EPL: 7 most iconic moments in 2016
Yet another year comes to an end and people around the world will heave a sigh of relief after having seen the back of 2016. While it was a year to forget for many for varied reasons, the Premier League saw something never seen before – the rise of the underdog followed by something that levelled the playing field.
Last season saw Leicester City overcome 5000/1 odds to clinch their first ever league title. This season saw millions of pounds thrown at each club thanks to the £5.1 billion TV deal which subsequently allowed every club to strengthen in the transfer market and make the Premier League a very exciting product.
We look back at some of the best moments of 2016 that will always be remembered.
1) Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur: Leicester wins the title
Tottenham had managed to leapfrog their north London rivals Arsenal in February and held on to second place, holding on the coat tails of Leicester City all the way till May. The Premier League then arrived at a scenario where the Spurs had to beat Chelsea on 2 May to keep the pressure on the Foxes.
The stage was set for an epic finish with all eyes on the clash at Stamford Bridge. And it was Mauricio Pochettino’s side that took the lead at half-time with goals from eventual Golden Boot winner Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
The Leicester players were camped at Jamie Vardy’s house and the mood was a sombre one. Christian Fuchs described the mood, saying: “You had 22 lads standing around Jamie Vardy’s kitchen... And everybody was completely depressed.”
Then came the turnaround. Chelsea, who had made a horrendous defence of their Premier League title suddenly sprang back to life once again. Gary Cahill halved the deficit before Eden Hazard scored one of the goals of the season with a curler into the top corner.
That second goal not only marked the Belgian’s return to form following a forgettable season but also effectively ended the Spurs’ title challenge. At the full-time whistle, the cheers were louder and longer at Leicester than in London.