Chapter 883: Decline or Peak?
On May 23, 2021, at 4 p.m. local time, the final round of the 2020–2021 Premier League season kicked off, with all ten matches beginning simultaneously.
Since the champion, runner-up, and relegation spots had already been decided, the final day's primary drama centered on the battle for European qualification.
Following Leicester City's 1–2 loss to Chelsea in Round 37, and Liverpool's run of four straight league victories, the standings for the third to fifth spots had shifted dramatically.
Chelsea: 19 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses — 57 goals scored, 36 conceded, goal difference +21, total 66 points.
Liverpool: 19 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses — 66 goals scored, 42 conceded, goal difference +24, total 66 points.
Leicester City: 20 wins, 6 draws, 11 losses — 66 goals scored, 46 conceded, goal difference +20, total 66 points.
All three clubs were level on points, but Liverpool's superior goal difference pushed them up to third, Chelsea sat fourth, and Leicester—after spending nearly the entire season in the top three—were cruelly knocked out of the Champions League places at the final hurdle.
Of course, with one match left, nothing was final yet. Each team still had a chance—but all were also in danger.
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Meanwhile, the champions, Manchester United, faced Wolverhampton Wanderers away from home in their final fixture.
With the Champions League final only a week away and the league title already secured, Mourinho made no hesitation in fielding an entirely rotated XI. None of the regular starters, including Bruno Fernandes, even traveled.
United's reserves, however, performed impressively.
In the 13th minute, Brandon Williams crossed from the left, and 19-year-old Anthony Elanga nodded the ball in for his first senior goal. United led 1–0.
In the 39th minute, Wolves equalized through Nelson Semedo, who finished a cutback from the right. 1–1.
Just before halftime, Jude Bellingham was tripped inside the box by Romain Saïss. After a VAR review, a penalty was awarded. Juan Mata converted confidently into the bottom corner—2–1 to United.
No more goals came in the second half. United won 2–1 away, ending the season with 27 wins, 8 draws, and 3 defeats—totaling 89 points. They went unbeaten away from home (13 wins, 6 draws).
Their home form, however, had been less dominant: 14 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses—their weakest record at home under Mourinho.
Without crowds in the stands, United's home "aura" had faded, leaving several disappointing marks in the history books.
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Under Mourinho, United's home record had always been formidable.
2016–17: 16 wins, 3 draws — unbeaten at Old Trafford.
2017–18: 18 wins, 1 draw — an extraordinary fortress.
2018–19: 15 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss — still exceptional.
2019–20: 16 wins, 3 draws — unbeaten once again.
Across Mourinho's five seasons, United remained unbeaten at home for three and averaged at least 44 points every season, with a peak of 55.
Even this season's 44 home points, their worst under him, would be excellent for most teams—but not for Manchester United.
That drop in home performance also kept their final total at 89 points—a relatively "normal" championship tally for Premier League history.
Before Mourinho's arrival in England, the highest-ever title-winning points total had been 92, back in the 42-game era of 22 teams. In the modern 20-team format, no side had passed 91 until Mourinho's influence changed the standard.
In his first spell in England (2004–05), Mourinho's Chelsea amassed a record 95 points—a record that stood 12 years, until Mourinho's United equaled it in 2016–17. A year later, United stunned the world with an unprecedented 104 points across the top five European leagues.
Across Mourinho's first four United seasons, their point totals were 95, 104, 98, and 96. In comparison, 89 looked almost modest—though understandable given the pandemic-shortened schedule and lack of preseason.
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Statistically, it was United's poorest season in five years, and Bruno Fernandes' least productive since joining the club.
This season, he made 34 league appearances (previous seasons: 36, 38, 36, 38), earning him the nickname "The Iron Man."
The last player to deserve that title was Chelsea's legendary midfielder Frank Lampard. From 2001 to 2005, Lampard set a still-unbroken record—164 consecutive Premier League appearances across four seasons, a feat that defined durability.
Bruno couldn't quite match it; despite his near-full schedules, he had missed four matches across those earlier seasons—and four more this season alone.
His individual stats also dipped slightly: 35 goals in 34 matches, compared to previous seasons of 38, 41, 39, and 43. His assists, though, remained strong—25, second only to his 26 in 2018–19, and ahead of his other tallies (21, 23, 23).
His downturn came mainly from fatigue late in the campaign. By Round 25, he had already scored 31 and assisted 21. Over the final 13 matches, limited to 10 appearances, he added just four goals and four assists.
That would still be elite by any normal measure—but for someone who had averaged two goal contributions per game, it marked a notable decline.
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From a numbers perspective, both United and Bruno hit a relative low this pandemic-affected season. Yet, in terms of achievements, they stood at another peak: Premier League, FA Cup, and League Cup triumphs, plus the Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup—and a Champions League final still to come. A potential seven-trophy season.
Manchester United had previously achieved a "calendar-year" septuple, but never a seasonal one.
In 2016–17, they missed the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
In 2017–18, they again missed the latter.
In 2018–19, they fell early in the League Cup.
In 2019–20, they lost the FA Cup final.
Now, at last, the stars aligned. History was within reach.
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Elsewhere, Liverpool's 2–0 home win over Crystal Palace secured third place.
Chelsea lost 1–2 away to Aston Villa, but were spared embarrassment thanks to Leicester's 2–4 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur—Gareth Bale scoring twice to deny them Champions League qualification.
Manchester City, having already lost all major trophies this season, vented their frustration by thrashing Everton 5–0. Sergio Agüero scored one final goal, ending his Premier League tally at 184.
City finished with 27 wins, 4 draws, 7 losses, and 85 points—and marked the end with a farewell ceremony for Agüero.
West Ham United finished sixth, Tottenham seventh, Arsenal eighth. Leicester and West Ham qualified for next season's Europa League; Tottenham entered the new Europa Conference League.
Arsenal, though in eighth, still had a chance at Champions League qualification—awaiting their Europa League final clash with Villarreal, the "Yellow Submarine" of La Liga.
If the Gunners could sink the Submarine, they would secure a Champions League berth as Europa champions, granting the Premier League five entrants in Europe's top competition.
(END CHAPTER)
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