Season Dates: August 2013 – May 2014
Champions: Manchester City
Top Scorer (Golden Boot): Luis Suárez (Liverpool) – 31 goals
Relegated Teams: Norwich City, Fulham, Cardiff City
European Qualification:
Champions League: Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal
Europa League: Everton, Tottenham Hotspur
Season Overview:
The 2013/14 Premier League season was one of the most dramatic in recent history, featuring an intense title race between Man City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Man City, managed by Manuel Pellegrini, secured their second Premier League title in three seasons, finishing two points ahead of Liverpool who fell short at the final hurdle.
Liverpool, led by an attacking trio of Luis Suárez, Daniel Sturridge, and Raheem Sterling, came agonisingly close to ending their 24-year title drought. However, a costly slip by Steven Gerrard against Chelsea and a dramatic collapse at Crystal Palace saw their title hopes slip away.
Chelsea, under returning manager Jose Mourinho, played a crucial role in the title race but fell short due to a lack of goals. Arsenal led the league for much of the early season but faded to finish fourth.
At the bottom, Norwich, Fulham, and Cardiff City were relegated. Luis Suárez won the Golden Boot with 31 goals despite missing the first five games of the season due to suspension, perhaps one of the best individual campaigns the division has ever seen.
Month-by-Month Breakdown
August 2013 – The Season Begins
David Moyes took charge of Man United, taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson, while Arsenal suffered an opening-day defeat to Aston Villa.
Player of the Month: Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
September 2013 – Liverpool and Arsenal Lead
Liverpool and Arsenal impressed early, while Man United struggled under Moyes, just as many expected they would.
Player of the Month: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
October 2013 – Arsenal Stay Strong
Arsenal remained top, while Man City started to find their rhythm, which caught the attention of those out in front.
Player of the Month: Sergio Agüero (Manchester City)
November 2013 – City and Chelsea Challenge
Man City, Chelsea, and Liverpool began asserting themselves in the title race, while Arsenal begun to fall away.
Player of the Month: Tim Krul (Norwich City)
December 2013 – Festive Period Drama
Liverpool topped the table on Christmas Day but suffered back-to-back defeats against Man City and Chelsea which proved costly come the end of the season.
Player of the Month: Luis Suárez (Liverpool)
January 2014 – The Title Race Narrows
Chelsea defeated Man City, while Arsenal dropped crucial points to pretty much fall out of the race
Player of the Month: Adam Johnson (Sunderland)
February 2014 – Liverpool Surge Forward
Liverpool thrashed Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield, firmly establishing themselves in the title race in rather dominating fashion. Despite not registering a goal or an assist, Luis Suarez stole the show.
Player of the Month: Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
March 2014 – The Run-In Begins
Liverpool defeated Man United 3-0 at Old Trafford, with Steven Gerrard scoring twice from the penalty spot before missing a third.
Player of the Month: Luis Suárez and Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
April 2014 – Title Drama
Steven Gerrard’s infamous slip against Chelsea and Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace handed City the advantage in the title race.
Player of the Month: Connor Wickham (Crystal Palace)
May 2014 – City Crowned Champions
Man City won their final five matches to secure the title with a 2-0 win over West Ham on the final day, breaking Liverpool hearts in the process.
Season Stats & Key Records
Golden Boot & Top Goal Scorers
- Luis Suárez (Liverpool) – 31 goals
- Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) – 21 goals
- Yaya Touré (Manchester City) – 20 goals
Most Assists
- Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) – 13 assists
- Luis Suárez (Liverpool) – 12 assists
- Wayne Rooney (Man United) – 10 assists
Golden Glove (Most Clean Sheets)
- Petr Čech (Chelsea) – 16 clean sheets
- Wojciech Szczęsny (Arsenal) – 16 clean sheets
- Tim Howard (Everton) – 15 clean sheets
Big Matches & Moments
Best Match: Liverpool 3-2 Manchester City (April 13, 2014) – A crucial win for Liverpool in the title race that featured a late goal from Phillipe Coutinho
Biggest Upset: Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool (May 5, 2014) – Liverpool threw away a 3-0 lead in the final 10 minutes to effectively rule them out of the title race.
Most Dramatic Match: Chelsea 2-1 Manchester City (October 27, 2013) – A late Fernando Torres winner sealed a key victory for the Blues after Sergio Aguero equalised for the Cityzens in the first half.
Best Goal: Luis Suárez (Liverpool vs Norwich – December 4, 2013) – A stunning 40-yard volley from Liverpool’s number seven, but in truth, all the goals he scored in that game could have been in consideration.
Managerial Changes
- Sunderland – Paolo Di Canio sacked (September 22, 2013) – replaced by Gus Poyet
- Crystal Palace – Ian Holloway left by mutual consent (October 23, 2013) – replaced by Tony Pulis
- Fulham – Martin Jol sacked (December 1, 2013) – replaced by Rene Meulensteen
- West Brom – Steve Clarke sacked (December 14, 2013) – replaced by Pepe Mel
- Tottenham Hotspur – Andre Villas-Boas left by mutual consent (December 16, 2013) – replaced by Tim Sherwood
- Cardiff City – Malky Mackay sacked (December 27, 2013) – replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjær
- Swansea City – Michael Laudrup sacked (February 4, 2014) – replaced by Garry Monk
- Fulham – Rene Meulensteen sacked (February 14, 2014) – replaced by Felix Magath
- Norwich City – Chris Hughton sacked (April 6, 2014) – replaced by Neil Adams
- Man United – David Moyes sacked (April 22, 2014) – replaced by Ryan Giggs (Interim Player-Manager)
Transfers & Squad Movement
- Mesut Özil – Real Madrid to Arsenal – £42.5m
- Juan Mata – Chelsea to Manchester United – £37m
- Fernandinho – Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City – £30m
Awards & Honors
- Premier League Manager of the Season: Tony Pulis (Crystal Palace)
- Premier League Player of the Season: Luis Suárez (Liverpool)
- Premier League Young Player of the Season: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
European Performance
- Chelsea – UCL Semi-Finals by Atletico Madrid
- Man United – UCL Quarter-Finals by Bayern Munich
- Man City – UCL Round of 16 by Barcelona
- Arsenal – UCL Round of 16 by Bayern Munich
- Swansea City – UEL Round of 32 by Napoli
- Tottenham Hotspur – UEL Round of 16 to Benfica
- Wigan Athletic – UEL Group Stage
