MX23RW : Sunday, April 28 15:28:37| >> :120:15888:15888:

How every Premier League season would have finished after gameweek 29: 2016-17

Given the current uncertainty over the resumption of the Premier League, Sports Mole looks at how the 2016-17 season would have ended after gameweek 29.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the Premier League season to a standstill and it remains to be seen whether the campaign will conclude.

Top-flight clubs have held a number of meetings to discuss 'Project Restart', with a behind-closed-doors return in early June still a possibility.

However, the longer the uncertainty goes on, the more likely it seems that an alternative plan will have to be found.

That could mean declaring 2019-20 null and void, or possibly freezing the table as it stands - either way, all 20 teams face an anxious wait over their final positions.

Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie are the most high-profile divisions to end their campaigns early, but what would have happened if previous Premier League seasons finished after gameweek 29?

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the 2016-17 campaign, which saw Chelsea finish above Tottenham Hotspur to win a fifth Premier League title in style.


Chelsea's players celebrate their Premier League title success in May 2017© Reuters

The Blues sealed top spot with a couple of games to spare and eventually finished seven points clear of Tottenham, who recorded their best-ever finish.

Seven points was also the margin after the 29th round of matches, with Spurs unable to close the gap in what was still a memorable campaign for Mauricio Pochettino's men.

Indeed, Tottenham did well to hold off the chasing pack over the final two months, with Liverpool and Manchester City hot on their heels ahead of the last nine games.

Liverpool occupied third place at that point, but dropped points at home to Crystal Palace and Southampton allowed Man City to leapfrog them into third spot.

Still, a final-day win over Middlesbrough was enough for the Reds to hold off Arsenal for the final Champions League qualifying spot, and they would go on to reach the following year's final.

Antonio Conte in charge of Chelsea on May 19, 2018© Reuters

Arsenal had done well to drag themselves into Champions League contention, having been down in sixth place and seven points off the top four with nine games to go.

Manchester United climbed from sixth to fifth, meanwhile, and Everton maintained their position of seventh to qualify for the Europa League.

While teams in the top half changed positions, the bottom three remained as it was as Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Hull City all dropped into the Championship.

Swansea City were at risk of replacing Hull in the relegation zone after gameweek 29, finding themselves one point above the dotted line, but a run of four wins and a draw in their final five matches saw them climb clear.

Elsewhere, defending champions Leicester City's campaign petered out as they moved from 13th to 12th in the final couple of months.

ID:399104: cacheID:399104:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6078:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Boris Johnson pictured on March 25, 2020
Read Next:
Boris Johnson paves way for Premier League return?
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City33237380324876
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!