Top five surprise results in 2020/2021 Premier League season
I think that we can all agree that COVID was the biggest surprise in the 2020/2021 Premier League season. With Liverpool set to earn its first Premier League title since the 80s, fans were distraught at the League announcing the suspension of play during the lockdown.
Many fans thought the season was over, and there was no way the pandemic would let up enough to get the players back on the pitch. However, in mid-June, officials designated live sports games safe provided no fans were in attendance.
The League got back underway, and we saw some nail-biting finishes from plenty of games. There were plenty of upsets, leaving some fans rejoicing while others whimpered quietly in defeat. Either way, it was a cracker of a season that saw Liverpool take the much-deserved title, albeit a bit later in the year than usual.
Some games had fans running out to fast payout bookmakers to collect their winnings on a profitable upset. Here are our choices for the top five surprise results in the 2020/2021 Premier League season.
#1 Leicester City 0 – 3 West Ham
When Leister City visited London to take on West Ham, James Vardy was on a scoring run, and many punters pegged the Foxes as top-four contenders this season. The team was on a three-game winning streak, with confidence levels through the roof at home.
The shift to away game status and the threat of taking on West Ham United at the King Power Stadium didn’t seem like much of a challenge, and fans expected a decent scoreline, with at least two from Vardy.
By the end of the match, Foxes fans had their heads in their hands, watching West Ham pound three into the net with no reply from Leicester City.
#2 Manchester United 1 – 3 Crystal Palace
With Manchester United Off to a good start for the season, fans expect them to get stronger towards the back half. However, it seems the break in play didn’t do Man Utd any favors. After failing to acquire a transfer target during the window, Man Utd needed a big win to pull things right with management and the fans.
Crystal Palace is always a dark horse for the side. However, with recent Palace performance in the gutter, fans expected a trouncing by United, especially at Old Trafford. After 90-minutes, Man Utd was down 1-3 at home in one of the season’s biggest upsets.
#3 Manchester City 2-5 Leicester City
Our choice for the third upset in this list goes Man City and another sterling performance by the Foxes, Leicester City. After the dust settled from this game, it’s apparent that City’s problems run deeper than a missed signing.
Guardiola’s side showed complete confusion in the defense, with the Foxes taking full advantage of the gaps in the midfield and defense.
#4 Manchester United 1 – 6 Tottenham Hotspur
If you’re like us, there’s nothing more thrilling than watching a favorite side take an unexpected beating. Tottenham exposed the holes in the Man Utd defense, sliding six past David de Gea to finish the game 6 – 1, handing the Red Devils their most devastating loss of the season.
Taking this bad of a thrashing at Old Trafford set the management in a new direction. This result was undoubtedly the tipping point for United During the season, and they finished the season in the third spot, despite the crushing defeat at the hands of the Yids.
#5 Aston Villa 7- 2 Liverpool
Our last upset occurred between the season’s champions, Liverpool, and Aston Villa. They say fans rarely anticipate upsets, and nothing could be more the case with this matchup between the Scousers and the Villains.
Liverpool thrashed a weakened Arsenal side the week before, and the team was in form, with Aston Villa projected to be the next victim in the club’s path to league domination. By exploiting the champion’s weaknesses in midfield, Aston Villa mounted attacks and counterattacks in what seemed to be a comical display of a pro side playing a high school team.
We can’t help that Allisson Becker’s absence was responsible for Liverpool’s poor performance on the day. Never-the-less, the side finished top at the end of the season, returning the clubs winning legacy in premier league football.