2005/06 Premier League Table: Two In A Row For Chelsea FC
2005/06 Premier League Champions: Chelsea FC
Runners-up: Manchester United
Champions League places: Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal.
UEFA Cup places: Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers, West Ham United (FA Cup finalists)
Promoted (from 2004-05): Sunderland, Wigan Athletic, West Ham United
Relegated: Sunderland, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City
Leading scorer: Thierry Henry (Arsenal) 27 goals
Premier League Table 2005/06
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 38 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 72 | 22 | +50 | 91 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 72 | 34 | +38 | 83 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 38 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 57 | 25 | +32 | 82 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 68 | 31 | +37 | 67 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 53 | 38 | +15 | 65 |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 51 | 42 | +9 | 63 |
| 7 | Newcastle United | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 47 | 42 | +5 | 58 |
| 8 | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 49 | 41 | +8 | 56 |
| 9 | West Ham United | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 52 | 55 | -3 | 55 |
| 10 | Wigan Athletic | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 45 | 52 | -7 | 51 |
| 11 | Everton | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 34 | 49 | -15 | 50 |
| 12 | Fulham | 38 | 14 | 6 | 18 | 48 | 58 | -10 | 48 |
| 13 | Charlton Athletic | 38 | 13 | 8 | 17 | 41 | 55 | -14 | 47 |
| 14 | Middlesborough | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 48 | 58 | -10 | 45 |
| 15 | Manchester City | 38 | 13 | 4 | 21 | 43 | 48 | -5 | 43 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 42 | 55 | -13 | 42 |
| 17 | Portsmouth | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 37 | 62 | -25 | 38 |
| 18 | Birmingham City | 38 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 28 | 50 | -22 | 34 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 58 | -27 | 30 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 38 | 3 | 6 | 29 | 26 | 69 | -43 | 15 |
2005/06 Season Review
Barclays Premiership champions Chelsea picked up from where they left off with a storming start to the 2005/06 campaign. Jose Mourinho’s men had already won the Community Shield with a 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Millennium Stadium. And they got off to a flyer as Hernan Crespo’s 90th-minute strike gave the Blues a win at Barclays Premiership new boys Wigan Athletic.
Charlton Athletic surprised many by moving top of the 2005/06 Premier League table at the end of August, thanks to seven goals from new striker Darren Bent. By November, Chelsea moved 13 points clear at the summit and had memorable wins over rivals Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool.
When they lost their 100 percent league record at Everton in October, Mourinho said: “Everybody is crying that Chelsea keeps winning and winning and winning, so I think that draw at Goodison Park makes everyone happier. It gives people more hope and brings to the Premiership what Everybody was waiting for.”
Managers Get The Chop
Newcastle United parted company with manager Graeme Souness after an awful start, but new manager Glenn Roeder ensured a seventh-place finish for the Magpies. Harry Redknapp arrived at struggling Portsmouth midway through the season and worked his magic to help them beat the drop. Everton improved on a dreadful first half of the season to end up in 11th place.
Chelsea’s 18-point lead at the top at the start of 2006 was reduced to seven after a late-season slump and Manchester United’s 10-match winning run. But the Blues never looked like losing their Barclays Premiership crown and romped their way to the title eight points ahead of United on the 2005/06 Premier League table. However, the Red Devils did end the campaign with some silverware by beating Wigan 4-0 in the League Cup Final.
Liverpool finished third with 82 points – their highest top-flight total since 1988 – to claim a Champions League berth. Tottenham, inspired by Robbie Keane and Mido, ended up in fifth place – just missing out on a Champions League spot.
Last Day Of The Season
On the last day of the season, they had to better arch-rivals Arsenal’s result when playing at West Ham. But the night before the match, the team came down with food poisoning, and an under-strength side lost 2-1. Arsenal won 4-2 at home to Wigan to seal fourth place and Champions League qualification in the last-ever match at Highbury. Sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers claimed the final UEFA Cup position.
Newly promoted West Ham United and Wigan finished in the top half of the table, while Sunderland was relegated with a paltry 15 points – the lowest-ever Premier League points total.
Liverpool dramatically won the FA Cup with a penalty shoot-out win over West Ham. Going into the last minute, Liverpool was trailing 3-2 before Steven Gerrard scored a fantastic 90th-minute equalizer with a ferocious 35-yard drive. It was named Match of the Day’s Goal of the Season.
2005/06 Cup Results
2005/06 FA Cup Winners: Liverpool [Final Liverpool 3 v West Ham (aet), Liverpool win 3-1 on penalties]
2005/06 League Cup Winners: Manchester United [Final Manchester United 4 v 0 Wigan]
2005/06 Champions League Winners: FC Barcelona [Final Barcelona 2 v 1 Arsenal]
2005/06 UEFA Cup Winners: Sevilla [Final Sevilla 4 v 0 Middlesbrough]
2005/06 Managerial Changes
Charlton Athletic: Alan Curbishley out, Iain Dowie in
Newcastle United: Graeme Souness out, Glenn Roeder in
Portsmouth: Alain Perrin out, Harry Redknapp in
Sunderland: Mick McCarthy out, Niall Quinn in
Rhett is an Australian-born, globe trotter who is a UEFA ‘A’ Licence Soccer Coach. With his family, he has traveled and coached soccer in more than 30 countries, while attending World Cups, European Championships, and some of the biggest local derbies in the world!