Season Dates: August 2008 – May 2009
Champions: Manchester United
Top Scorer (Golden Boot): Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) – 19 goals
Relegated Teams: Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, West Bromwich Albion
European Qualification:
Champions League: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal
Europa League: Everton, Aston Villa, Fulham
Season Overview:
The 2008/09 Premier League season saw Manchester United claim their third consecutive league title under Sir Alex Ferguson, finishing four points ahead of Liverpool. United’s success was built on a rock-solid defense, with Edwin van der Sar setting a record for the longest run without conceding a goal.
Liverpool pushed United all the way, losing only twice all season, but a series of costly draws against opposition you’d expect them to beat saw the Reds fall short. Chelsea and Arsenal secured Champions League places, while Aston Villa and Everton impressed but could not break into the top four.
At the bottom, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough, and West Brom were relegated, with Newcastle’s drop into the Championship marking a stunning decline for the once-mighty club.
Month-by-Month Breakdown
August 2008 – The Season Begins
Chelsea started with a 4-0 win over Portsmouth, while Arsenal and Liverpool picked up early wins.
Player of the Month: Deco (Chelsea)
September 2008 – Liverpool Make a Statement
Liverpool defeated Manchester United 2-1 at Anfield, signaling their title ambitions, but would it be enough come the end of the season?
Player of the Month: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
October 2008 – Chelsea and Liverpool Set the Pace
Chelsea and Liverpool remained unbeaten, while Arsenal suffered a shock defeat to Hull City who aimed to show that they weren’t to be overlooked.
Player of the Month: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
November 2008 – United Gather Momentum
Manchester United climbed the table, while Tottenham recovered from a poor start under new manager Harry Redknapp.
Player of the Month: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)
December 2008 – Festive Period Shake-Up
United won the Club World Cup but lost ground in the title race. Liverpool topped the table on Christmas Day.
Player of the Month: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
January 2009 – United’s Defensive Strength
Manchester United set a new defensive record, going over 1,000 minutes without conceding a league goal,
Player of the Month: Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United)
February 2009 – The Title Race Tightens
Liverpool thrashed Real Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League but dropped points in the league. Where they going to fall with pressure mounting?
Player of the Month: Phil Jagielka (Everton)
March 2009 – United Stumble, Liverpool Close In
Liverpool crushed Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford, keeping their title hopes alive.
Player of the Month: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
April 2009 – United Regain Control
Two late winners from Federico Macheda helped United stay ahead in the title race.
Player of the Month: Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal)
May 2009 – United Clinch the Title
A 0-0 draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford sealed United’s third consecutive league title.
Season Stats & Key Records
Golden Boot & Top Goal Scorers
- Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea) – 19 goals
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) – 18 goals
- Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – 16 goals
Most Assists
- Frank Lampard (Chelsea) – 10 assists
- Robin van Persie (Arsenal) – 10 assists
- Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – 9 assists
Golden Glove (Most Clean Sheets)
- Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United) – 21 clean sheets
- Pepe Reina (Liverpool) – 20 clean sheets
- Petr Čech (Chelsea) – 19 clean sheets
Big Matches & Moments
Best Match: Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal (April 21, 2009) – A midweek game at Anfield saw Liverpool and Arsenal share the spoils in an eight-goal thriller with new signing Andrey Arshavin scoring all four of the Gunners’ goals.
Biggest Upset: Hull City 2-1 Arsenal (September 27, 2008) – A stunning away win for Hull showed that they weren’t to be underestimated by fans and pundits alike.
Most Dramatic Match: Liverpool 4-1 Manchester United (March 14, 2009) – A dominant performance by Liverpool at Old Trafford kept the title race alive, with Fernando Torres tearing the United defence to shreds.
Managerial Changes
- West Ham – Alan Curbishley resigned (September 3, 2008) – replaced by Gianfranco Zola
- Newcastle United – Kevin Keegan resigned (September 4, 2008) – replaced by Joe Kinnear
- Tottenham – Juande Ramos sacked (October 25, 2008) – replaced by Harry Redknapp
- Portsmouth – Harry Redknapp signed by Tottenham (October 26, 2008) – replaced by Tony Adams
- Sunderland – Roy Keane resigned (December 4, 2008) – replaced by Ricky Sbragia
- Blackburn Rovers – Paul Ince sacked (December 16, 2008) – replaced by Sam Allardyce
- Portsmouth – Tony Adams sacked (February 9, 2009) – replaced by Paul Hart
- Chelsea – Luiz Felipe Scolari sacked (February 9, 2009) – replaced by Guus Hiddink
- Newcastle – Joe Kinnear left due to illness (February 2009) – replaced by Alan Shearer (Interim)
Transfers & Squad Movement
- Robinho – Real Madrid to Manchester City – £32.5m
- Dimitar Berbatov – Tottenham to Manchester United – £30.75m
- Robbie Keane – Tottenham to Liverpool – £20m
Awards & Honors
- Premier League Manager of the Season: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
- Premier League Player of the Season: Nemanja Vidić (Manchester United)
- Premier League Young Player of the Season: Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
European Performance
- Manchester United – UCL Final to Barcelona
- Arsenal – UCL Semi-Finals by Manchester United
- Liverpool – UCL Quarter-Finals by Chelsea
- Chelsea – UCL Semi-Finals by Barcelona
- Manchester City – UC Quarter-Finals by Hamburg
- Aston Villa – UC Round of 16 by CSKA Moscow
- Portsmouth – UC Group Stage
- Tottenham – UC Round of 32 by Shakhtar Donetsk