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What was your Premier League team’s best day of 2017?
From title wins and star signings to cup triumphs and securing safety, we look at your club’s best day of 2017.
Chelsea claimed the title, Man City broke winning records, Claudio Ranieri was sacked just nine months after winning the title and the FA Cup provided several infamous shocks - 2017 has seen football fans treated to plenty of ups and downs.
Here, Gerard Brand, Ben Reynolds and Josue Ngandu take a look at each Premier League club’s best day of 2017, and on Wednesday we’ll be focusing on the worst…
May 27 - Light at the end of the tunnel
Arsenal’s 2016/17 season was considered a failure by some, but a piece of silverware brightened the mood of most, and in Arsene Wenger’s eyes at least, justified his decision to stay another two years.
Wenger’s side weren’t fancied against the newly-crowned Premier League champions, nor were they fancied in their semi-final against Manchester City, but Aaron Ramsey’s late winner gave them another FA Cup title.
Moment of the year for Arsenal fans, and one of Wenger’s proudest as manager: “It is one of the proudest moments of my career because nobody gave us a chance. This cup was won with special spirit and special attitude.”
March 11 - Welcome win thanks to the King
Following a disastrous run of form, which saw Eddie Howe’s side drop to within six points of the relegation zone, West Ham turned up at the Vitality Stadium and looked to have stolen a point through Andre Ayew in the 83rd minute.
But Josh King’s fine form continued, completing a hat-trick in the dying moments to give Bournemouth a 3-2 victory, their first win in nine in all competitions.
They went on to lose only two more games and finish a respectable ninth.
Having missed out in the play-offs for three of the last four seasons, Brighton at last secured promotion to the Premier League the stress-free way… automatically.
Their 2-1 win over Wigan, coupled with Huddersfield’s 1-1 draw with Derby later on in the day, made it official, with jubilant scenes on the pitch at the Amex Stadium.
After ending a 34-year wait, owner Tony Bloom said: “It is 11 months since I went into the changing room at the end of the play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday and the players were on the floor. I was on the floor but I looked around and said: ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’”
Burnley have enjoyed their fair share of impressive days on the pitch in 2017, but perhaps the best came off it, fending off interest from Everton for the much-loved Sean Dyche.
Burnley continued to win despite the heavy speculation, beating Newcastle, Southampton and Swansea to soar up the Premier League table.
Dyche dealt with the talk admirably, and when Sam Allardyce bagged the Everton job on November 29, all Burnley fans could breathe easily.
Not many had backed Antonio Conte’s Chelsea when he arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2016, and those doubts looked to be justified in September following a humbling 3-0 defeat at Arsenal.
That prompted change, and they dropped just 13 points for the rest of the season, a staggering run of form which culminated in securing the title at the Hawthorns against West Brom in mid-May.
Michy Batshuayi’s late winner will live long in the memory, as will the celebrations…
Crystal Palace endured a shocking start to the season in 2016/17, lingering one point above the relegation zone, before Alan Pardew was subsequently fired in late December.
Sam Allardyce was hired the following day, and was given the task of keeping Palace in the top flight for another season. He managed to achieve the club’s goal on May 14.
In a six-pointer against Hull on the penultimate day of the season, following a 5-0 defeat by Manchester City, goals from Wilfried Zaha, Christian Benteke, Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt in a 4-0 thumping confirmed Palace’s safety in style.
Everton all but ended Manchester City’s title hopes at Goodison Park in devastating style.
Man-of-the-match Tom Davies scored his first goal for Everton, as did Ademola Lookman, as Everton pulled apart Pep Guardiola’s City. The result was Everton’s biggest ever Premier League win over Manchester City and their joint-biggest win of the calendar year.
The Toffees scored with every shot on target, as Davies and Lookman became the 16th and 17th Everton teenagers to score a Premier League goal, a league-high alongside Arsenal.
May 29 - Back in the big time
After a 45-year absence, Huddersfield made their way back to the top flight with a penalty shoot-out victory over Reading at Wembley in the play-off final.
In just over 18 months, David Wagner took the Terriers from perennial Championship strugglers to a promotion worth a minimum of £170m.
Chairman Dean Hoyle’s emotional reaction after Chris Schindler’s winning penalty will live long in the memory; he collapsed with joy in the stands, before composing himself to tell Sky Sports: “I’m so emotional. I’ve supported this club since 1979 when I was on the terraces. It’s a dream come true.”
Leicester’s incredible story in the Champions League continued after beating Europa League winners Sevilla 2-0 in the second leg. The result meant debutants Leicester reached the quarter-finals, the first side to do so on their first attempt since Malaga in 2012/13.
Captain Wes Morgan and Marc Albrighton got on the scoresheet to overturn a 2-1 disadvantage in the first leg, and Kasper Schmeichel did his bit by saving a penalty in both legs.
With the win, Leicester became England’s sole representatives in the competition. During a season full of mixed emotions, their Champions League run will live long in the memory.
Roma’s player of the season Mo Salah moved to Liverpool for £34m in late June, having finished as the club’s top goalscorer with 15 goals and six assists.
His electric form at Liverpool has seen him eclipse his previous goalscoring record at Roma, and has proven to be one of the signings of the season, the hub of Liverpool’s ‘fab four’ alongside Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho.
He has been Liverpool’s most prolific goalscorer since Luis Suarez, and at 25, has plenty more to give to Jurgen Klopp’s side.
December 10 - Breaking the record at Old Trafford
Manchester City clinched a record 14th consecutive top-flight victory in the sweetest possible manner with a 2-1 win over rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.
It topped Arsenal’s run of 13 wins between February and August 2002, and it was a landmark win for Pep Guardiola, too, after being criticised in 2016/17 for not adapting to the Premier League.
He bit back at his doubters on Sky Sports after the game, saying: “I am happy because with this kind of play we can do it in England, that’s why I’m so happy, because people say the way we played in Barcelona, it is not possible in England. It is possible. We did it.”
Heading into the final months of last season, it was obvious Jose Mourinho had made the Europa League his top priority.
Finishing outside of the top four, Mourinho’s first season would be defined by one game against Ajax in Stockholm.
Played two days after the Manchester terror attacks, Mourinho’s players did not let him or the city down in the Europa League final, as goals from Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan either side of half-time secured United’s second trophy of the season, qualification for the Champions League and absolution for Mourinho.
Just 348 days after relegation, Newcastle were back in the top flight following a 4-1 win over Preston at St James’ Park.
Just as in 2009/10, they were runaway favourites for promotion, boosted by the stewardship of Rafa Benitez. Their ruthless approach to the division, despite a hefty turnover in playing staff, was an example to all relegated sides.
To boot, they eventually came back to close the gap on leaders Brighton and win the Championship title in the final moments of the final day.
Leading 1-0 from the first leg, Southampton defended with just 28 per cent possession and nicked a late goal to reach their first cup final since 2003.
That Shane Long strike sent the 3,500 travelling Saints fans into raptures, celebrations which will be remembered for years to come, and allowed them to enjoy what would have been a nervy final few moments at Anfield.
It marked the first time Klopp had lost a semi-final as a manager, and meant Saints had reached the EFL Cup final without conceding a single goal.
After a narrow 1-0 defeat at Everton on the opening day of the season, Stoke then welcomed Arsenal to the bet365 Stadium, and put in a strong performance to win all three points.
New signing Jese struck the only goal of the game just after the break, and at that point, Stoke fans were looking towards the rest of the year with anticipation following a summer which saw them strengthen in defence.
Mark Hughes was full of hope too, saying: “I think everybody is going to enjoy watching [Jese] and that he’ll light the Premier League up as the season progresses.”
It has not gone to plan since, with Jese failing to score another goal.
January 21 - Out of the relegation zone at Anfield
Nobody gave Swansea much of a hope as they headed to Anfield in late January. Paul Clement had only just taken up the job, with the Swans having lost seven of their last nine games.
Liverpool were unbeaten at home for over a year, and had scored 26 goals in their previous nine Premier League games, but goals from Fernando Llorente (two) and Gylfi Sigurdsson lifted Swansea out of the relegation zone with a 3-2 win.
It acted as a huge catalyst for survival, as Swansea won three of their next five and eventually stayed up by seven points.
For one night, and perhaps one night only, Wembley felt like home for Spurs as they produced a scintillating display to humble Real Madrid 3-1 in the Champions League.
Having won 17 of 19 Premier League games in their final season at White Hart Lane, Mauricio Pochettino’s side had begun their domestic campaign at the national stadium in uncertain form, with the players struggling in unfamiliar surroundings and the fans unable to recreate the febrile atmosphere of the Lane.
But all that was swept aside on a brisk November evening as Dele Alli, back from a three-game European ban, scored either side of half-time before Christian Eriksen capped a lightning counter-attack to put Spurs 3-0 up.
Alli should have had a hat-trick to make it 4-0, but he missed a free header and although Cristiano Ronaldo scuffed home on 72 minutes, Spurs would not be denied a thrilling victory that set them up to top their group.
After a messy end to Walter Mazzarri’s tenure, Watford appointed former Hull boss Marco Silva, their ninth boss in five years, and eighth since the Pozzo family took over in 2012.
Just another short-term fix? Silva’s first seven months in charge suggest that if he was to leave abruptly, it would be for a bigger side, not because the axe has fallen again.
Porto were linked with Silva at the time, and Everton have been heavily linked since, showing what an impressive job Silva has done at Vicarage Road.
March 18 - When it all comes together
Tony Pulis was routinely criticised for his playing style at the Hawthorns, but this victory showed just how devastating West Brom could be when everything clicked.
Following disappointing defeats against Crystal Palace and Everton, Albion bounced back to consolidate their place in the top eight with a powerful 3-1 win against Arsenal.
Pulis, his face beaming after getting one over on old rival Arsene Wenger, kept expectations steady after the game, saying: “We haven’t got what the other teams have in terms of individual talent.”
It turned out to be their last win of the season, and things soon turned sour for Pulis…
May 5 - Turning it on against Spurs
Following a topsy-turvy opening season at the London Stadium, West Ham got the night they craved at their new home against their city rivals.
Tottenham’s pursuit of Premier League leaders Chelsea was dealt a huge blow as Manuel Lanzini’s second-half goal gave West Ham a 1-0 win in a game Mauricio Pochettino’s side simply failed to grab hold of.
Spurs lacked invention, and cheered on by a raucous home support, West Ham secured safety and moved into the top half of the table just weeks after relegation had seemed a real possibility.
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