Top 5 teams in the Premier League table had the games ended at half-time (2021-22)
The 2021-22 Premier League season saw Manchester City triumph once more under Pep Guardiola. The Citizens registered their fourth title win in five seasons under the Spanish manager.
It is certainly an amazing achievement with Liverpool putting up a strong fight for the league title. Winning by a slim margin of a single point just goes to show how tough it is in England's top flight football.
There were some amazing matches in the 2021-22 campaign that provided an entertaining spectacle for the fans. It only got more interesting when clubs managed to pull off a comeback.
Some teams started a match poorly and did well in the second half while others did the opposite. There were times when teams managed to drastically change the scoreline post half time.
The Premier League table would have looked quite different had matches ended after the first 45 minutes of the game. Here, we take a look at how the table rankings would have been if that was the case.
#5 Arsenal
Arsenal ended up in the fifth position at the end of the 2021-22 season with 69 points on the table. It was disheartening for the Gunners as they looked strong contenders to play in the Champions League given their form in the second half of the campaign.
That being said, it wouldn't have been any different for the north London club had matches ended at half-time last season. As such, Arsenal would have finished in fifth position with 63 points on the table.
Arsenal's victory over Wolves was the first time the Gunners have won in the Premier League under Mikel Arteta after trailing at half time.
(W1 D4 L15)
Compared to their 22 wins in actuality, the Gunners would have won only 17 matches had the matches ended at half time. It only goes to show how well Arsenal managed to make a comeback and win some crucial points last season.
#4 Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs did a fantastic job under Antonio Conte last season to book a place in the Champions League for the upcoming season. With 71 points, Tottenham Hotspur managed to sneak past Arsenal last season by two points in the final few matchdays.
It would have been no different for them had their matches ended at half time last campaign. Had that been the case, Spurs would have registered 65 points compared to their actual tally of 71 points.
What makes it even more interesting is that Tottenham Hotspur would have won just 16 matches out of 38 compared to their actual figure of 22 wins. At the same time, Spurs would have lost just five matches compared to their actual figure of 11 losses had their matches ended at half-time.
#3 Chelsea
The Blues have had quite an inconsistent outing in the 2021-22 Premier League season, having secured 74 points and finishing third. With the firepower they have at their disposal, Chelsea were expected to strongly challenge for the title but their form on the pitch wasn't quite up to the mark.
The London club registered 21 wins last season but had their matches ended at half-time, they would have ended with just 15 wins. On similar lines, Chelsea would have secured 68 points and drawn 23 matches.
0 - Chelsea are the first team in Premier League history to go through a whole season without ever being behind at half-time. Ascendancy. #PL https://t.co/zVNBDQM8bo
Interestingly, the Blues would not have lost a single match if all their matches had ended after the first 45 minutes. In that case, they would have become the second club to go unbeaten in an entire season after Arsenal in the 2003-04 season.
#2 Manchester City
The Premier League champions did find it difficult to retain the title at times. However, eventually their class and quality on the pitch helped them triumph in the 2021-22 season. It was delightful to watch Manchester City last campaign with their attacking and entertaining play.
Having secured 93 points, City won 29 matches last season. It would all have been drastically different had their matches ended at half time. In that case, they would have registered 77 points and finished second in the league.
Relive @ManCity's title-winning comeback against Aston Villa in full 😱 https://t.co/2UjzHQTGAb
City would have then won 22 matches, the most by any club in the last campaign. Had all their matches ended at half-time, Aston Villa would have secured a victory in Manchester City's last league match.
#1 Liverpool
It is certainly not easy to compete with Manchester City but Liverpool surely gave one hell of a fight last season. The Reds fell just short in their bid to win the league title by one point but it was an impressive run for the Merseyside club.
Liverpool registered 92 points last season with 28 wins to their name. Had all their matches ended at half-time, they would have won 21 of them and lost just once.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s wonder goal completes a Liverpool comeback victory
#LIVNEW https://t.co/T3BIHkjODu
In total, the Reds would have secured 79 points and won the league title, beating Manchester City by two points. Had that been the case, Liverpool would have registered their second title win under Jurgen Klopp in three seasons.