2015/2016 Premier League Table

You could say it was written in the stars. A case of pure luck. Maybe little competition at the time. Or you could simply admit that Leicester City won the 2015/2016 Premier League title because they were the best team in the country for the whole season. 

Was it because of the Parisian-born French international soaring higher and higher on his road to stardom? A magical English striker who maintained his red-hot form in front of goal throughout the season? Or the gentle and principled Italian manager known for his physically demanding training that often left everyone exhausted? Honestly, it depends on who you ask. 

To recap that season’s events, here’s a summary of the 2015/2016 Premier League table and what made it an extraordinary campaign. 

The Foxes Begin their Match to Glory

The story began in the summer of 2015. Leicester City were preparing to start their second consecutive season in the Premier League. Their hardworking but sometimes controversial manager Nigel Pearson looked set to continue his magic in the top flight, having survived a relegation scare the previous season. 

Then Leicester City surprised everyone. They fired Pearson, citing a poor working relationship between the manager and the club. But that wasn’t the biggest surprise. It was Pearson’s replacement that raised eyebrows. The experienced Claudio Ranieri. But why him? Why would they hire a man who hadn’t managed in the Premier League in over a decade? 

As the uproar continued, many fans finally had to accept the reality. Because in football, as in life, time is the fairest judge.
Leicester’s fairytale began on match day 1, with an empathic 4-2 win over Sunderland at home in Claudio Ranieri’s first game in charge. This looked like an ordinary Premier League game, with every team battling for maximum points in the first game week of the 2015/2016 Premier League season. 

But for keen fans, this wasn’t any other team. It was Ranieri’s 11 warriors, built to fight for the badge. This was the little world of a young Riyad Mahrez, quick, creative, and composed. Then, there was N’golo Kante, intercepting everything that got his way in Leicester’s midfield. And Jamie Vardy, a skillful, skinhead striker who showed all signs of blossoming under Claudio Ranieri. It was the start of something special. 

Chelsea No Show

The 2015/2016 Premier League table had its bit of drama from either side of the spectrum. As Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester City kept pushing to make history, Jose Mourinho’s title holders were already writing a different history. The type of history every Chelsea fan wants to forget. 

Rumors were rife of a possible fallout between Mourinho and key members of the Chelsea squad, a problem that ultimately led to many players downing their tool for the once adored 3-time Premier League winner. 

Just a few weeks into the start of the new season and Mourinho’s ship was already sinking. And so fast was it sinking that by December 2015, Chelsea were dangling in the relegation zone, with 8 defeats in the opening 15 Premier League games.

It was a classic case of the mighty falling right in front of everyone’s eyes. And words weren’t enough to describe the catastrophic fall from grace to grass. What exactly was going on at Stamford Bridge?

The Blues had been poised to retain the Premier League title. The players had been in high spirits at the start of the season. And Jose Mourinho had even strengthened his squad with the summer acquisitions of Radamel Falcao from Monaco, Barcelona winger Pedro, and Kenedy from Fluminense. But everything was moving fast. 

First, it was the club doctor Eva Carneiro’s case. Then, the toxic atmosphere. And by the time everybody was realizing that Eden Hazard hadn’t shown up in over 20 games of the 2015/2016 Premier League season, it was too late to save the situation. 

Maybe Chelsea should never have fired Carneiro. Should Mourinho have left the club after winning the 2014/2015 Premier League trophy? Or maybe he should never have come back to Stamford Bridge in the first place. 

These were everyone’s thoughts. But in reality, it was just a unique season. And another highlight of the 2015/2016 Premier League table that is safely etched in many people’s memories.  

Tottenham Crumble at the Bridge

You could say Leicester City only won the league because they had weaker opponents around them. But that would make little sense because Tottenham were behind The Foxes right until that day at Stamford Bridge. 

With Chelsea languishing in 14th by December 2015, only a point away from the relegation zone, the mantle was inadvertently passed on to Tottenham and Arsenal to prevent Leicester City from making history. But that would never work.

It is still remarkable how referee Mark Clattenburg never dismissed anyone during one of the most infamous matches in Premier League history, ‘The Battle of Stamford Bridge.’ A tense match between Chelsea and Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on 2nd May 2016. 

This was an important game for many reasons. Tottenham had to win it to stay in the Premier League title race. 

For Chelsea, this was a chance to redeem themselves after a terrible season. An opportunity to show the world that they could still roar on the biggest stage and send a message that they’ll be back sooner than many assumed. For Willian, it was a heaven-sent opportunity to show the world just how much he hated Tottenham. 

And the actual game delivered. Delicious goals. Flaring tempers. And above all, the decisive moment. That Eden Hazard goal that pierced through the hearts of anyone associated with Tottenham Hotspur football club. The goal that handed Leicester City the 2015/2016 Premier League title. 

Leicester City Win the League

And finally, Leicester City won the league. This was the highlight of the 2015/2016 Premier League table. As the campaign came to an end, it was clear that Leicester’s hard work had finally paid off. 

They had made history. The 5000/1 odd was no longer a thing of a fairytale because The Foxes were the new Premier League champions. 

The final standings on the 2015/2016 Premier League table had Leicester at the top with 81 points, 10 ahead of Arsenal in a distant second. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City completed the top 4 that season with 70 and 66 points, respectively, earning a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League. 

Meanwhile, Chelsea, who had successfully quashed Tottenham’s hopes of winning the League title for the first time since 1961, finished 10th in the 2015/2016 Premier League table, with 50 points, 13 away from the relegation zone.

As celebrations kicked off that night, there was no denying this had been one of the most extraordinary seasons in the Premier League’s 30-year history.