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...
Many of us will have been there in school.
It was not always about being the best, but about being better. Not trying to beat the others' scores or times, but about beating your own.
In sport too, it is why personal bests exist. It is a way of measuring your own improvement against what has gone before - we can't all be Usain Bolt and Florence Griffith-Joyner.
So if the Premier League season was all about how you compared to the campaign before, who would have come out on top?
Well, there is one clear winner.
With 29 points more than they had in 2023-24, Nottingham Forest would have been lifting that trophy.
They may not have finished the season quite as they hoped having spent so much time in the Champions League spots, but having narrowly avoided relegation a year ago, this shows the sheer scale of the improvement this term.
Their nearest challenger on this basis would have been Brentford.
With 56 points, they were three points short of their best ever Premier League tally, but having flirted with relegation last time out, it made for a more enjoyable season this time around.
Brighton, Bournemouth and Fulham may have just missed out on European adventures in the real league, but they are also teams who can be happy with the improvements they are showing as now well-established top-flight sides.
And despite the chaotic nature of Chelsea since the new ownership came in, they too can look to steady progress.
At the other end of the scale (or table), it is a very different picture.
Many question whether the traditional 'big six' teams is still relevant, given how others have broken that mould in recent years.
But if the season was based on improvement, four of those six would have been at the bottom.
Tottenham dropped-off in the league nearly as much as Forest improved. Manchester City had a high bar to reach, but a torrid spell proved costly. Manchester United have set multiple unwanted club records, while Arsenal struggled to maintain a real challenge for the title.
They say beware the wounded tiger, and it is hard to see all these sides having the same difficulties next season, but they will not have it all their own way with those teams that are on the up.
*All data from Opta and only teams who were in the league in 2023-24
Everton are interested in Brighton midfielder Matt O'Riley, 24, but are unsure if the Seagulls will sell the Denmark international. (Sky Sports), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for you to tell us what Brighton need to do in the summer transfer window.
Here are some of your comments:
Leon: Keeping players should be our goal this transfer window. We've built a fantastic squad with lots of depth and potential. We need to break the mentality of being a feeder club to ever see that potential fulfilled.
Andy: Sadly, Danny Welbeck has more career behind him than in front so we desperately need a proven striker. The same could be said about Lewis Dunk so a replacement there would be pertinent.
Tony: A lot depends on whether we lose anyone, but I think we need a striker and a right-back. I'd like us to sign Bryan Mbeumo and Kyle Walker-Peters. That should do the trick.
Charlie: We had a huge spending spree last summer so I can't see a lot of incoming faces. If Tariq Lamptey is going to go this summer, we need a new right-back. Joel Veltman is in his twilight years (albeit still outstanding) and Mats Wieffer is a stop-gap rather than long term. We might need a striker if Joao Pedro goes, but I would love nothing more than for Evan Ferguson to come back and find his form again - he is a special talent.
Matt: I would say Brighton need to get Pascal Gross back in the team. He was making assists for fun. If we could find a like-for-like replacement then I'd be very happy. Would be interesting to see if Ferguson comes back and gets his head down. He has the ability but does he have the mentality?
Ian: Whatever it takes, we need to keep hold of Kaoru Mitoma.
Thank you for the you submitted on the Premier League club pages.
Our aim is to contain all of the BBC's in-depth coverage of that team in one place, so it is helpful to hear from you - you are who the pages are for after all.
We are going through all your responses and will take suggestions on board for next season.
The transfer window opens on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.
Are there certain players you are desperate for Brighton to sign, or an area of the squad that needs improving? Or maybe holding on to a key player is your biggest priority.
And what about sales - who needs to go?
So over to you... what names need bringing in and shipping out?
Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist
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...
A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.
Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.
The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.
So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?
Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.
Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.
City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.
The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.
And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.
That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.
The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.
So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.
*Table data from Football365
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your views on our fan contributor Scott McCarthy's end of season scorecard (27 May, 12:42 BST).
Here are some of your comments:
Olly: With a young squad and manager in his first season in the Premier League, along with the injury list, it has been a successful season, although frustrating dropping points from winning positions and not doing well against sides that were relegated. The experience of this season bodes well for next.
Noddy: Albion's biggest obstacle was the many injuries we suffered all season. If everyone was fit there is no telling where they would be now. Most probably in the Champions League.
Adam: Many Brighton fans will be used to drama. There are not many seasons when we can say Brighton were average. However, there were times when we dropped crucial points in the latter stages of games when we were in complete control. So it's definitely a case of what could have been, rather than what it has been - and don't get me wrong, we are very grateful for our second-best finish. It just didn't quite hit the European bullseye we were all hoping for. Instead, we hit the middle of the board and bounced out again. Roll on next season!
Brian: Overall a good season - we failed to reach the European places due to inconsistency and in particular losing points at the Amex to relegation candidates. A good experience, though, for a young squad for whom I'm sure greater things await. However, time to say goodbye to a great servant of the club, Lewis Dunk.
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Brighton player Warren Aspinall believes head coach Fabian Hurzeler has ed his first Premier League season 'with flying colours'.
The 32-year-old is the league's youngest permanent manager and behind Chelsea, named on average the second youngest squad in the division.
"I think he's been a revelation, at the age he is to come to a different country and a different league," Aspinall told BBC Radio Sussex's 'Albion Unlimited' podcast.
"First time in the Premier League - he doesn't know the pace of the league but he soon found out. He's come to a different country with a different culture. Lots of things going on and he didn't have many background staff with him to start off with.
"We've had little dips and things and I think the big dip for me was losing in the FA Cup when we lost 4-3 on penalties [to Nottingham Forest in the quarter-final] and that deflated us quite a lot.
"So it was a tough season for him but he's come out with flying colours."
Image source, Getty ImagesThe BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.
The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.
The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.
The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.
We asked you to select your Brighton player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.
And with the poll now closed, we can reveal the winner is... Jan Paul van Hecke!
Here's what Scott McCarthy from We Are Brighton, external said about him:
Van Hecke has been the one constant at the heart of the defence this season. Rattled through more partners than Henry VIII had wives, yet nothing has fazed him. Will surely succeed Lewis Dunk as captain... presuming he breaks the curse of not leaving within months of winning the club's official player of the year award.
Image source, Getty Images
Image source, Getty ImagesJapanese football journalist Masatoshi Mori believes Kaoru Mitoma should stay in the Premier League amid interest from Bayern Munich.
Mitoma, 28, has been heavily linked with a move to in the summer. This would offer him Champions League football, with Brighton missing out on European competition for next season.
However, Mori believes the standard in the Premier League compared with the Bundesliga is better for Mitoma.
Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, he said: "If Brighton had got into Europe, I think Mitoma would definitely have stayed. He's such an ambitious player, but Brighton has the same kind of ambition.
"He has never spoke about a transfer, and I've asked him before about Champions League football being attractive. He just ed it off, laughing.
"I have to say that Mitoma believes Premier League football is really good for him. Going to the Bundesliga and playing for Bayern Munich is massive, but I don't know if that's the best choice for him.
"We will have to wait and see. I've always thought the Premier League is the hardest league for Japanese players, but Mitoma has changed that.
"In the final game against Tottenham, he looked like the best player on the pitch. I personally want him to play in the Premier League a little bit more."
Johnny Cantor
BBC Radio Sussex reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesFabian Hurzeler deserves huge credit for securing the club's second-highest Premier League finish in his first season in charge.
A points tally of 61 was only one shy of the campaign that delivered Europa League football under Roberto de Zerbi with help from Graham Potter. The lack of European football next season will be a frustration, but it is not the only target for this club.
When the 32-year-old arrived, he stated he wanted to "challenge the establishment", and in of league position, he came very close. At times, the Seagulls bloodied a few noses with some stand-out performances, securing wins over both this season and last year's champions along the way. Hurzeler continues to strive for consistency, and that has been difficult to achieve for a host of reasons.
Astute business and big-name sales allowed huge investment last summer, but Hurzeler has been hampered hugely by injuries to new gs Matt O'Riley and Ferdi Kadioglu as well as dependable Solly March and the experienced James Milner.
Adding that to several shorter absences from regular key first-team players, he did not name the same starting XI in any Premier League game this season.
The style has evolved, but the high-intensity football is clear to see. Goals have not been a problem with three individuals making double figures for the first time.
Defensively, the team has looked slightly suspect at times, but the stats are skewed by that 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. Ironically, that loss sparked a brilliant run, and that has been the story this season.
The good results have come in streaks, finishing the campaign with 13 points from a positive 15. Away from the league, the defeat in the quarter finals of the FA Cup also hurt, especially when arch rivals Crystal Palace, went on to lift the trophy.
As with the past five or so seasons, the next challenge is to deal with inevitable interest in the star performers. Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and Bart Verbruggen will all have their suitors but, as ever, the club will only sell at the right price and when it already has a replacement in-house or on the way in.
A season of transition has shown huge promise, and an ambitious head coach will be hoping to build on a decent platform next year.
The latest episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited has dropped!
Journalist Masatoshi Mori s the team to discuss Kaoru Mitoma, and whether he could be on the move this summer. while Brighton midfielder Jack Hinselwood reflects on just missing out on European qualification.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician
Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.
The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.
Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.
Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).
Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.
Scott McCarthy
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesSeason rating: 7/10. Most Brighton fans would have taken eighth place if offered it at the start of the campaign - but there is a nagging feeling of what might have been had the three relegated clubs not all left the Amex with a draw. The six points dropped in those games would have taken the Albion into the Champions League.
Happy with your manager? A mixed bag from Herr Hurzeler but, in case you didn't hear at some point this season, he is only 32 years old. Hurzeler is learning all the time, and from what we have seen so far, I think he has the potential to become a Brighton great - especially if he keeps sharing Instagram posts of him riding his electric bike around the city.
Unsung hero: Adam Webster. Written off by many, his return from four months out in February coincided with six victories in a row. Injured again and Brighton won one in six. Returned for the final three games of the season and it was another three wins. There does not seem to be any logic behind it, but the Albion just look much better with Webster alongside Jan Paul van Hecke.
Player you would most like to sign: I appreciate there is more chance of me taking Dua Lipa on a date to my local pub for a steak dinner, but Thomas Muller. A tenuous Bayern Munich academy connection exists between Muller and Hurzeler. And Muller's experience and ability would take Brighton on to another level. More realistic is Kyle Walker-Peters - if Tariq Lamptey is to leave on a free as widely expected.
Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Excitement. The Albion's biggest problem has been inconsistency, which is par for the course with such a young squad. Consistency will come with experience, as will better game management and hopefully the ability to overcome struggling teams at home. Marry those three together and the sky is the limit. Unless Kaoru Mitoma, Carlos Baleba and Van Hecke all get sold for mega money this summer...
Do you agree with Scott's answers? Pick one or two categories and send your views
Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external
Image source, Getty Images
Here's my quick assessment of Brighton's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.
Pre-season prediction: 12th
Ended the season: 8th
A solid season with plenty of promise under 32-year-old head coach Fabian Hurzeler, with hopes of Europe maintained until the final day, when they won 4-1 at Tottenham but ultimately missed out.
Brighton continue to be enterprising and easy on the eye with their intense style, and this campaign was another example of how far this well-run club has come.
There is usually transfer activity at Amex Stadium, and Brighton will once again have other clubs eyeing outstanding attacking talent such as Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma. History tells us they will be prepared for such eventualities.
What I said in August: "This may not be the top-six season of a couple of years back but Brighton are always so watchable, and will be again."
Newcastle have a serious interest in Brighton forward Joao Pedro. (i Paper - subscription needed, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column
Laura Kenyon
Final Score reporter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Image source, Getty ImagesFabian Hurzeler's first season at Brighton is a story that has perhaps gone under the radar.
The youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history when appointed aged 31. He has taken his side to the brink of European qualification, something that has only been done once in the club's history.
When scores elsewhere filtered through to the away fans at Tottenham Hotspur stadium, shattering the European dream, the togetherness and team spirit on the pitch was unquestionable.
This was another second-half masterclass. They have been the comeback kings in the top flight this season, shocking the likes of Liverpool along the way.
The Brighton boss its consistency needs to improve next season but, with a promising first season under his belt, the 'Hurzeler era' is well under way.
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Brighton's convincing 4-1 away win at Tottenham spoiled the hosts' Europa League party on the final day of the Premier League season.
Here are some of your replies:
Baltos: Great win! However the Seagulls' form over the winter came back to bite us. Chance to dream for next season, providing Brighton hold on to their current players and strengthen the squad, especially in attack. The glass is always half full...
Ella: I would have loved to see us get European football, but I'm not too disappointed. Let's focus on the league next season. Our squad is looking strong and maybe, just maybe, there is a Champions League place for us? Especially as Manchester City may or may not lose a hefty amount of points. All in all, a good season. We only lost nine games, the same as City and Chelsea!
Paul: For Brighton to finish eighth with a young and inexperienced manager, in Premier League , and an exciting group of young players - surely most ers are delighted. Now we have to learn how to beat teams who park the bus. I'm already looking forward to next season, despite no European adventure.
Richard: A very good season overall, but where might we have been had we not dropped points from winning positions against sides in the bottom third of the table and even in the relegation positions? I think second or third would have been possible!
Charlie: Although we didn't make Europe, a season of great improvement and promise for the future was played, especially under a completely new manager. A brilliant effort throughout the season and, despite the ups and downs, we seem to have found a bit of rhythm which we can hopefully carry through to the 2025-26 campaign. I wholeheartedly believe that with some slight changes and improvements, Europe is fully attainable. Up the Albion!
