Premier League 2023-24 - the alternative awards
Best moments of the 2Good 2Bad season
- Published
Before the final day of the 2023-24 Premier League season, BBC Sport looks back on some of the most memorable and shocking moments of the campaign.
A more conventional awards piece will follow the conclusion of the season on Sunday, but, for now, here are BBC Sport's Alternative Premier League Awards 2023-24.
Biggest VAR controversy: Luis Diaz’s goal that should have been
Luis Diaz grimaces after his goal at Spurs is ruled out, incorrectly, for offside
The incident involving Luis Diaz’s disallowed goal against Tottenham Hotspur in September was unprecedented. With the game at 0-0 and Liverpool down to 10 men, the Colombian forward had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside.
The decision followed an unusually quick video assistant referee (VAR) check by Darren England, in which the offside line graphic was not shown.
PGMOL later issued a statement apologising for “significant human error”, which led VAR not to intervene.
Second place: Manchester United’s Andre Onana avoids conceding a penalty on the opening weekend after crashing into Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic.
Biggest wind-up merchant: Neal Maupay
Brentford's Maupay has earned himself a few enemies on the field this year
Brentford striker Maupay has earned himself a reputation this season. On the field, he has clashed with a number of players, including James Maddison, Kyle Walker and Scott McTominay.
His antics have included mimicking an opponent’s celebration, kicking the ball away before set-pieces and even allegedly removing Burnley assistant manager Craig Bellamy's earpiece. Maupay’s spat with Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in December caused a melee.
The 27-year-old has taken some of these arguments online too – trolling McTominay on social media after a meeting with Manchester United in March by posting a picture with the caption: “this fan was desperate for my shirt.”
Maupay does have boundaries, however. In April, when United winger Antony celebrated vociferously in front of Coventry City players after an FA Cup semi-final win, Maupay wrote on social media: “just for the record, not even I would do this".
Second place: Jordan Pickford treating the Goodison crowd to some Jurgen Klopp style fist pumps after Everton delivered a fatal blow to Liverpool’s title hopes.
Hottest pundit hot take: Erling Haaland plays like a League Two footballer
Erling Haaland leads the race for the Premier League Golden Boot for a second successive season with 27 goals heading into City's final match against West Ham
Erling Haaland scored 52 goals in all competitions last season. His tally of 36 Premier League goals beat the previous record of 34 in a season held by Andy Cole and Alan Shearer.
In November, he became the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League goals.
Fast-forward to March: after a quiet game against Arsenal, former Manchester United captain Roy Keane claimed that Haaland’s "general play" was "so poor" that he looked "almost like a League Two player".
City boss Pep Guardiola defended his main man, calling him “the best striker in the world.”
Second place: Gary Neville labels Chelsea “billion-pound bottle jobs” after losing to Liverpool in the EFL Cup final.
Most shocking club statement: Nottingham Forest question the integrity of VAR official
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, centre, stepped away from his role at Nottingham Forest after they were charged by the FA in May
On 21 April, Nottingham Forest lost 2-0 to Everton in a crucial tie at the bottom of the table.
During the match, visitors Forest had three separate penalty appeals against Ashley Young waved away by referee Anthony Taylor, with video assistant referee Stuart Attwell not intervening.
Minutes after full-time the club posted on social media, alleging Attwell was a fan of relegation rivals Luton.
Forest's post said: "Three extremely poor decisions - three penalties not given - which we simply cannot accept.
"We warned the PGMOL that the VAR is a Luton fan... NFFC will now consider its options."
The statement has been seen more than 45 million times.
Forest were subsequently charged with misconduct by the FA.
Second place: Arsenal call for “urgent” action on refereeing standards after a loss to Newcastle.
Most short-lived fad: Blue cards
Gianni Infantino dismissed blue cards out of hand
In February, it was announced that football's lawmakers Ifab were to trial sin-binning players and issuing blue cards for offences like cynical fouls.
A player would spend 10 minutes in the technical area after being given a blue card by a referee. The Premier League ruled themselves out of the trial and Fifa president Gianni Infantino said “no way”, with the idea being scrapped at elite football level by the beginning of March.
Second place: The 'referee analyst' role. Former referee Mark Clattenburg was hired by Forest in February to help advise on decisions. By early May, he had stepped down, saying his position had "become more of a hindrance than help" to the club.
Most messy managerial departure: Roy Hodgson leaves Crystal Palace
Hodgson was replaced by Oliver Glasner at Selhurst Park in February
At the start of the season, Roy Hodgson was enjoying his second spell as manager at Crystal Palace – the club where he also began his playing career in 1965.
By February, Palace were 16th in the table, having lost 10 of their previous 16 Premier League games.
Amid rumours of a potential sacking, Hodgson was taken ill. Days later, the 76-year-old ended speculation by announcing that he would step down to allow the club to "bring forward their plans to appoint a new manager".
Second place: David Moyes’ drawn-out exit at West Ham.
Biggest pile-on: Kalvin Phillips
A move to West Ham has not been the tonic Phillips may have hoped for
Hoping to revive his career before Euros 2024, Kalvin Phillips completed a loan move to West Ham in January. It has not gone as well as the Manchester City midfielder may have hoped.
On his Hammers debut against Bournemouth, the 28-year-old gifted Dominic Solanke a goal in the third minute. He was sent off against Nottingham Forest in February and gave away a penalty against Newcastle in March. After that match, Phillips was allegedly caught making an offensive gesture to West Ham fans who were criticising him while he boarded the team bus.
Second place: Raheem Sterling was booed by some of his own fans after a wayward free-kick during a 4-2 win over Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-final.
Cheekiest celebration: Mohammed Kudus vs Newcastle ball-boy
A Newcastle ball boy refused to give up his stool for Kudus in March
Mohammed Kudus has been a breath of fresh air for West Ham since joining last summer. The Ghanaian midfielder has seven Premier League goals and six assists going into the final game of the season.
As well as silky footwork and goal threat, the 23-year-old has introduced his own trademark celebration to the Premier League, where he sits on the advertising hoardings while his teammates mob him.
Kudus came unstuck with this celebration, however, when he tried to evolve it at St James’ Park in March. After scoring just before half-time, the midfielder ran up to a ball boy and asked to use his stool. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Newcastle ball boy refused to play along and Kudus had to settle for the hoardings.
Second place: Bukayo Saka copying James Maddison’s trademark darts celebration during a 2-2 draw in the London derby last September. Maddison, who got two assists that day, said after the match: “I got told he [Saka] did the darts celebration. He must’ve still been doing it when I turned him for the first goal.”
- Published11 August 2023
