Season Dates: August 2021 – May 2022
Champions: Manchester City
Top Scorer (Golden Boot): Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) & Son Heung-min (Tottenham) – 23 goals
Relegated Teams: Burnley, Watford, Norwich City
European Qualification:
Champions League: Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham
Europa League: Arsenal, Manchester United
Conference League: West Ham United
Season Overview:
The 2021/22 Premier League season provided one of the most thrilling title races in recent history, as Man City and Liverpool battled it out until the final day once again. Pep Guardiola’s side eventually retained their crown, finishing just one point ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s relentless Liverpool. The final day was dramatic, with City coming from 2-0 down against Aston Villa, managed by Reds legend Steven Gerrard, to win 3-2 and secure the title.
Elsewhere, Tottenham pipped Arsenal to the final Champions League spot under Antonio Conte, while Manchester United had another a disappointing campaign, finishing sixth. West Ham secured European football again, and Leicester narrowly missed out. At the bottom, Burnley, Watford, and Norwich suffered relegation, with Everton barely escaping after a dramatic late-season revival.
Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min shared the Golden Boot, while Salah also led the league in assists capping off what was a fantastic individual season for the winger.
Month-by-Month Breakdown
August 2021 – The Start of a New Campaign
The season kicked off with newly promoted Brentford shocking Arsenal with a 2-0 win. Chelsea and Liverpool started strong, while Man City lost their opener to Tottenham.
Player of the Month: Michail Antonio (West Ham)
September 2021 – Title Contenders Take Shape
Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City set the early pace, with City defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. Cristiano Ronaldo made his sensational return to Manchester United, scoring twice on his second debut.
Player of the Month: Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United)
October 2021 – Rivals Collide
Liverpool thrashed Manchester United 5-0 at Old Trafford in one of the most shocking results of the season, with Salah scoring a hat-trick. Chelsea surged to the top of the table with consistent performances under master tactician Thomas Tuchel.
Player of the Month: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
November 2021 – Managerial Chaos
Ole Gunnar Solskjær was sacked by Manchester United after a 4-1 defeat to Watford, with Ralf Rangnick coming in as interim boss. Chelsea remained strong but were held by United.
Player of the Month: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
December 2021 – The Festive Fixtures
A congested fixture list saw City pull away from the pack, while Liverpool and Chelsea dropped points. Arsenal surged into the top four with key wins from their inexperienced side.
Player of the Month: Raheem Sterling (Man City)
January 2022 – Transfers and Turning Points
Newcastle strengthened significantly under their new owners, signing Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimarães. Spurs brought in Dejan Kulusevski, and Luis Díaz joined Liverpool.
Player of the Month: David De Gea (Man United)
February 2022 – The Race Heats Up
Liverpool started closing the gap on City with an unbeaten run. Spurs defeated City 3-2 in a thrilling encounter thanks to Harry Kane’s late winner.
Player of the Month: Joel Matip (Liverpool)
March 2022 – Survival and Top-Four Battles
Arsenal and Spurs fought fiercely for fourth place, while Everton slipped into a relegation fight. Chelsea found themselves in turmoil due to ownership issues.
Player of the Month: Harry Kane (Tottenham)
April 2022 – Title Showdown
Man City and Liverpool played out a thrilling 2-2 draw at the Etihad, maintaining City’s slender lead at the top. Everton picked up crucial points in their bid to avoid relegation.
Player of the Month: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
May 2022 – Final Day Drama
Man City’s late comeback against Aston Villa sealed the title. Spurs secured fourth place, Leeds avoided relegation at the expense of Burnley, and Chelsea confirmed third place.
Season Stats & Key Records
Golden Boot & Top Goal Scorers
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 23 goals
- Son Heung-min (Tottenham) – 23 goals
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United) – 18 goals
Most Assists
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) – 13 assists
- Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) – 12 assists
- Andy Robertson (Liverpool) – 10 assists
Golden Glove (Most Clean Sheets)
- Alisson Becker (Liverpool) – 20 clean sheets
- Ederson (Man City) – 20 clean sheets
- Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) – 16 clean sheets
Big Matches & Moments
Best Match: Man City 3-2 Aston Villa (May 22, 2022) – City’s stunning comeback secured the title when it looked to be slipping out of their hands.
Biggest Upset: Brentford 4-1 Chelsea (April 2, 2022) – A shocking win for the Bees at Stamford Bridge.
Most Dramatic Match: Liverpool 5-0 Man United (October 24, 2021) – A humiliating result for United at home against their biggest rivals.
Best Goal: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool vs Man City – October 3, 2021) – A stunning solo effort that showcased his dribbling ability and composure whilst leaving a wake of City defenders in his wake.
Managerial Changes
- Watford – Xisco Munoz sacked (October 3, 2021) – replaced by Claudio Ranieri
- Newcastle – Steve Bruce left by mutual consent (October 20, 2021) – replaced by Eddie Howe
- Tottenham – Nuno Espírito Santo sacked (November 1, 2021) – replaced by Antonio Conte
- Norwich – Daniel Farke sacked (November 6, 2021) – replaced by Dean Smith
- Aston Villa – Dean Smith sacked (November 7, 2021) – replaced by Steven Gerrard
- Man United – Ole Gunnar Solskjær sacked (November 21, 2021) – replaced by Ralf Rangnick (interim)
- Everton – Rafael Benítez sacked (January 16, 2022) – replaced by Frank Lampard
- Watford – Claudi Ranieri sacked (January 24, 2022) – replaced by Roy Hodgson
- Leeds – Marcelo Bielsa sacked (February 27, 2022) – replaced by Jesse Marsch
- Burnley – Sean Dyche sacked (April 15, 2022) – replaced by Mike Jackson (Interim)
Transfers & Squad Movement
- Jack Grealish – Aston Villa to Man City – £100m
- Romelu Lukaku – Inter Milan to Chelsea – £97.5m
- Jadon Sancho – Dortmund to Man United – £73m
Awards & Honors
- Premier League Manager of the Season: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
- Premier League Player of the Season: Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
- Premier League Young Player of the Season: Phil Foden (Man City)
- Premier League Goal of the Season: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool vs Man City)
European Performance
- Man City – UCL Semi-Fnals to Real Madrid
- Liverpool – UCL Final to Real Madrid
- Chelsea – UCL Quarter-Finals by Real Madrid
- Man United – UCL Round of 16 by Atletico Madrid
- Leicester- UEL Group Stage & UECL semi-finals by Roma
- West Ham – UEL Semi-Finals to Frankfurt
- Tottenham – UECL Group Stage
Playing Kits for All 20 Clubs
From the classic designs to the bold new looks, we have all the 2021-22 playing kits for the 20 Premier League clubs. Whether you’re a fan looking to buy the new kit or just a football enthusiast interested in kit designs, we’ve got you covered.
