next season for breaking Uefa's multi-club ownership rules. (Mail), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Alex Pewter
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesWith Crystal Palace fans still basking in the glow of FA Cup glory, the question of what comes next looms for the south London club.
On the pitch, Oliver Glasner has delivered cohesive performances juxtaposed with lingering uncertainty at boardroom level.
That primarily stems from the 'will he, won't he' saga of John Textor and Eagle Football Holdings in his contrasting efforts to either sell his estimated 43% stake in the club or to purchase a working majority from the other shareholders.
Fan sentiment certainly leans towards the former happening and cutting ties with this multi-club model, especially with the possible Uefa implications of having two 'Textor' or Eagle-owned clubs playing in the Europa League next season.
With a summer that demands unified investment and planning - be that in new players or funding the development of the stadium - having contrasting visions and priorities from the directors would be something ideally solved in a quick fashion.
The club does have books to balance, despite the anticipated added income from Europe. While we can expect some sales will have to be made, Palace are in the strongest position to negotiate with their current stars.
Securing the future of a player such as Jean-Philippe Mateta and paying him at his market rate would be a luxury only extended to a club with European football to offer - and should be something the Eagles are targeting before pre-season.
The backbone of the team's success has been attributed to the spirit within the camp. While all sides may lose players along the way, retaining the team's identity as they head into a historic season is key.
Find more from Alex Pewter at FYP podcast, external
Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist
As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...
Football games are 90 minutes long. They have been for more than 150 years.
So, what if they weren't? What if only the first 45 minutes mattered?
Some teams like to lead from the front, come out the blocks flying and try and get the job done before half-time.
If that had been the case this season and it all came down to that first half showing, then it would not have been Liverpool lifting the trophy, but in fact Arsenal winning their first league title in over 20 years.
With 20 wins, 13 draws and five defeats, the Gunners were the kings of the first half.
Four points behind them were Manchester City - a team that has for so long been able to control games from start to finish, but during their difficult spell with injuries and results, this was something they seemed to lack.
If the league really came down to this metric, Brentford fans would be planning for a Champions League adventure. While the Bees were fast starters this campaign, being able to back that up across the 90 minutes was their Achilles heel (ranking 14th in the second half).
And what about this year's Premier League champions? Arsenal may have had the number when it came to first halves, but Liverpool well and truly led the way in the second...
While some prefer to get their nose in front, others prefer a half-time reset or back themselves to get the job done later in the game.
One of those teams was Arne Slot's Reds.
They won 24 of their 38 second-halves, drew nine and lost just five. If it was this 45 minutes alone that counted, they would have had 81 points and - just like in the actual season - been runaway winners.
Another club that enjoyed success after half time was Chelsea.
Ranking seventh in the first-half table, the Blues were often in a position where they needed to turn things around or dig out a result in the second 45 and, despite the young age of the team, managed 17 wins in second halves.
A side deserving an honourable mention here is Crystal Palace.
They may have finished 12th in the 2024-25 league table after a underwhelming start, but when it came to getting a result in the second half, with 16 wins,12 draws and 10 defeats, they were up there alongside some of the best in the league.
*Table data from Football365
Crystal Palace's French forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, 27, is on Manchester United's striker shortlist, but they may face competition from Juventus and AC Milan. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
BBC Sport pundit Nedum Onuoha has given us his insight and opinion every fortnight on your Premier League club throughout this season.
But this week, he's in the hotseat for your questions.
Maybe ask him who should be on your club's radar this summer, or where a rumoured target or new g might fit into the team.
Perhaps see what he thinks about how successful a new recruit might be, who it is vital to keep, or what is needed to make next season a success.
Send in your questions here and we'll put a selection to him
Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Sport football news reporter Alex Howell has been answering your questions on the summer transfer window.
Alex asked: With clubs circling, release clauses, and contracts running down, what are the chances of Crystal Palace keeping the squad together for our first European adventure?
Alex answered: The ideal for everyone at Palace and particularly ers is that they keep hold of all of the key components of their team.
However, as Palace ers know, that is not how football works.
According to sources, Eberechi Eze's release clause kicks back in this summer and Marc Guehi enters his final year.
Those scenarios take a level of control away from Palace but having European football definitely helps when looking to persuade a player to stay.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for you to tell us what Crystal Palace need to do in the summer transfer window.
Here are some of your comments:
Gary: I would sell Guehi but only to raise funds to bring players with European experience. We need cover for Mitchell and Munoz - they can't play every game (they played 40-plus last season). Also, a third striker and another attacking midfielder. Important to keep this squad together.
Rufus: If Eze and Guehi are to leave, we need to get them out early so we can find proper replacements. If the rumours are true that Eze is being offered a new contract then that would be fantastic, but we have to make a decision with Guehi. Do we want to sell him now or lose him on a free later to help with our European quest? If he does leave, 2two CBs are needed (Odilon Kossounou and Trevoh Chalobah would be my personal favourite picks) while LWB cover is desperately needed (either El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague or potentially Ben Chilwell on a permanent for that one).
Alan: Unfortunately, Eze and Guehi will probably go. Guehi is maybe easier to replace - could Chalobah return permanently this time? He doesn't appear to be first choice at Chelsea and already knows our system. On that point, perhaps Chilwell will sign another loan, as we probably can't afford his full salary. An Eze replacement is more tricky, maybe it's to early for Esse or Franc to step up. But if Eze and Guehi go, we will have £100m to spend.
Jon: We need to keep as many of our star players as we can. With such a great season and our first major trophy under our belt, it would feel like a massive backwards step if we lost some of the spine of our team. It's a chance for us to build something special, so we need the players to buy into the vision. The best way to do that might be to make a marquee g of our own, early in the window for once, to signal our intent.
Paul: We need to nail down what we have first. Adam Wharton needs an improved contract but with a £100m-plus release clause. We need to get Mateta to sign new and, most importantly, persuade Marc Guehi to lead us into Europe. Then we need to offload Edouard and Rak-Sakhi. Number one target for me? Jobe Bellingham.
