What if... the season came down to improvement?published at 11:40 BST 2 June
11:40 BST 2 June
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...
Many of us will have been there in school.
It was not always about being the best, but about being better. Not trying to beat the others' scores or times, but about beating your own.
In sport too, it is why personal bests exist. It is a way of measuring your own improvement against what has gone before - we can't all be Usain Bolt and Florence Griffith-Joyner.
So if the Premier League season was all about how you compared to the campaign before, who would have come out on top?
Well, there is one clear winner.
With 29 points more than they had in 2023-24, Nottingham Forest would have been lifting that trophy.
They may not have finished the season quite as they hoped having spent so much time in the Champions League spots, but having narrowly avoided relegation a year ago, this shows the sheer scale of the improvement this term.
Their nearest challenger on this basis would have been Brentford.
With 56 points, they were three points short of their best ever Premier League tally, but having flirted with relegation last time out, it made for a more enjoyable season this time around.
Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham may have just missed out on European adventures in the real league, but they are also teams who can be happy with the improvements they are showing as now well-established top-flight sides.
And despite the chaotic nature of Chelsea since the new ownership came in, they too can look to steady progress.
At the other end of the scale (or table), it is a very different picture.
Many question whether the traditional 'big six' teams is still relevant, given how others have broken that mould in recent years.
But if the season was based on improvement, four of those six would have been at the bottom.
Tottenham dropped-off in the league nearly as much as Forest improved. Manchester City had a high bar to reach, but a torrid spell proved costly. Manchester United have set multiple unwanted club records, while Arsenal struggled to maintain a real challenge for the title.
They say beware the wounded tiger, and it is hard to see all these sides having the same difficulties next season, but they will not have it all their own way with those teams that are on the up.
*All data from Opta and only teams who were in the league in 2023-24
Spurs confirm five exitspublished at 12:19 BST 31 May
12:19 BST 31 May
Image source, Getty Images
Goalkeepers Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman, and defender Sergio Reguilon will all leave Tottenham when their contracts expire next month.
Meanwhile, on-loan forward Timo Werner will return to parent club RB Leipzig and midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojberg's temporary move to Marseille will be turned into a permanent transfer.
"We thank Fraser, Sergio, Alfie and Timo for their service and wish them well for the future," a club statement read.
Signings and sales - your transfer window prioritiespublished at 10:05 BST 31 May
10:05 BST 31 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for you to tell us what Tottenham need to do in the summer transfer window.
Here are some of your comments:
Tom: We've got to strengthen in a few areas (both full-backs, plus probably a winger), but our players are (mostly) far more talented than last season's results suggest. We need to reset, not rebuild.
Glyn: Where do I start? Bruno Fernandes in midfield as an old-school classic battler midfielder, or get someone like Glenn Hoddle (I wish!) who can spread a ball around and work some magic, and also take free-kicks. We should go full old school and bring back a 4-4-2 formation and have some classic dribblers on the wings!
Aaron: Spurs definitely need to add to all areas in the squad. Mainly midfield I think. We could do with another creative midfielder, someone in central and a winger maybe. Hope the rumours are true that we're trying to go for Marc Guehi as well because when Van De Ven and Romero aren't in the team our defence is woeful.
Harry: Our defence on paper looks solid. However, because of the way Ange wants us to play, cracks appear all along the back four. Keeping Romero would be a major boost, but I still feel we are one centre-back light. The midfield is fine when on form. Pape Sarr and Begavall are the future, but I believe they leave our defence too exposed. Buying a solid anchor man would help. I also think we need a new striker - the jury is still out on Solanke and Richarlison is never fit.
Tim: We need to recruit players who have proved they can cut it in the Premier League (and Champions League). We haven't done well in recent years in attracting the kind of players we need, settling instead on second-tier talent. I wonder if the Ange decision being in limbo is going to put off potential signings while they wait to see who the manager will be.
Will: Tottenham have to keep Micky van de Ven in the transfer window - the absolute spine of the squad. If reports are true that Romero is leaving then Spurs need to sign another solid centre-back to work with Micky (I do like the look of Danso). Think the midfield probably needs some reinforcements for Champions League football, Eze from Crystal Palace would be my first choice.
Robert: Midfield and up front are the key areas for me. Despite losing so many games, I don't think defence is a problem, although losing Romero would be a blow. They just need to keep fit! Another striker is a priority. I would have liked to have seen Liam Delap arrive. He's big, strong and young, which fits the current Spurs transfer philosophy. Also, midfield needs strengthening. A creative player to compete with Maddison and a big, physical holding midfielder. Finally, a new contract for Son. He hasn't had the best of seasons, but form is temporary while class is permanent.
Thank you for your feedbackpublished at 09:14 BST 31 May
09:14 BST 31 May
Thank you for the feedback you submitted on the Premier League club pages.
Our aim is to contain all of the BBC's in-depth coverage of that team in one place, so it is helpful to hear from you - you are who the pages are for after all.
We are going through all your responses and will take suggestions on board for next season.
What needs to happen in the transfer window?published at 12:12 BST 30 May
12:12 BST 30 May
Image source, Getty Images
The transfer window opens on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.
Are there certain players you are desperate for Tottenham to sign, or an area of the squad that needs improving? Or maybe holding on to a key player is your biggest priority.
And what about sales - who needs to go?
So over to you... what names need bringing in and shipping out?
What if... the season started in January?published at 11:32 BST 30 May
11:32 BST 30 May
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...
A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.
Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.
The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.
So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?
Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.
Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.
City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.
The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.
And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.
That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.
The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.
So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.
'Nothing like a major trophy to galvanise a club'published at 12:32 BST 29 May
12:32 BST 29 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your views on our fan writer Ali Speechly's end of season scorecard (27 May, 09:54 BST).
Here are some of your comments:
Jon: I'm with Ali on the season's assessment. I'm lucky to have been supporting Spurs since 1967 (my late dad was a Gooner - it was his brother-in-law who got me supporting Spurs) so I've been part of a fanbase who have actually experienced winning! There's nothing like a major trophy to galvanise a club. I hope Daniel Levy remembers this when considering Ange's future.
Gary: My overriding emotion is relief, the Europa league win masked over an awful season and now it's time for a fresh start and ideas with a new manager instead of leaving it 10 games into the new season when we will be in the relegation zone.
Simon: Sorry Ali but I totally disagree with you. If this manager stays, we will probably get relegated next season. Yes winning a trophy is brilliant, but so us actually trying to challenge in the Premier League. These excuses of injured players! They all been back for a while now and results in the Premier League have got worse. So thanks for the trophy but please let's get someone who can actually manage on maybe two fronts.
Charles: Work in progress. Can be exciting and abysmal in equal measure. It was, ultimately, all about the trophy. The icing on the cake; Champions League football next season. Ange is a winner!
John: I know the league form and position are not acceptable for a club such as Spurs but we have won a trophy which the manager promised so I hope we keep him and see where he takes us in the next 12 months.
When will the 2025-26 Premier League fixtures be released? published at 08:21 BST 29 May
08:21 BST 29 May
Image source, Getty Images
The BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.
The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday,18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.
The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.
The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.
What is your Spurs moment of the season?published at 15:53 BST 28 May
15:53 BST 28 May
Nizaar Kinsella BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham supporters will simply remember this season as the one where they ended their 17-year trophy drought and qualified for the Champions League.
In a season of protests, anger and dismal domestic form, Spurs have somehow survived at the expense of Manchester United.
Ange Postecoglou led his side to a 1-0 win over United in the Europa League, flirting with calamity but ending up celebrating and qualifying for the Champions League, securing between £80m-£100m in the process.
All Spurs fans will be grateful to the Australian manager. However, some will still think the cold, pragmatic decision is to sack him, while others will disagree.
That uncertainty is felt within Postecoglou's camp and he spoke of needing more control at the club in a season which ranks as their worst in the Premier League era, finishing 17th, just one place above the relegation zone.
Twenty two defeats, the league position and the dismal total of 38 points are all the worst Spurs have endured since the league's inception.
Tottenham fans will not care too much but chairman Daniel Levy is left with a big decision, although he will listen to opinions on the rest of the board and senior staff like head of football Scott Munn and technical director Johan Lange, over whether to sack or keep the manager into next season.
It is a decision Levy has to get right as he himself has faced calls to leave the club at various intervals during this turbulent season.
Who were the fastest and slowest players in the Premier League?published at 15:43 BST 28 May
15:43 BST 28 May
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Speed has become such a defining aspect of Premier League football for years now. Whether it's lightning-quick wingers tearing down the flanks or centre-backs chasing down counterattacks, speed can be the difference between winning and losing.
With that in mind, let's have a look at the fastest players in the Premier League this season.
Tottenham Hotspur's Micky van de Ven was the fastest player in the top-flight during this campaign, reaching a top speed of 23.1 miles per hour
Manchester City midfielder-turned-right-back Matheus Nunes was the second-fastest, just ahead of Nottingham Forest's speed merchant Anthony Elanga.
Not only does Bryan Mbeumo run a lot and sprint a lot, he's fast too…the whole package!
As for the slowest players, the above data looks at outfield players that racked up at least 10 full games' worth of minutes – to give them a chance to build up some steam.
In that metric, Wolves' 35-year-old defender Craig Dawson was the slowest player, reaching a top speed of 18.4 miles per hour.
Manchester City's Bernardo Silva and West Ham's Tomas Soucek may be among the slowest players, but they were also two of the hardest runners - covering over seven miles per 90 minutes - which shows they were built for stamina over speed.
The players who run and run...published at 12:34 BST 28 May
12:34 BST 28 May
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes covered the most ground this season, running 261 miles (St James' Park to Wembley is 271 miles).
He retains the award after racking up 263 miles in the competition last season.
Josko Gvardiol, Daniel Munoz, Bryan Mbeumo and Milos Kerkez complete the top five for most distance covered across the Premier League season.
Taking time on the pitch into account (out of players that played over half the available minutes), Guimaraes was pipped by Newcastle team-mate in the list by team-mate Sandro Tonali who covered more ground per 90 minutes than the Brazilian…although Bruno still ran 7.2 miles per 90 minutes!
Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski ran harder than any other player this season, covering 7.7 miles per 90 minutes on average.
West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek ran an average of 7.5 miles per 90 minutes, while Manchester City's Bernardo Silva (7.3) and Brighton's Yasin Ayari complete the top five.
Which teams put a shift in this season?published at 08:03 BST 28 May
08:03 BST 28 May
Chris Collinson BBC Sport statistician
Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.
The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.
Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.
Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).
Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.
Gossip: Spurs offered Sane on free transferpublished at 07:27 BST 28 May
07:27 BST 28 May
Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign 29-year-old Bayern Munich and Germany winger Leroy Sane, who will become a free agent at the end of next month (Sky Sports, external)
Fan scorecard: Unsung hero? Overriding emotion?published at 09:54 BST 27 May
09:54 BST 27 May
Ali Speechly Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Season rating: 10/10. This season was mostly devastating and could easily be scored two out of 10, but we won a trophy so it was ultimately delightful, Therefore, I'm with Ange Postecoglou on this one: outstanding! And much better than finishing second and trophyless - again.
Happy with your manager? It's hard not to be happy with a manager who has done what so many others have failed to do for our club. In addition to the trophy, there were also glimmers of positivity in the Premier League – I think you can see what he is trying to build. However, I can't ignore the injuries and inconsistencies which dogged our season – so, if Ange does stay, he's still got lots of work to do.
Unsung hero: Pedro Porro. The mainstay in an injury-cursed backline, Porro was always fighting for us with his heart on his sleeve and trademark grin on his face. The only dip in performance came through fatigue, but even then he powered through to rise again. Honourable mention must go to Admin – not only for the stunning quality of the social media content, but also the impressive quantity of it, especially since that night in Bilbao.
Player you would most like to sign: Rayan Cherki from Olympique Lyonnais. Ange's Spurs looks like the perfect stage for the Europa League's young player of the season to showcase his talent. Some sources are already convinced he is on his way to N17 – let's hope the rumours are true.
My overriding emotion from the season is: Relief! I am relieved that our worst-ever Premier League season is over. I'm also relieved – and overjoyed – that we have finally won a trophy. A season to forget? More like a victory we'll remember forever.
'An embarrassment to a club of Tottenham's stature'published at 09:49 BST 27 May
09:49 BST 27 May
Image source, Getty Images
Here's my quick assessment of Tottenham's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.
Ended the season: 17th
Pre-season prediction: 6th
Head or heart? This is what Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will be weighing up as he decides the future of manager Ange Postecoglou.
The abysmal league campaign - an embarrassment to a club of Tottenham's stature - will now be remembered for the glorious Europa League win in Bilbao and a first trophy since 2008.
Postecoglou lived up to his insistence, based on hard evidence, that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club, but will it be enough to convince Levy to give him a third?
On Premier League evidence, it is very unlikely. Spurs lost 22 league games, twice as many as they won. But how can you sack a manager who has won your first trophy for 17 years and put you back in the Champions League?
We will soon find out.
What I said in August: "Really interesting season ahead for Spurs."
The symmetry between Spurs in the league and winning a trophypublished at 14:31 BST 26 May
14:31 BST 26 May
Andrew Bassett BBC Sport Data Analyst
Much has been made of Tottenham's contrasting form in the Premier League and Europa League this season.
But history suggests when Spurs lift a trophy, a dip in league performance often goes hand in hand.
Since the early 1990s, Spurs have not combined a strong league season with cup success. It has typically been one or the other.
Before this season's league struggles, the last time Spurs finished in the bottom half of the Premier League was that memorable 2007-08 season with its February flourish of a League Cup final win over Chelsea.
Since then, they have racked up 16 consecutive seasons of solid to strong Premier League finishes, but without any silverware along the way.
Going further back, the 1990-91 season offers a familiar pattern. Terry Venables' FA Cup-winning side were third in the table at the end of November. However, from the FA Cup fourth round onwards, they only managed one league win in their final 15 matches.
That's worse than the one league win in 12 matches Ange Postecoglou's side recorded at the end of this season as their focus shifted to Europe.
Tottenham's season 'prompts rare paradox'published at 11:31 BST 26 May
11:31 BST 26 May
Laura Kenyon Final Score reporter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Image source, Getty Images
Tottenham's season ignites debate around a paradox rarely seen in top-flight football: immense cup success versus dismal league performance, within the neat timeframe of one footballing cycle.
For the Spurs fanbase, the discourse is whether or not a 17th place finish and a major trophy, is more preferable than top six and no trophy.
They qualify for the Champions League and avoid relegation – is that enough to satisfy decision makers such as Daniel Levy?
It poses a question of priorities.
This was surely debated back in 2010 by Portsmouth fans watching their already relegated side in an FA Cup final - and it is a question that could, in this context, influence the future of Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham.
'Spurs manager-go-round will swing into action soon'published at 09:46 BST 26 May
09:46 BST 26 May
Image source, Getty Images
We asked for your thoughts after Tottenham finished a difficult Premier League season with a heavy home defeat by Brighton on the final day.
Here are some of your replies:
John: Another abject and abysmal defeat - 22 losses in 38 games speaks for itself. The Europa League win cannot mask what has been a desperately poor and disappointing domestic campaign. Ange Postecoglou is deluding himself and others. Time to go - sorry.
Ellie: '17th I don't know how, we won it in Bilbao!' This didn't really mean much, especially with the results elsewhere. At the start of the season, the aim was a trophy and we got it. Who cares about this game?
Darren: Postecoglou has to go. We got lucky in the Europa League final, but we are bottom four and got stuffed by an average Brighton. He doesn't know how to change this. With the extra games next season, we will end up relegated. He is a nice man and thank you for the cup, but it's time for a fighter who will help us never be in this position again.
Pauline: I am sad because I thought we would win this game and I fear that Ange will now be sacked. I don't want to go through another rebuild with another new manager. Please give him a few months next season and, if we are still bad, then let him go.
Ryan: Being at the match itself, you could tell that in the crowd we didn't care about the result. We were still in party mood. In the second half you could tell the players were heavily fatigued and hungover still. Brighton did what they had to do.
Richard: The Spurs manager-go-round will swing into action again soon with Daniel Levy appointing some other cheap and cheerful no-hoper. Levy is the common denominator here. Managers come, fail and go - but Mr Levy keeps his place.
