History is usually written by the victors, but in the case of the 2024 Premier League standings, it was written by a relentless, blue-clad machine from Manchester that simply refused to blink. For anyone living under a rock, Manchester City did the unthinkable. Four in a row. No one in the 136-year history of English top-flight football had ever managed four straight titles. Not the Liverpool of the 80s, not Sir Alex’s United, and certainly not the "Invincibles" of Arsenal.
But honestly, the final table doesn't even begin to tell the real story of how we got there. It was a season of massive goal tallies, point deductions that felt like a legal drama, and a three-horse race that eventually became a lonely sprint for Pep Guardiola.
The Top Four Drama and the Quest for 91 Points
At the summit of the 2024 Premier League standings, Manchester City finished with 91 points. They won 28 games, drew 7, and lost only 3. Basically, they were perfect when it mattered most. Arsenal, bless them, finished just two points behind with 89. It’s kinda heartbreaking if you’re a Gunners fan. To record 89 points—a total that would have won the league in many other years—and still come up short is a tough pill to swallow. Mikel Arteta’s side actually had a better goal difference than City for a long stretch, but City’s 3-1 win over West Ham on the final day sealed the deal.
Liverpool rounded out the top three with 82 points. It was an emotional rollercoaster at Anfield, marking the end of the Jurgen Klopp era. They were in the title conversation until April, but a few stumbles against teams they should’ve beaten saw them drop off the pace.
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Then you have Aston Villa. Huge credit to Unai Emery. Villa clinching 4th place with 68 points was the shock of the season. They beat out the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea, and a struggling Manchester United to secure Champions League football for the first time in the modern era.
How the Final Table Looked (The Big Names)
- Manchester City: 91 Pts (Champions)
- Arsenal: 89 Pts
- Liverpool: 82 Pts
- Aston Villa: 68 Pts
- Tottenham Hotspur: 66 Pts
- Chelsea: 63 Pts
- Newcastle United: 60 Pts (7th place)
- Manchester United: 60 Pts (8th place - their lowest finish ever)
Why the 2024 Premier League Standings Felt So Weird
Usually, the table is a simple reflection of who played best on the pitch. In 2024, it was also a reflection of who followed the accountants’ rules. We saw Everton and Nottingham Forest get hit with points deductions for breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Everton were docked ten points, then got some back, then lost more. It was a mess. They eventually finished 15th with 40 points, but without those deductions, they would have been comfortably mid-table. Nottingham Forest were docked four points and barely survived in 17th place with just 32 points. That’s a record low for safety. Usually, you need closer to 36 or 40.
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The sheer volume of goals was another thing. We saw 1,246 goals scored across the 380 matches. That’s an average of 3.28 per game. Defenders basically had a nightmare year. Erling Haaland took the Golden Boot again with 27 goals, though Cole Palmer gave him a serious run for his money with 22 for a chaotic Chelsea side.
The Relegation Battle That Wasn't Much of a Battle
Let’s be real: the three teams that came up from the Championship—Luton Town, Burnley, and Sheffield United—didn't have a great time. For the first time since 1998, all three promoted teams went straight back down.
Sheffield United was particularly tough to watch. They conceded over 100 goals. 104, to be exact. They finished rock bottom with 16 points. Burnley tried to play "pretty" football under Vincent Kompany but just didn't have the teeth for it, finishing on 24 points. Luton Town gave it a real go and were the "neutral's favorite" for a while, but they fell short with 26 points.
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Actionable Insights for Football Fans
Looking back at these standings gives us a blueprint of where the league is heading. If you're following the current season or looking at future trends, keep these three things in mind:
- The 90-Point Ceiling: To beat Manchester City, 85 points isn't enough anymore. You effectively need to aim for 92+. Arsenal proved that being "nearly perfect" still results in a silver medal.
- Efficiency over Possession: Teams like Aston Villa and Crystal Palace (who had a massive resurgence under Oliver Glasner late in the season) showed that clinical finishing on the break is often more valuable than having 70% of the ball.
- The PSR Shadow: Expect clubs to be much more cautious in the transfer market. The 2024 standings proved that the Premier League is willing to take points away, which can turn a comfortable season into a relegation nightmare in a single afternoon.
The 2023-24 season was defined by City's clinical dominance, but the chaos in the middle of the pack and the legal battles off the field changed how we view the final standings forever. Whether you think City's dominance is good for the game or not, you can't deny the sheer quality required to stay at the top of that list for 38 weeks.