The 2008–09 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 17th season since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992. The season began on Saturday, 16 August 2008, and ended on 24 May 2009. The fixtures were announced on 16 June 2008. A total of 20 teams contested the league, consisting of 17 who competed in the previous season and three promoted from the Football League Championship. The new match ball was the Nike T90 Omni.
Manchester United began the season as the two-time defending champions, having secured their second consecutive (and tenth) Premier League title on the final day of the previous season.
Season summary At the start of the season, clubs were allowed to name seven substitutes on the bench instead of five. This season was also different in that there was no New Year's Day game, as is traditional. This was because the FA Cup third round is traditionally played on the first Saturday in January, which in 2009 fell in the usual spot for New Year's league games. September saw Manchester City taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group, transforming the football club into one of the world's wealthiest, securing the signing of Robinho for a British record £32.5 million just seconds before the 2008 summer transfer window closed in the process.
The first goal of the season was scored by Arsenal's Samir Nasri against newly promoted West Bromwich Albion in the fourth minute of the early kick-off game on the opening day of the season on 16 August. Gabriel Agbonlahor of Aston Villa scored the first hat-trick of the season against Manchester City, scoring three goals in the space of seven minutes.
The title race was a battle between Manchester United and bitter rivals Liverpool, who beat them 4–1 at Old Trafford on 14 March 2009. Liverpool topped the table at the end of 2008, but their lead slipped after a series of draws. On 16 May 2009, Manchester United clinched the Premier League title after a goalless draw against Arsenal. It was their 11th Premier League title and 18th English top flight title overall, tying a record with Liverpool, who finished as runners-up. It was the second time that they had won the title for three consecutive years, the first being in 2001. Only four other clubs have achieved this feat: Huddersfield Town (1923–25), Arsenal (1933–35), Liverpool (1982–84) and Manchester City (2021–24), with the latter becoming the first club to win the English top flight title for four consecutive seasons.
West Bromwich Albion were the first team to be relegated to the Championship after losing 2–0 at home to Liverpool on 17 May 2009. Middlesbrough and Newcastle United joined them on the last day of the season after losses at West Ham United and Aston Villa, respectively. The results meant that Hull City and Sunderland stayed up, despite home defeats to Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. The fact that Hull City avoided relegation (along with Stoke City, who stayed up relatively comfortably under the management of Tony Pulis), meant it was the first time since the 2005–06 season that more than one promoted club maintained their Premier League status. Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham, who stayed up last season on goal difference, all secured European football for the 2009–10 season through their league positions.
Teams Twenty teams competed in the league – the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the Championship. The promoted teams were West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City (returning to the top flight after absences of two and twenty-three years respectively) and Hull City (playing top flight football for the first time ever). This was also Stoke City's first season in the Premier League. They replaced Reading (relegated to the Championship after a two-year top-flight spell), Birmingham City and Derby County (both teams relegated to the Championship after a season's presence).
Stadiums and locations
Team Location Stadium CapacityArsenalLondon Emirates Stadium 60,432Aston VillaBirminghamVilla Park 42,640Blackburn RoversBlackburnEwood Park 31,367Bolton WanderersBoltonReebok Stadium 28,723ChelseaLondon Stamford Bridge 42,055EvertonLiverpool Goodison Park 40,157FulhamLondon Craven Cottage 26,500Hull CityKingston upon HullKC Stadium 25,404LiverpoolLiverpool Anfield 45,276Club Profile: Liverpool Manchester CityManchester City of Manchester Stadium 47,726Manchester UnitedManchester Old Trafford 76,212MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughRiverside Stadium 35,100Newcastle UnitedNewcastle upon TyneSt James' Park 52,387PortsmouthPortsmouthFratton Park 20,224Stoke CityStoke-on-TrentBritannia Stadium 28,000SunderlandSunderlandStadium of Light 49,000Tottenham HotspurLondon White Hart Lane 36,240West Bromwich AlbionWest BromwichThe Hawthorns 25,369West Ham UnitedLondon Upton Park 35,303Wigan AthleticWiganJJB Stadium 25,138
Personnel and kits (as of 24 May 2009) TeamManagerCaptainKit manufacturerShirt sponsorArsenal Arsène Wenger Cesc FàbregasNikeFly EmiratesAston Villa Martin O'Neill Martin LaursenNikeAcornsBlackburn Rovers Sam Allardyce Ryan NelsenUmbroCrown PaintsBolton Wanderers Gary Megson Kevin DaviesReebokReebokChelsea Guus Hiddink John TerryAdidasSamsungEverton David Moyes Phil NevilleUmbroChangFulham Roy Hodgson Danny MurphyNikeLGHull City Phil Brown Ian AshbeeUmbroKaroo (H) / Kingston Communications (A, 3rd)Liverpool Rafael Benítez Steven GerrardAdidasCarlsbergManchester City Mark Hughes Richard DunneLe Coq SportifThomas CookManchester United Sir Alex Ferguson Gary NevilleNikeAIGMiddlesbrough Gareth Southgate Emmanuel PogatetzErreàGarminNewcastle United Alan Shearer Nicky ButtAdidasNorthern RockPortsmouth Paul Hart David JamesCanterburyOkiStoke City Tony Pulis Andy GriffinLe Coq SportifBritanniaSunderland Ricky Sbragia Dean WhiteheadUmbroBoylesportsTottenham Hotspur Harry Redknapp Ledley KingPumaMansion.comCasino & PokerWest Bromwich Albion Tony Mowbray Jonathan GreeningUmbroNoneWest Ham United Gianfranco Zola Matthew UpsonUmbroSBOBETWest Ham United and SBOBET whufc.com Wigan Athletic Steve Bruce Mario MelchiotChampionJJB Sports
West Ham United's shirt sponsor was XL Holidays until 12 September 2008 after the company was placed into administration. The club ran sponsorless until 3 December 2008 when the deal with SBOBET was announced.
Also, Nike provided new match balls, white with red and yellow (autumn/spring) and yellow with purple and black (winter), based on their T90 Laser II Omni model.
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyTableIncoming managerDate of appointment Chelsea Avram Grant Sacked 24 May 2008 Pre-season Luiz Felipe Scolari 1 July 2008 Manchester City Sven-Göran Eriksson Mutual consent 2 June 2008 Mark Hughes 4 June 2008 Blackburn Rovers Mark Hughes Signed by Manchester City 4 June 2008 Paul Ince 22 June 2008West Ham United Alan Curbishley Resigned3 September 20085th Gianfranco Zola11 September 2008Newcastle United Kevin Keegan4 September 200811th Joe Kinnear26 September 2008Tottenham Hotspur Juande RamosSacked25 October 200820th Harry Redknapp26 October 2008Portsmouth Harry Redknapp Signed by Tottenham26 October 20087th Tony Adams28 October 2008Sunderland Roy KeaneResigned4 December 200818th Ricky Sbragia27 December 2008Blackburn Rovers Paul Ince Sacked16 December 200819th Sam Allardyce17 December 2008Portsmouth Tony Adams9 February 200916th Paul Hart9 February 2009Chelsea Luiz Felipe Scolari4th Guus Hiddink11 February 2009Newcastle United Joe KinnearMedical break clause16 February 200913th Alan Shearer31 March 2009 Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear was originally appointed as interim manager until the end of October on 26 September, signed a one-month contract extension on 24 October, and was named manager until the end of the English football season on 28 November. Portsmouth caretaker manager Paul Hart was appointed on 9 February. On 3 March chairman Alexandre Gaydamak confirmed the appointment would be until at least the end of the English football season. Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink remained Russia manager until the end of the English football season, when he left Chelsea and returned to his Russia duties on a full-time basis. Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear took leave from Newcastle United following heart bypass surgery on 16 February. His assistants, Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood, were appointed to serve as caretaker managers until his return, which was understood might not occur before the end of the English football season. On 31 March, Alan Shearer was appointed manager until the end of the season, as Joe Kinnear was not able to return to his Newcastle United duties until the end of the English football season. After the season ended, both Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer left the club permanently, and Chris Hughton was appointed manager during the course of the following season. Roberto Martínez was announced to be manager on 9 June, however due to complications surrounding the appointment of backroom staff, the deal was not finalised and officially announced until 15 June.
League table
Results
Season statistics
Scoring First goal of the season: Samir Nasri for Arsenal against West Bromwich, 3 minutes and 40 seconds. (16 August 2008). Last goal of the season: Kenwyne Jones for Sunderland against Chelsea, 90 minutes. (24 May 2009) Fastest goal in a match: 31 seconds – Steve Sidwell for Aston Villa against Everton (7 December 2008)) Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90+4 minutes and 56 seconds – Carlton Cole for West Ham United against Blackburn (30 August 2008) First own goal of the season: Robert Huth (Middlesbrough) for Tottenham Hotspur, 90+2 minutes and 28 seconds (16 August 2008) First hat-trick of the season and fastest hat-trick of the season: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) against Manchester City, 7 minutes and 3 seconds (17 August 2008) Most goals scored by one player in a match: 4 goals – Andrey Arshavin (Arsenal) against Liverpool, 36', 67', 70', 90' (21 April 2009) Widest winning margin: 6 goals – Manchester City 6–0 Portsmouth (21 September 2008) Most goals in a match: 8 goals Arsenal 4–4 Tottenham Hotspur (29 October 2008) Liverpool 4–4 Arsenal (21 April 2009) Most goals in one half: 7 goals – Liverpool v Arsenal (21 April 2009) 0–1 at half time, 4–4 final Most goals in one half by a single team: 5 goals – Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (25 April 2009) 0–2 at half-time, 5–2 final
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Nicolas AnelkaChelsea192 Cristiano RonaldoManchester United183 Steven GerrardLiverpool164 RobinhoManchester City14 Fernando TorresLiverpool6 Gabriel AgbonlahorAston Villa12 Darren BentTottenham Hotspur Kevin DaviesBolton Wanderers Dirk KuytLiverpool Frank LampardChelsea Wayne RooneyManchester United
Clean sheets Most clean sheets – Manchester United (24) Fewest clean sheets – Hull City (6)
Discipline First yellow card of the season: Sam Ricketts for Hull City against Fulham, 28 minutes and 6 seconds (16 August 2008) First red card of the season: Mark Noble for West Ham United against Manchester City, 37 minutes and 20 seconds (24 August 2008) Card given at latest point in a game: Michael Dawson (red) at 90+8 minutes and 28 seconds for Tottenham Hotspur against Stoke City (19 October 2008) Most yellow cards in a single match: 8 Chelsea 1–1 Manchester United – one for Chelsea (Mikel John Obi) and seven for Manchester United (Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville, Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra and Cristiano Ronaldo) (21 September 2008) Sunderland 1–1 Arsenal – three for Sunderland (Dean Whitehead, Kieran Richardson and Dwight Yorke) and five for Arsenal (Gaël Clichy, Kolo Touré, Alex Song, Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Adebayor) (4 October 2008)