Season Dates: August 2010 – May 2011
Champions: Manchester United
Top Scorer (Golden Boot): Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United) & Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) – 20 goals each
Relegated Teams: Birmingham City, Blackpool, West Ham United
European Qualification:
Champions League: Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal
Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur, Birmingham City (via League Cup win), Stoke City (via FA Cup runners-up)
Season Overview:
The 2010/11 Premier League season saw Manchester United claim a record 19th league title under Sir Alex Ferguson, finishing nine points ahead of Chelsea. United secured the title with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers with one game to spare.
Chelsea, the defending champions, had a turbulent season, while Man City secured their first-ever Champions League qualification following their takeover a few years prior. Arsenal once again fell short in the title race, finishing fourth. Tottenham missed out on a top-four finish but impressed in the Champions League.
At the bottom, Blackpool and Birmingham were relegated on the final day, alongside West Ham, who finished last. Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez shared the Golden Boot with 20 goals each.
Month-by-Month Breakdown
August 2010 – The Season Begins
Chelsea started the season with back-to-back 6-0 wins, showing how determined they were to retain their title, while Blackpool won their first-ever Premier League match.
Player of the Month: Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
September 2010 – Manchester United’s Undefeated Start
United remained unbeaten but dropped valuable points in draws against Everton and Bolton, but that didn’t end up being too costly.
Player of the Month: Peter Odemwingie (West Brom)
October 2010 – Chelsea Stay Top
Chelsea continued their dominance, while Manchester City defeated Arsenal 3-0, aiming to cement themselves as one of the big boys.
Player of the Month: Rafael van der Vaart (Tottenham)
November 2010 – Newcastle Stun Arsenal
Newcastle shocked Arsenal with a 1-0 win at the Emirates, while United climbed to the top of the table as we headed towards the end of the year.
Player of the Month: Johan Elmander (Bolton Wanderers)
December 2010 – Chelsea’s Decline
Chelsea suffered a poor run of form, allowing United to take control at the top of the Premier League table to close out 2010.
Player of the Month: Samir Nasri (Arsenal)
January 2011 – City’s Rise
Manchester City entered the title race for the first time, while Arsenal defeated Chelsea 3-1 to make things even more challenging for the Blues in their attempts to retain the title.
Player of the Month: Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United)
February 2011 – United’s Defining Moment
Wayne Rooney scored a stunning bicycle kick against City in a crucial Manchester derby win that saw the Red Devils prove they were a step above their rivals.
Player of the Month: Scott Parker (Tottenham)
March 2011 – Arsenal Collapse Again
Arsenal’s title hopes faded after a late collapse against Liverpool (1-1). It looked like it’d have to be another season of settling for the top four for the Gunners.
Player of the Month: David Luiz (Chelsea)
April 2011 – United Pull Away
United defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford, effectively securing the title under Sir Alex Ferguson once again.
Player of the Month: Peter Odemwingie (West Brom)
May 2011 – United Clinch Title
United sealed the title with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn, while Blackpool and Birmingham were relegated from England’s top flight.
Season Stats & Key Records
Golden Boot & Top Goal Scorers
- Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United) – 20 goals
- Carlos Tevez (Manchester City) – 20 goals
- Robin van Persie (Arsenal) – 18 goals
Most Assists
- Nani (Manchester United) – 14 assists
- Didier Drogba (Chelsea) – 13 assists
- Andrey Asharvin (Arsenal) – 11 assists
Golden Glove (Most Clean Sheets)
- Joe Hart (Manchester City) – 18 clean sheets
- Petr Čech (Chelsea) – 15 clean sheets
- Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United) – 14 clean sheets
Big Matches & Moments
Best Match: Manchester United 4-2 Everton (April 23, 2011) – A thrilling comeback win for United that massively aided their pursuit of the Premier League title.
Biggest Upset: Blackpool 3-2 Liverpool (January 12, 2011) – A historic win for Blackpool as they beat Liverpool in the first-ever meeting home meeting for ‘The Seasiders’ between the two sides in England’s top-flight.
Most Dramatic Match: Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal (February 5, 2011) – A stunning comeback from 4-0 down saw Newcastle’s Cheik Tiote score a beautiful volley
Best Goal: Wayne Rooney (Manchester United vs Manchester City – February 12, 2011) – A spectacular bicycle kick.
Managerial Changes
- Newcastle – Chris Hughton sacked (December 6, 2010) – replaced by Alan Pardew
- Blackburn Rovers – Sam Allardyce sacked (December 13, 2010) – replaced by Steve Kean
- Liverpool – Roy Hodgson left by mutual consent (January 8, 2011) – replaced by Kenny Dalglish
- West Bromwich Albion – Roberto Di Matteo sacked (February 6, 2011) – replaced by Roy Hodgson
- West Ham – Avram Grant sacked (May 15, 2011) – replaced by Kevin Keen (caretaker)
Transfers & Squad Movement
- Fernando Torres – Liverpool to Chelsea – £50m
- Andy Carroll – Newcastle to Liverpool – £35m
- Edin Dzeko – Wolfsburg to Manchester City – £30m
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: Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
European Performance
- Chelsea – UCL Quarter-Finals by Manchester United
- Manchester United – UCL Final to Barcelona
- Arsenal – UCL Round of 16 by Barcelona
- Tottenham – UCL Quarter-Finals by Tottenham
- Manchester City – UEL Round of 16 by Dynamo Kyiv
- Liverpool – UEL Round of 16 by Braga
- Aston Villa – UEL Playoff Round to Rapid Viena