It has been another Premier League season full of drama and entertainment.
While Manchester City have wrapped up another title, the relegation battle will go to the wire and European places remain up for grabs.
Here, the PA news agency looks at 10 of the most memorable moments of the 2022-23 campaign.
Fireworks at the Bridge
When Tottenham made the trip to rivals Chelsea on the second weekend of the season, the early talk was of both being able to challenge City but what transpired on a hot day in August was tempers boiling over between Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel. The pair were involved in two heated exchanges and the now memorable handshake at the end of a 2-2 draw. It has largely been downhill for both clubs since.
Ronaldo’s early exit
Cristiano Ronaldo stormed down the Old Trafford tunnel during the latter stages of United’s 2-0 win over Tottenham. Ronaldo was left on the bench and had enough. Erik ten Hag reintegrated him back into the team but soon after Ronaldo conducted a controversial TV interview that brought his time at the club to an unsavoury end and set the wheels in motion for his Saudi Arabia move.
History-maker Haaland
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Erling Haaland had already made history by the time of Ronaldo’s tantrum after his hat-trick in the Manchester derby made it three consecutive trebles at home in the Premier League. More records have tumbled for the Norwegian since with his 20th top-flight goal coming before January and in only 14 matches, both new records, while he recently went past Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s previous joint-feat of scoring the most goals (34) in a Premier League season.
Young Lions soaring
Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka were two of the stars of the World Cup in a brilliant redemption story after the disgusting racist abuse they received after Euro 2020. The duo had shone for United and Arsenal respectively ahead of the mid-season break for the tournament in Qatar and picked up where they left off following England’s quarter-final exit. Rashford scored 10 goals in 10 matches during December and January while Saka netted in key wins over West Ham, Brighton and United. The young English pair have excelled throughout.
King Kane
Harry Kane put his World Cup penalty pain behind him to make Tottenham history with the winner against City to become the club’s record goalscorer on February 5. A scuffed effort by Kane in the 15th minute was enough for him to move on to 267 Spurs goals and above Jimmy Greaves, whose tally had stood alone for more than 50 years.
Liverpool batter United
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A second-half blitz from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool led to one of the most extraordinary results in Premier League history with rivals Manchester United hit for seven. United only trailed by one goal at the break but went on to suffer a painful 7-0 defeat with Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all hitting braces. Roberto Firmino added a seventh two minutes from time much to the delight of the baying Anfield crowd.
Conte explodes
While Conte’s Tottenham failed to produce many memorable moments on the pitch, his explosive post-match rant at Southampton remains one of the most remarkable incidents off the pitch. After he watched Spurs let a two-goal lead slip to draw 3-3 at the bottom-of-the-table side, Conte let rip into his own “selfish players” who he insisted cannot play under pressure before bringing up the club’s trophy drought. He left Tottenham a week later.
Brooks returns
A heart-warming moment occurred when Bournemouth introduced David Brooks late on in their 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa on March 18. It marked Brooks’ first-team return for the first time in 536 days after he was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma in 2021. He received the all-clear last May but still faced a long road to recovery. Brooks received a warm ovation from both sets of supporters.
Royal events
Premier League football has been disrupted by two Royal events this season. The death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 9 saw all matches that coming weekend postponed before tributes were paid to the late Queen in a variety of ways the following matchday, including with a minute’s silence. The coronation of the King was the next major event involving the Royal Family, which occurred on May 6 and had several fixtures moved while clubs showed the service inside stadiums before matches. The national anthem was played before every fixture, but was booed at Anfield.
Stoppage-time drama
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One constant this season has been the division’s ability to keep producing crazy finales. From Kane’s equaliser at the death at Stamford Bridge in August to Reiss Nelson’s heroics in Arsenal’s thrilling 3-2 win over Bournemouth two months ago, you can always bet on stoppage-time drama. Some other notable late, late goals have seen Fabio Carvalho help Liverpool down Newcastle, Brentford’s Ivan Toney stun City at the Etihad and Diogo Jota leave Tottenham heart-broken at Anfield.
Michail Antonio felt officials were against West Ham after European exit
Michail Antonio felt West Ham were up against 14 players as they bowed out of the Europa League to Bayer Leverkusen.
Antonio’s early header gave the Hammers hope of overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit and inflicting a first defeat of the season on Xabi Alonso’s new Bundesliga champions.
But the bustling striker claimed he did not get a decision all night from card-happy Spanish referee Jose Maria Sanchez and his two assistants.
“It doesn’t feel like you’re playing against 11 men, it feels like you’re playing against 13 or 14 including the two linos,” Antonio told TNT Sports.
“You just have to keep pushing and try and make the decisions go your way. And they just weren’t. We had to keep playing our way and keep being professional.”
West Ham pushed gamely for a second goal to take the tie to extra-time, but as they inevitably flagged Leverkusen substitute Jeremie Frimpong scored with a deflected shot in the last minute to make it 1-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.
It was a valiant effort but ultimately a sad end to another European adventure for last season’s Conference League winners.
“We’re very proud of ourselves, to achieve what we’ve achieved over the last few years is incredible,” added Antonio.
“Three back-to-back years in European quarter-finals I would never have thought that. We were a yo-yo team, fighting relegation, then into Europe.”
Sanchez booked 11 players and sent off West Ham coach Billy McKinlay, and Sebastian Parrilla from Leverkusen’s staff after a touchline altercation.
Asked if that skirmish had anything to do with some bad-tempered exchanges between the benches in last week’s first leg, Alonso said with a grin: “I wouldn’t say no.”
Hammers boss David Moyes was not keen to be drawn on the officiating, but he did say: “I watch a lot of Spanish football but if that’s the way it is you wouldn’t want to watch too many Spanish matches.”
On his side’s performance, he added: “It was a brilliant team performance, I have to say over the two games.
“We played a really good team and we had chances to be two or three up. I couldn’t fault the players at all. If I was going out of Europe I wanted to go out like that.”
In the first half Leverkusen looked as though they may have celebrated their first Bundesliga crown on Sunday a little too much, and Alonso admitted they needed to improve after the break.
“For sure it was a thrilling game,” he said. “Two different halves. First half we knew West Ham would come with high intensity and we were not comfortable with that.
“After they scored one we were lucky not to concede a second one. But we showed character in the second half and the substitutes had a good impact. It was a lesson for us.”
Jurgen Klopp accepts lack of threat cost Liverpool dear in European exit
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp accepted their lack of goal threat failed to put enough pressure on Atalanta to help turn their Europa League quarter-final back in their favour.
Mohamed Salah’s seventh-minute penalty had raised hopes of a Barcelona 2019-style comeback but the Egypt international missed a relatively straightforward lob to make it 2-0 towards the end of the first half and they faded badly after the break as they exited the competition 3-1 on aggregate.
That meant for only the third time in the 21st century, England have no teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League or Europa League/UEFA Cup.
“We didn’t lose the tie tonight, we lost it at home,” Klopp said after a 3-0 first-leg defeat proved decisive.
“It’s very easy to congratulate Atalanta because they deserved to go through. When you win a tie against us 3-1 in especially this way you deserve it absolutely.
“But I loved our game, especially the start. I loved the commitment, desire and power we developed in this game but it was clear we had better score from time to time otherwise it could be tricky over 90 minutes.
“The second goal could have helped a little bit. We have to create a little bit more than we did in the first half as it’s clear you need a result to help destabilise the opponent.
“If you have a second goal it’s a tricky one as the next goal is extra time but we didn’t get to that point and we will never really know how that would have looked.
“Disappointed we didn’t go through but not frustrated or angry. If you don’t deserve it, it’s all good.”
Salah has looked well short of his clinical best since returning from almost two months out with a hamstring problem.
Even though he has scored six in 11 game since he came back two of those have been penalties and he is squandering more chances he would normally be expected to take.
“I’m not particularly concerned. That’s what strikers do. That’s how it it is. We have to go through it, he has to go through it,” added Klopp.
“He is one of most experienced players in the squad. That’s pretty much all.
“It’s not that Mo didn’t miss chances before in his life, that’s part of the game. The penalty was super convincing, a super penalty then the next chance that was unlucky, but it’s not the first time has has missed chances like that.
“I won’t make a big story of it. I’m not particularly concerned.”
Liverpool exit Europa League despite win at Atalanta
Liverpool crashed out of the Europa League after they failed to turn around their 3-0 first-leg defeat to Atalanta despite winning 1-0 at Gewiss Stadium.
Jurgen Klopp’s men took the lead from the spot in the seventh minute through Mohamed Salah but could not find the goals needed as they fell to a 3-1 aggregate loss in the quarter-finals.
West Ham were knocked out by Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen at London Stadium, also going out 3-1 on aggregate.
The Hammers gave themselves hope, both in the tie and of inflicting a first defeat of the season on Leverkusen, courtesy of Michail Antonio’s first-half goal.
But it was not enough as Leverkusen scored late on through Jeremie Frimpong.
Roma held off AC Milan to advance to the semi-finals.
Daniele De Rossi’s side, who won the first leg 1-0, scored two quickfire goals through Gianluca Mancini and Paulo Dybala to strengthen their advantage.
Despite Mehmet Zeki Çelik’s red card for a late challenge on Rafael Leao and Matteo Gabbia pulling one back in the 85th minute, the hosts managed to see out the match.
Marseille had to rely on penalties to claim their last-eight win over Benfica.
Benfica went to Stade Velodrome with a 2-1 advantage.
Faris Moumbagna opened the scoring for the hosts but both defences proved to be stubborn as the match went the distance after extra-time.
Antonio Silva and Angel Di Maria missed from 12 yards before Luis Henrique scored the decisive spot-kick to send the French club through.
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