Every year, for the past few seasons, we’ve done a Premier League prediction table where I and you, the readers, make our picks on how the final Premier League table will look at the end of the season. The picks are made in August, so it’s often a tough call to make especially since new transfer signings haven’t had much time to bed in at all. Plus, managerial changes don’t often happen until late in the year.

Nevertheless, here’s how we did. My predicted end of the season table was as follows:

1. Manchester United (C)
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Arsenal
6. Sunderland
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. Fulham
9. Everton
10. Newcastle United
11. Aston Villa
12. Stoke City
13. West Bromwich Albion
14. Swansea
15. Norwich City
16. Wolverhampton Wanderers
17. Bolton Wanderers
18. Wigan Athletic (R)
19. Queens Park Rangers (R)
20. Blackburn Rovers (R)

And here were your picks.

I came close to predicting the champions correctly — if Aguero hadn’t scored, I would have had my first and second pick correctly. Chelsea finishing in sixth instead of third place was a shock, but who could have predicted that Andre Villas-Boas would have done so badly at Stamford Bridge? Liverpool’s eighth place finish was a shock. I really thought that Dalglish could have steered them to fourth based on the talent at their disposal. Arsenal took advantage of Chelsea and Liverpool’s poor league form by finishing in third, despite me picking them to finish in fifth position.

I thought Sunderland was going to be the surprise team this season based on the amount of money that Ellis Short spent in the transfer window, but who could have predicted that Steve Bruce could have done so badly at the Stadium of Light? I should have swapped Sunderland and Newcastle around for a better prediction.

At the bottom of the table, most of us could see the writing on the wall that Blackburn Rovers was doomed under Steve Kean, so I predicted they would finish in last place. Under Neil Warnock, I didn’t rate QPR, and based on the way they were playing, they would have gone down if it wasn’t for Mark Hughes. I also predicted Wigan would get relegated, but I was wrong on that one.

I believed in Swansea and Norwich, so I put them at 14th and 15th position — yet they did even better than my predictions by finishing 11th and 12th. I’m particularly proud of my Swansea prediction because almost everyone — pundits and fans — predicted that Swansea would get relegated.

Here’s the final Premier League table to compare.

As for the picks from you, the readers, many of you predicted that Newcastle would get relegated, Liverpool would finish in first, second or third place, and Swansea would finish bottom. Manchester United, like me, was the most predicted champion.

Of the readers who made their prediction between August and September, the person who came the closest was a reader named Bob.

Interestingly, very few people picked Manchester City to win the title before the end of August, and we all (myself included) were all over the place regarding the bottom three. No one who posted a comment in August or September predicted the correct three relegated sides.

If you have some time to go back through the 156+ comments, they make for some very interesting reading.

I hope you enjoyed the Premier League table prediction game. We’ll open a new one up for the 2012-13 season in early August.

(Author’s Note: This is the first of a four-part series highlighting the major football stadiums in London, as well as their surrounding environs. Today’s feature is on grounds in West London, with pieces on North, South, and East London still to come in the run-up to the Olympics).

Even though the 2011-12 Premier League season has ended, there is still an exciting summer ahead in the soccer world. Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine starts June 8, and the tournaments in the Summer Olympics in England kick off July 25 (women) and 26 (men).

Record numbers of tourists are expected to converge upon London for the Games, and though the football tournaments do not draw as much focus as some of the other events, they will still be a huge deal. On the men’s side, Argentina has won gold at the last two Olympiads, with such names as Tevez, Aguero, Mascherano, and Messi featuring for the victors. In 2008, Giuseppe Rossi led the tournament in goalscoring with 4, with Fulham’s Moussa Dembélé right behind him with 3. Rest assured that even though this is an under-23 tournament, you’ll see some of today’s (as well as tomorrow’s) stars in this event, probably including David Beckham leading out the England side as captain.

London, to me, is the best city in the world. There is so much to do that even a lifetime spent there wouldn’t be enough to see all it has to offer. For those of you who plan on visiting London, though, either for the Olympics or just for pleasure at another time, I’d like to give you a quick primer on what to see while you’re there, at least relating to soccer.

A couple notes to keep in mind: All “Directions” are based on the London Underground system, the “Tube”. Bus routes are available online, as are car directions, but the Tube is the best way to get around in London, by far. As a general rule, the further away from Central London you go, the more expensive it will be, but fares are very affordable. I would recommend, if you’re going to be there for at least a week, buy an Oyster Card, valid on all public transportation.

Chelsea FC

Stadium: Stamford Bridge (capacity: 41,837)

Directions: Take the District Line (green on the Tube map) to the Fulham Broadway tube station. 0.4 mile walk from there to the stadium. Can’t miss it. As convenient as it gets.

Local Area: Stamford Bridge is located in the swanky Hammersmith and Fulham Borough, not in the also-posh Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, as the club’s name might suggest. The stadium itself is fine, containing a museum that’s open for a tour that I highly recommend, having taken it myself (prices and opening times).

However, the highlight of the area is the area itself. A short tube ride in the other direction, towards Gloucester Road, South Kensington, and High Street Kensington, puts you in the heart of what is, for me, the fanciest part of London. Within walking distance is, including other must-see stops, Hyde Park, Kensington Palace, the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Royal Albert Hall. The Fulham Broadway tube station has a movie theater, several restaurants, and a bookstore, and right outside the station is Fulham Road. Shopping is expensive, but browsing doesn’t cost a thing. A short walk away, as well, is Putney Bridge, crossing the picturesque River Thames, the setting for our next stadium.

Recommendation: If you’re in London, definitely worth visiting, if not for the stadium, for its setting.

Fulham FC

Stadium: Craven Cottage (capacity: 25,700)

Directions: Two choices. Take the District Line to Fulham Broadway and walk 1.5 miles on Bishop’s Road through the small, beautiful residential area, or take the District Line two stops further to the Putney Bridge station and walk about a mile through Fulham Palace Gardens and Bishop’s Park, both overlooking the Thames.

Local Area: Having attended four matches at Craven Cottage, I’m admittedly biased, but I much prefer it to Stamford Bridge in terms of the actual matchday experience. As small as the stadium is in terms of size, and as cozy as it feels, it generates a great atmosphere for Premier League (and Europa League, in the past few seasons) games.

However, there is very little to do around the ground except walk around and enjoy the scenery. It’s beautiful, but nestled right up against the Thames and the surrounding neighborhood, there are no shops or ways to occupy any considerable length of time. Still, this is as nice of an area around a football ground in London as there is. In addition, just a couple stops further down on the District Line is Wimbledon, the home of the All England Lawn Tennis Club and Museum and the famous Wimbledon Championships, this year held in late June-early July, as well as the Olympic tennis tournament.

Recommendation: Not very impressive to look at architecturally, but full of tradition and in a picturesque location next to the river. Worth visiting, along with Stamford Bridge and/or Wimbledon on the same day.

Queens Park Rangers

Stadium: Loftus Road (capacity: 18,360)

Directions: Again, two choices. Take the Central Line (red on the Tube map) to the White City tube station and walk half a mile, or take the Hammersmith and City Line (pink) or Circle Line (yellow) to the Wood Lane tube station and walk an extra two minutes.

Local Area: Loftus Road is located in Shepherd’s Bush, also in the Hammersmith and Fulham Borough. The stadium itself, built in 1904, is nothing special, and unless you’re a QPR fan, it’s not an absolute must-see.

It is in a good location for tourists, though, for several reasons. Upon walking, you’ll notice an interesting array of street names, including South Africa Road, Australia Road, and Batman Close, right on the edge of Hammersmith Park. Next to the Wood Lane and White City tube stops is the BBC Television Centre, open for two-hour tours (more information). Shepherd’s Bush Market, an outdoor street market where you can find food, clothes, etc., is one stop away from Wood Lane on the tube.

If that doesn’t strike your fancy, perhaps the Westfield shopping center, the largest urban shopping center in Europe (its size is equivalent to 30 football pitches), would, with its high-end retail stores, movie theater, and more moderately priced stores. Westfield is also served by the Wood Lane and White City tube stops.

Recommendation: Loftus Road is in a more urban, busier area than Stamford Bridge and Craven Cottage, and is nowhere near as nice of a stadium. However, the local attractions make the area more appealing and there is plenty to do around here to occupy a few hours.

The 2011/2012 Premier League season has been full of twists and turns, and will go down as one of the best campaigns in the recent memory. From the heart-warming story of Swansea and Norwich, to the season-long scramble to climb out of the relegation spots, to Liverpool’s woodwork woe and the topsy-turvy seasons of the top six teams, it has been a thrilling campaign.

With all to play for on the final day, the best was saved for last. Two last-gasp stoppage time Manchester City goals sealed the Etihad Stadium club’s first top-flight success since 1968, and broke Manchester United fans’ hearts, as their team lost out on goal difference. United threw away an eight-point lead to relinquish their title, whilst City have played some fantastic football this term.

Arsenal sealed third place with victory at West Brom, Spurs took fourth with a 2-0 win over Fulham, whilst Newcastle came unstuck against the Toffees and ended up in fifth. Harry Redknapp and his men must now watch on as Chelsea do battle with Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, knowing that a Blues victory would rob them of participation in next season’s competition.

With Roberto Di Matteo rejuvenating the Stamford Bridge club, most will not chance their free bets in writing off Chelsea, but the final against Bayern at the Allianz Arena will be a fitting end to the club season before Euro 2012 gets under way.

At the bottom, Wolves and Blackburn’s fates were confirmed before the last day of the season, and Bolton joined the pair in being relegated to the Championship. QPR survived by the skin of their teeth despite throwing away a win at City, whilst Wigan’s unexpected heroics see them stay up to fight another day.

Here’s our snapshot, team-by-team preview of the 2011/2012 season, looking briefly at what each team has achieved this season and their plans for the summer transfer window. Feel free to leave your own review of your team (or of the season) in the comments section at the end.

Arsenal

Arsenal fans feared the worst after the sale of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy last summer, and a shaky start to the campaign hit rock bottom with an unthinkable 8-2 humbling at Old Trafford. However, Arsene Wenger’s transitional side have fought back to capture third place and Champions League football once more for next term.

The highlight for the Gunners faithful was the turnaround 5-2 victory over Tottenham at the Emirates in February, with the respective sides heading in different directions after the result. PFA Player of the Year Robin van Persie has inspired the march up the league with 30 goals in the campaign, whilst the continued progression of Alex Song and rise of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stand out in a good campaign. A new attacker in the shape of Lukas Podolski will reinforce Arsenal, who will look to push on and challenge for the title next term.

Aston Villa

Villa fans were dubious at best when former Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish was hired in the summer, and the Scot has done little to inspire confidence at the Midlands club. A lowly seven wins this term is the second worst in the league, and Villa have lacked potency in attack, whilst looking short of concentration in defence. McLeish’s men avoided relegation by two points, and the manager’s position will come under jeopardy in the summer.

The final blow of a disappointing campaign was the news of captain Stiliyan Petrov being diagnosed with leukaemia, which has knocked the side for six. Villa must keep Darren Bent in the summer, and spend some money to avoid a frustrating 2012/13.

Blackburn

Steve Kean has had to deal with a barrage of criticism from both the media and a section of his own fans, as Blackburn spent the majority of the season in the bottom three and were relegated before the last day. The sales of defenders Christopher Samba and Phil Jones have blighted the Ewood Park side’s backline, and Rovers fans have had to watch the ball hit the back of their net 78 times this term.

The positives for the Lancashire club are the emergence of young stars such as Junior Hoilett and Grant Hanley, and the return to form of seasoned attacker Yakubu. Hoilett is out of contract and sure to move to bigger and better things in the summer, whilst the future of Hanley, Kean and owners Venkys is still undetermined.

Bolton

Bolton have suffered a downturn in confidence and form over the last 12 months, with Owen Coyle’s men going from a tough team to beat last term to a soft touch this season and suffering relegation. Wanderers have been another side that have looked odds on for the drop throughout the campaign, and their traditional stubbornness, especially at the Reebok Stadium, has been lacking.

The club has been rocked by the health issues of Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest back in March. Mark Davies has impressed in an under-performing team this year and is likely to leave the Reebok Stadium in the summer. The Trotters should back Coyle in trying to get them back to the top flight, but may have to sell a sizeable chunk of their playing squad.

Chelsea

The promise offered by talented coach Andre Villas Boas failed to come to fruition for Chelsea this term, but a rejuvenation under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo could result in a memorable season for the Blues. Unexpectedly through to the final of the Champions League after heroics against Barcelona, they must beat Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena to qualify for next season’s competition and seal a memorable turnaround. An FA Cup triumph against Liverpool at Wembley was the domestic highlight for the west London club after a sixth place finish in the Premier League.

Di Matteo has reinvigorated the at-times failing old guard, who have proved that they are not ready for the scrapheap just yet. The ability of attackers Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge has stood out, but one feels that Roman Abramovich must get his selection of manager right for the club to consistently challenge.

Everton

A season of two contrasting halves, Everton has recovered from a below-par start to the campaign to rediscover form and beat some of the leading teams in the league in the process. David Moyes has celebrated ten years in charge at Goodison Park with another top-half finish and the Scot has excelled given limited resources. Finishing in seventh, ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool, gives the club’s supporters local bragging rights, even if they were beaten three times by the Reds this term.

The January signing of Nikica Jelavic has been an inspired one, and the Croat marksman looks to have given the Merseysiders a cutting edge up front. The permanent resigning of Steven Pienaar would be a good move, but Moyes needs to ensure the likes of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini do not leave this summer.

Fulham

Martin Jol took a while to get back into the swing of English football, but the Dutch maestro has ensured that Fulham have been competitive at worst and impressive when they hit their straps. A ninth place is no mean achievement, and they ended up joint on points with Liverpool; the Craven Cottage outfit will look at a top half finish as a strong season.

Clint Dempsey has been the standout player for the Cottagers, who will face a battle to hold onto the United States international this summer. Bryan Ruiz has improved after a slow start to life in England, whilst an attempt to make Pavel Pogrebnyak’s move permanent is expected.

Liverpool

Despite Carling Cup success and the progression to the FA Cup final, this term has not been one Liverpool will look back on fondly. Inconsistent form in the league, especially disappointing results at Anfield, saw the Reds finish in eighth place, with a woeful second half of the campaign threatening the Merseysiders with even dropping out of the top half.

Luis Suarez has shown his best and worst sides this term, with stellar individual performances being counteracted by his racism scandal. The Fenway Sports Group need to further invest in the playing squad if the Reds are rediscover former glories, it needs to select a worthy successor to Dalglish.

Manchester City

Last-day drama brought Manchester City their first title since 1968, with two goals in stoppage time against QPR proving the small margins between success and failure. The new champions have been the most consistent and impressive team this term, and despite winning the league on goal difference are worthy victors. Roberto Mancini’s men have been scintillating at times this term, and the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure are some of the country’s best.

More big names are expected to join the revolution this summer, with Eden Hazard reportedly the club’s number one transfer target. The future of talented troublemakers Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez is still up in the air, but Mancini’s men will look to retain their title and make an assault on the Champions League next term.

Manchester United

The defending champions had the Premier League title in their hands, but surrendered an eight-point lead to be beaten into second place on the last day. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have not shown the panache and ruthlessness of previous sides, and the Scottish coach will be livid at the nature of relinquishing their crown.

United have undoubtedly missed injured senior campaigners Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher, and have relied on Wayne Rooney for goals. Antonio Valencia has impressed and Paul Scholes coming out of retirement has provided a short-term fix in the centre of the park. The summer should see a couple of players leave, with a full-back and attacking midfielder on the transfer wishlist and needed if United are to wrestle the title back from their noisy neighbours.

Newcastle

The surprise package of the season, Newcastle should be praised for their considerable efforts this term in exceeding expectations and challenging for a top four spot. Although they ended up in fifth place after a last-day defeat to Everton, Alan Pardew and his team should be saluted for an excellent campaign.

Although the Tyneside club will look to strengthen in the transfer window, the real battle will be to hold onto their stars, with Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Cheik Tiote in particular not short of suitors. The January signing of Papiss Cisse has been inspired, and the Senegal international has been one of the stars of this year’s campaign.

Norwich

Newly-promoted Norwich have abided fears that they could be instantly demoted back to The Championship with a no-fear approach and some excellent football along the way. Paul Lambert has his team believing in their abilities; the Carrow Road club finished in 12th place and were never in danger of the drop.

Grant Holt has been the club’s talisman by leading from the front, whilst Anthony Pilkington has looked accomplished and by no means out of his depth. The Canaries will look to be sensible and astute in this summer’s transfer market to ensure another competitive season in 2012-13.

QPR

QPR have had a tough season back in the top flight, and although they got markedly better since Tony Fernandes’ takeover and under Mark Hughes’ tutelage, they needed to wait to the last day of the season to guarantee Premier League football for next term. Excellent home form has been the reason for survival, with victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham sticking out in the memory.

QPR have added some real quality since the turn of the year, with the likes of Djibril Cisse, Bobby Zamora and Taye Taiwo contributing to better performances. If the Londoners can sort out their form on the road, Fernandes’ money could power Rangers into a comfortable Premier League club next term.

Stoke

Stoke have flown under the radar slightly this season in the Premier League, with Tony Pulis’ men continuing to prove tricky customers without threatening the top half or risking relegation. The Potters had their first adventure in Europe, beating some established sides before they were eliminated from the Europa League by Spanish giants Valencia.

Peter Crouch has been a fans’ favourite since moving to the Britannia, and alongside Jonathan Walters has proved a handful for most defences this term, but not scored enough goals. However, for Stoke to really progress you feel added creativity in the centre of the park is needed this summer.

Sunderland

Again a tale of two halves of the season, Sunderland have avoided a relegation-threatened campaign with the replacement of Steve Bruce with Martin O’Neill. The Northern Irishman has added a steel to the Black Cats that was previously missing, but the honeymoon period started to rub off towards the end of the campaign. Despite this, a 13th placed finish will be satisfactory after a poor start to the campaign.

James McClean and Stephane Sessegnon have been the club’s standout performers this term, and O’Neill will look to add his own feel to the club this summer in the transfer market. A commanding central defender is needed to banish lapses in concentration at the back, whilst Nicklas Bendtner’s return to Arsenal will leave a gap in attack.

Swansea

First-time Premier League team Swansea have been arguably the team of the season, playing excellent football and surprising the footballing community with an assured debut campaign in the top flight. Brendan Rodgers employs an attacking brand of football that has to be admired, and the Liberty Stadium outfit will take pride in their wins over Arsenal and Manchester City in particular this term.

A gifted midfield of Leon Britton, Joe Allen and loan star Gylfi Sigurdsson has been the side’s heartbeat, and the Swans will look to make the latter’s move to Wales permanent and add a few more experienced heads to excel next term. An 11th placed finish is an outstanding achievement, in what has been a dream season for the Liberty Stadium club’s fans.

Tottenham

From title contenders to potentially missing out on European qualification altogether, Tottenham fans have been delighted and frustrated in equal measures this season. An at-times scintillating attacking style has seen Spurs within a couple of points of the top this term, but a loss of form since February threatened to destroy a promising campaign.

Spurs finished in fourth but are not assured Champions League football next term, as they must wait to see whether Chelsea will snatch their place by winning this term’s competition. Holding onto stars Luka Modric and Gareth Bale is crucial, whilst a new striker, central defender and in the long-term goalkeeper is needed to continue the White Hart Lane club’s charge for recognition.

West Brom

Roy Hodgson has turned West Brom’s season round since the new year, with a run of positive results moving the Baggies away from the relegation dogfight and comfortably into mid-table; they finished 10th. Such has been the progression of the Hawthorns club, that Hodgson has left the club to assume the England manager’s position.

Peter Odemwingie is arguably the most talented of an enthusiastic group, but has been linked with a move away from the club in the summer. West Brom have missed injured captain Chris Brunt, and need to solidify at the back to finish in the top half next year. Their search for a new manager will begin in earnest now that the campaign has finished.

Wigan

Perennial basement boys Wigan have again had an arduous journey in 2011-12, with the Latics seemingly leaving any resistance to the second half of the season when in danger of the drop. Roberto Martinez’s men have shown that they have what it takes to play in the top flight however by beating Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal this term and ended up in 15th place, seven points above the bottom three.

Victor Moses has been a revelation his season and captured the imagination with progressive displays. The DW Stadium club have done well given limited resources, and will look to add a few more lesser-known stars to the squad this summer.

Wolves

Wolves will play in The Championship next term, after a poor decision by the club’s board effectively ended their season. The sacking of Mick McCarthy, despite a bad run of form, has deflated the squad and Terry Connor has not been backed by the players, resulting in a woeful five wins in total this season.

The club will most likely lose their star players such as Steven Fletcher, Wayne Hennessy, Matt Jarvis and Kevin Doyle, and will look to regroup and bounce straight back after demotion to English football’s second tier. Stale Solbakken is set to be announced as the club’s new manager, and the Molineux outfit fans will look to put this season’s disappointments behind them.

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Fulham’s Clint Dempsey has been added to the roster of world soccer stars scheduled to play in a Miami exhibition in late June, according to The World Masters Of Soccer website.

Dempsey, the only US international ever to score 50 goals in the Premier League, will join fellow Premier League stars Didier Drogba and Luis Suarez, as well as former Premier League footballers Javier Mascherano (ex-Liverpool), Diego Forlan (ex-Manchester United), Carlos Bocanegra (ex-Fulham) and Jozy Altidore (ex-Hull City).

In addition to an all-star Premier League line-up, other world stars will play in the friendly game such as Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Falcao (Atletico Madrid), Diego Milito (Inter Milan), Antonio Cassano (AC Milan), Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Diego Lugano (Paris Saint-Germain), Ariel Ortega (All Boys), Edinson Cavani (Napoli), Gabriel Milito (Independiente), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Napoli), Alessandro Nesta (formerly with AC Milan), Marco Materazzi (formerly with Inter Milan), Lucio (Inter Milan) and others.

Tickets for the June 23rd exhibition game at Sun Life Stadium in Miami went on sale today. Ticket prices start at $25.

More details about the game can be found here and here.

More than 61,000 votes cast by soccer fans worldwide to recognize the best of the 2011-12 English Premier League (EPL) season

We’re proud to announce today the winners of our 4th annual EPL Awards, sponsored by Football Media. The 2012 winners are chosen by the readers and editors of EPL Talk, and honor the best soccer content and performances of the 2011-12 Premier League season.

“We rely on the EPL Talk readers to drive our annual readers choice awards, because they are among the most demanding and knowledgeable soccer fans on the planet,” said EPL Talk Editor and Publisher Christopher Harris. “Websites, podcasts and blogs are critical to keeping soccer fans constantly updated throughout the season, so when a nominee earns recognition in our awards, it really means something.”

The EPL Awards are based on the responses of thousands of EPL Talk readers, who voted from May 2 to May 13, 2012. The online ballot, which was compiled by the editors of EPL Talk, included more than 400 nominees. In addition to the readers choice awards, the editors of EPL Talk selected an Editor’s Choice Winner for each category.

Here’s the list of winners for each individual category:

Best EPL Blogs, Websites and Books

Best EPL Blog

• Dirty Tackle (Yahoo), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Blogger

• Brooks Peck (Dirty Tackle), Readers Choice Winner
• Kieron O’Connor (The Swiss Ramble), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Club Blog

• ToffeeWeb (Everton), Readers Choice Winner
• ArseBlog (Arsenal), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Coverage Online

• The Guardian, Readers Choice Winner and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Writer

• Jonathan Wilson (The Guardian), Readers Choice Winner
• David Conn (The Guardian), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Forum

• Grand Old Team (Everton), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Tweeter

• ArseBlogger (ArseBlog), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best New Football Book

• The Smell Of Football (Mick Rathbone), Readers Choice Winner
• Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You (Jonathan Wilson), Editors Choice Winner

Best Online Football Game

• Top Eleven, Readers Choice Winner
• I AM PLAYR, Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL TV, Radio and Podcast Coverage

Best EPL TV Feature Show

• Fox Soccer Report (FOX Soccer), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Goal Highlights Show

• Match Of The Day (BBC), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL TV Commentator

• Martin Tyler (Sky Sports), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL TV Co-Commentator

• Gary Neville (Sky Sports), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Video Site

• 101 Great Goals, Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Podcast

• Men In Blazers, Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Podcast Presenter

• Alan Davies (Tuesday Club), Readers Choice Winner
• James Richardson (The Guardian), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Podcast Pundit

• Keith Dover (Tuesday Club), Readers Choice Winner
• Roger Bennett (Men In Blazers), Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Club Podcast

• The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool), Readers Choice Winner
• The Spurs Show (Tottenham), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Radio Show

• 606 Football Phone-In (BBC), Readers Choice Winner
• World Football Phone-In (BBC), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Players and Managers

EPL Player of the Year

• Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Manager

• Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Roberto Mancini (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

Most Improved EPL Manager

• Alan Pardew (Newcastle United), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Striker

• Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Midfielder

• Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Defender

• Jonny Evans (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Goalkeeper

• David De Gea (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Joe Hart (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

A complete list of nominees and winners can be found at www.epltalk.com/awards
About Football Media
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Caught your breath yet from Sunday’s Premier League season finale excitement? What a way to end the 2011-12 season. After 38 games, the table doesn’t lie, or so says the time-honored cliché, and Manchester City is deserving champions.

With that said, I’ve been surprised at how little outcry there has been, or discussion at the least, about using goal difference as the first tiebreaker when determining final positions in the league table. I’m not exactly sure why that method has been so accepted for so long and not questioned at all. Could it simply be because that’s how things have always been? If that is the case, that’s ridiculous.

By looking purely at goal difference, we gain, admittedly, a pretty decent picture of how the table is ordered by points. Logic tells us that the best teams win more games, outscoring their opponents and thus accumulating a better goal difference. On the flipside, teams near the bottom will have lost more games and thus accumulated a worse goal difference. Just as a broad, general tool, goal difference can be a useful tool to capture the state of the league.

Broad and general is not good enough, though, when millions of pounds in prize money and potential European qualification places, as well as relegation, is on the line. Using head-to-head results is by far the better method to order teams, one that actually prioritizes what the tied teams have done against each other. If teams are tied, and the definition of “tie” is that they are supposedly equal, surely the best way to determine who is better would be to look at how they fared on the field. Goal difference can be fluky, and significantly altered by just one or two good or bad results with high-scoring final outcomes. But it must be said that whether goal difference or head-to-head results were used Sunday, Manchester City still would have been crowned champions.

Liverpool, however, finished on 52 points, good for 8th-best in the league but exactly equal with Fulham in wins, draws, and losses. Even though Fulham beat Liverpool twice this season, they finished in 9th, behind Kenny Dalglish’s woefully disappointing outfit. Why? Because Liverpool managed a superior goal difference.

West Brom, who had a terrific season under Roy Hodgson, lost to Swansea home and away but finished ahead of the Swans on the basis of one goal scored, the second tiebreaker behind goal difference. Norwich City, who like Swansea had a fantastic first year in the Premier League, tied on points (47) with both Swansea and West Brom, but finished behind BOTH of them despite defeating Swansea twice and splitting victories with West Brom. That dastardly goal difference again, up to its unjust tricks. If head-to-head was used instead, Norwich (with 9 points gained from their 4 games against tied rivals) would finish in 10th, ahead of Swansea in 11th (with 6 points gained) and West Brom in 12th (with 3 points gained).

According to the Liverpool Daily Echo, figures from the 2010-11 season indicate that each higher place is in the standings is worth an extra £800,000 in prize money. Fulham, for me, should be awarded that ahead of Liverpool, and Norwich an extra £1,600,000. On the flip side, of course, Liverpool would miss out on £800,000, and West Brom would lose £1,600,000, a nice bit of cash for a mid-table outfit.

You may think to yourself, “£800,000?? That’s nothing”. In some cases, to some teams, you may be right. However, Sunderland bought the outstanding young left winger James McClean for £350,000 from Derry City last August. Shaun Maloney, who had a terrific game for Wigan against Manchester United in April — getting a goal and helping lift Roberto Martinez’s side out of the relegation zone — cost the Latics only £1 million. Swansea paid £1.6 million for Michel Vorm — one of the best goalkeepers in Britain this year.

Good, inexpensive players can be found through scouting and development. Extra prize money can go into the transfer kitty, pay loan fees, or help pay wages.

It’s not just prize money in the hundreds of thousands of pounds or few million. What if goal difference decided even more valuable positions like the difference between staying in the Premier League or being relegated to the Championship? Or what about the financial and prestige difference between playing in the Champions League and playing in the Europa League, or even playing in the Europa League and playing in no European competition at all?

If you take a look at the final Premier League table this season, simply organized by goal difference rather than points, you’d find an interesting result. The top four and bottom four teams would stay the same, and that’s to be expected.

However, Newcastle, who everyone would agree had a great season with Premier League Manager of the Year Alan Pardew guiding a team built on cheap signings, finished 8th instead of 5th. Sunderland’s revitalization under Martin O’Neill helped boost them to the 9th-best goal difference, but they still finished 13th in the league. Aston Villa, my favorite club, was simply awful to watch this season yet still managed the 14th-best goal difference, two places ahead of their actual final position. Stunningly, they were only two goals in difference worse off than Norwich, who had a far more impressive season and should have finished 10th, as I mentioned earlier.

The point is, goal difference simply just doesn’t matter that much, at least not enough to be the first tiebreaker when there are, potentially, millions of pounds on the line. Head-to-head results are a better option, one that some other leagues in Europe have been smart enough to implement, including Serie A, La Liga. If it’s good enough for two of the best leagues in the world, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be good enough for the Premier League as well.

If you’re like me, Sunday was a blur. There were so much going on during the 90 minutes of Premier League action, that it was often very difficult to catch everything. If you missed any of the goals or action, here are highlights from all ten matches (for US readers only — sorry).

Manchester City vs Queens Park Rangers

Sunderland vs Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur vs Fulham

West Bromwich Albion vs Arsenal

Stoke City vs Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea vs Blackburn

Norwich City vs Aston Villa

Everton vs Newcastle United

Swansea City vs Liverpool

Wigan Athletic vs Wolves

There is much speculation about which team may acquire American Clint Dempsey from Fulham at the end of this season.  Arsenal is one of the latest teams rumored to be interested in him.  Dempsey is in high demand after scoring a career-high 17 goals this season – more than any other American in Premier League history.  He is currently ranked number 18 in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index among all Premier League players (13th among the league’s midfielders).  He has played more minutes this season than any other player in the Index top 30 except goalkeepers Joe Hart and Tim Krul.  Dempsey also placed fourth in last month’s voting for the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year Award.  Not bad for a soccer player from Nacogdoches, Texas.

Like many American soccer fans, I am proud of Dempsey and his accomplishments in the Premier League.  I understand his desire to play in the Champions League before his career is over and I see why he would want to take advantage of a bigger club should the opportunity arise.  At the same time, the idea of him leaving Fulham after he’s become such a fixture at the club is a bit disappointing.  I like knowing every time I catch a Fulham match Dempsey will be there, putting in another gritty 90-minute shift.  I’m not sure he would get nearly as much playing time at a club like Arsenal as he does so consistently for Fulham.  At the same time, his ambition to win a trophy is understandable.  He has certainly paid his dues in the Premier League.

Along with a lot of other American soccer fans, I’ve developed an affection for Fulham over the past several years because of the American players who have played for the club like Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, and Clint Dempsey.  So what if another club offers Fulham a deal for Dempsey that is too good to pass up?  How can Fulham keep this American connection going?  There is actually another Texan with a lot of potential as a Dempsey replacement at Fulham. His name is Brek Shea.

Shea is a tall midfielder with a skill set and competitiveness similar to Dempsey’s.  At only 22-years-old, he’s already in his fifth season with FC Dallas.  Last season he was nominated for the MLS MVP award and was named to the MLS Best XI.  Shea has also earned ten caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team, most of those coming within the last year.  This past January Shea was invited to spend a month training with Arsenal.  Although Arsene Wenger downplayed the invitation, it was still a great opportunity for Shea and an acknowledgement of his potential.

Shea is a Dempsey-style go-getter who would make a great acquisition for Fulham.  He’s young, still affordable, and could immediately help fill the gap if Dempsey leaves.  Shea would fit in well with Fulham’s aggressive, counter-attacking style.  He would be a speedy complement to Kerim Frei, another young Fulham midfielder who’s made a splash this year.  As an FC Dallas fan, I would hate to see Shea go, but the experience he could gain playing consistently at Fulham could do for Shea what it has for Dempsey – develop him into a world-class player.

So with the end of another memorable Premier League season in sight, there are still positions to be decided and silverware to be claimed. The final day can often be a nervous time for supporters around the world, with other results often crucial to the respective fates of their own sides. So expect soccer fans to be flipping back and forth between TV channels like mad men. And in a season of memorable twists and turns, you wouldn’t bet against further drama right up until the final whistle on Sunday afternoon.

Below is a list of all the possible permutations in respect to the title race, the battle to secure a Champions League spot and the relegation scrap:

The Title Race:

• Manchester City vs QPR
• Sunderland vs Manchester United

Quite simply, if Manchester City win then the title is theirs. With both of the Manchester clubs locked on the same number of points and with City’s superior goal difference, Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping for a favor from Mark Hughes and his QPR side, who themselves need the points for different reasons. City has not been very generous to opposing teams at the Etihad in the Premier League this season however, only failing to secure maximum points on one occasion. If City is to slip up at all, United must win their result if they are to secure their 20th league title.

Champions League Places:

• WBA vs Arsenal
• Tottenham vs Fulham
• Everton vs Newcastle

All three of the teams involved will be doing their best to secure third position in order to guarantee their Champions League place. This is because if Chelsea triumph in Munich, then the team finishing in fourth will be relegated to a Europa League spot next season. But all sides face potentially tricky final games of the campaign. Third place Arsenal travel to the Hawthorns to take on WBA and the England manager in waiting Roy Hodgson, in what will be his last game at the club before taking the international hot seat. Fourth place Tottenham welcome former boss Martin Jol and his Fulham side to White Hart Lane, with Fulham still in with a chance of finishing in seventh place. Whereas fifth place Newcastle travel to in-form Everton, who will themselves be looking to finish above rivals Liverpool with a win at Goodison.

Below are the potential permutations that could apply to each side in their quest to play in Europe’s premier competition next season:

• If Arsenal win they will finish 3rd.
• If Spurs win and Arsenal fail to win, Spurs finish 3rd.
• If Arsenal lose and Spurs fail to win, Newcastle will finish 3rd if they can beat Everton.
• Newcastle will finish 4th if they win, Arsenal win and Spurs fail to win.
• Spurs will finish 4th if they win and Arsenal win.
• Arsenal will finish 4th if they fail to win, Spurs win but Newcastle fail to win.
• If Chelsea win the Champions League, the side in 4th will play in the Europa League next season.

Relegation:

• Stoke vs Bolton
• Manchester City vs QPR

QPR have given themselves an excellent chance of staying up after their dramatic late winner against Stoke last weekend. Bolton on the other hand threw away a two goal lead late on against West Brom which now see’s them two points behind QPR, but with an inferior goal difference. Therefore, if QPR can avoid defeat against Manchester City then they would be safe. If Mark Hughes’s men suffer a defeat at the Etihad Stadium, then nothing less than a Bolton victory away at Stoke will see the Trotters remain in the top flight.

TV guide for soccer fans in the United States:

 Sunday, May 13 (all times Eastern)

• Chelsea v Blackburn, 10am, SPEED/FOX Soccer 2Go
• Everton v Newcastle, 10am, foxsoccer.com/FOX Soccer 2Go
• Manchester City v QPR, 10am, ESPN2/ESPN3.com/ESPN Deportes
• Norwich v Aston Villa, 10am, FOX Soccer 2Go
• Stoke v Bolton, 10am, FOX Soccer Plus/FOX Soccer 2Go
• Sunderland v Manchester United, 10am, FX/FOX Deportes/FOX Soccer 2Go
• Swansea v Liverpool, 10am, FUELtv/FOX Soccer 2Go
• Tottenham v Fulham, 10am, FOX Soccer (available after midnight from FOX Soccer 2Go)
• West Brom v Arsenal, 10am, FSN/FOX Soccer 2Go
• Wigan v Wolves, 10am, FOX Soccer 2Go

It’s not only on the football pitch where there’s a race to the finish for the clubs in the 2011-12 Premier League season. Sunday also represents the final day of voting for the prestigious fourth annual EPL Awards, which recognize the best of the EPL season — everything from footballers to blogs to podcasts, video games and more.

Take a look at many of the closes races to decide who’s the best of the best of the 11-12 season:

Best EPL Players, Teams and Managers

In the Best Goalkeeper of 2011-12 category, Manchester United’s David de Gea is currently in first place with Manchester City’s Joe Hart in second.

In the race for Best Defender of 2011-12, Jonny Evans of Manchester United is currently in the lead with Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany and Everton’s Leighton Baines not far behind.

Best midfielder? According to the voters, so far, it’s Antonio Valencia while Clint Dempsey and Marouane Felliani aren’t far behind.

Who’s been the Best EPL Striker this season? Wayne Rooney is in the lead, but Robin van Persie and Nikica Jelavic aren’t far behind.

If voting ended today, the Best EPL Manager would be awarded to Alex Ferguson. But Alan Pardew and David Moyes are battling for second place, and there’s always a chance that any of the managers could finish in first.

Who would you say has been the Most Improved EPL Manager of the season? So far, the leader is Newcastle United’s Alan Pardew, while Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo and Everton manager David Moyes aren’t far behind.

Best EPL TV, Radio and Podcast Coverage

An upset is on the cards. For the past three years, Martin Tyler has won the Best TV Commentator award. But currently he’s in second place while Ian Darke is in the lead.

The race for Best TV Co-Commentator is a close one between Gary Neville and Steve McManaman.

The award for Best EPL Podcast is usually a neck-and-neck race between The Football Ramble and The Guardian’s Football Weekly, but so far, the incumbent Men In Blazers podcast is leaving both Football Weekly and The Football Ramble in the dust.

What has been the Best EPL TV Feature Show of 2011-12? So far, according to the majority of viewers, it’s Fox Soccer Report, but there’s plenty of competition that could pip it at the post.

Football Weekly’s James Richardson is a dead ringer for the Best EPL Podcast Presenter award, right? Not this year, so far. Instead incumbent Michael Davies of Men In Blazers is leading the pack with Alan Davies (The Tuesday Club) and Martin Rodgers (World Football Daily) closing in.

The same applies to Best EPL Podcast Pundit, where Roger Bennett (Men In Blazers) is leaving usual winners Barry Glendenning (Football Weekly) and Keith Dover (Tuesday Club) in the dust.

Best EPL Blogs, Websites and Books

Who has the Best EPL Coverage Online for 2011-12? According to the readers who have voted so far, it’s neck-and-neck between The Guardian and Bleacher Report.

What about the Best EPL Forum for 2011-12? Last year’s winner, Grand Old Team (Everton), is in the lead with RTG Sunderland coming up fast.

Do you prefer 101 Great Goals or Footy Tube as your Best EPL Video Site for 2011-12? The latest poll has 101GG in the lead with Footy Tube closing the gap.

Jonathan Wilson is leading the race as the Best EPL Writer of 2011-12. Can David Conn, Daniel Taylor, Henry Winter or others catch up with him?

The race for Best EPL Blogger of 2011-12 is heating up. Michael Cox of Zonal Marking is in the lead, but Brooks Peck (Dirty Tackle), Arseblogger (ArseBlog) and Kieron O’Connor (The Swiss Ramble) are hot on his heels.

Which club has the Best EPL Club Blog of 2011-12? The race is incredibly close between The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool), ToffeeWeb (Everton) and Republik of Mancunia (Manchester United), while there’s still a chance for other club blogs to sprint out front.

Just as the race for Best EPL Club Blog is a close one, so too is the award for Best EPL Club Podcast where The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool) leads the way, followed closely by The Tuesday Club (Arsenal) and Chelsea Football Fancast.

In the category of Best EPL Blog, there’s a close race between Caught Offside, The Swiss Ramble and Zonal Marking for second place, while Dirty Tackle is in first. Kckrs, as of press time, is in last place.

In the category of Best Football Book for 2011-12, Jonathan Wilson’s book about Brian Clough is in second place, while Mick Rathbone’s book, “The Smell Of Football,” is in first.

Last year’s winner of the Best Online Football Game, I AM PLAYR, is currently in the lead.

ArseBlog is beating out the likes of Robbie Savage, Henry Winter, Joey Barton, Rio Ferdinand for Best EPL Tweeter at www.epltalk.com/2012-best-epl-tweeter

Vote for any or all of the categories today!

Voting closes at midnight ET on Sunday, May 13.

The 2012 EPL Awards are sponsored by Football Media. Football Media have helped more than 150 football sites like EPLTalk.com significantly increase their revenues, and help brands like adidas, Heineken, FedEx, Castrol,Ladbrokes, ESPN and Sky reach over 30 million online football fans each month. For more details, visit http://footballmedia.com.