2004–05 FA Premier League
The 2004–05 FA Premier League (known as the FA Barclays Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the 13th season of the Premier League. It began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season. Chelsea won the title with a then record 95 points, which was previously set by Manchester United in the 1993–94 season, and later surpassed by Manchester City in the 2017–18 season (100), securing the title with a 2–0 win at the Reebok Stadium against Bolton Wanderers. Chelsea also broke a number of other records during their campaign, most notably breaking the record of most games won in a single Premier League campaign, securing 29 wins in the league in home and away matches, which was later surpassed by themselves in the 2016–17 season.
 | |
| Season | 2004–05 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 14 August 2004 – 15 May 2005 |
| Champions | Chelsea 1st Premier League title 2nd English title |
| Relegated | Norwich City Crystal Palace Southampton |
| Champions League | Chelsea Arsenal Manchester United Everton Liverpool |
| UEFA Cup | Bolton Wanderers Middlesbrough |
| Intertoto Cup | Newcastle United |
| Matches played | 380 |
| Goals scored | 975 (2.57 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Thierry Henry (25 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Arsenal 7–0 Everton (11 May 2005) |
| Biggest away win | West Bromwich Albion 0–5 Liverpool (26 December 2004) |
| Highest scoring | Tottenham Hotspur 4–5 Arsenal (13 November 2004) |
| Longest winning run | 8 games[1] Chelsea |
| Longest unbeaten run | 29 games[1] Chelsea |
| Longest winless run | 15 games[1] West Bromwich Albion |
| Longest losing run | 6 games[1] Bolton Wanderers Tottenham Hotspur |
| Highest attendance | 67,989 Manchester United v Portsmouth (26 February 2005) |
| Lowest attendance | 16,180 Fulham v West Bromwich Albion (16 January 2005) |
| Average attendance | 33,893 |
← 2003–04 2005–06 → | |
Season summary
Arsenal were the favourites to defend their title after finishing the previous season unbeaten, but they also faced competition in the form of regular challengers Manchester United and Chelsea, the latter under the new management of Portuguese José Mourinho, who had just won the UEFA Champions League with Porto. Liverpool also had a new manager in Spaniard Rafael Benítez, who had just won La Liga and the UEFA Cup with Valencia and were expected to challenge for the title too. Another managerial change at a club aiming for the top was at Tottenham Hotspur, who appointed Jacques Santini, who had just led France to the quarter-finals of the 2004 European Championship.
At the other end of the table, amongst those tipped for relegation were Norwich City, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion, having all just been promoted from the First Division (which was rebranded this season as the Championship). Everton, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth were also tipped to struggle, the first three finishing just outside the relegation places the previous season and Portsmouth being in their second season.
Arsenal's record-breaking unbeaten streak of 49 games was ended on 24 October 2004, when Manchester United beat them 2–0 at Old Trafford.
For the first time since the advent of the Premier League in 1992, no team was mathematically relegated before the final day of the season. In each of the last three weekends of the season, the team that was bottom of the table at the start of the weekend finished it outside the drop zone. The final round of the season started on 15 May with West Bromwich Albion at the bottom, Southampton and Crystal Palace one point ahead and Norwich City a further point ahead, in the last safe spot.
West Brom, who had been bottom of the table and eight points from safety on Christmas Day, did their part by defeating Portsmouth at home 2–0. Norwich, the only side to have their fate completely in their own hands, lost 6–0 at Fulham and went down. Southampton lost 2–1 at home to Manchester United and were relegated after 27 years in the top flight and did not return to the top flight for 7 years. Palace, away to Charlton Athletic, were leading 2–1 after 71 minutes, but with eight minutes to go, Charlton's Jonathan Fortune equalised to relegate Palace, who did not return for 8 years, where they finally avoided relegation for the first time in the Premier League era. Thus, West Brom stayed up, becoming the first club in Premier League history to avoid relegation after being bottom of the table at Christmas.
At the end of the 90 minutes in all four matches, cameras focused on West Brom's home ground, The Hawthorns, as confirmation of other results began to filter through. Once the realisation dawned on the players and fans that survival had been achieved, a mass pitch invasion was sparked, with huge celebrations. The Portsmouth fans joined in the celebrations as, through losing, they had "helped" relegate arch-rivals Southampton.
Teams
Twenty teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were Norwich City, West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, returning to the top flight after an absence of nine, one and six years respectively. They replaced Leicester City, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, who were relegated to the newly branded Championship. Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated after a season's presence while Leeds United ended their top flight spell of fourteen years.
Stadiums and locations
- Fulham returned to Craven Cottage this season after a two-year refurbishment took place at their home ground.
Personnel and kits
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Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liverpool |  Gérard Houllier |
Mutual consent | 24 May 2004[2] | Pre-season |  Rafael Benítez |
16 June 2004[3] |
| Chelsea |  Claudio Ranieri |
Sacked | 31 May 2004 |  José Mourinho |
2 June 2004[4] | |
| Tottenham Hotspur |  David Pleat (caretaker) |
End of caretaker spell | 1 June 2004 | Jacques Santini |
3 June 2004[5] | |
| Southampton |  Paul Sturrock |
Mutual consent | 23 August 2004[6] | 10th | Steve Wigley |
23 August 2004 |
| Newcastle United | Sir Bobby Robson |
Sacked | 30 August 2004[7] | 17th | Graeme Souness |
6 September 2004[8] |
| Blackburn Rovers | Graeme Souness |
Signed by Newcastle United | 6 September 2004[8] | 19th |  Mark Hughes |
16 September 2004[9] |
| West Bromwich Albion | Gary Megson |
Sacked | 26 October 2004[10] | 16th | Bryan Robson |
9 November 2004[11] |
| Tottenham Hotspur | Jacques Santini |
Resigned | 5 November 2004 | 11th |  Martin Jol |
8 November 2004[12] |
| Portsmouth | Harry Redknapp |
24 November 2004[13] | 12th |  Velimir Zajec |
21 December 2004[14] | |
| Southampton | Steve Wigley |
Sacked | 8 December 2004 | 18th | Harry Redknapp |
21 December 2004[15] |
| Manchester City | Kevin Keegan |
Resigned | 11 March 2005[16] | 12th | Stuart Pearce (caretaker) |
11 March 2005 |
| Portsmouth | Velimir Zajec |
Returned to director of football position | 7 April 2005 | 16th | Alain Perrin |
7 April 2005[17] |
| Manchester City | Stuart Pearce (caretaker) |
End of caretaker period | 12 May 2005[18] | 8th | Stuart Pearce |
12 May 2005 |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea (C) | 38 | 29 | 8 | 1 | 72 | 15 | +57 | 95 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Arsenal | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 87 | 36 | +51 | 83 | |
| 3 | Manchester United | 38 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 58 | 26 | +32 | 77 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round |
| 4 | Everton | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 45 | 46 | −1 | 61 | |
| 5 | Liverpool | 38 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 52 | 41 | +11 | 58 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round[lower-alpha 1] |
| 6 | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 49 | 44 | +5 | 58 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round[lower-alpha 2] |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 53 | 46 | +7 | 55 | |
| 8 | Manchester City | 38 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 47 | 39 | +8 | 52 | |
| 9 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 47 | 41 | +6 | 52 | |
| 10 | Aston Villa | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 45 | 52 | −7 | 47 | |
| 11 | Charlton Athletic | 38 | 12 | 10 | 16 | 42 | 58 | −16 | 46 | |
| 12 | Birmingham City | 38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 40 | 46 | −6 | 45 | |
| 13 | Fulham | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 52 | 60 | −8 | 44 | |
| 14 | Newcastle United | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 47 | 57 | −10 | 44 | Qualification for the Intertoto Cup third round |
| 15 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 32 | 43 | −11 | 42 | |
| 16 | Portsmouth | 38 | 10 | 9 | 19 | 43 | 59 | −16 | 39 | |
| 17 | West Bromwich Albion | 38 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 36 | 61 | −25 | 34 | |
| 18 | Crystal Palace (R) | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 41 | 62 | −21 | 33 | Relegation to the Football League Championship |
| 19 | Norwich City (R) | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 42 | 77 | −35 | 33 | |
| 20 | Southampton (R) | 38 | 6 | 14 | 18 | 45 | 66 | −21 | 32 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Although they failed to qualify for the Champions League as one of the top four English clubs, Liverpool were given a special dispensation to compete as the defending champions. They were, however, forced to enter in the first qualifying round.[19]
- Since the finalists of the FA Cup, Arsenal and Manchester United, as well as Chelsea, who won the 2004–05 Football League Cup, were qualified for the Champions League, and the fifth-placed team (Liverpool) were moved to the Champions League, the sixth and seventh-placed teams in the Premier League were rewarded entry to the UEFA Cup.
Results
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thierry Henry |
Arsenal | 25 |
| 2 | Andy Johnson |
Crystal Palace | 21 |
| 3 | Robert Pires |
Arsenal | 14 |
| 4 | Jermain Defoe |
Tottenham Hotspur | 13 |
| Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink |
Middlesbrough | 13 | |
| Frank Lampard |
Chelsea | 13 | |
 Yakubu |
Portsmouth | 13 | |
| 8 | Andy Cole |
Fulham | 12 |
| Peter Crouch |
Southampton | 12 | |
 Eiður Guðjohnsen |
Chelsea | 12 |
Awards
Monthly awards
| Month | Manager of the Month | Player of the Month |
|---|---|---|
| August | Arsène Wenger (Arsenal) |
José Antonio Reyes (Arsenal) |
| September | David Moyes (Everton) |
Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur) |
| October | Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth) |
Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace) |
| November | José Mourinho (Chelsea) |
Arjen Robben (Chelsea) |
| December | Martin Jol (Tottenham Hotspur) |
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) |
| January | José Mourinho (Chelsea) |
John Terry (Chelsea) |
| February | Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United) |
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) |
| March | Harry Redknapp (Southampton) |
Joe Cole (Chelsea) |
| April | Stuart Pearce (Manchester City) |
Frank Lampard (Chelsea) |
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The PFA Player's Player of the year award was won by Chelsea captain John Terry.
The shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows:[21]
- Petr Cech (Chelsea)
- Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
- Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
- Andrew Johnson (Crystal Palace)
- Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
- John Terry (Chelsea)
PFA Young Player of the Year
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney was the recipient for this award.
PFA Fans' Player of the Year
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard won this award for the first time.
PFA Team of the year
Goalkeeper – Petr Čech
Defenders – Gary Neville, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole
Midfielders – Shaun Wright-Phillips, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Arjen Robben
Strikers – Thierry Henry, Andy Johnson
FWA Footballer of the Year
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard won this award.
Premier League Player of the Season
Chelsea's midfielder Frank Lampard won the Premier League Player of the Season award.
Premier League Golden Boot
Arsenal and French striker Thierry Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot award for the third time in his career with 25 goals.
Premier League Golden Glove
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Čech won the Premier League Golden Glove, for 25 clean sheets, in his debut season as he set a remarkable record of 10 consecutive clean sheets, as Chelsea won the title.
Premier League Manager of the Season
José Mourinho was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Season award after he led Chelsea to their first Premier League title, second Top division title in their history.[22][23] During his first season at the club, Chelsea won the Premier League title (their first league title in 50 years) and the League Cup. The season was also notable for the number of records set during the season: Fewest goals against in a Premier League season (15), most clean sheets kept in a season (25), most wins in a season (29), most consecutive away wins (9) and the most points in a season (95).
Premier League Fair Play Award
The Premier League Fair Play Award is merit given to the team who has been the most sporting and best behaved team. Arsenal won the award for the second year in a row, ahead of Tottenham.[24] The least sporting side for 2004–05 was Blackburn Rovers, who achieved a significantly lower fair play score than any other side.[25]
See also
References
- "English Premier League 2004–05". statto.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2015.
- "Houllier to leave Liverpool". BBC Sport. 24 May 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
- "Liverpool appoint Benitez". BBC Sport. 16 June 2004.
- "Chelsea appoint Mourinho". BBC Sport. 2 June 2004. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
- "Spurs appoint Santini". BBC Sport. 3 June 2004. Retrieved 21 May 2009.
- "Sturrock leaves Saints". BBC Sport. 23 August 2004. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
- "Newcastle force Robson out". BBC Sport. 30 August 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2007.
- "Souness takes Newcastle job". BBC Sport. 6 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- "Blackburn appoint Hughes". BBC Sport. 16 September 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- "Megson sacked by West Brom". BBC Sport. 26 October 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2007.
- "Baggies appoint Robson as manager". BBC Sport. 9 November 2004. Retrieved 22 August 2007.
- "Spurs appoint Jol as new boss". BBC Sport. 8 November 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- "Redknapp quits as Portsmouth boss". BBC Sport. 24 November 2004. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
- "Zajec named as Pompey boss". BBC Sport. 21 December 2004. Retrieved 3 April 2012.
- "Saints name Redknapp as boss". BBC Sport. 8 December 2004. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
- "Keegan ends his reign at Man City". BBC Sport. 11 March 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2008.
- "Pompey unveil Perrin as new boss". BBC Sport. 7 April 2005. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
- "Man City unveil Pearce as manager". BBC Sport. 12 May 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2008.
- "Liverpool FC allowed to defend title" (PDF). UEFA. 10 June 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 June 2005. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- "2004–05 Premier League table". Premier League. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
- "Blues trio head PFA list". The Guardian. 14 April 2005.
- "Premier League History - 2004/05 Season Review". www.premierleague.com. Archived from the original on 14 September 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- "SEASONAL AWARDS 2004/05". www.premierleague.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2006. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Fair Play League" (PDF). 12 December 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2005.
