Mancunian vibes would have been high if someone had approached the average Manchester United fan before this season and told them the following:
Bruno Fernandes will create the most opportunities for the 2024-25 Premier League season.
Sure, there are still two weeks to go, and Cole Palmer and Mohamed Salah are only three behind Fernandes’ Premier League-best 88 created chances, but that’s why your typical Premier League year-end awards list doesn’t always include all of the campaign’s bright spots.
This season, however, has opened the door to admiration for a number of clubs and players, owing to the rest of the Premier League’s unwillingness to stand in the way of Arne Slot’s Liverpool winning the title. Our three writers’ Best XIs featured 18 different players among the 33 selected as the season’s top performers.
So this post is here to celebrate seasons like Bruno’s, which, ironically, are being lost in the aftermath of Manchester United’s failed season.
Chelsea were better than most would suspect, outside of average goalkeeping
The Blues attempted 448 shots in open play, 173 more than their opponents. That’s on par with Manchester City, and only Liverpool can truly claim to be superior to Enzo Maresca’s team.
In fact, if you could go back in time and put this same team on the field instead of one playing for a new manager against Manchester City in Week 1, the Blues might be comfortably in second place.
Chelsea’s midfield was a dominant force for the majority of the season, and the squad was so loaded that Maresca frequently used Moises Caicedo at right back. Perhaps only Newcastle produces a scarier unit on a weekly basis.
Maresca’s team could finish in the top four, which is impressive given that this is his first season and Chelsea gave him 400 players to satisfy through first, second, and third impressions.
Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke scored nearly four goals less than their xG totals, while Christopher Nkunku scored two fewer than expected. Cole Palmer’s 27.32 xG+xA total is significantly higher than his 23 actual goal contributions.
The Blues had the third-best average possession and tied for the third-best goals conceded per game (1.2). If they had managed above-average goalkeeping instead of mediocre work between the posts, the Blues would have likely already secured their Champions League spot.
Bruno Fernandes was spectacular for miserable Man United
Perhaps United would have finished in the bottom three rather than the bottom half without their Portuguese hero.
Fernandes created 2.8 chances per 90 minutes in the Premier League, but he was once again outmatched by his teammates’ finishing ability. Alejandro Garnacho’s 14 big chances missed rank 12th in the Premier League, though Fernandes himself is in the top 30.
Fernandes is seventh on the leaderboard with nine assists, fourth in expected assists, and trailing only Salah and Palmer in fotmob’s player ratings system. Fernandes also had an exceptional passing range, ranking third in terms of accurate long passes per 90 minutes (4.7).
Winning trophies is what matters at Old Trafford, and Fernandes could win his third as a Red Devil if Manchester United defeats Tottenham in the Europa League Final. At this point, there’s a chance he’ll leave town as an elite, all-time Red Devil who just happened to play during their worst stretch of the modern era.
Imagine him feeding a traditional electric group of United forwards instead of what he’s seen since 2020, which has basically been streaky.
Marcus Rashford is joined by a rotating cast of old, young, and average players, including Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial, Antony, Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund, and roughly a season of post-prime Ronaldo.
Arsenal played really, really solid football, undone by luck and failure to address striker
It doesn’t transform the Gunners into a powerhouse, but the numbers probably explain why Mikel Arteta has been sounding like an ornery, bewildered guy who can’t find his winning lottery ticket.
Where did he put the thing? And where was his transfer support for a finisher in January? Anyyywaaaayyyy…
Arsenal has conceded the fewest expected goals in the league (32.6), more than two goals fewer than the champions, and they are near the top in terms of created chances. And in attack, the Gunners rank near the top in terms of touches inside an opponent’s 18. This is a team that keeps the opposition safe and can find its way to the most dangerous places.
Here’s where things get crazy: the unpredictable stats.
Arsenal has only won two penalties this season, tying Everton, Ipswich, and Southampton for second-worst.
The Gunners appear to be well-behaved, having received the third-fewest yellow cards this season (61). However, Arsenal’s players have received six red cards this season, the most in the league (Leicester City, on the other hand, has not had a man sent off). Weird one).
Many teams will look back on this season and feel as if they squandered an opportunity to win the league, qualify for the Champions League, or sneak into Europe. Arsenal must live this summer knowing they were better than most but won nothing.
