Manchester United wins the EPL title for the 9th time. A wonderfully balanced team that opened the season in stride and never looked back. Cristiano Ronaldo proved his worth winning several individual honors putting his name in the running for the best player in Europe as well. Keep in mind United won this title without their top class striker having dismissed the league’s leading goal scorer from last season (Ruud) and Alan Smith still recuperating from his horrific broken leg; Saha mired in an injury funk and Rooney not quite where everyone expected him to be. Despite those negatives United outpaced every other EPL side by scoring far more goals (83) than any of their competitors playing their game both home and away in a dominant display. United were the only team in the EPL to average more than 2 goals per game on the season and finished with the astounding goal difference of +56.

The Blues of Chelsea, having won two consecutive titles in a walk added world class power to their side in Michael Ballack, Andriy Schevchenko and Ashley Cole and yet were still outclassed and outscored (by 19 goals on the season) by United. If you had asked anyone if adding these top players to the side that had won two straight EPL championships easily which team was favored to win this time out chances are Chelsea would have been the answer. Yet, it wouldn’t turn out that way as the Blues failed time and time again to take advantage of the few stumbles by United notching far too many draws when they needed wins. Faced with a very difficult injury list for much of the season and the lack of productivity of many of the players Jose was counting on Chelsea never really threatened United. The boards reluctance to pursue a central defender during the winter window (after the loss of Robert Huth and William Gallas) to fill the gap in the back line cost them big time and in the end John Terry didn’t seem to really regain his form after his injury and surgery.

Despite that, the Blues managed to concede the fewest goals (24) of any EPL side over the season thanks in large part to the efforts of the extraordinary Michael Essien. They just didn’t score often enough in the end. Chelsea says they’ll be back and they probably will if they can manage to hold on to their top notch players in the off season and add a defender or two. With Essien forced to play on the back line for most of the season Chelsea’s real difficulty became scoring goals despite Drogba’s terrific 30 plus goal campaign. Ballack and Schevchenko simply did not add the scoring power expected and the loss of the key defenders to transfers (Gallas and Huth) made matters much more difficult for Jose. The Blues finish the season as the only EPL side to not lose on their home ground.

Liverpool has made it to the Champions League Final again, for a rematch of the 2005 tilt with AC Milan, a team that should have been banned from the competition to be frank. That’s quite an accomplishment for a team that has made little progress in the domestic league and doesn’t seem capable of rising to the level of Chelsea and Man United over the long EPL season. Yet another season where Liverpool fails to mount a real challenge for the league title comes to an end with them 21 points behind the winner. Why are they mired in this hollow? Liverpool can’t play on the road; not in the league anyway. Nothing illustrates this better than their +32 goal difference at Anfield where they conceded only 7 goals while posting a miserable -2 GD in away games resulting in 9 losses on the road. Contrast that record with United’s +22 GD and only 3 losses in away games and there you have the answer to why Liverpool will finish the season over 20 points behind the leader.

Arsenal and their youth movement produced some exciting and pleasing football despite the loss of Henry for the latter half of the season to injury. Frankly, they look to be able to challenge for the title before Liverpool especially if they can hold on to their talisman.

Bolton’s on again off again form and the loss of their longtime coach Big Sam will put a great deal of pressure on them holding on to a top ten finish next time. Wanderers posted the poorest goal difference of any of the top nine teams in the league at -5 and join five other clubs among the top ten with 9 losses on the road.

Talk about on again, off again performances Tottenham have become masters of that role in the EPL. The team many expected to crack the top four fell far off that goal and only a late season revival saved their season and Martyn Jol’s job. Another team that can’t produce points on the road Spurs have a -9 GD in away games and the lowest overall goal difference of any of the top seven teams at +3. Despite having England’s #1 keeper in Paul Robinson Spurs defense is leaky and seems to have a tendency to concede ’soft’ goals far too often.

Everton, the surprise team made a nice recovery despite the loss of Tim Cahill for much of the season along with AJ’s niggling injuries that kept him off the pitch at critical times. Making Tim Howard’s loan from United permanent is a good move and bodes well for the near term future for the Toffees. This is a team on the rise but they do have a long way to go to really challenge for a top spot. They’ll finish the campaign nearly 30 points off the pace of the leaders and they’re still ten points behind their arch rivals Liverpool.

Reading’s Royals are this seasons wonder team and finish the season among the top ten in their first ever appearance in the top flight of English football. A wonderful achievement but they will be hard pressed to hang on to some of their young and talented players for next time around. Missing UEFA Cup by a single point could be a blessing in disguise: I always say remember what happened to Ipswich Town and look where they are now.

Portsmouth’s exciting survival last season and their big spending has them finish in the top ten despite having only 3 wins and a -10 GD on the road. Will Kanu’s career end here or will he give Harry another season? That could be the most important question to be answered in the off season for Pompey.

Blackburn Rovers among the top ten despite having two matches of their last five decided by bad decisions by the on field officials costing them five precious points is a credit to Mark Hughes. His focus despite such injustices kept his team on track and able to challenge even the top teams to be at their very best when they faced Rovers. Can he hold onto Benni McCarthy? That is the key to the off season for Hughes and Rovers.

Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa are one player away from a UEFA Cup place. The league’s draw champions with 17 on the season are actually only a few goals from such a finish. Watch this team next season. Villa could be the outfit that rises more than any other in the table next time out. Summer signings are the key to their near term future, make no mistake about that.

Boro remain in their customary mid table spot losing 10 of their away games on the season. Middlesborough only managed to produce 44 goals in 38 premiership games. One of the league’s perennial underachievers they’ve played that customary role again. Can they keep the talented Yakubu and Mark Viduka for another season at the Riverside?

Newcastle; what can you say? Facing the most horrendous injury list the Magpies spirit seemed about to have them rise above the adversity. It didn’t end that way. Can they hold Owen or will he find greener pastures? Sam Allardyce takes the toughest job in the EPL as head man. Can he be successful where other top managers have failed? Newcastle last won a league title 80 years ago (1927) and their last major domestic trophy came in the FA Cup in 1955. Big job for Big Sam.

Manchester City, scoring only 29 goals on the season (same as bottom side Watford), survive for another season in the top flight only because they conceded fewer goals (16) at home than 15 of the other teams in the league. Their needs are obvious; City can’t score goals managing only 10 at home in league games. Pearce is dismissed so a new philosophy is on the way.

West Ham survive on the final day by completing the double on champions Man United. Carlos Tevez added under very controversial circumstances got off to a slow start for the Hammers, but became the team’s leader by example over the final ten matches. Tevez topped off his run of excellence by scoring the $80 million dollar goal at Old Trafford earning them another season in the EPL (if the courts don’t take that away).

Fulham gets another run in the top flight but only just. The young American Clint Dempsey finally made a positive contribution to the club by scoring the key goal that kept them from the drop. The Cottager’s woeful performance in away games continued for the second season in a row and they nearly did not survive this time. Sanchez replaces their young manager Chris Coleman who may find suitable employment soon.
Will McBride stay for another season?

Wigan Athletic, last seasons wonder team barely survived by winning their final match over Sheffield United. Paul Jewell resigns after keeping them in the EPL. Where is he going for next season?

Sheffield United are relegated and now leading the campaign to trash West Ham over their signings of Tevez and Mescherano. This club and their straight shooting manager Neil Warnock would be a credit to the league, but this ugliness challenging the FA and EPL to punish West Ham further (beyond their record fine) with points deductions tarnishes that rep. The Blades, on the pitch, made each and every team earn their points but in the end lost out on goal difference to Wigan dropping the final game to the Latics 2-1 at home.

Charlton didn’t start this season with their customary good run and actually things got worse for them as the season rolled along. Curbishley seemed uninterested at times after losing out on the England job and he changed seats with Alan Pardew who inspired the Addicks briefly. In the end they just weren’t quite good enough despite the Bents and are relegated.

Watford’s season in the top flight was doomed after the long term injury to Marlon King and the loss in the transfer window of Ashley Young. Aidy Boothroyd was a steady influence on his team and if he stays he’ll have them back in the EPL again soon. The EPL opponents knew all season long that the Hornets would be a stiff challenge and they were, they just lacked a bit of quality and that was the difference maker.

Can Liverpool really improve enough to win an EPL title next time around? Stevie G thinks so. He may be in dreamland but I’d like to see it happen. Let’s see; it’ll take 87 points to win it next year and that means Liverpool will need to win 20 more points than they did this time. Can they do it? As much as I’d like to see it, I think not.