The 2022/23 Premier League season has been a wild ride of surprise results, injury crises, and extraordinary talent on display. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea ran away with the league, finishing in the top four positions. In stark contrast, traditional powers Manchester United and Tottenham waded in 15th and 17th. The only other thing I’ll point to about this season is the explosive growth of the fast break. Injury issues magnified questions about player conditioning and tactical preparation throughout the league.
The Reds won it all thanks to the magic of the Egyptian magician, Mohamed Salah. What’s more, his playmaking and finishing power made him a big reason for Liverpool’s title-winning success. Salah’s late equaliser against Crystal Palace on the final day underscored his importance, bringing his total to 47 goal involvements, equalling the record for the Premier League. Teams like Newcastle and Aston Villa had exciting seasons, taking fifth and sixth place in the table.
The Rise and Fall of the Premier League Giants
Through the course of this season, Liverpool only reaffirmed their tyrannical grasp, cruising through the league to reclaim the top spot. With Mohamed Salah at the forefront, they were able to find success. Not only did he lead the Sky Sports Power Rankings for the month, but he was key in earning his team points in critical matches. His creative outlet and eye for goal from midfield was key to Liverpool’s title-winning run. It’s no small ask, but the team is counting on an encore from Salah after he inked a new deal at Anfield in April.
Manchester United and Tottenham both had poor seasons dotting the table with underperforming clubs. Manchester United’s 15th place finish was their worst result since finishing 3rd in 2013-14. As the club repeatedly fails to find reliable results, a chaotic era is exposed. This reality has caused great concern at the public management of this imbalancing decision. Like Newcastle, Tottenham’s disarray led them to the brink of relegation and left many questioning where exactly the club was heading.
Arsenal and Manchester City pushed the title race all the way to the wire but were never truly in contention with Liverpool’s blistering title challenge. That war for dominance among these teams has created an interesting backdrop heading into a 2024 season that promises to be compelling.
Injuries Impacting Player Performance
This widespread injury epidemic across most teams this season saw players combined missing over 25,000 days to injuries and surgeries. Problems with hamstrings alone were responsible for an injury-related more than 21 percent of all days lost to injuries. This trend has been concerning to clubs and supporters alike. Far from being incidental, it would appear to have a direct effect on performance and consistency on the pitch. They have been forced to respond rapidly to ever-shifting squad criteria, frequently forced to cobble together teams with players of limited experience.
The lack of availability I would say is the biggest factor that has led to a drop in production from some of the more traditional powerhouses. With key players sitting out, teams didn’t know who was going to show up. This came to a head in the league positions of Manchester United and Tottenham.
Teams are re-thinking their approach to injuries and player fitness. Such a shift will likely influence training regimens and transfer strategies in future seasons. If clubs have a strong incentive to reduce injury rates, they will invest in medical staff and technology that achieves that goal.
A New Era of Fast Breaks
One more defining theme of this season was the rise of fast breaks in Premier League games. The median number of fast breaks per game rose to 2.04. That’s more than three times higher than the rate she would have seen during the 2017/18 season! This change is indicative of an overall evolution in the game as teams place a higher emphasis on speed and counter-attacking play.
Teams such as Bournemouth showed how successful this tactic could be, coming in ninth place overall while playing with house money as a newly promoted side. Their play was especially praised considering they finished as the third best team in the league according to Sky Sports’ expected goals formula. Implementation since such success stories are proof that ever-changing, creative, and innovative tactics have revolutionized the beautiful game of Premier League football.
Brentford were well known for being a set-piece powerhouse this season. They shredded the league last season, producing six of their eight goals from long throws. This unusual achievement really underscored how creatively they generated opportunities to score.
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