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So, Cann Tables. Seasons on the X-Axis, points on the Y-Axis. A way to look at the actual points gaps season by season. Liverpool's points total was really good in 2018-19, especially compared to the rest of the league save one side, compared to the previous couple of seasons, compared to Liverpool over the past two decades and more. I, unsurprisingly, wondered how much.
The above shows the last 24 seasons, the Premier League's history minus the first three seasons, when there were 22 sides in the division.
And it looks as if the league is getting more spread out.
4th place has remained fairly consistent – you need right around 70 points for an almost-assured Champions League place, as it's seemingly always been. But City are putting up record points over the last two seasons, with Liverpool hot on their heels in this one; it's gonna take more to win the league these days. The range between 5th and 17th is getting steadily wider – better sides at the top, fewer truly terrible sides at the bottom. But there has usually been at least one or two hilariously bad relegated teams over the last few seasons – no one to the level of Derby's record low in 2007-08, but consistently one if not two sides below 30 points over the last five-to-ten seasons.
And then there's Liverpool, bouncing their way across the upper echelons of the division. Peaks and valleys.
We're all well aware that Liverpool finished with the highest points total for a second-place side in 2018-19. That Liverpool finished with the third highest Premier League points total ever, behind only City in this season and the last.
What else, what else…
• It's the largest gap between a second and third placed side: 25 points. The previous high was 19 in 2011-12, when the Manchester sides finished even on goal difference with Arsenal leading the trailing pack far behind.
• It is just the fifth time in the last 24 years that the title has been decided by a point or less: 1997-98 and 1998-99, Arsenal over United and United over Arsenal; Chelsea over United in 2009-10; and City over United on goal difference in 2010-11. The gap between 1st and 2nd has been reasonably substantial since: 11 points in 2012-13, two points in 2013-14 (sigh), eight points in 2014-15, ten points in 2015-16, seven points in 2016-17, and 19 points (!!!) in 2017-18.
• Liverpool's average points totals from the last 24 seasons is exactly 69 points. The average points total for 4th place over the last 24 seasons is 68.96. I'm just saying.
• Maybe most meaningfully, this was Liverpool's third largest season-to-season improvement, 22 points better than last season, behind only the 24 gained from 2004-05 to 2005-06 in Benitez' first and second seasons and the 23 in 2012-13, Rodgers' first and second seasons. Incidentally, Liverpool regressed by 14 points in 2006-07 and 22 points in 2014-15.
More like "potentially" most meaningfully, I guess. Because consistency. Consistency is the next step. That and Manchester City.
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