We’ve all sat and watched what can only be described as a lot of football over the course of the last year. Following the conclusion of the 2017/18 season it was time to take a step back from the domestic game, in order to sample some World Cup football. What proceeded was a month of unbelievable excitement, and along the way, a lot of pretty interesting things happened.
It (very) nearly came home
If you’re an England fan, of course, the ‘interesting thing’ we’re referring to is the Three Lions’ miraculous run all the way through to the semi finals. It was only the third time in the history of the World Cup that the English national team had made it to the final four, after their fantastic performances in 1966 and 1990. It was under Gareth Southgate’s tutelage last summer that they were able to pull off the seemingly impossible, in front of the millions watching around the world.
Then came the Premier League season, and before it all got underway, there was certainly a sense of excitement that we hadn’t seen in quite some time. It was as if the momentum of England’s success had carried over into the domestic game, which isn’t exactly something you see every single day. International football is great but it doesn’t always translate that well, but thankfully for Premier League fans, most England players actually play in their home nation.
What proceeded was nine months of enticing action, in what can only be described as one of the greatest seasons the EPL has ever seen (since the creation of the new format back in 1992). We saw a great deal of drama both at the top and bottom of the division, but in the end, it was the title race that captured the imagination of the masses heading into the final day – and yet, it still isn’t even the biggest story of the season.
History has been made
The big story is that all four European finalists this year are from the Premier League, which is the first time one country has ever been able to do that. It’s quite simply one of the most remarkable accomplishments we can ever recall seeing, and that’s no exaggeration. It takes a lot of effort to get tot he latter stages of a European competition, so the fact that Tottenham, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea all managed to do so in one season is even better.
The bookmakers have their favourites for the finals, but to be honest, it’s hard to care one way or another unless you’re a rival of one of the clubs involved (or a fan of the clubs themselves). Some things are bigger than ‘egos’ in football, and when we say some things, this certainly falls into that category.
This could either spur on the rest of Europe to make sure this doesn’t happen again next season, or alternatively, it could begin an outstanding reign of dominance for English football at the top of the mountain.
