1 The 2017/18 Premier League season Highlights of the extensive work has been one to remember. carried out off the pitch included Manchester City manager Pep clubs using their popularity and reach Guardiola deserves huge credit for to take community and education creating a team which won more programmes to new levels. Through Welcome matches, scored more goals and Premier League Primary Stars, we earned more points than any other are working in 15,000 schools across to our Season 2017/18 highlights and inspiring stories from across since the League began. Their skill and England and Wales, and more than incisiveness were a joy to watch. 25,000 children were inspired to the Premier League. Another exciting season has contained plenty We say goodbye to Arsène Wenger submit a poem for our Writing Stars of memorable moments and our clubs and partners have again following 22 brilliant years at Arsenal. competition. His innovative coaching and It is encouraging to see more and produced incredible work to bring the fans and their football clubs player-development methods more females getting involved in the even closer together. It has been record-breaking and remarkable, transformed the English game. He has game, thanks in part to the Premier made a huge contribution to Arsenal League Girls Football programme and we are proud to say, ‘This is Premier League’. and to the Premier League. which our clubs are promoting in their The three promoted clubs – Brighton communities. & Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town and We continued our work with Kick Newcastle United – deserve credit for It Out to provide opportunities for securing another season of Premier the BAME (black, Asian and minority League football. Burnley, led by Sean ethnic) community and our wide- Dyche, are also worthy of praise for scale backing for Stonewall’s Rainbow qualifying to play in Europe for the first Laces campaign, which supports LGBT time in 51 years. equality in sport. We have all enjoyed watching One thing is clear: our competition is Liverpool’s exciting football, highlighted compelling and open to everyone. by the incredible goalscoring feats of Mohamed Salah, and are proud Richard Scudamore Go to premierleague.com/This-is-PL to to have seen them make the UEFA Executive Chairman, read more and watch our exclusive videos Champions League Final. Premier League The Football The Fans The Communities The Premier League This is exciting football 04-05 This is for everyone 12-13 This is a force for good 22-23 This is Premier League 30-31 Competitive and compelling 06-07 Full and vibrant stadiums 14-15 Inspiring a generation 24-25 Economic impact 32-33 Premier League season awards 08-09 Entertaining audiences 16-17 Sporting opportunities 26-27 Final standings 34-35 Rising stars 10-11 Global appeal 18-19 Making a difference 28-29 Open and inclusive 20-21 2 3 The Football “This is the Premier League. England is so special, it’s so tough. You win, you lose, but always you have to try to do what you believe. Going back-to-back will be tough but we accept the challenge.” Pep Guardiola Manager, This is Manchester City FC exciting football With performance levels rising on the pitch season after season, the Premier League and its clubs are committed to producing world-leading players and coaches. Go to premierleague.com/This-is-PL to read more and watch our exclusive videos 4 The Football Farewell Arsène Season 2017/18 was the 22nd and final one for Arsène Wenger’s reign at Arsenal. The Frenchman Competitive will forever be remembered for leading his “Invincibles” side to an unprecedented unbeaten League campaign in 2003/04. His incredible managerial career includes having and compelling taken charge of a record 828 Premier League matches. Wenger’s innovative training This season saw fascinating football across the League, with records methods and the style of football broken, exciting matches, a competitive battle to avoid relegation he introduced to England were remembered fondly by his former and goals galore. player, Thierry Henry. On the up Sean Dyche and Burnley had a fantastic season, which saw them secure a seventh-place finish. They started the season with a 3-2 win A season like no other over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and Manchester City’s incredible their total of 54 points was enough performance to claim their third to secure European football at Turf Premier League title rightly attracted Moor for the first time in 51 years. plaudits from far and wide. Their record points total, number of matches won and goals scored demonstrate “For this football club their consistent excellence across the to get to the status season. The likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David of being in European Silva and Raheem Sterling lit up the competition is competition with their talent and skill. For only the third time in the Premier remarkable. The big League era, all three promoted clubs marker for me was – Brighton & Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United – can we get better “The biggest maintained their League status. than last year, but to compliment I always jump from 40 points 5 had when I used to to 54 is a big shift, Burnley lost just five away matches play for Arsenal was and with some of the during 2017/18 – a record only bettered people telling me, results we’ve had by champions ‘We like the way you Manchester City 48 & 49 along the way, has play.’ That speaks Brighton & Hove Albion and been fantastic.” Huddersfield Town became the 48th volumes to the vision and 49th clubs to join the Premier Sean Dyche the man had and League since its inception in 1992 Burnley manager 121 Aggregated league what he did to the points achieved by the club.” promoted clubs Go to premierleague.com/ Thierry Henry This-is-PL to read more and Former Arsenal striker watch our exclusive videos 6 7 The Football Goal of the Season Premier League Sofiane Boufal v West Bromwich Albion season awards Sofiane Boufal’s superb solo effort for Southampton against West Bromwich Season 2017/18 saw impressive landmarks reached by players Albion on 21 October won the Carling Goal of the Season award. Boufal and managers. The Premier League Playmaker award was also beat five challenges and completed a introduced, recognising the player with the most assists over the 60-yard run with a fine finish. campaign. Player of the Season 100 Golden Boot Manchester City became the first Mohamed Salah Premier League club to earn 100 points and now hold the record for Mohamed Salah most wins (32), most goals (106) and best goal difference (+79). Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah beat the Premier League record for goals in a 38-match season, scoring 32 to surpass the previous best of 31 jointly held by Alan 39 Harry Kane broke Alan Shearer’s 22- Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez. year record for most Premier League The Egyptian also added the Premier goals in a calendar year (2017). Kane League EA Sports Player of the Season also became the second-fastest award to his PFA and FWA honours. player to reach 100 Premier League goals, doing so in 141 appearances. Only Shearer has achieved the feat Premier League in fewer matches. Playmaker award 200 Wayne Rooney became only the Kevin De Bruyne second player to reach 200 Premier Kevin De Bruyne made his 16th Premier League goals. He finished the season League assist of the season in stoppage Manager of with 208. time of Manchester City’s final match, as he teed up Gabriel Jesus for the winner against the Season PL2 Player of Southampton, pipping team-mate Leroy 653 Sané to this inaugural award. Gareth Barry set a new benchmark Pep the Season for all-time appearances in the Golden Glove Guardiola Reiss Nelson Premier League. Pep Guardiola won the Barclays Arsenal’s Reiss Nelson was named David De Gea Manager of the Season award Premier League 2 Player of the 1,000 Manchester United’s David De Gea after leading his Manchester City Season, having played a key role in The six ever-present Premier League clubs - Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, was awarded the Golden Glove for side to an incredible title triumph. his side’s PL2 Division 1 title win. The Liverpool, Manchester United and an impressive 18 clean sheets this His peers at the League Managers 18-year-old midfielder also broke into Tottenham Hotspur - played their season, the first time he has won the Association also awarded him their the Arsenal first team, making three 1,000th match on the final day of the accolade. Manager of the Season accolade. Premier League appearances. season. 8 9 The Football Rising stars The second Premier League 2 season featured some exciting football and is the perfect stage for Under-23 players to showcase their talents, while we also continued our commitment to providing clear pathways for coach development. Meet Hamza Leicester City's Hamza Choudhury Choudhury finished the will never forget Season 2017/18 after campaign with nine senior Meet Nia his impressive performances while appearances under his belt and Swansea City Academy coach Nia The two-year ECAS course places captaining the club’s Premier League believes Premier League 2 offers 43 Davies has already achieved a great great emphasis on giving participants 2 side to a third-place finish, narrowly a great platform for home-grown deal in her professional life, and is an idea of how different organisations home-grown player missing out on the title to Arsenal in the players looking to make the next currently undertaking the Premier are structured.