As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...
ing in football has become an obsession.
The tiki-taka style of Barcelona has now become the basis of managerial philosophies across the leagues and lands of Europe and beyond.
The problem is, few teams have the ability to execute it at the level required to make it effective.
Pep Guardiola took it to another level when he was in charge of the La Liga giants and it has served his Manchester City side well since he took charge in 2016 having won 18 trophies in the following nine years.
And, if the Premier League season had come down to how well teams the ball, unsurprisingly the eight-time champions would have been celebrating a ninth title.
With nearly 90% accuracy, they rarely put a foot - or - wrong.
And yet, in reality, it did not translate to success on the pitch this year.
Whether it was teams finally finding the chinks in the ing-machine armour or the side's misplaced es proving more costly than in previous seasons without key players, City could not take advantage of their dominance with the ball.
And for one of the most acute examples of ability with the ball not translating to on-the-pitch success, we only have to look at Southampton.
The Saints at one point looked set to break Derby County's record for the least amount of points in a Premier League campaign, and yet they were less than 1% behind actual league champions Liverpool when it came to ing accuracy.
While fans could have some appreciation for watching nice football, they might have appreciated some scrappy displays that resulted in hard-fought results and possible safety more.
In contrast, Crystal Palace had the least accurate ing of any team in the league.
And yet, Oliver Glasner's side ultimately finished 12th - just three points off a top-half finish - and won the FA Cup final against the club with the best ing ability of them all.
They are not the only team to have had successful seasons in their own right while being in the bottom six for ing accuracy.
Nottingham Forest were 19th in this table metric, but in reality were fighting for Champions League places.
Bournemouth and Brentford also battled for possible European spots into the final weeks of the season, and even Everton finished the campaign comfortably away from relegation that at one point they looked set to be in a battle to escape.
So what does this tell us? When it comes to winning football matches, ing the ball well is not the be-all and end-all.
*Table data from Opta
Manchester City and Barcelona have expressed an interest in Arsenal's 15-year-old English midfield prospect Max Dowman. (FootballTransfers, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on Manchester City's prospective new midfield g Tijjani Reijnders from AC Milan.
Here are some of your comments:
David: Excellent piece of business. Looks like the title is coming home.
Mark: Brilliant g, should fit seamlessly into Pep's style of play. Perfect age and cheap price to pay for the quality he'll bring.
Gary: We have an amazing young midfielder in Divine Mukasa who needs to come into the first team. He has 42 goal involvements and I don't want him blocked off by any new gs.
James: Solid player, looks after the ball and can see a . Should do well working with Haaland! Good business.
Jonathon: Looks more like a squad player and his showreels are not that inspiring. If it was a movie trailer, you'd wait for it to hit TV. But let's hope.
Ian: His stats in a poor Milan side were impressive. In Pep we trust!
Geraint: Very good g but City still need to address the main issue, which is the departure of De Bruyne! To this end, City must capture Florian Wirtz at any cost.
Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester City have agreed a 55m euros (£46.3m) deal with AC Milan for Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders.
The 26-year-old will sign a five-year contract at Etihad Stadium after agreeing personal with City.
Capped 22 times for the Netherlands, Reijnders is the type of balanced midfielder City lacked last season.
The Dutchman scored 15 goals in 54 matches for Milan last term. It was the best goalscoring season of Reijnders' career, with the 26-year-old hitting double digits for the first time.
But the former AZ Alkmaar midfielder, who made his senior debut for PEC Zwolle in 2018, is far more than just goals.
Capable of playing deep or high in midfield, Reijnders' appeal to a coach like Pep Guardiola is clear.
The midfielder is capable of taking the ball in tight areas and is adept at beating the press either through his ing or ball-carrying.
With Rodri returning from injury towards the end of last season, Reijnders could either play alongside the Spaniard or in a more advanced role.
But the main benefit he will bring is giving Guardiola greater options in midfield.
Image source, Getty ImagesAfter Manchester City having agreed a 55m euros deal with AC Milan to sign midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, we want your thoughts on the news.
The Netherlands international, 26, played in all but one of Milan's Serie A matches in 2024-25, scoring 10 goals and assisting another four.
The club finished a disappointing eighth, but Reijnders still managed to win the league's best midfielder award for his efforts.
So, what do you of this potential g? Will he be good fit for City's midfield or did you have your eyes on someone else?
