EPL 2016/17: Report card of the top 10 clubs
The 2016/17 Premier League‘s three magic words turned out to be: "Three-four-three". Many teams attempted it but none better than Antonio Conte's Chelsea who bulldozed their way to the title after changing tactics and strategies in October.
Tottenham Hotspur had their best ever season in the Premier League era but that was not enough to dethrone the Blues at the top. The battle for the fourth spot was between Arsenal and Liverpool but Jurgen Klopp's men pipped the Gunners in a battle that went down to the final game.
At the other end of the table, Sunderland had a horrible season and finished rock bottom. Despite changing managers, Hull and Middlesbrough could not stop the rot whereas Swansea City miraculous escaped the relegation zone after the appointment of Paul Clement.
Also read: EPL 2016/17: How much prize money did each Premier League team win this season?
Defending champions Leicester City could not replicate last year's form as they failed to make the top ten.
In terms of individuals, Harry Kane continued his dominance as he won the Golden Boot for scoring 29 league goals. Romelu Lukaku finished a close second with 25 whereas Kevin De Bruyne's 18 assists were the highest in the season.
It was a season to remember for many and one to learn from for others. Here is a detailed report card for the clubs who finished in the upper half of the table:
Chelsea
This title must have been the sweetest for Chelsea supporters after a disastrous previous season saw them finish 10th. The manager was sensational, to say the least, and the players responded splendidly to Conte's demands to give the Blues their sixth league title.
Star player: N’Golo Kante. Though Eden Hazard was back to his terrifying best, it was the industrious and consistent performances in the middle by Kante which gave Chelsea an upper hand over the other teams.
Biggest flop: Branislav Ivanovic. He was not at his best last season and continued his bad run in this campaign too. He could not offer much in the seven games he played in August and was subsequently offloaded to Zenit St. Petersburg.
Areas to improve: It turned out to be a complete team performance by the Blues, but at times, the strikers at their disposal failed to get the job done. Conte is looking out for a striker to replace Diego Costa which will make his Chelsea side more balanced.
Grade: A+