Obviously with isolation and a lack of football comes boredom – to cure it, one of things I’ve been doing is watching Premier League Years on Sky Sports. I’m sure I’m not the only one but, if you don’t have the time or will to go through and watch every season in order, I’ve selected the best five episodes… in my humble opinion.
So, in no particular order we start in 1994…
Premier League Years 1994/95 – Blackburn win the league
In 1994/95 we saw the third ever season of what was then known as the Carling FA Premiership. The title race went right down to the wire with Blackburn Rovers battling it out with Manchester United for the Premier League crown.
Eventually, Blackburn would win the league on the final day of the season at Anfield – despite losing the game. Kenny Dalglish led this Rovers side to their first major trophy in 67 years.
With Alan Shearer enjoying a record breaking season in front of goal, this is without a doubt one of the greatest stories in English football. The year Blackburn pulled off a miracle!
This was also the final season with 22 teams in the Premier League with the FA opting to drop the number to 20 the following year.
Premier League Years 1995/96 – Newcastle’s stumble
This season, for me, is heartbreaking to watch. I’m a Newcastle United fans so watching my team throw away a 12 point lead at the top of the league, squandering our best chance at silverware in 50 years is tough.
Having said that, there were some incredible games along the way as Manchester United went on to win the Premier League title. As well as that, who can forget Kevin Keegan’s famous “I would love it if we beat them” speech. Well worth a watch and should definitely be near the top of your list.
Premier League Years 2015/16 – Leicester’s Year
Again, this is another bitter-sweet one for me. Obviously watching Leicester win the Premier League was incredible and was genuinely one of my favourite sporting stories ever. BUT, Newcastle got relegated in this season…
Despite that, Leicester’s fairytale coupled with a whole bunch of incredibly memorable football matches make the 2015/15 a must watch for everyone. This one, despite the obvious woes on Tyneside, is of my top two or three favourite episodes. I just fast forward through all the Newcastle parts…
Premier League Years 2003/04 – The Invincibles
Obviously the Invincibles season at Arsenal is one of the greatest seasons of football ever played by any club in any division – so it’s essential viewing. Even if it’s just to remind yourself of just how damn good Thierry Henry was, or how much of a beast Patrick Vieira was – it’s worth it.
There’s also a few incredibly memorable matches – not least the game between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford. Who can forget Ruud Van Nistelrooy hitting the bar with a penalty in the last minute before the whole Arsenal team berated him – the most memorable goalless draw in Premier League history.
Premier League Years 2017/18 – The City Centurions
Obviously this one is still relatively recent but the season in which Manchester City broke just about every record under the damn sun is essential viewing. The brand of football played by Pep Guardiola’s men was nothing short of sensational – they were a genuine pleasure to watch.
As well as that, the 2017/18 season gave us some other massive stories. The arrival of Mo Salah to the Premier League, the departure of Arsene Wenger from Arsenal after 20 years as well as the arrival of sleeve sponsors – including a corker at Everton as they decided to have Angry Birds on their shoulders…
That’s it for my favourite episodes of Premier League Years. As far as I can tell, you can watch just about every episode ever on Sky Sports on demand right now – so if you still have your subscription active, it’s a nice way to pass the time during isolation.
Remember, stay at home.
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