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As another exciting season of the Premier League has drawn to a close, the battle to avoid relegation took centre stage in the final weeks as Manchester City romped to the title with five games to play, eventually finishing a whopping 19 points ahead of runners-up Manchester United.
At the other end, it was all chaos and it was Swansea, West Brom and Stoke who were relegated eventually and though they deserved to be relegated for their overall performance throughout the season, certain players from the three sides did not deserve to be relegated.
Here we take a look at the best players from the three worst sides in the league this season, players whose performances surely did not deserve what they got:
GK - Lukasz Fabianski (Swansea)
The goalkeeper spot was by far the most difficult one to fill with all three keepers having an impressive season but Fabianski just edges out Butland and Foster by virtue of his consistent form throughout the season.
He was instrumental in the mini-revival of the Swans mid-season and was a calming influence in the goal for Swansea all season.
Stats
Fabianski kept 9 clean sheets and conceded 50 goals this season, better than Butland and Foster, and had an average saves-per-goal ratio of 2.02 which was easily the best among the three keepers. He had to make 97 saves throughout the season, second only to Butland's 106.
Def - Ahmed Hegazi (WBA)
One of the signings of the summer, Hegazi has adapted seamlessly to the Premier League even scoring in his first match for the baggies and has not looked back ever since, going from strength to strength.
Strong, quick and composed on the ball, he has formed a natural partnership with Evans at the heart of the Baggies defence and became the leader at the back during their late-season resurgence which coincided with Evans absence due to injury.
Stats
Hegazi won 32 of his attempted tackles and made 57 interceptions, the best among anyone form the three relegated sides. He also completed the most passes in his team, with a 73% success rate showing he is not just about the brawn.
Remarkably though, he made just 1 defensive error all season playing a team that often bore the brunt of opposition's attack, showing his composure under pressure.
Def - Alfie Mawson (Swansea)
Alfie Mawson has kicked on from his promising debut season and was a colossus at the back for the Swans, snuffing out any threats.
His performances made england boss Gareth Southgate sit-up and notice and he would have made the World cup squad if not for an unfortunate knee injury, that's how impressive he has been this season.
He is surely too good for the Championship and with interest from Premier League sides already being reported, it is inevitable he leaves the Swans this summer
Stats
Mawson has had the best season among the defenders of three relegated sides if you look at the stats. He made the most passes and had the highest pass completion rate with 82% of his passes reaching his intended target among the three sides.
He also won 62% of his aerial duels which was also the best among his peers showing his aerial strength and received just 2 yellow cards, showing his ability to time the tackles to perfection.
Def - Jonny Evans (WBA)
If Hegazi bought steel to West Brom's Backline, Evans provided the ball playing abilities, a criminally underrated aspect of his play and perfectly complemented the Egyptian in West Brom's backline.
His stock has risen since being sold by United and was steady at back throughout the season with his ability to bring the ball out from the back proving particularly crucial.
He has had a comparatively underwhelming season but that has not stopped big sides such as Arsenal and Manchester City expressing an interest in him having tried to buy him last season
He reportedly has a 3 million relegation release clause in his contract and you can expect to see almost all of the PL clubs to fight for his signature.
Stats
Evans ability to bring the ball out from the back is what sets him apart from his peers and he had an 81% pass completion rate, only bettered by Mawson of Swansea having played 7 matches fewer than him
He won an attempted 62% of his aerial duels showing the other side of his game and did not make a single defensive error, which is remarkable in a team such as WBA where the defenders are always under pressure. The 49 interceptions showing his excellent reading of the game.
RM - Xherdan Shaqiri (Stoke City)
Xherdan Shaqiri has had the perfect career every footballer would dream of - except he has had the career in reverse as he became famous at Bayern and left them due to lack of playing time to Inter where he struggled during his only season and eventually signed for Stoke in 2015, which was seen as a coup at that time.
Except that it has not worked out as he would have imagined and his career hit new a low as he was relegated for the first time in his career.
He has been Stoke's leading scorer this season with 7 goals and with a reported release clause of just 12 million would be a bargain in today's market.
A move to another mid-table side such as Everton or Crystal Palace beckons for the man from Switzerland.
Stats
Shaqiri was the best creative mid among the three sides, constantly providing an outlet on the flanks and scored 7 goals, with 4 of them coming from outside the area and created a further 6 for his teammates, proving he is indeed the creative spark of the Potters this season.
He had a pass completion rate of 81%, bettered only by his teammate Badou Ndiaye who arrived mid-season, and was the most fouled among the three sides, suffering 45 fouls showcasing how much of a threat he was to his opponents.
CM - Jake Livermore (WBA)
Jake Livermore had a see-saw season in the Baggies' midfield which saw him even being dropped briefly by Alan Pardew towards the end of his disastrous reign.
But under Moore, he regained his place and played a key role in the West Brom's remarkable run of form at the end of the season, scoring the stoppage-time winner against his former club Tottenham.
He is reportedly on the stand-by list for the England WC squad and there should be no shortage of suitors for the former Spurs man this summer.
Stats
Predominantly playing either as a defensive mid or a centre-back this season, Livermore won 37 of the tackles he attempted the best among the three relegated sides and won 36% of his total duels and also won 42% of his aerial duels
He also made 24 interceptions and 7 blocks showing his excellent reading of the game.
CM - Badou Ndiaye (Stoke City)
Badio Ndiaye has been one of the best signings of the mid-season transfer window and his driving runs from midfield have been Stoke's saving grace this season, even though it was too little too late to save them from relegation.
Ndiaye slotted into the team instantly and scored twice in Stoke's final four matches in their ultimately unsuccessful battle against the drop.
His dynamic displays in midfield have reportedly caught the eyes of PL sides and it would not be a surprise to see him move on from Stoke just five months after arriving.
Stats
Despite arriving in mid-season and playing only 10 games this season, Ndiaye's stats are up there with his peers showing how much of an impact he has had in a short time.
He scored 2 goals and supplied 1 assist making 7 key passes and creating 8 chances with a pass percentage of 83% the best among his peers.
On the other hand, he won 41% of his attempted duels and made 7 blocks and 9 interceptions portraying his box-to-box capabilities.
LM - Chris Brunt (WBA)
The creative spark of this often boring West Brom side, Brunt's tireless running up and down the left flank providing an outlet to his teammates and his crosses and set-piece deliveries have been immaculate all season as usual.
West Brom are often set-up to defend and their main threat is through set-pieces and Brunt is their set-piece specialist having provided 7 assists this season and created 34 chances in total, more than any other teammate this season.
He has been a consistent threat in this dull WBA side for the past three season and surely deserves to have a crack at a bigger club.
Stats
The ultimate set-piece specialist, it is Brunt's wicked deliveries from corners and set pieces which were WBA's saving grace this season and has provided 7 assists, the highest among his peers.
He has also created 34 chances and made 27 key passes, second only to Shaqiri with a pass completion percentage of 73% and completed 100% of his take-ons showing his dribbling abilities.
On the defensive side too he impressed by winning 45% of his aerial duels and made 3 blocks and 15 interceptions, showcasing his all-round play
CAM - Leroy Fer (Swansea)
Another extremely talented player who struggles for consistency, Leroy Fer thrilled and frustrated fans in equal measure this season which was one of the major reasons for the Swansea's struggle in the league this season.
The former QPR and Norwich midfielder makes the Swans tick with his incisive passing and box-to-box running and was instrumental in home wins over Arsenal and Liverpool this season.
If not for Fer's season-ending injury, Swansea might have stayed up this season. Such was his importance to this Swans side who are devoid of creativity without him.
Stats
Despite playing only 20 games due to various injuries, Fer has been Swansea's best midfielder this season which shows how much they missed him in his absence.
Leroy Fer had a high pass completion rate of 81% and created 10 chances while making 9 key passes, providing 1 assist and scoring a single goal this season.
But his importance to Swans side goes beyond goals and assists as he has attempted the most passes among his teammate.
He has won 55% of his attempted duels and a league-high 65% of his aerial duels while making 4 blocks and 12 interceptions showcasing his all-round importance to the team.
RS - Jordan Ayew (Swansea)
Jordan Ayew has moved out of his brother Andre Ayew's shadow this season and has enjoyed an excellent season on the south coast for Swansea City.
Having wrestled back his place in the team from on-loan Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, he has made most of the limited service from his teammates and scored 7 goals, almost a quarter of the total goals scored by the Swans this season.
Hard working strikers who have a knack of scoring goals are always in demand in this league and Ayew's agent will be a busy man this summer.
Stats
Ayew has been Swansea's main man this season scoring 7 goals with a shot accuracy of 57%, almost a quarter of the total goals scored by the Swans this season and has also provided 2 assists.
He was fouled 73 times in the league, joint top with Eden Hazard, highlighting how much of a threat he has been for opponents this season.
On the passing front, he has had a high passing percentage of 81% for a forward making 12 key passes and creating 20 chances, more than any other Swans player.
He also helps his team out defensively, winning 45% of his attempted duels with a league-high 81 successful tackles for a forward and 22 interceptions, showing how he works his socks off for his team.
LS - Jay Rodriguez (Southampton)
But he has been a man re-born for WBA this season showing why he was once so highly rated by players and pundits and like Ayew, has made the most of the limited service up-front. A key part of Southampton's fabled 2013-14 side along with Lallana, Shaw, Clyne et al but injuries and subsequent loss of form meant that Rodriguez was never able to fulfill his lofty potential and unlike others, did not move to a bigger club when he had the chance.
Rodriguez has managed to put his injury troubles behind him and any of the promoted sides should take a punt on him this season
He is a player who guarantees goals if you can keep him injury-free.
Stats
Jay Rodriguez managed seven goals this season, a quarter of Baggies goals this season despite often being deployed out wide or as a No. 10 behind Salomon Rondon.
On the passing front, he had a 72% pass success rate, decent stats for a forward while providing 1 assist, making 20 key passes and creating 21 chances for his teammates, thereby highlighting his selfless play.
