Thursday 31 December 2015 08:36, UK
With the year drawing to a close, we take a look at the best and worst days of 2015 for every Premier League team.
From the highs of beating a rival or signing a player to the lows of a heavy defeat or season-defining injury, there have been plenty of significant days in the year for all 20 sides.
Here's our take on the best and worst of them...
AFC Bournemouth
Best - May 2, late drama hands Cherries the title
An historic day for Bournemouth as they were crowned Championship winners in the final few minutes of the 2014/15 season and promoted to the top flight of English football for the first time in their history.
For much of the day it looked as though they would have to settle for the runners-up spot as Watford led against Sheffield Wednesday.
However, as the Cherries cruised to victory over Charlton, a last-minute equaliser from the Owls ensured it was Eddie Howe's men who won the title.
Worst - September 26, Callum Wilson adds to injury woes
After losing their two most expensive signings - Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel - to long-term injuries, the Cherries were dealt another potentially season-defining blow as leading scorer Callum Wilson suffered a knee injury against Stoke.
Wilson had scored five goals in seven Premier League matches and been talked about as a potential future England player, but the injury is likely to keep him out for the majority of the season.
Cherries boss Eddie Howe called it "unbelievable luck" and added: "To get three [serious knee injuries] in one team, to key players as well, is mystifying really."
Arsenal
Best - May 30, FA Cup glory
A near-perfect day for Arsenal as they dominated Aston Villa in a one-sided FA Cup final at Wembley to win 4-0 and lift the trophy for a record 12th time.
In doing so they also became only the eighth team to retain the FA Cup, with the goals coming from Theo Walcott, Alexis Sanchez, Per Mertesacker and Olivier Giroud.
"We were at it from the first to the last minute," said Arsene Wenger afterwards. "We had two important moments with a goal just before half-time and just after half-time, and we had too much quality for Villa."
Worst - February 25, Monaco spring a surprise
When the draw was made for the last 16 of the Champions League it was widely agreed that the Gunners had, for once, got a favourable tie.
But the outlook soon turned bleak as they were stunned 3-1 at the Emirates in the first leg by Monaco, with Arsene Wenger saying his side lost their "nerve and rationality".
That they won the second leg in Monaco was almost inevitable, but the damage had been done by the defeat in London and they crashed out of the competition.
Aston Villa
Best - April 19, a famous Wembley win
The FA Cup final might have been a day to forget, but a month earlier Aston Villa produced a fine performance at Wembley to come from behind and beat Liverpool 2-1 in the last four.
Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph were on target as Villa reached the final for the first time since 2000.
"We were the underdogs but we believed that we could win it and I think we bamboozled Liverpool to be honest," said manager Tim Sherwood.
Worst - September 13, Villa blow two-goal lead at Leicester
In a first half of the season that has featured its fair share of bad results, it was perhaps the loss to Leicester that stands out as the start of the downward spiral.
Villa seemed to be heading towards their second win of the campaign as they led 2-0 after 70 minutes thanks to goals from Jack Grealish and Carles Gil.
But the Foxes staged a dramatic late comeback to snatch all three points and leave Tim Sherwood "bitterly disappointed".
"It was not good enough," he added. "At this level the game should have been dead and buried but unfortunately we made unforced errors and it has cost us."
Chelsea
Best - May 3, Blues seal the title at Palace
The day that capped off a dominant season as Chelsea won the Premier League title with three games to spare.
A goal from Eden Hazard was enough to secure victory over Crystal Palace and wrap up the title for the first time since 2010.
Given the impressive nature of their title-winning campaign, few could have predicted that six months later Chelsea would be hovering above the relegation zone and Jose Mourinho would no longer be in charge.
Worst - October 31, Liverpool win at the Bridge
There were plenty of lowlights in a surprisingly poor start to the season for the champions, but the 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool edges out losses to Crystal Palace and Southampton at Stamford Bridge.
With Jose Mourinho's job said to be on the line, Chelsea made a bright start with an early goal from Ramires.
However, it went downhill from there as two goals from Philippe Coutinho and one from Christian Benteke secured Jurgen Klopp his first win and did nothing to improve Mourinho's position.
Mourinho was tetchy in the post-match press conference and refused to answer any questions in one TV interview.
Crystal Palace
Best - July 10, Eagles land Cabaye
While Palace have picked up some impressive results in the past year under Alan Pardew, the addition of Yohan Cabaye in August was a significant day in the club's recent history.
Pardew called the £10m club-record signing from Paris St-Germain a "benchmark" for the club as he pulled off a major coup by luring the France international from the Parc des Princes.
"He is one of the top players I've had in terms of trust in how the game is evolving," says Pardew. "He can smell what to do at the right time and it's very important for a manager to have a talent like that.
"Roy Keane at Manchester United, I'm sure Fergie could look at him and know when to push the team forward or sit in. In those moments, it's very important to have a lieutenant."
Worst - November 23, Dann's defensive mix-up
There haven't been too many bad days since the appointment of Alan Pardew early in 2015, but losing at home to Sunderland was one to forget.
The Eagles failed to deliver in front of the Monday Night Football cameras as they were beaten 1-0 by the only side who had not previously won away from home in the Premier League.
Worse still, the only goal of the game came after a mix-up between Wayne Hennessey and Scott Dann that presented Jermain Defoe with an open goal.
"We struggled tonight," said Pardew. "It was one of those nights when nothing really went for us."
Everton
Best - April 26, 'magnificent' Toffees beat United
Everton's late-season revival hit new heights in April as they beat Manchester United 3-0 at Goodison Park.
It was the Toffees' third straight win over United at home, with James McCarthy and Kevin Mirallas scoring either side of John Stones' first goal for the club.
"We were magnificent all over the pitch," said McCarthy afterwards. "We knew Man United would come at us and we hurt them on the break a couple of times."
Worst - January 19, penalty miss adds to Toffees' woe
A bad night for the Toffees at the end of a poor run of form saw fears of a relegation battle increase with a goalless draw at home to West Brom.
It was a sixth game in a row without a win and there was more to grumble about for fans, too, as Kevin Mirallas elected to take a first-half penalty ahead of regular spot-kick taker Leighton Baines, only to hit the post.
Mirallas was subsequently substituted at half-time, although Roberto Martinez said it was due to injury rather than the penalty controversy.
Leicester
Best - May 24, a day of celebration
A week after Leicester secured their Premier League survival with a goalless draw at Sunderland, it was party time at the King Power Stadium.
On a day of celebration in the stands, Jamie Vardy celebrated his England call-up with a goal, fan favourite Esteban Cambiasso scored in his final game for the club and the Foxes thumped QPR 5-1.
Best of all, the feel-good factor carried on over the summer as the Foxes enjoyed a dream start to the 2015/16 campaign that has ensured they will almost certainly not be involved in a relegation scrap this season.
Worst - March 14, stalemate leaves Foxes in danger
Off-field issues aside, the goalless draw with 10-man Hull goes down as the lowest point of the year.
Nigel Pearson had labelled the match as "must-win" for his side but the stalemate left them bottom of the table, seven points from safety, and with only 10 games left to save themselves from relegation.
Few could have seen their incredible revival coming after this result.
Liverpool
Best - October 8, Klopp arrives at Anfield
Not the day of a win or any silverware arriving at Anfield, but the day that Jurgen Klopp was unveiled as the man to replace Brendan Rodgers.
He may have called himself the 'Normal One' but there was nothing normal about the fanfare and excitement that greeted his arrival on Merseyside.
Nor was the start to his reign normal, either, as Liverpool went unbeaten in six matches and then won seven of eight in all competitions to fuel talk of a potential title challenge.
Worst - May 24, Reds hit for six at the Britannia
Stoke 6-1 Liverpool.
It's a scoreline that will live long in the memory and a result that perhaps spelled the beginning of the end for Brendan Rodgers.
In the last game of the season and Steven Gerrard's last with the club, Liverpool conceded six goals in the league for the first time in over 50 years, with five of them coming in the first half as Stoke ran riot at the Britannia.
The only highlight on a dour day was Gerrard netting late on.
Manchester City
Best - November 3, City book last-16 spot
Qualification into the last 16 of the Champions League seemed as though it might again be tricky for Man City when they were drawn in the same group as Juventus, Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Certainly few would have predicted them to qualify with two games to spare, especially after losing their opener to Juventus.
But that's exactly what they did thanks to an impressive 3-1 win at Sevilla, with two goals in the opening 15 minutes setting City on their way to victory.
Worst - January 7 (approx), Toure leaves for AFCON
The day, give or take a few days, that Yaya Toure left City to join up with the Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations.
When Toure departed, City had won 11 of their previous 12 matches and were level at the top of the Premier League with Chelsea.
Without him, they failed to win any of their next five matches, including losing to Middlesbrough in the FA Cup, and saw their title hopes fade as they slipped seven points behind Chelsea.
Manchester United
Best - September 26, long-awaited return to the top
David de Gea signing a new contract was significant and beating Manchester City 4-2 in the derby in April was a highlight, but returning to the top of the Premier League after a 110-week absence was a big moment for a club so accustomed to winning silverware over the last couple of decades.
United climbed to the summit with a 3-0 victory over Sunderland at Old Trafford, goals coming from Memphis Depay, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata.
While trophies are not won in September, it was the first time United had been top of the table since Sir Alex Ferguson left.
"It is not so easy to go top of the league, under pressure," said manager Louis van Gaal. "I have to praise my players for beating Sunderland. You have to go and do it."
Worst - December 19, Canaries pile on the pressure
Losing to Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup was bad, so was the 3-0 defeat at Arsenal, but being beaten at home by Norwich topped the lot.
The 2-1 defeat extended United's winless run to six matches and increased the pressure on manager Louis van Gaal, with some fans chanting for Jose Mourinho during the game.
It was United's first loss at Old Trafford of the season and Van Gaal said afterwards: "Yes I worry about my job because I know that belief in a manager is very important and when you lose the games, the belief in the manager will decrease. That is happening now. I cannot close my eyes to that."
Newcastle
Best - May 24, Gutierrez seals survival
After a largely miserable 2014/15 campaign, Newcastle left it until the final day to secure their Premier League survival with a 2-0 victory over West Ham.
Knowing that a win would be enough, the Magpies took the lead shortly after half-time when Moussa Sissoko headed home.
The biggest roar of the day, though, came in the 85th minute when Jonas Gutierrez, who had only recently recovered from cancer, added the second that made sure of victory.
Worst - October 25, more derby misery
For nearly 45 minutes of the Tyne-Wear derby, things were looking positive for Newcastle and Steve McClaren.
Then Fabricio Coloccini was dismissed for a foul in the box, Adam Johnson converted the penalty and Sunderland scored twice more in the second half to win 3-0.
It was a record sixth successive victory over their north-east rivals and one that left McClaren fuming at the final whistle.
"I don't think frustrated is the word," he said. "Angry, disappointed and two decisions [including not awarding an earlier Newcastle penalty claim] have cost us a game in which we were totally dominant."
Norwich
Best - January 9, Canaries gamble on Neil
Winning the play-off final in May might have been the best 90 minutes of the season for Norwich, but would it have happened without the brave decision to appoint Alex Neil as manager on January 9?
Neil was a relative unknown at the time, having only managed Hamilton Academical for two years in Scotland, and even admitted later on that the Canaries took a gamble in appointing him.
However, it paid off handsomely as Neil masterminded Norwich's run to Wembley, where they beat Middlesbrough 2-0 to seal their return to the Premier League.
Worst - October 18, Neil's biggest defeat
There have not been too many bad results in Neil's time in charge, but the 6-2 thrashing at Newcastle stands out as the worst.
The Magpies had not won a game in the league but scored three times in each half at St James' Park as Neil suffered his heaviest defeat as a manager.
"We just didn't do our jobs right defensively," he said afterwards. "The video when I sit down with the players to analyse each game generally takes about 40 minutes, that one took about an hour and a half."
Southampton
Best - January 11, Tadic secures Old Trafford win
Old Trafford had not been a happy hunting ground for Southampton in recent years, having not won there in 19 attempts in the league, stretching back to 1988.
However, they ended that run with an impressive display in January as Dusan Tadic's goal secured a 1-0 victory.
The hosts failed to muster a shot on target as Saints' solid defence came out on top. The win also saw Saints leapfrog United into fourth place, although they were unable to hold on to that position until the end of the season.
Worst - August 27, early Europa League exit
After such an impressive season in 2014/15, Southampton secured a European spot for the first time in 12 years after Arsenal won the FA Cup.
Unfortunately for the Saints their time in the Europa League was shortlived.
After easing past Vitesse, they were disappointingly knocked out in the play-off round by Danish champions Midtjylland following a 1-0 loss in the second leg.
"I feel a little bit ashamed that we didn't go through," said Dusan Tadic.
Stoke
Best - May 24, Liverpool hit for six
While signing Xherdan Shaqiri from Inter Milan was potentially a landmark moment for Stoke, the 6-1 win over Liverpool is a day that is unlikely to be bettered anytime soon at the Britannia.
Three goals in eight minutes, two from Mame Biram Diouf and one from Jonathan Walters, set Stoke on their way before Charlie Adam and Steven N'Zonzi made it 5-0 at half-time.
Steven Gerrard pulled a goal back in his last Liverpool appearance but Peter Crouch put the icing on the cake with the sixth to secure Stoke's biggest-ever Premier League win.
Worst - February 14, Potters spurn quarter-final chance
There was no love for Mark Hughes on his return to Ewood Park on Valentine's Day as Stoke were stunned 4-1 by Blackburn in the FA Cup.
Joshua King scored a hat-trick and Geoff Cameron was sent off as the Potters missed out on the chance to make the quarter-finals.
Mark Hughes fielded plenty of first-team players for the clash but said afterwards: "All in all, it was a very poor performance. I was disappointed as a whole. We didn't do the fundamentals. It doesn't matter who you are up against, you need to do them. I have no complaints."
Sunderland
Best - May 20, Advocaat in tears
It must have been a good day (or a very bad one) to reduce Dick Advocaat to tears.
Brought in with nine games to go to save Sunderland from the drop, the Dutchman could not contain his emotions as he successfully completed his mission with a goalless draw at Arsenal.
The Gunners had 28 shots but could not find a way past a determined Sunderland defence and an inspired Costel Pantilimon.
"I've never been in tears before but this was for a special reason," said Advocaat afterwards.
Worst - September 19, Advocaat fumes after Bournemouth loss
Dick Advocaat said he was "very, very angry" after the 2-0 loss to Bournemouth and the fans who made the 353-mile trip were probably not best pleased either.
The Black Cats conceded twice in the opening 10 minutes, did not manage a shot on target after the 40th minute and had Younes Kaboul dismissed to cap off a miserable afternoon.
"We started the first half totally hopelessly," said Advocaat. "There was no sharpness. Me and the players have to look in the mirror.
"We started playing at 2-0 down but it was too late. I am very, very angry with the players because it is not the first time."
Swansea
Best - April 25, record-breaking Swans
Beating Manchester United (twice) and winning at the Emirates were good, but breaking the club's Premier League points record was an illustration of just how successful last season was for Swansea.
Garry Monk declared himself "extremely proud" as his side came from behind to beat Newcastle 3-2 and move three points above their previous best of 47, set in 2011/12.
"It's very satisfying," added Monk. "I knew at the start of the season that if we committed to the work, and I got the players to commit to that, we could achieve something special this season."
Worst - December 5, Leicester loss leads to Monk exit
In the first half of the year the FA Cup defeat to Blackburn was bad, but things took an unexpected turn for the worse after August as Swansea's form dipped dramatically.
By December the pressure was firmly on manager Garry Monk and his position came under more scrutiny after a 3-0 home defeat to Leicester.
The Swans were booed off the pitch by their own fans and even though Monk said he was the man to turn things around, he was sacked a few days later.
Tottenham Hotspur
Best - January 1, a New Year's Day to savour
Tottenham certainly set the bar high for 2015 with a hugely-impressive and entertaining 5-3 win over Chelsea on New Year's Day.
Diego Costa put Chelsea ahead but Spurs, who had not beaten Chelsea in their previous 10 attempts, responded before the break with goals from Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Andros Townsend.
Kane made it 4-1 before Nacer Chadli capped off a memorable day as Spurs shocked the league leaders.
Worst - February 26, second-string Spurs exit Europa
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie with Fiorentina, Spurs had a decent chance to progress in Italy.
But, perhaps with one eye on the Capital One Cup final a few days later, Mauricio Pochettino decided to make seven changes for the second leg, including dropping Harry Kane to the bench.
Spurs were duly beaten 2-0 and then, to make matters worse, beaten by Chelsea at Wembley in the cup final.
Watford
Best - April 25, Premier League promotion
They might have missed out on the Championship title on the final day, but Watford had already secured their return to the Premier League a week before.
Goals from Troy Deeney and Matej Vydra gave the Hornets a 2-0 victory over Brighton and, with both Norwich and Middlesbrough failing to win, saw them end an eight-year absence from the top flight.
"It's incredible," said manager Slavisa Jokanovic. "I'm very, very happy for my players, for my staff, for the people that work in the kitchen and for our supporters.
"I'm a little surprised because I didn't expect everything to be all over today. We made a great job of it and many people around me helped me so much. The players did a great job and the supporters helped us and believed in the possibility of us getting promoted."
Worst - May 2, title slips away in final few minutes
Bournemouth's best day was Watford's worst as the Championship title was snatched from their grasp in the final few minutes of the season.
The Hornets were on course to win the league for the first time in their history as they led 1-0 against Sheffield Wednesday heading into injury-time.
But Atdhe Nuhiu's late goal denied the Hornets and saw the trophy head to the south coast.
West Brom
Best - May 2, Pulis finally gets United win
Just ahead of wins over Arsenal and Chelsea comes the 1-0 victory over Manchester United that all-but secured West Brom's survival in the Premier League.
United dominated possession and had more than four times as many shots as the visitors, but Jonas Olsson got the only goal of the game and Boaz Myhill saved a penalty as the Baggies held out for victory.
The win was Tony Pulis' first over Manchester United at the 12th attempt.
Worst - March 7, more Villa Park misery
Just days after losing to Midlands rivals Aston Villa in the league, the Baggies had a chance for redemption as they travelled back to Villa Park for an FA Cup quarter-final.
But it was a day to forget for Tony Pulis' side as Claudio Jacob was sent off and Villa ran out 2-0 winners in a bad-tempered game.
There was also trouble in the stands as several seats were ripped out in the away end.
West Ham
Best - June 26, Payet joins Hammers
Picking the best from wins at Arsenal, Man City and Liverpool is a tricky task, so how about the signing of Dimitri Payet?
The Frenchman was hugely influential in the opening three months of the season before his injury against Everton.
Not only was he the club's top scorer but he was leading the way with assists too, trailing only Mesut Ozil in terms of chances created in the Premier League.
Arguably one of the signings of the season and a key player for the Hammers when he returns.
Worst - November 22, Hammers second best at the Lane
Slaven Bilic masterminded shock wins at Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool, but could not repeat the feat at White Hart Lane.
In their first game without the injured Dimitri Payet, the Hammers were outplayed by Tottenham and perhaps fortunate only to lose 4-1 as the hosts had 12 shots on target - the most by any team in the Premier League so far in the 2015/16 season.
"It's a special game because it's a derby game against Spurs," said Bilic. "To be beaten by them 4-1, in a game we can't say we were unlucky in, it hurts more.
"To be fair, they were way better than us. We were second best and very, very bad."
