The 2020-21 football season, which in this part of the divide, CV is the most-watched, more followed even more than the Nigerian league or the CAF intercontinental championships which are hardly followed, came to an exciting but nervy finish towards the end of May with many interesting, intriguing and upsetting results.
Except for the English, Italian and German leagues which we all knew the champions before the last day, the same could not be said about the French and Spanish championships which went all the way to the wire until virtually the last kick of the games.
The qualification tickets for the continental representation also contributed to what perhaps later became the most unbelievable finish to a football season in a long while.
I wish to base this edition’s focus on the players who performed below our expectations or below their own usual standards as well the players who lived up to expectations or single-handedly delivered the titles and qualifications to their teams.
Top Five Flops.
Philip Coutinho
Barcelona broke their club record transfer to secure the signing of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in January 2018 but what was then one of the most expensive moves in Europe has yielded little or no fruits.
The deal was the most expensive in the club’s history coming in at a reported €120m initial payment but the immensely talented player had to be shipped out on loan at a time to Bayern Munich.
The Brazilian playmaker has struggled to establish himself at the Camp Nou. We saw at the beginning of the season that the Dutch coach was prepared to give the Brazilian a chance, but injuries and Pedri’s form limited his chances. The 28-year-old hasn’t even looked like a shadow of the player who excelled at Liverpool and in the just-concluded season, he could only account for three goals and two assists in 14 appearances in all competitions.
Willian
Willian Borges da Silva, known worldwide as Willian, recorded what admittedly is the worst football season of his own career.
The 32-year-old ex-Chelsea star, who is reportedly on £220,000-a-week at Arsenal, could only manage just one Premier League goal for Mikel Arteta’s side in the 2020/21 league season. Much was expected of Willian after a six-and-a-half-year stint at Stamford Bridge where he won the FA Cup, League Cup, Europa League, and two Premier League titles but the Brazilian only managed to get on the score sheet once all through the season, which came in the 34th match of the EPL against West Brom after an eight-month goal drought.
Donny van de Beek
By far a nightmarish first season in England, during which he was hardly given a chance. Van de Beek lives in the shadow of Bruno Fernandes and when he is used, as understandably, the Dutchman looked off the pace. A real threat at Ajax Amsterdam, you genuinely want to feel sorry for him now.
The midfielder scored just one goal in all competitions for Man United.
Eden Hazard
Hazard won the EPL twice with Chelsea before departing, saying goodbye after delivering the Europa League trophy and commanding a £100m-plus transfer fee.
Things have not worked out so far as the dream move has turned into something of a nightmare and the former Lille star could only manage just three goals in a measly 26 league appearances since joining the Los Blancos.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Ten goals in 29 EPL games is just too meagre by the Gabonese lofty standards. Three more goals in the Europa Cup made it just 13 goals return in all competitions and that surely sums up the kind of performance the gangling striker dished out all season long.
The star striker had signed a new and improved contract at Arsenal but failed to replicate the kind of form that saw him leading Arsenal to the FA Cup triumph in the 2019/20 season.
Top Five Hits
5. Erling Haaland
Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland scored twice as Borussia Dortmund defeated Bayer Leverkusen in their last Bundesliga game of the season. That took his tally to 27 goals in 28 matches for the black and yellows in the German league and for a 20-year-old who only came to the attention of the world after scoring nine goals in a single game at the U-20 world cup in Poland in 1999, that is such an amazing feat and it is no surprise that top clubs all over Europe are scrambling for his signature. The Norwegian also scored 10 goals in the UCL in 8 matches for Borussia Dortmund. He is sure heading out to a top 5 club in the world come next season.
4. Luiz Suarez
When the final whistle of the last game of the La Liga season between Valladolid and Atletico Madrid was blown by the referee, the players of Atleti all ran onto the pitch, Suarez underneath a pile of red and white shirts, with Europe’s most nerve-wracking and unpredictable title race finally complete.
Atletico Madrid won La Liga and Luis Suarez found vindication, his goal securing the 2-1 victory over Real Valladolid which clinched his team another remarkable Spanish title.
Luiz Suarez began the season crying after being forced out of Barcelona although he also ended the campaign crying, this time, tears of joy as he finished it with his 21st goal of the season earning Atletico a first league triumph since 2014, this one at the expense of Real Madrid.
3. Harry Kane
Harry Kane scored the opening goal in Tottenham’s 4-2 win over Leicester City on the final day of the EPL season; taking his tally to 23 goals, a feat which earned him the golden boot award after Mo Sallah failed to score on the last day against Crystal Palace.
Kane has now won the award in three seasons – 2015-16, 2016-17, 2020-21 – becoming only the third player to do so after Thierry Henry (4) and Alan Shearer (3).
There are strong indications that the 27-year- old will be moving away from Tottenham Hotspurs. Why not? The England striker is at the peak of his career and surely deserves to be playing in the big league amongst the bigger boys.
2. Romelu Lukaku
The big, strong centre-forward was a rejected stone at Chelsea and Man United but he has become the cornerstone in Italy.
Inter Milan won their 19th scudetto and it just couldn’t have been possible without the contributions of the Belgian International although his strike partner, Lautaro Martinez must also be given a mention. In fact, Inter are in awe of Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez, and Achraf Hakimi, a defender from Morocco after they combined to set up more than 70 league goals this season.
Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli scored 23 goals and 10 assists en route to the Serie A title while he also scored 4 goals in the UCL and 7 goals in the Europa.
Man United’s loss is Inter Milan’s gain.
1. Robert Lewandowski
In 2020, Lewandowski came closely to winning the Golden Shoe but he was narrowly edged by Lazio’s Ciro Immobile, who scored 36 goals in Serie A. Lewandowski scored 34 goals in the Bundesliga though he completed the treble with Bayern as the leading scorer in the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal and more than likely would’ve won France Football’s Ballon d’Or had it not been scrapped altogether due to Ligue 1 not being able to complete their season but he won the footballer of the year award given out by FIFA.
To show consistency, The Polish international accounted for a record-breaking 41 goals in the Bundesliga en route to Bayern’s ninth consecutive league title in the just-concluded season. The striker missed both of Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final legs against Paris Saint-Germain, a situation that led to their exit.
Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski has been officially crowned Europe’s Golden Shoe winner.
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ALSO READ: https://rulersworld.com/manchester-city-fc-crowned-2020-2021-epl-champions/
