The Premier League reaches its denouement with a champion that no one is surprised by but below kingpins Manchester City there have been surprises galore.
A couple of days before the season started - when every fanbase shared a degree of optimism for what lay ahead only for the majority to feel pretty miserable about their team when the World Cup interrupted proceedings - Mirror Football made predictions for all 20 teams.
Of course many of those look rather foolish now - with particular apologies reserved for Arsenal, Fulham and Bournemouth. On the flip side Wolves have turned out exactly as expected and Everton, Leicester and Leeds, who go into tomorrow’s final round of fixtures fighting for one survival spot.
Here is how all 20 teams ranked, where they were set to finish and evaluations of what we said at the time versus what we think now.
1 Manchester City (predicted: 1st)
What we said pre-season: Once more the team to beat. The signing of Erling Haaland could potentially transform how they play, though there is a common view that his purchase is more with the Champions League than domestic honours in mind.
What we’re saying now: An unstoppable force and already assured to be leading the pre-season predictions come August. As for those Champions League hopes, well … Haaland looks set to deliver against Inter in two weeks’ time.
2 Arsenal (6th)
What we said pre-season: The signings of Jesus and Zinchenko from Manchester City will undoubtedly improve Mikel Arteta’s squad … expect them to push for fourth but fade if others knuckle down.
What we’re saying now: Those additions improved the team but other young players took massive steps forward too and while the fade occurred it was for a title challenge rather than fourth. Well deserving of second place and we underestimated their potential.
3 Newcastle (8th)
What we said pre-season: There will be a distance to the big six but Newcastle ’s best XI is capable of bloodying noses. For a club that was concerned about relegation not so long ago that should be satisfaction enough.
What we’re saying now: Exceeded all expectations by qualifying for the Champions League with a game to spare - but that achievement must still be caveated by the ownership.
4 Manchester United (5th)
What we said pre-season: The apathy of last season has dissipated but unless another goalscorer is added to the squad it is hard to see how they can gain sufficient ground on the top two. And that is before weighing up the pros and cons of keeping Cristiano Ronaldo.
What we’re saying now: Ronaldo left to the benefit of the squad and Marcus Rashford stepped up big time after a shocking start. Form has tapered off in recent weeks, that afternoon at Anfield will give fans nightmares for years, but United have already won the EFL Cup with the small task of killing City’s Treble hopes in the FA Cup final to come.
5 Liverpool (2nd)
What we said pre-season: Jurgen Klopp will demand more of the same from a well-oiled machine. The departure of Sadio Mane is a severe blow but Luis Diaz has the potential to fill his void. They will run City close and go far in the Champions League but second spot again seems more likely.
What we’re saying now: Dismal start to the season left them with too much to do despite improvements over the past two months of the season. Squad will undergo significant changes this summer to bring them back into contention.
6 Brighton (10th)
What we said pre-season: An improved rate of scoring is desired but there is enough strength across the pitch to ensure no dramatic slump. The biggest issue is keeping a hold of Graham Potter, who will undoubtedly have bigger clubs sniffing should he deliver further signs of improvement.
What we’re saying now: Potter did move on to a bigger club but Albion somehow became even better under Roberto De Zerbi who is bringing a team with the league’s second-smallest wage bill into the Europa League.
7 Aston Villa (11th)
What we said pre-season: A wider appraisal of the squad a couple of days before their opener points to a little more than mediocrity and it is a challenge to settle on Steven Gerrard’s best XI.
What we’re saying now: Poor start saw Gerrard sacked and Unai Emery’s transformation since then has been outstanding, with Ollie Watkins among others hitting new heights.
8 Tottenham Hotspur (3rd)
What we said pre-season: Tottenham fans are justified to feel excited and Conte’s intense demeanour promises a strong start but will many neutrals be surprised if they fade come spring?
What we’re saying now: The intense demeanour did not lead to a strong start. Instead Conte was sacked … and the spring fade since his departure has felt even worse.
9 Brentford (13th)
What we said pre-season: It is easy to envisage a cliched difficult second season and yet there is equally a feeling that Thomas Frank’s squad are capable of further improvement.
What we’re saying now: Thanks to Ivan Toney’s goals the improvement has been greater than envisaged and considering they have the league’s smallest wage bill a top-half finish is some achievement.
10 Fulham (19th)
What we said pre-season: While their Championship win could hardly have been more comfortable the squad again is reliant upon Aleksandr Mitrovic to score enough to give them a fighting chance.
What we’re saying now: Our biggest mistake. Mitrovic has come good, despite his ban for shoving referee Chris Kavanagh, and other signings have made major impacts - not least outstanding midfielder Palhinha.
11 Crystal Palace (9th)
What we said pre-season: Last season young talent meshed together to produce a style of football that was haute cuisine compared to the meat and two veg of Roy Hodgson’s tenure. Repeating the trick should be considered a satisfactory campaign and if the likes of Ebere Eze and Michael Olise can kick on then the loss of Conor Gallagher will not seem so great.
What we’re saying now: Eze and Olise have kicked on - after Hodgson surprisingly returned to great effect when the Vieira era went stale.
12 Chelsea (4th)
What we said pre-season: It has been a chaotic summer as the new owners settle in. They have pursued many players only to be snubbed or used for those players to then secure better deals elsewhere. Thomas Tuchel needs a proven striker to challenge the top two and the market indicates no big names are available.
What we’re saying now: A disaster. Tuchel left after falling out with the owners, Graham Potter came in and struggled with a bloated squad that has had more than half a billion of investment, and now Frank Lampard is ready for his farewell from a truly awful spell as interim head coach.
13 Wolves (12th)
What we said pre-season: More of the same. A strong defence has added Nathan Collins from Burnley but only the bottom three scored fewer last season. Fireworks will be at a premium.
What we’re saying now: As expected. Whatever about Collins, Craig Dawson has been excellent at the back for a team that improved under Julen Lopetegui but unsurprisingly has scored the fewest number of goals.
14 West Ham (7th)
What we said pre-season: David Moyes has worked wonders with a small squad and although they still lack the choice of the big six their most pressing concern has been eased by the signing of Gianluca Scamacca.
What we’re saying now: A pretty poor domestic season could be quickly forgotten if they win the Europa Conference League. Scamacca, meanwhile, has been one of the campaign’s great flops.
15 Bournemouth (20th)
What we said pre-season: The key question is whether manager Scott Parker and the core of a squad that has previously experienced relegation can learn from past mistakes. The odds are stacked against them.
What we’re saying now: Gary O’Neil has done an impressive job to keep the division’s lightest squad up with weeks to spare. New owners spent £50m in January and with more investment promised the future looks bright.
16 Nottingham Forest (17th)
What we said pre-season: By some distance the most interesting of the three sides to come up. And not just because of their history. How will Steve Cooper, whose stock could hardly be higher, manage in the top tier? Compared to the other likely strugglers their recruitment has stood out.
What we’re saying now: Cooper, who was close to being sacked in autumn, has had to deal with an incredibly bloated squad and dire away form but found a way to accumulate enough points to stay up. A job very well done in the circumstances.
17 Everton (16th)
What we said pre-season: It is easy to see why Frank Lampard is the favourite to be the first sacking of the season considering he has already been playing the blame game and the defensive flaws to his teams dating back to Derby County - set pieces and counterattacking - have not been fixed.
What we’re saying now: Lampard departed after 20 games and Everton have continued to struggle since - with possible relegation on Sunday likely to have catastrophic long-term consequences on the club’s future.
18 Leicester (14th)
What we said pre-season: The club is drifting and concern from fans is warranted. Brendan Rodgers had promised a rebuild but is yet to make a signing and several stars have either left, such as Kasper Schmeichel, or are being linked with moves away like defender Wesley Fofana and midfielders Youri Tielemans and James Maddison.
What we’re saying now: The rebuild did not arrive, Fofana joined Chelsea and after a brutal first few months of the campaign Rodgers eventually departed too. Not even Maddison’s solid contributions have been enough to deny them a nervy final day.
19 Leeds (18th)
What we said pre-season: The jury remains out on Jesse Marsch after last season’s late escape and the fact their two best players, Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha, have been sold points to a season of struggle … a solid start is crucial.
What we’re saying now: Easily forgotten but they did start well - remember the performance at home to Chelsea - only for everything to turn pear-shaped quickly. Now look doomed despite Sam Allardyce replacing Javi Gracia, who had come in for Marsch.
20 Southampton (15th)
What we said pre-season: Will Ralph Hasenhuttl make it to a fourth anniversary? He is the second favourite to be first sacked. The key to his survival rests in defensive improvements but the options available do not inspire immediate confidence.
What we’re saying now: He did not, departing during the World Cup break with 12 points from 14 points. Nathan Jones was an even worse appointment and by the time he left a fragile squad with several players daunted by the position they found themselves in appearing to throw the towel in.
