EPL Week 38: 44 Things We Learned from Dramatic Final Day Action

Manchester City are the English Premier League Champions for 2012—winning their first title in 44 years.

With so much at stake other than the title, such as Champions League positions and a relegation battle, there was always going to be a lot at stake for several teams, but never did we think that the season would end in the fashion that it did.

And so, in honor of City winning their first title in 44 years, here are 44 things that we learned from the final day of action in the Premier League for 2012.

1. Everton Are a Team to Watch for the Future

Everton are going to be one of the top four sides in the Premier League next season.

After being a perennial mid-table finisher, the Toffees finally put together some solid and consistent performances in 2012. Despite losing six of their opening 10 matches, Everton still managed to finish seventh and are on the cusp of joining the Premier League elite over the next few seasons.

2. Newcastle Will Not Be in the Champions League Next Year

Newcastle lost to Everton 3-1 on the final day and will not play in the UEFA Champions League next year—finishing fifth and thus playing in the Europa League next year.

Considering that the Magpies were relegated just three years ago, though, full credit and praise must be given to their resurrection and reemergence as one of England's top clubs.

3. Everton Now Have Bragging Rights over Their Rivals

It might have seemed like Everton didn't have much to play for but their final-round win over Newcastle meant that they finished higher than rival club Liverpool—leaving the Toffees with ultimate bragging rights over the slumping Reds.

We'll touch on their demise later on.

4. Nikica Jelavic Is One of the Players of the Year

With another goal to his name, Nikica Jelavic proved himself to not only be Everton's best player this season but also one of the top players in the league this season.

He netted more goals for the club than any other player this year with eight in his last nine Premier League matches, establishing himself as a player that the Toffees must hold on to for several years to come.

5. Wigan Athletic Have Fought Their Way out of Relegation

Wigan were sitting in last place and looked a certainty to be facing relegation come the final week of the English Premier League.

Yet with just three losses in their final 15 matches of the year, as well as wins over Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle, Wigan made sure that they would still be in the top flight next season.

6. Wolves Just Aren't Quite Good Enough and Will Be Relegated Because of It

After Week 3, Wolves had two wins and a draw from their three matches.

They would only win three more matches all season, as they finished a distant last in the Premier League standings on 25 points—almost four wins away from the relegation zone.

Wolves simply weren't good enough this year and have been relegated to the Championship because of it.

7. Tottenham Will Be Playing in the Champions League Next Year

Tottenham Hotspur secured their Champions League berth with a 2-0 victory over Fulham in the final round—wrapping up fourth spot and assuring them of a position in Europe's top competition for next season.

8. Well, for Now Anyway...

Not so fast.

Should Chelsea win the Champions League final over Bayern Munich on May 19, they would take Tottenham's position in the tournament next year because they finished outside the Top Dour in the Premier League.

Expect White Hart Lane to be cheering heavily for the German giants next week.

9. Chelsea Will Be Tested by Bayern Munich in the Champions League Final

We must note firstly that Chelsea were not playing at their strongest in their 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers. Having said that, it is clear that suspensions could cost Chelsea dearly in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.

John Terry and Raul Meireles both found the back of the net but will both be missing due to suspension for the final on May 19. Their defense might hold up against Bayern, but their attack will certainly struggle throughout the final.

10. Chelsea Are Not One of the Top Sides in the Premier League

With an FA Cup title and a potential Champions League title in the same year, it might seem a little audacious, but Chelsea aren't one of the top four sides in the Premier League anymore.

The consistency isn't there from the Blues, who finished sixth this season with both Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle all finishing higher than Chelsea.

There was a reason Andre Villas Boas was sacked; let's not let their FA Cup and Champions League success cloud our judgment on their season in the Premier League.

11. Yakubu Has Been a Shining Light for Blackburn Rovers This Season

In what has been an otherwise disappointing season for Blackburn Rovers, their two main strikers have been one of the top pairings in the Premier League.

Yakubu has led the way for Rovers—netting a third of his team's goals this season with 16.

He has been helped with the emergence of young star Junior Hoilett, but his experience and ability to perform even in the most dire of circumstances have proved him to be Blackburn's most valuable player this season.

12. Junior Hoilett Will Not Play for Blackburn Next Year

Junior Hoilett will not play for Blackburn next year after the club was relegated from the English Premier League with a 2-1 loss to Chelsea.

He simply is too good to be playing in the Championship.

I expect the winger to head to Arsenal where the promise of Champions League football and a pairing with star striker Robin van Persie is too good of a deal to refuse.

13. Matches with No Meaning Can Be Painful to Watch

Sometimes meaningless matches can be exhilarating; other times they can be the exact opposite.

Norwich City's 2-0 win over Aston Villa, which featured no goals for the final 70 minutes of the game despite 16 shots on target in total, was painful to watch.

At least there were some yellow cards to keep it interesting.

14. Arsenal Have a Guaranteed Champions League Position

Arsenal have a Champions League berth next year guaranteed after finishing third in the Premier League this season with a win over West Bromwich Albion.

It wasn't without its moments, however, with the Gunners forced to come from 2-1 down to finish with a 3-2 victory and pick up their most valuable three points of the season.

15. Arsene Wenger's Youth Are Finally Paying Dividends

After selling Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri at the trade deadline and starting their season with their worst start in 58 years, Arsenal have had a truly remarkable season.

What's more is that Arsene Wenger's youth mentality is finally starting to pay dividends with the club's youngsters playing well and setting the Gunners up for several years to come.

Players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Aaron Ramsey, Kieran Gibbs, Wojciech Szczesny, Theo Walcott, Alex Song and Gervinho are all under the age of 25—leaving Arsenal's future in strong hands and Wenger's youth-minded approach as a growing success.

16. West Bromwich Albion Are a Decent Football Team

West Bromwich Albion—despite going down 3-2 to Arsenal on the final day of action—must be satisfied with their success this season and must be respected as a decent football team.

Not only did they put two past an Arsenal side playing for Champions League qualification, they finished in the top half of the table with 47 points and will no doubt continue to grow over the next few years with more time in the top flight.

17. Bolton Will Be in the Championship Next Season

With QPR going down to Manchester City—somehow—a Bolton win would have seen them remain in the Premier League for another season.

However, a 2-2 draw with Stoke City made sure that Bolton would be wandering back to the Championship next season, despite their best efforts on the day.

18. Kevin Davies Will Go Down a Bolton Legend

Some players just don't deserve to be relegated—Kevin Davies is one of those players.

The Bolton striker did all he could to prevent his team from leaving the top class, including finding the back of the net, but the Wanderers couldn't hang on for the win.

Named Bolton's Player of the Year in 2004, 2008 and 2009, Davies will no doubt go down as a legend of the club.

19. The Britannia Stadium Is a Tough Place to Travel to

Once again, the Brittania Stadium proved itself to be one of the toughest places to travel to in the entire Premier League, with Stoke hanging on for another draw at home.

Only four sides have beaten Stoke at home this season, with Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Everton and Liverpool all unable to put the home side away when they played there.

20. Stoke Are Not a Mid-Table Team

With that in mind then, Stoke City cannot be considered as just another one of those serial mid-table teams that finish every year in mediocrity around 14th to 16th.

They are far better than their 14th place this year shows, and if their home record can continue to be as dominant again next season, then Stoke could certainly break into the top half of the Premier League.

21. Liverpool Are Not One of the Top Sides in Europe Anymore

They might have won the Carling Cup and lost the final of the FA Cup to Chelsea, but this season has shown that Liverpool aren't amongst the top four sides in England anymore.

In fact, they're not even close.

Their eighth-place finish shows that they aren't on the same level as the top clubs—despite a large spending spree at the start of the year.

Their 1-0 loss to Swansea was their 14th for the season, leaving the Reds six wins behind third-placed Arsenal and less than that above Bolton Wanderers in the relegation zone.

22. Liverpool's Lack of Attack Will Continue to Cost Them Results

Andy Carroll cannot do everything for Liverpool. He has been without doubt their best man going forward this year, which the Reds desperately need to improve on if they are to get results.

Liverpool averaged just 1.24 goals per game this season and failed to find the back of the net in over a third of their matches all season.

If they are to compete in the Premier League again next year, they must improve on their attacking options and execution.

23. Martin O'Neill Is the Best Thing for Sunderland

After 13 weeks, Sunderland had 11 points and were in last place.

After 38 weeks, Sunderland have 45 points and sit in 14th place.

Take a bow, Martin O'Neill.

24. Wayne Rooney Is Still One of the Top Strikers in the League

With the lone goal in Manchester United's 1-0 win over Sunderland, Wayne Rooney confirmed what everyone knew all season long—he is one of the league's top strikers.

Rooney finished three goals behind Arsenal's Robin van Persie, who will win the Golden Boot Award, but given the importance of the English striker's goals this year for United, Rooney should make the Premier League team of the year.

25. David De Gea Is a Player for the Future

David de Gea finished the year with another clean sheet against Sunderland—establishing himself as one of the premier goalkeepers in the league.

His rise to success with United has seen de Gea finish the year ranked second in the league for least goals conceded, sixth in clean sheets and tenth in saves.

At such a young age, De Gea has a bright future ahead and could very well etch his name amongst the goalkeeping greats at Manchester United.

26. Venegance Is Sweet for Bayern Munich

The 1999 UEFA Champions League Final saw Manchester United score two goals in the final minutes to come from a goal down to beat Bayern Munich.

Now the Red Devils know exactly how it feels.

27. Joey Barton Is an Absolute Idiot

Your team is fighting for survival in the English Premier League, and they're doing it away from home against the team likely to win the trophy.

You've somehow drawn level with City with 40 minutes to play. I guess it seems like a perfect time then to throw an elbow, protest with the referee, get sent off and kick out in anger.

Joey Barton is without doubt the biggest idiot of the entire league.

Sunday just confirmed it.

28. Manchester City Are League Champions

They might have done it the hard way, but Manchester City are the 2012 English Premier League Champions after beating Queens Park Rangers 3-2.

They were the better side with a superior attack all year and deserve their name on the trophy.

29. Queens Park Rangers Will Not Be Relegated

Queens Park Rangers will not be relegated this season—probably fitting reward for their inspired performance at the Etihad in the final round.

Despite going down 3-2, Rangers were saved thanks to a late penalty goal from Stoke against Bolton that made sure the match finished in a draw, leaving them one point outside of the relegation zone.

30. Pressure Gets to Even the Best of Clubs

Manchester City entered the match as the hottest of favorites to win the league.

All they had to do was waltz past a hapless QPR side—at the Etihad—and the trophy would be theirs.

However, thanks to an inspired performance by the Rangers, City almost let it all fall apart and showed in the process that pressure can get to even the very best of teams.

It can even get to the league champions.

31. Queens Park Rangers Played Their Best Game of the Season

With their season on the line, Queens Park Rangers played without doubt their best game of the season.

They didn't attack well, they didn't control midfield—heck, they didn't even win the game, but QPR won a lot of football fans with their fight and determination not to give up on Sunday.

They played the league leaders at home, with ten men, and almost pulled off the most incredible of upsets in football history. Regardless, it was without doubt their best game of football all year.

32. Yaya Toure Is City's Best Midfielder

When City fell behind 2-1 and were in desperate need of some goals, what they really were needing was Yaya Toure, who had left the field earlier that match.

Toure has been without doubt the Citizens' best midfielder this year and was dearly missed in the 30 minutes or so that QPR held the lead.

33. Sergio Aguero Deserves His Place in the Starting Lineup

Sergio Aguero is City's No.1 striker and should be for years to come.

He finished with 23 goals for the season—16 of which came at the Etihad—and established himself as one of the top strikers in the league.

Oh, and he did this.

34. City Deserved to Beat QPR

Not only did Manchester City deserve to win the English Premier League, they also deserved to beat Queens Park Rangers—dominating every facet of the game for 90 minutes.

They had 44 shots to three, 14 shots on target to three, 18 corners to nil, 56 crosses to three and a mammoth 77 percent of possession for the match. Throw in the fact that both of QPR's goals came against the run of play—one off a horror mistake from Joleon Lescott—and City deserved to win the match.

35. QPR Need to Find Themselves a New Captain

Captains need to lead from the front, set a strong example and strengthen the team. If Joey Barton did that in the Manchester City match, I must have blinked and missed it.

QPR need to find themselves a new captain—one that doesn't get sent off and give away stupid fouls and throw away their team's chances.

And one that doesn't defend themselves on Twitter stating:

"

Can do nothing but apologize to the players and the fans. Still don't think it's a sending off. Tried to take 1 of their players with me. Still not my proudest moment but who gives a f***. We are safe...and that is all that matters.

"

36. Joleon Lescott Is the Most Relieved Man in All of Manchester

When Manchester City found the back of the net to complete a stunning 3-2 victory, the most relieved man in the world wasn't Roberto Mancini. It wasn't even Sheik Mansour.

It was City defender Joleon Lescott, whose horrendous mistake gifted Queens Park Rangers their opening goal and almost cost them the title in the process.

I imagine his heart is still pounding.

37. Today Is a Hard Day to Be a Manchester United Fan

They had it.

Then they didn't.

Red Devils around the world unite in their mourning at the title they almost had.

38. The Threat of Relegation Can Inspire the Most Amazing of Comebacks

If Queens Park Rangers had gone down to 10 men against Manchester City in January, they would have most certainly lost by two or more goals. They would have rolled over, and the Citizens would have waltzed in for an easy win.

But, like we see every year, when a team is faced with the threat of relegation, they somehow manage to pull something special out and fight like never seen before.

QPR looked like a top-four club on Sunday and not a relegation battler. It's just what the dreaded drop zone can do.

39. 2013 Could Be a Dominant Year for Manchester United

Manchester United's title-less season and heartbreaking defeat in the English Premier League could very well make next year a breathtaking year for the English giants.

Firstly, it will force Sir Alex Ferguson to spend some money and bring in some more midfield and attacking talent, which many fans were crying out for at the beginning of the season.

History also tells us that United could be dominant.

The last time they surrendered the league title on the final day was in 1998—the very next year they famously won the treble.

Could 2013 bring similar success for the Red Devils?

40. One Point Can Win You a Championship

One point can win you the championship.

For Manchester City, I think back to their 3-3 draw against Sunderland at home, which at the time, many believed was the end of their chances at the title.

The Citizens found bravely and came from 3-1 down to score two goals in the final ten minutes and pick up a valuable point that would ultimately win them the Premier League.

41. One Point Can Lose You a Championship

Sometimes, one point can also cost you the championship.

For Manchester United, their 4-4 draw at Old Trafford with Everton stands out as a season-defining and title-deciding encounter.

Up 4-2 with under 10 minutes to play, the Toffees netted two late goals to take two points off the Red Devils that would ultimately, cost them the Premier League.

42. Stewart Downing Had a Season to Forget

Moving away from the Manchester title race for a minute, the final round of the Premier League also proved to us the incompetence of Liverpool winger Stewart Downing.

In 28 Premier League appearances, Downing finished with nothing.

No goals; no assists.

Absolutely nothing.

43. Alan Pardew Truly Was the Manager of the Year

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was the Manager of the Year in the Premier League—there is simply no other alternative than Pardew.

After being relegated three years ago, Newcastle won their way back into the top class and have stormed their way into the Premier League elite—narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification.

Sometimes, amongst all the criticism and negativity, the Premier League provides us with a champion of the game.

Alan Pardew is that man in 2012.

44. Was the Trophy at the Etihad All Along?

One final thought from the final day of the Premier League: was the trophy at Etihad Stadium all along?

Surely it was there for kickoff, with City seemingly assured to win the league with victory at home over Queens Park Rangers.

Surely it was there when City went 1-0 up and put one hand on the trophy.

Surely it was still there when Joey Barton was sent off, despite Cisse leveling the score for QPR.

But when Rangers found their second through Mackie, and United were winning 1-0 at Sunderland, I wondered where the trophy was.

With five minutes to go, City needing two goals to secure the Premier League trophy and United the favorites to win it all—that's when I wondered where the trophy was.

Was it en route to Sunderland, with red ribbons attached? Or was it still at the Etihad—never moving from its original place?

The answer to that I guess we'll never know, though it does make us smile and wonder where the trophy was.

One thing is for certain, the trophy is right where it belongs—in the clutches of Manchester City, the Premier League champions for 2012.

City have secured their first league title in 44 years, and as a result, that was the 44 things that we learned from the final week of the Premier League.

Thanks for reading and bring on the transfer window!

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