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The Premier League enjoyed another highly successful year in 2021. Three of the four finalists in the Champions League and Europa League were clubs from the Premier League.
The title race between Chelsea, Liverpool and holders Manchester City this season is also set to go down to the wire.
Given the importance of winning points, Premier League managers are under immense pressure
A lot of managerial changes took place in the calendar year. Two Premier League legends, Frank Lampard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, were sacked this year by Chelsea and Manchester United respectively.
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However, a couple of Premier League stalwarts in Steven Gerrard and Patrick Vieira got their first bite at the Premier League cherry. Antonio Conte and Rafa Benitez also returned this year at Tottenham Hotspur and Everton respectively.
All these new managers, along with the old ones, have just one thing on their mind, i.e., to gain points. In such a competitive league, managers’ jobs could be safe today and under threat in just a few weeks. Hence, earning points and wins along the way is imperative for a club of any stature. Here are five Premier League teams that won the most points in 2021.
#5 Manchester United - 71
Manchester United narrowly (by 1 point) beat West Ham to fifth place. The most successful Premier League team of all time had a roller coaster of the year. During the first half of 2021, their ecstasy turned into agony when they were easily beaten in the title race by Manchester City.
During the summer transfer window, Red Devils fans had a lot to sing about. Apart from the homecoming of Cristiano Ronaldo, the 13-time Premier League winner also signed Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane. However, they couldn’t perform as well as the Old Trafford faithful would have hoped for one reason or another.
They were beaten 5-0 at home by arch-rivals Liverpool and 2-0 by neighbors Manchester City. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked days after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at the hands of Watford. Overall, they earned 71 points in 2021, a majority of which came during the second half of last season.
#4 Arsenal - 73
One team that has gone from strength to strength this season is North London-based club Arsenal. After a horrific start to the campaign, where they lost three matches in a row, Mikel Arteta’s men made a sensational comeback in the Premier League. A string of positive results, albeit against mid-table and relegation-threatened teams, have propelled them to fourth position.
Arsenal enjoyed a fantastic second-half last season as they conjured up 41 points in the Premier League, level with Chelsea and more than Liverpool. Overall, they have won 22 games this year, a figure just one shy of Chelsea and Liverpool’s 23 victories. This just shows what a commendable job Arteta has done at the Emirates Stadium.
It's no surprise that Arsenal will not be anywhere near the top of the table this season. But for a young side like theirs, finishing in the top four in the Premier League will be a massive achievement. The Gunners will have a chance to add to their 73 points this year as they face off against Norwich on Boxing Day.
#3 Liverpool - 77
Currently placed second in the Premier League table, Liverpool are one of three teams expected to feature in such a list. The 19-time league winners had a year filled with twists and turns. They started 2021 at the top of the table, only for their injury lapses to come to the fore.
Jurgen Klopp's side lost six games in a row at Anfield during the start of the year. Thanks to some great performances towards the back end of last season, they managed to qualify for the Champions League. The Reds are back to their best this season and will compete for the title.
Liverpool have been on fire this season. Among others, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been playing out of their skins. Liverpool earned 41 this season. They are the only team to have won less during the second half of the 2020-21 Premier League campaign than this season.
#2 Chelsea - 79
Chelsea went through a managerial change this year and it worked out brilliantly for The Blues. They sacked Frank Lampard to bring in Thomas Tuchel in January. Tuchel didn’t take long to get positive results. Chelsea made things hard for themselves in the top four race last season. However, everything was forgotten when they were crowned winners of the Champions League after defeating Manchester City.
The London-based club started the current campaign impressively. They were sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table for a long time. However, their recent results have been underwhelming. They have slipped down to third place behind Manchester City and Liverpool.
Romelu Lukaku made his return to Chelsea earlier this year. While he looked solid during his first few appearances, goals dried up for the big Belgian later on. He will have a substantial role to play if Chelsea have to break the Manchester City juggernaut in the Premier League this season.
#1 Manchester City - 104
Crushing the competition with ease, Manchester City earned a whopping 104 points in the Premier League in 2021. They obtained more points than anyone during the second half of last season, 60. The Cityzens picked up momentum towards the middle phase of the 2020-21 Premier League campaign. The same seems to be happening this season as well.
With 44 points already this term, Manchester City are three and six points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively. The blue half of Manchester won an astonishing 34 Premier League games this calendar year, which is a record. If they continue at this pace, it will be hard for the chasing pack to catch them.
Pep Guardiola has redefined football during his stint at Manchester City. They have been playing without an out-and-out no. 9 for almost two seasons now. As long as the Spanish tactician is at the helm at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City will always be a force to reckon with in the Premier League.
