FA Premier League 2005-06
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The 2005-06 season of the FA Premier League saw Chelsea defend and win a back-to-back-title by defeating Manchester United on 29 April. On the same day, West Bromwich and Birmingham City were relegated, joining Sunderland in The Championship next season.
Final league table
For the second time in two seasons José Mourinho's Chelsea triumphed in the Premier League, with a home win over closest rivals Manchester United confirming them as champions after a highly eventful albeit controversial season. Chelsea's early season form with 15 wins out of 16 gave the champions an unequivocal headstart. With Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool falling way short of their expectations before Christmas, Chelsea had effectively became 'Champions-Elect' by early 2006. However a sudden collapse in form by mid-March caused their seemingly unassailable lead of 18 points to be cut down to just 7 in two weeks due to the impressive late run of form of Manchester United who went on a ten-match winning streak scoring over 30 goals. However a shock home draw with bottom of the table Sunderland (who evidently were relegated as a result) at Old Trafford killed United's title hopes. The momentum was back with Chelsea who didn't need a second bite at the cherry with wins over Bolton, Everton and finally Manchester United giving the west Londoners their second successive championship under Mourinho.
The top two clubs at the end of the season earned the right to participate in the UEFA Champions League group stages, while the third- and fourth-placed clubs get places in the Champions League Third Qualifying Round (where they progress to the Champions League group stages if they win or the UEFA Cup if they lose). However, if an English team wins the Champions League, but finishes outside the top four, then they get the final Champions League spot instead of the fourth-placed club, who have to settle for a place in the UEFA Cup. This could have been the case with Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, but Arsenal pipped Spurs to fourth place in the final matchday of the season before losing 2-1 to F.C Barcelona in the final of the UEFA Champions League.
The fifth-placed club always earns a spot in the UEFA Cup. The winners of the FA Cup also earn a place in the UEFA Cup. If they have already qualified for European competition by their league position or winning the League Cup, then the FA Cup runners-up get their place. If the runners-up, too, have already qualified, then the highest league finisher who have not already qualified for Europe (normally sixth place) are given the place. This season, the FA Cup final featured Liverpool and West Ham. Since Liverpool finished third they were assured of a spot in the Champions League qualifying round, which in turn meant that West Ham received the cup winner's UEFA Cup place.
The League Cup winners also qualify for the UEFA Cup. If they have already qualified for European competition through other means then their place is, unlike the FA Cup, not awarded to the runner-up, but instead the highest league finisher who has not qualified for Europe. League Cup winners Man United finished second, placing them directly into the Champions League group stage. This meant that the sixth-placed club, Blackburn Rovers, qualified for the UEFA Cup.
Top goal scorers
Promoted Teams
These are the three teams that were promoted from The Championship at the start of the season.- Sunderland (Championship champions)
- Wigan Athletic (runners-up)
- West Ham Utd (playoff winners)
Relegated teams
These teams were relegated to The Championship at the end of the season:Notable events
- This was Arsenal's last ever season at their long-time home of Highbury. Their last ever match there was a 4-2 victory over Wigan Athletic, where Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick- the last in the Barclays Premiership this season. The Gunners will open the 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium this summer.
- In the season's first match, Everton hosted Manchester United, losing 0-2 to United. Ruud van Nistelrooy scored the season's first goal.
- Marlon Harewood scored the first Barclays Premiership hat-trick of the season in West Ham United's 4-0 victory over Aston Villa.
- Chelsea celebrated their centennial year with a series of events, and a second consecutive Premiership title.
- Liverpool recorded the highest points total (82) for a third-placed club.
- Several clubs reported disappointing attendances and/or trouble selling out their grounds for the opening weeks' matches. Many have argued that this was due mainly to the comparatively early season start, and the Ashes test cricket series which caught the nation's imagination and which England went on to win. Other possible reasons are continued escalation of ticket prices and the increasing number of games shown on television (which has had the knock on effect of greater variation in kick-off times). The overall decline in attendances for the season is only around 2%, but that figure is reduced by the fact that bigger clubs were promoted into the Premiership than were relegated and several clubs have suffered larger falls.
- Alan Shearer and Dennis Bergkamp both retired this season after long and successful Premiership careers. Shearer was injured and in essence, has had his career ended early.
- The largest win during this season was recorded when Arsenal defeated Middlesbrough 7-0.
- Sunderland have had the worst ever season in the history of the FA Premier League after picking up only 15 points and three wins all season. They broke their previous record of 19 points in 2002-03.
- Fulham FC were almost the second Premier League club to go a whole season without an away win, however a 2-1 victory over Manchester City on the penultimate week spared them that record.
Notes
See also
External links
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