Yearender 2020, Premier League: COVID-19 Plays Spoilsport, Liverpool Win First Top-Flight Title In 30 Years

The year 2020 has been game changing for football, and the Premier League is the perfect example. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest change was the absence of fans from stadiums during matches, and also the intense measures being followed so that the competition could continue without much fear of the virus. After the competition was halted midway through during the 2019-20 season, Liverpool went on to win the title, registering 99 points in total. Despite all precautions being followed, plenty of stars like Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane tested positive for the virus.

The new 2020-21 season, which has already begun, has also seen plenty of surprise packages like Aston Villa and Southampton. Also, Jose Mourinho is living up to his "The Special One" tag, leading Tottenham Hotspur to crushing victories, and also to the top of the table.

Here is a look at how the Premier League fared in 2020:

COVID-19 halts football and closes venues: During the 2019-20 season, Premier League was stopped on March 10 due to the rising COVID-19 cases in the United Kingdom and the world. The competition resumed and the remaining 11 game weeks were clustered between June 17 and July 26. The matches were played in closed venues, with the new season also resuming in closed venues but fans have slowly returned to the stadiums, with spectators coming to cheer West Brom's recent match against Manchester United in December.

Liverpool win their first top-flight title in 30 years: Jurgen Klopp led Liverpool to the Premier League title last season, winning 32 matches from 38 fixtures. The Reds registered 99 points to win their first top-flight title in 30 years!

Jamie Vardy finishes the 2019-20 season as top-scorer: Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy scored 23 goals during the 2019-20 season, finishing as the top-scorer. He was followed by Danny Ings (22), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (22), Raheem Sterling (20) and Mohamed Salah (19). Leicester finished the season in fifth place, narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification.

Kevin de Bruyne bags the most assists in the 2019-20 season: Despite Manchester City failing to defend the Premier League title, Kevin de Bruyne was pivotal for his side, registering 20 assists. He was followed by the Liverpool duo of Trent Alexander-Arnold (13), Andrew Robertson (12), David Silva (10) and Mohamed Salah (10).

Liverpool kick-off 2020-21 season with a 4-3 win over Leeds United: The new season began on September 12, with defending champions Liverpool facing newly-promoted Leeds United in the first match. The Reds won 4-3, and Mohamed Salah scored a hattrick. Virjil van Dijk also scored for the home side. Meanwhile, Jack Harrison, Patrick Bamford and Mateusz Klich scored for Leeds.

Jose Mourinho and Tottenham's resurgence: Since Jose Mourinho's arrival, Tottenham have been on a roll. Before his arrival during last season, Spurs were not even amongst the first ten teams in the league standings. But the former Chelsea manager led them to a last-ditch sixth-placed finish, and booked a Europa League spot. With the new season, Tottenham are currently on top of the table and are en route to sealing a Champions League spot. Also, Harry Kane crossed the 150-goal mark for Tottenham, and formed a lethal partnership with Son Heung-min.

Southampton and Leicester City challenge the heavyweights: The 2020-21 season is seeing the likes of Leicester City and Southampton take on the Premier League heavyweights with much aplomb. The Saints are currently fourth in the standings, behind Leicester, who are third.

Topics mentioned in this article

Liverpool Southampton Leicester City Jamie Vardy Kevin De Bruyne Jurgen Klopp Jose Mourinho Yearender2020sports English Premier League Football