2020–21 in English football

The 2020–21 season was the 141st season of competitive association football in England.

Football in England
Season2020–21
Men's football
Premier LeagueManchester City
ChampionshipNorwich City
League OneHull City
League TwoCheltenham Town
National LeagueSutton United
FA CupLeicester City
Community ShieldArsenal
EFL CupManchester City
EFL TrophySunderland
Women's football
FA Women's Super LeagueChelsea
FA Women's League CupChelsea
Community ShieldChelsea
← 2019–20 England 2021–22 →

National teams

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England national football team

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Results and fixtures

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Friendlies
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8 October 2020 England   3–0   Wales London, England
19:45 BST
Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Bobby Madden (Scotland)
12 November 2020 England   3–0   Republic of Ireland London, England
19:45 BST
Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 0
Referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain)
2 June 2021 England   1–0   Austria Middlesbrough, England
20:00 BST
Report Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Referee: Lawrence Visser (Belgium)
6 June 2021 England   1–0   Romania Middlesbrough, England
17:00 BST
Report Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Referee: Tiago Martins (Portugal)
UEFA Nations League
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Group 2
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation        
1   Belgium 6 5 0 1 16 6 +10 15 Qualification for Nations League Finals 4–2 2–0 5–1
2   Denmark 6 3 1 2 8 7 +1 10[a] 0–2 0–0 2–1
3   England 6 3 1 2 7 4 +3 10[a] 2–1 0–1 4–0
4   Iceland (R) 6 0 0 6 3 17 −14 0 Relegation to League B 1–2 0–3 0–1
Source: UEFA
(R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head points: Denmark 4, England 1.
5 September 2020 Iceland   0–1   England Reykjavík, Iceland
19:45 BST Report
Stadium: Laugardalsvöllur
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Referee: Srđan Jovanović (Serbia)
8 September 2020 Denmark   0–0   England Copenhagen, Denmark
19:45 BST Report Stadium: Parken
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Referee: István Kovács (Romania)
11 October 2020 England   2–1   Belgium London, England
19:45 BST
Report
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Referee: Tobias Stieler (Germany)
14 October 2020 England   0–1   Denmark London, England
19:45 BST Report
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Referee: Jesús Gil Manzano (Spain)
15 November 2020 Belgium   2–0   England Brussels, Belgium
19:45 BST
Report Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
18 November 2020 England   4–0   Iceland London, England
19:45 GMT
Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (Portugal)
2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
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Group I
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification            
1   England 10 8 2 0 39 3 +36 26 Qualification for 2022 FIFA World Cup 2–1 5–0 1–1 4–0 5–0
2   Poland 10 6 2 2 30 11 +19 20 Advance to play-offs 1–1 4–1 1–2 3–0 5–0
3   Albania 10 6 0 4 12 12 0 18 0–2 0–1 1–0 1–0 5–0
4   Hungary 10 5 2 3 19 13 +6 17 0–4 3–3 0–1 2–1 4–0
5   Andorra 10 2 0 8 8 24 −16 6 0–5 1–4 0–1 1–4 2–0
6   San Marino 10 0 0 10 1 46 −45 0 0–10 1–7 0–2 0–3 0–3
Source: FIFA, UEFA
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
25 March 2021 (2021-03-25) England   5–0   San Marino London, England
19:45
Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Referee: Kirill Levnikov (Russia)
28 March 2021 (2021-03-28) Albania   0–2   England Tirana, Albania
18:00 Report
Stadium: Arena Kombëtare
Referee: Orel Grinfeld (Israel)
31 March 2021 (2021-03-31) England   2–1   Poland London, England
19:45
Report
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands)
UEFA Euro 2020
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Group D
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   England (H) 3 2 1 0 2 0 +2 7 Advance to knockout stage
2   Croatia 3 1 1 1 4 3 +1 4[a]
3   Czech Republic 3 1 1 1 3 2 +1 4[a]
4   Scotland (H) 3 0 1 2 1 5 −4 1
Source: UEFA
(H) Hosts
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Tied on head-to-head result (Croatia 1–1 Czech Republic) and overall goal difference (+1). Overall goals for was used as the tiebreaker.
13 June 2021 (2021-06-13) England   1–0   Croatia London, England
14:00
Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 18,497
Referee: Daniele Orsato (Italy)
18 June 2021 (2021-06-18) England   0–0   Scotland London, England
20:00 Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 20,306
Referee: Antonio Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
22 June 2021 (2021-06-22) Czech Republic   0–1   England London, England
20:00 Report
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 19,104
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (Portugal)
Knockout phase
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29 June 2021 (2021-06-29) R16 England   2–0   Germany London, England
17:00
Report Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 41,973
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
3 July QF Ukraine   0–4   England Rome, Italy
21:00 CEST Report
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico
Attendance: 11,880
Referee: Felix Brych (Germany)
7 July SF England   2–1 (a.e.t.)   Denmark London, England
20:00 BST
Report
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 64,950
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Netherlands)
11 July Final Italy   1–1 (a.e.t.)
(3–2 p)
  England London, England
20:00 BST
Report
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 67,173
Referee: Björn Kuipers (Netherlands)
Penalties

England women's national football team

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Results and fixtures

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Friendlies
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27 October 2020 (2020-10-27) Germany   C-C   England Wiesbaden, Germany
16:00
(16:00 UTC+1)
Stadium: Brita-Arena
1 December 2020 England   C-C[a]   Norway Sheffield, England
19:15 Stadium: Bramall Lane
23 February 2021 England   6–0   Northern Ireland Burton upon Trent, England
12:30
Report Stadium: St George's Park
Attendance: Behind-closed-doors
Referee: Lorraine Watson (Scotland)
9 April 2021 France   3–1   England Caen, France
21:10 CET (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Stade Michel d'Ornano
Referee: Sara Persson (Sweden)
13 April 2021 England   0–2   Canada Stoke-on-Trent, England
19:15
Stadium: Bet365 Stadium
Referee: Cheryl Foster (Wales)

UEFA competitions

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UEFA Champions League

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Group stage

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Group C
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MCI POR OLY MAR
1   Manchester City 6 5 1 0 13 1 +12 16 Advance to knockout phase 3–1 3–0 3–0
2   Porto 6 4 1 1 10 3 +7 13 0–0 2–0 3–0
3   Olympiacos 6 1 0 5 2 10 −8 3[b] Transfer to Europa League 0–1 0–2 1–0
4   Marseille 6 1 0 5 2 13 −11 3[b] 0–3 0–2 2–1
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. ^ Cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in Norway.[3]
  2. ^ a b Tied on head-to-head points (3). Head-to-head away goals: Olympiacos 1, Marseille 0.
Group D
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification LIV ATA AJX MID
1   Liverpool 6 4 1 1 10 3 +7 13 Advance to knockout phase 0–2 1–0 2–0
2   Atalanta 6 3 2 1 10 8 +2 11 0–5 2–2 1–1
3   Ajax 6 2 1 3 7 7 0 7 Transfer to Europa League 0–1 0–1 3–1
4   Midtjylland 6 0 2 4 4 13 −9 2 1–1 0–4 1–2
Source: UEFA
Group E
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification CHE SEV KRA REN
1   Chelsea 6 4 2 0 14 2 +12 14 Advance to knockout phase 0–0 1–1 3–0
2   Sevilla 6 4 1 1 9 8 +1 13 0–4 3–2 1–0
3   Krasnodar 6 1 2 3 6 11 −5 5 Transfer to Europa League 0–4 1–2 1–0
4   Rennes 6 0 1 5 3 11 −8 1 1–2 1–3 1–1
Source: UEFA
Group H
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification PAR RBL MUN IBS
1   Paris Saint-Germain 6 4 0 2 13 6 +7 12[a] Advance to knockout phase 1–0 1–2 5–1
2   RB Leipzig 6 4 0 2 11 12 −1 12[a] 2–1 3–2 2–0
3   Manchester United 6 3 0 3 15 10 +5 9 Transfer to Europa League 1–3 5–0 4–1
4   İstanbul Başakşehir 6 1 0 5 7 18 −11 3 0–2 3–4 2–1
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Tied on head-to-head points (3). Head-to-head away goals: Paris Saint-Germain 1, RB Leipzig 0.

Knockout phase

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Round of 16
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Borussia Mönchengladbach   0–4   Manchester City 0–2 0–2
Atlético Madrid   0–3   Chelsea 0–1 0–2
RB Leipzig   0–4   Liverpool 0–2 0–2
Quarter-finals
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Manchester City   4–2   Borussia Dortmund 2–1 2–1
Porto   1–2   Chelsea 0–2 1–0
Real Madrid   3–1   Liverpool 3–1 0–0
Semi-finals
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Paris Saint-Germain   1–4   Manchester City 1–2 0–2
Real Madrid   1–3   Chelsea 1–1 0–2
Final
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Manchester City  0–1  Chelsea
Report

UEFA Europa League

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UEFA Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round

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Second qualifying round
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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Lokomotiv Plovdiv   1–2   Tottenham Hotspur
Third qualifying round
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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Shkëndija   1–3   Tottenham Hotspur
Play-off round
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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Tottenham Hotspur   7–2   Maccabi Haifa

Group stage

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Group B
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ARS MOL RW DUN
1   Arsenal 6 6 0 0 20 5 +15 18 Advance to knockout phase 4–1 4–1 3–0
2   Molde 6 3 1 2 9 11 −2 10 0–3 1–0 3–1
3   Rapid Wien 6 2 1 3 11 13 −2 7 1–2 2–2 4–3
4   Dundalk 6 0 0 6 8 19 −11 0 2–4 1–2 1–3
Source: UEFA
Group G
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification LEI BRA ZOR AEK
1   Leicester City 6 4 1 1 14 5 +9 13[a] Advance to knockout phase 4–0 3–0 2–0
2   Braga 6 4 1 1 14 10 +4 13[a] 3–3 2–0 3–0
3   Zorya Luhansk 6 2 0 4 6 11 −5 6 1–0 1–2 1–4
4   AEK Athens 6 1 0 5 7 15 −8 3 1–2 2–4 0–3
Source: UEFA
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head points: Leicester City 4, Braga 1.
Group J
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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TOT ANT LASK LUD
1   Tottenham Hotspur 6 4 1 1 15 5 +10 13 Advance to knockout phase 2–0 3–0 4–0
2   Antwerp 6 4 0 2 8 5 +3 12 1–0 0–1 3–1
3   LASK 6 3 1 2 11 12 −1 10 3–3 0–2 4–3
4   Ludogorets Razgrad 6 0 0 6 7 19 −12 0 1–3 1–2 1–3
Source: UEFA

Knockout phase

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Round of 32
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Wolfsberger AC   1–8   Tottenham Hotspur 1–4 0–4
Real Sociedad   0–4   Manchester United 0–4 0–0
Benfica   3–4   Arsenal 1–1 2–3
Slavia Prague   2–0   Leicester City 0–0 2–0
Round of 16
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Olympiacos   2–3   Arsenal 1–3 1–0
Tottenham Hotspur   2–3[A]   Dinamo Zagreb 2–0 0–3 (a.e.t.)
Manchester United   2–1   Milan 1–1 1–0

Notes

  1. ^ Order of legs between Tottenham Hotspur and Dinamo Zagreb were reversed after original draw, in order to avoid a scheduling conflict with the Arsenal v Olympiacos second leg in the same city on 18 March, as Arsenal were the domestic cup winners and given higher priority over Tottenham Hotspur.[5][6]
Quarter-finals
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Granada   0–4   Manchester United 0–2 0–2
Arsenal   5–1   Slavia Prague 1–1 4–0
Semi-finals
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Manchester United   8–5   Roma 6–2 2–3
Villarreal   2–1   Arsenal 2–1 0–0
Final
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Villarreal  1–1 (a.e.t.)  Manchester United
Report
Penalties
11–10
Attendance: 9,412[7]

UEFA Youth League

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On 17 February 2021, the UEFA Executive Committee cancelled the tournament.[8]

UEFA Champions League Path

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Team 1  Score  Team 2
Olympiacos   3 Mar   Manchester City
Manchester United   2 Mar   Real Madrid
Chelsea   3 Mar   Red Bull Salzburg
Liverpool   2 Mar   Marseille

UEFA Women's Champions League

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Knockout phase

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Round of 32
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Kopparbergs/Göteborg   1–5   Manchester City 1–2 0–3
Benfica   0–8   Chelsea 0–5 0–3
Round of 16
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Manchester City   8–0   Fiorentina 3–0 5–0
Chelsea   3–1   Atlético Madrid 2–0 1–1
Quarter-finals
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Barcelona   4–2   Manchester City 3–0 1–2
Chelsea   5–1   VfL Wolfsburg 2–1 3–0
Semi-finals
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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Bayern Munich   3–5   Chelsea 2–1 1–4
Final
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Chelsea  0–4  Barcelona
Report

Men's football

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League Promoted to league   Relegated from league   Expelled or Dissolved Re-elected
Premier League

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None

Championship

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League One

Bury

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League Two

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National League

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Premier League

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In a season played almost entirely behind closed doors, because of COVID-19 restrictions, all matches were televised live in the UK for the first time.[10] Manchester City overcame a shaky start to the campaign and secured their third Premier League title in four seasons – having stood in eighth place in mid-December, the team went on an impressive 15-match winning run that sent them rocketing up the table and into first place, despite a succession of unexpected losses in the closing stages of the season, securing the title on top of a fourth consecutive League Cup victory and reaching their first ever Champions League final, losing in an all-English final to Chelsea. City rivals Manchester United finished not far behind them, despite not really being in the title race for much of the season, a consequence of a poor start which included three home losses in their opening six games (with further losses to Sheffield United, Leicester City and Liverpool at the turn of the year); however, the Red Devils at least ensured Champions League football once again, thanks in part to a remarkable run of form that saw them go unbeaten away from home all season.

The battle for the last two Champions League spots ended up going to the final day, with Chelsea, Leicester City and Liverpool battling it out – remarkably taking third spot were Liverpool, whose first title defence since 1990 ended up being one of struggle; whilst the Merseyside club stood top at the end of 2020, a complete collapse in form in the new year saw both the team's hopes of retaining the title as well as their 68-game unbeaten run at Anfield practically implode under the weight of both a lack of fans and an extensive injury crisis, including a season-ending injury to star defender Virgil van Dijk just five games into the campaign – however, a strong late run of form, coupled with the teams above them dropping points, helped the Reds to close the gap and squeeze into the top four. Chelsea finished fourth, a strong second half of the season under new manager Thomas Tuchel pushing the Blues from as low as ninth near the end of January to both securing a Champions League spot again and winning their first Champions League final since 2012 with victory over Manchester City, ending a mixed season (which included a second consecutive FA Cup final loss in a row) on a high. Having spent the most days in the top four for the season, another stuttering end to the league saw Leicester City finish fifth yet again and just barely miss out on the Champions League, with inferior home form compared to form on the road ultimately costing them; however, the Foxes at least finished the season with a trophy, winning their first ever FA Cup final and giving manager Brendan Rodgers his first piece of silverware with the club.

Finishing sixth were West Ham United, who surprised many in the season and went one further than their seventh-place finish in 2016 in manager David Moyes' first full campaign as Hammers boss, securing their biggest Premier League points total and a Europa League group spot for next year – the only blemish being an inconsistent run of form around Christmas, which cost what could have been potentially a shock top-four finish. North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur endured difficult form across their campaigns, the Gunners even hovering above the drop zone in December, whilst Spurs briefly led the table just before Christmas; a dismal second half of the season though would see Spurs plummet down the table and ultimately culminate in Jose Mourinho being sacked in late April; under interim coach Ryan Mason, Spurs recovered to seventh and a place in the brand new Europa Conference League competition for the following season; Arsenal also recovered to finish eighth for the second successive campaign, but would be left without any European football next season for the first time in 26 years. Leeds United's first top-flight season since 2004 proved to be ultimately successful for the Yorkshire side, both the team and veteran Argentine manager Marcelo Bielsa attracting plenty of praise for their attacking football and providing some spectacular results even in defeat, the Lilywhites comfortably securing 59 points, the highest for a promoted side since 2001.

Despite achieving some superb results, including taking four points off city rivals Liverpool in two controversial Merseyside derby games, Everton's hopes of European football were let down by a poor run of form on their home ground, securing just six wins compared to eleven on the road, ending their season in a disappointing tenth. In what ended up being Nuno Espirito Santo's last season as head coach, Wolverhampton Wanderers endured what ended up being a less successful campaign than their previous two, the loss of star striker Raúl Jiménez to a freak accident in a win at Arsenal contributed to the Black Country club falling down the table after a decent start and only avoiding a relegation scrap because of the poor form of the teams below them. In what also ended up being Roy Hodgson's final season as their manager, Crystal Palace also comfortably avoided the drop, extending their record run of top-flight seasons to nine in a row for the next campaign.

At the bottom of the table, all three relegated teams ended up occupying the spots with at least three games to go, and for the first time since the introduction of three points for a win in the top-flight, none of the relegated sides broke the 30-point barrier. Just one season after breaking into the top ten, Sheffield United endured one of the worst seasons in their history, breaking many unwanted records and equalling the record for the most losses in a Premier League season and the lowest goals scored in a 38-game season, though a series of wins in the second half of the campaign meant they ended up with a points total that, while still poor, was far from the worst in Premier League history. West Bromwich Albion finished above them, the controversial decision to sack manager Slaven Bilić in December in favour of Sam Allardyce going against the Baggies, the former England manager suffering only his second relegation in his managerial history (and his first since 1997), as they fell back into the Championship after a single season. Also returning to the second tier after one season was Fulham; despite enjoying a much better campaign defensively and securing some impressive wins, the London club's hopes were ultimately let down by a lack of goals (including just nine scored at Craven Cottage) and a high number of draws, making it the fourth season in a row where they moved between the Premier League and the Championship.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Manchester City (C) 38 27 5 6 83 32 +51 86 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Manchester United 38 21 11 6 73 44 +29 74
3 Liverpool 38 20 9 9 68 42 +26 69
4 Chelsea 38 19 10 9 58 36 +22 67
5 Leicester City 38 20 6 12 68 50 +18 66 Qualification for the Europa League group stage[a]
6 West Ham United 38 19 8 11 62 47 +15 65
7 Tottenham Hotspur 38 18 8 12 68 45 +23 62 Qualification for the Europa Conference League play-off round[b]
8 Arsenal 38 18 7 13 55 39 +16 61
9 Leeds United 38 18 5 15 62 54 +8 59
10 Everton 38 17 8 13 47 48 −1 59
11 Aston Villa 38 16 7 15 55 46 +9 55
12 Newcastle United 38 12 9 17 46 62 −16 45
13 Wolverhampton Wanderers 38 12 9 17 36 52 −16 45
14 Crystal Palace 38 12 8 18 41 66 −25 44
15 Southampton 38 12 7 19 47 68 −21 43
16 Brighton & Hove Albion 38 9 14 15 40 46 −6 41
17 Burnley 38 10 9 19 33 55 −22 39
18 Fulham (R) 38 5 13 20 27 53 −26 28 Relegation to EFL Championship
19 West Bromwich Albion (R) 38 5 11 22 35 76 −41 26
20 Sheffield United (R) 38 7 2 29 20 63 −43 23
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) If the champions, relegated teams or qualified teams for UEFA competitions cannot be determined by rules 1 to 3, rules 4.1 to 4.3 are applied – 4.1) Points gained in head-to-head record between such teams; 4.2) Away goals scored in head-to-head record between such teams; 4.3) Play-offs[11]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Since the winners of the 2020–21 FA Cup, Leicester City, also qualified for the Europa League based on league position, the second Europa League group stage berth allocated to England was transferred to the sixth-placed team.
  2. ^ Since the winners of the 2020–21 EFL Cup, Manchester City, qualified for European competition based on league position, the Europa Conference League berth awarded to the EFL Cup winners was transferred to the highest-placed Premier League team not already qualified for European competition, the seventh-placed team.

Championship

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Having been relegated on a whimper the previous year, Norwich City responded in emphatic style, securing both an immediate return to the Premier League and their second Championship title in three campaigns – whilst ultimately finishing with a lower goal record compared to other seasons, despite Finnish striker Teemu Pukki recording another superb goal haul, the Canaries enjoyed a rare and much-improved season in defence. Finishing second were Watford, who overcame yet another mid-season managerial change (their sixth in just over a year) to join the Canaries in returning to the top-flight after one season, a superb run of form in 2021 earning Spanish head coach Xisco Munoz promotion on top of the Hornets also having their own impressive defence, conceding the least number of goals for any second-tier team since losing play-off finalists Preston North End in 2006. Taking the final spot through the playoffs by beating Swansea City - and ending a barren run of nine playoff campaigns across their history without success - were Brentford, who made amends for their narrow final loss the previous year and secured promotion to the Premier League for the first time, their win also sending the Bees back into the top-flight for the first time in 74 years; in addition, in a first for English football, all three promoted managers from any of the Football League divisions came from outside the British Isles.

Despite ultimately losing out in the playoff semi-finals, Barnsley were undoubtedly the surprise package of the campaign; having looked likely to battle relegation yet again at the end of October and then seeing their head coach depart for America, the appointment of unknown French manager Valérien Ismaël saw the Tykes rocket up the table - with some impressive results along the way to boot - and comfortably secure 5th place. After having battled against relegation since losing in the play-off final in 2017, Reading enjoyed a much improved season under Serbian head coach Veljko Paunović, only missing out on promotion owing to several bouts of indifferent form throughout the season that the teams above them took advantage of. Despite hovering above the relegation zone for much of the season, Coventry City managed to pull themselves over the line in their first season in the second tier since 2012, a good run of results in the closing months of the campaign pushing them firmly into mid-table - whilst the Sky Blues also received some good news off-pitch, managing to secure a new contract to return to their home stadium of the Ricoh Arena after two seasons away.

For the second reason running, the battle to avoid relegation saw all three places left wide open going into the last round of games – taking bottom place in the closing minutes of the season were Sheffield Wednesday, who fought valiantly to avoid the drop, only for the points deduction (twelve later reduced to six on appeal) for breaching financial rules imposed prior to the start of the season result in survival falling out of their reach, sending the Yorkshire club back into the third tier after a nine-year absence. Rotherham United finished second-bottom, and were relegated straight back to League One, making this the fifth successive season in which they swapped between the two divisions; despite ending up as statistically the worst team in the division, they managed to keep themselves in contention for survival – mostly because of having a multitude of games in hand as a result of two COVID-19 outbreaks – and would actually have survived had they not conceded an 88th-minute equaliser in their final match. Despite having what proved to be a spirited first season in the Championship, Wycombe Wanderers endured an immediate relegation back to League One, their chances ultimately being undone by a dreadful start that saw them lose their first seven games of the campaign, but at least staving off relegation until the last day of the season. Derby County, who struggled all season despite the appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager in November, would also have been relegated if not for Wednesday's points deduction; they did secure survival on the final day by holding Wednesday to a draw, albeit the result would have relegated them both without Rotherham conceding a late equaliser.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Norwich City (C, P) 46 29 10 7 75 36 +39 97 Promotion to the Premier League
2 Watford (P) 46 27 10 9 63 30 +33 91
3 Brentford (O, P) 46 24 15 7 79 42 +37 87 Qualification for Championship play-offs
4 Swansea City 46 23 11 12 56 39 +17 80
5 Barnsley 46 23 9 14 58 50 +8 78
6 Bournemouth 46 22 11 13 73 46 +27 77
7 Reading 46 19 13 14 62 54 +8 70
8 Cardiff City 46 18 14 14 66 49 +17 68
9 Queens Park Rangers 46 19 11 16 57 55 +2 68
10 Middlesbrough 46 18 10 18 55 53 +2 64
11 Millwall 46 15 17 14 47 52 −5 62
12 Luton Town 46 17 11 18 41 52 −11 62
13 Preston North End 46 18 7 21 49 56 −7 61
14 Stoke City 46 15 15 16 50 52 −2 60
15 Blackburn Rovers 46 15 12 19 65 54 +11 57
16 Coventry City 46 14 13 19 49 61 −12 55
17 Nottingham Forest 46 12 16 18 37 45 −8 52
18 Birmingham City 46 13 13 20 37 61 −24 52
19 Bristol City 46 15 6 25 46 68 −22 51
20 Huddersfield Town 46 12 13 21 50 71 −21 49
21 Derby County 46 11 11 24 36 58 −22 44
22 Wycombe Wanderers (R) 46 11 10 25 39 69 −30 43 Relegation to EFL League One
23 Rotherham United (R) 46 11 9 26 44 60 −16 42
24 Sheffield Wednesday (R) 46 12 11 23 40 61 −21 41[a]
Source: EFL Official Website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[14]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Sheffield Wednesday received a 12 point deduction for breaching the League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules. This was later reduced to 6 points by an Independent League Arbitration panel.[12][13]

League One

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Playing in the third tier for the first time since 2005, Hull City made amends for their dramatic collapse in form and consequent relegation the previous season, this time being in the top two for almost the entire campaign and ultimately emerging as champions. Peterborough United finished as runners-up, making this the third time that manager Darren Ferguson had taken the club into the Championship, and his fourth promotion with the club overall; whilst a number of poor results nearly went against them, the Posh successfully achieved promotion in a 3–3 draw with Lincoln City. Taking the final promotion via the playoffs and ending a six-year exile from the second tier were Blackpool, who marked the end of their first full season under manager Neil Critchley in spectacular fashion; despite making a slow start to the campaign, the Seasiders rocketed up the table and solidified themselves in the top six, coming from behind to beat Lincoln City in the final.

Whilst ultimately missing out on promotion yet again, Sunderland did at least secure some success in their third consecutive League One season by winning their first EFL Trophy - whilst also gaining new ownership in the process, in the form of 24 year old businessman Kyril Louis-Dreyfus. A very poor start to the campaign for Burton Albion saw the Brewers pulled into a relegation battle, a battle which was won with games to spare following the return of influential manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for a second spell as manager. Wigan Athletic endured what proved to be yet another turbulent season both on and off the pitch, battling both a potential second successive relegation (and a potential fourth in seven seasons) and an uncertain future; however, a superb run of form late in the season that coincided with the Latics managing to find new ownership helped save the club from the drop.

Bristol Rovers finished bottom and returned to League Two for the first time in five years, with three different managers all trying and failing to improve the club's fortunes during the season. Swindon Town's season rapidly fell apart after promotion-winning manager Richie Wellens moved to Salford City early in the campaign, finishing the season with both the most defeats and the worst defence in the division as they suffered immediate relegation back to League Two; fellow newly promoted side Northampton Town joined them in immediate relegation, ultimately being cost dear by a terrible run of form in the winter. Rochdale occupied the fourth and final relegation spot, bringing an end to their longest spell to date in the third tier and finally enduring the relegation they had battled against in previous seasons.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Hull City (C, P) 46 27 8 11 80 38 +42 89 Promotion to the EFL Championship
2 Peterborough United (P) 46 26 9 11 83 46 +37 87
3 Blackpool (O, P) 46 23 11 12 60 37 +23 80 Qualification for League One play-offs
4 Sunderland 46 20 17 9 70 42 +28 77
5 Lincoln City 46 22 11 13 69 50 +19 77
6 Oxford United 46 22 8 16 77 56 +21 74
7 Charlton Athletic 46 20 14 12 70 56 +14 74
8 Portsmouth 46 21 9 16 65 51 +14 72
9 Ipswich Town 46 19 12 15 46 46 0 69
10 Gillingham 46 19 10 17 63 60 +3 67
11 Accrington Stanley 46 18 13 15 63 68 −5 67
12 Crewe Alexandra 46 18 12 16 56 61 −5 66
13 Milton Keynes Dons 46 18 11 17 64 62 +2 65
14 Doncaster Rovers 46 19 7 20 63 67 −4 64
15 Fleetwood Town 46 16 12 18 49 46 +3 60
16 Burton Albion 46 15 12 19 61 73 −12 57
17 Shrewsbury Town 46 13 15 18 50 57 −7 54
18 Plymouth Argyle 46 14 11 21 53 80 −27 53
19 AFC Wimbledon 46 12 15 19 54 70 −16 51
20 Wigan Athletic 46 13 9 24 54 77 −23 48
21 Rochdale (R) 46 11 14 21 61 78 −17 47 Relegation to EFL League Two
22 Northampton Town (R) 46 11 12 23 41 67 −26 45
23 Swindon Town (R) 46 13 4 29 55 89 −34 43
24 Bristol Rovers (R) 46 10 8 28 40 70 −30 38
Source: EFL Official Website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[15]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

League Two

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In a campaign marked with constant change among the top three, Cheltenham Town secured promotion back to League One for the first time since 2009, having stayed in the promotion race for nearly the entire season before edging back into the top three in late February, never once leaving it. The battle for both the remaining automatic promotion places and the playoff spots ended up going to the final day, with eight different clubs battling it out – but ultimately taking second and third place were Cambridge United and Bolton Wanderers; despite a poor run of form in December, promotion had never looked unlikely for Cambridge United, the U's securing promotion to the third tier for the first time since 2002, giving manager Mark Bonner his first promotion of his managerial career. Having spent the majority of the season looking likely to battle a third successive relegation, a surge in form in 2021 saw Bolton Wanderers rocket up the table and sneak into third place, securing an immediate return to League One and giving hope for a revival in form for the Greater Manchester club after years of struggle on and off the field. Winning the play-off final, and thereby securing promotion to the third tier for the first time in their history was Morecambe; a remarkable achievement considering their consistent battles against relegation in the previous seasons (which had seen them only escape relegation the previous season due to the demise of both Bury and Macclesfield Town), seeing off Newport County via a controversial penalty in extra time.

In their first ever Football League season, Harrogate Town defied all expectations and achieved safety with a number of games to spare – whilst inconsistent form prevented the Yorkshire side from challenging for promotion, they were never in any serious danger of an immediate return to non-league football. Barrow's first Football League season for 48 years saw the North West club ultimately secure survival against all odds – whilst first hit by the loss of influential manager Ian Evatt to Bolton Wanderers and then sacking two different managers before the end of February with results and form looking bleak, the club managed to pull themselves over the line thanks in part to caretaker manager Rob Kelly, who oversaw 10 of the Bluebirds' 13 wins in both his caretaker spells.

At the other end of the table, Grimsby Town endured a season full of struggle on and off the pitch that ultimately culminated in relegation – with even the return of manager Paul Hurst, who had overseen their return to the Football League in 2016, failing to help the Lincolnshire club escape the drop. Finishing just above them were Southend United, who suffered their second consecutive relegation and fell out of the Football League for the first time in their history, a run of just one win in their opening 15 games on top of an inability to score (their total of 29 goals being the lowest scored by anyone in a 24-team division since 1982) ended up setting the tone for the Essex club's hopes and in similar circumstances to Grimsby, the return of former manager Phil Brown late in the season proved to be too late to save the Shrimpers from losing their 101-year Football League status.

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion, qualification or relegation
1 Cheltenham Town (C, P) 46 24 10 12 61 39 +22 82 Promotion to the EFL League One
2 Cambridge United (P) 46 24 8 14 73 49 +24 80
3 Bolton Wanderers (P) 46 23 10 13 59 50 +9 79
4 Morecambe (O, P) 46 23 9 14 69 58 +11 78 Qualification for League Two play-offs
5 Newport County 46 20 13 13 57 42 +15 73
6 Forest Green Rovers 46 20 13 13 59 51 +8 73
7 Tranmere Rovers 46 20 13 13 55 50 +5 73
8 Salford City 46 19 14 13 54 34 +20 71
9 Exeter City 46 18 16 12 71 50 +21 70
10 Carlisle United 46 18 12 16 60 51 +9 66
11 Leyton Orient 46 17 10 19 53 55 −2 61
12 Crawley Town 46 16 13 17 56 62 −6 61
13 Port Vale 46 17 9 20 57 57 0 60
14 Stevenage 46 14 18 14 41 41 0 60
15 Bradford City 46 16 11 19 48 53 −5 59
16 Mansfield Town 46 13 19 14 57 55 +2 58
17 Harrogate Town 46 16 9 21 52 61 −9 57
18 Oldham Athletic 46 15 9 22 72 81 −9 54
19 Walsall 46 11 20 15 45 53 −8 53
20 Colchester United 46 11 18 17 44 61 −17 51
21 Barrow 46 13 11 22 53 59 −6 50
22 Scunthorpe United 46 13 9 24 41 64 −23 48
23 Southend United (R) 46 10 15 21 29 58 −29 45 Relegation to National League
24 Grimsby Town (R) 46 10 13 23 37 69 −32 43
Updated to match(es) played on 31 May 2021. Source: EFL Official Website
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Head-to-head results; 5) Wins; 6) Away goals; 7) Penalty points (sec 9.5); 8) 12-point sending off offences[16]
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated

National League

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In a season marked with different teams taking top spot across the season, as well as postponement, delays and expunged results off the field, Sutton United finished top in their penultimate game and secured promotion to the Football League for the first time in their 123-year history, despite playing effectively with no fans all season. Taking the final battle through the play-offs, in a fight that went all the way to penalties in the final at Ashton Gate, were Hartlepool United, who reversed a run of three bottom-half finishes since falling out of the Football League in 2017 and ended manager Dave Challinor's first full season as Pools manager in superb fashion.

Mounting financial problems finally took its toll on Macclesfield Town, who were expelled from the National League and then finally wound up in the High Court before the campaign even began – the only positive coming late in the season, with the assets being rebranded as Macclesfield FC and the new club being given the go-ahead to enter the tenth tier for next season. Dover Athletic also encountered financial problems, which resulted in the team refusing to play due to a lack of promised funding and their results expunged for the season, on top of a points deduction being imposed at the start of the next campaign. As a result of the National League electing to declare the sixth tier null and void, no teams were relegated or promoted between the fifth and sixth tiers; a combination of all these factors proved beneficial for King's Lynn Town and Barnet, who were at threat of being cut adrift at the bottom of the table with the most losses and the worst defences in the division, ensuring fifth tier status for both clubs for next season.



League play-offs

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Football League play-offs

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EFL Championship
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Final
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Brentford2–0Swansea City
Report
Attendance: 11,689
EFL League One
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Final
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Blackpool2–1Lincoln City
Dougall   34', 54' Report Turton   1' (o.g.)
Attendance: 9,751
Referee: Tony Harrington
EFL League Two
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Final
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Morecambe1–0 (a.e.t.)Newport County
Mendes Gomes   107' (pen.) Report
Attendance: 9,083
Referee: Bobby Madley

National League play-offs

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National League
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Final
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Torquay United1–1 (a.e.t.)Hartlepool United
Report
Penalties
4–5
Attendance: 6,606
Referee: Simon Mather

Cup competitions

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FA Cup

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Final
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Chelsea0–1Leicester City
Report Tielemans   63'

EFL Cup

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Final
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Manchester City1–0Tottenham Hotspur
Report
Attendance: 7,773[a]

Community Shield

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Arsenal1–1Liverpool
Report
Penalties
5–4

EFL Trophy

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2020 Final
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Portsmouth0–0 (a.e.t.)Salford City
Report
Penalties
2–4
Attendance: 0
Referee: Carl Boyeson
2020–21
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Final
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Sunderland1–0Tranmere Rovers
Report
Attendance: 0
Referee: Charles Breakspear

FA Trophy

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2020 Final
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Concord Rangers0–1Harrogate Town[b]
Report
Attendance: 0
Referee: Peter Bankes
2020–21
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Final
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Hereford1–3Hornchurch
Report
  • Hayles   40'
  • Ruff   75'
  • Nash   86',   87'
  • Brown   90+5'
  • Parcell   90+5'
Attendance: 6,000

Women's football

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FA Women's Super League

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Chelsea (C) 22 18 3 1 69 10 +59 57 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Manchester City 22 17 4 1 65 13 +52 55 Qualification for the Champions League second round
3 Arsenal 22 15 3 4 63 15 +48 48 Qualification for the Champions League first round
4 Manchester United 22 15 2 5 44 20 +24 47
5 Everton 22 9 5 8 39 30 +9 32
6 Brighton & Hove Albion 22 8 3 11 21 41 −20 27
7 Reading 22 5 9 8 25 41 −16 24
8 Tottenham Hotspur 22 5 5 12 18 41 −23 20
9 West Ham United 22 3 6 13 21 39 −18 15
10 Aston Villa 22 3 6 13 15 47 −32 15
11 Birmingham City 22 3 6 13 15 44 −29 14[c]
12 Bristol City (R) 22 2 6 14 18 72 −54 12 Relegation to the Championship
Source: FA WSL
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ The total number of fans allowed to attend the final was established at 8,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
  2. ^ Between the fourth round and the semi-finals, Harrogate were promoted to the Football League through the National League play-offs after the season had finished on an average points-per-game basis due to curtailment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. ^ On 7 May 2021, Birmingham City were deducted one point for fielding an ineligible player in a draw against Reading on 25 April 2021.[19]

FA Women's Championship

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Leicester City (C, P) 20 16 2 2 54 16 +38 50 Promotion to the WSL[a]
2 Durham 20 12 6 2 34 15 +19 42
3 Liverpool 20 11 6 3 37 15 +22 39
4 Sheffield United 20 11 5 4 37 15 +22 38
5 Lewes 20 8 4 8 19 22 −3 28
6 London City Lionesses 20 6 6 8 19 19 0 24
7 Crystal Palace 20 5 5 10 27 36 −9 20
8 Charlton Athletic 20 4 7 9 19 29 −10 19
9 Blackburn Rovers 20 4 6 10 20 31 −11 18
10 Coventry United 20 5 1 14 21 51 −30 16
11 London Bees (R) 20 3 2 15 14 52 −38 11 Relegation to the National League
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Dependent on obtaining a licence.

FA Women's National League

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On 5 June 2020, all results were expunged from the 2019–20 FA Women's National League with no teams being promoted or relegated for the 2020–21 season.[20]

Cup competitions

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FA Women's Cup

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2019–20 Final
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The final was played at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1 November 2020.[21]

Everton1–3 (a.e.t.)Manchester City
Report
2020–21
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Final
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The final was played at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 5 December 2021.

FA Women's League Cup

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Final
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Bristol City0–6Chelsea
Report
Attendance: 0 (behind closed doors)
Referee: Abi Byrne

Women's FA Community Shield

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Chelsea2–0Manchester City
Report

Managerial changes

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This is a list of changes of managers within English league football:

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of departure Position in table Incoming manager Date of appointment
Barrow   Ian Evatt[23] Signed by Bolton Wanderers 1 July 2020 Pre-Season   David Dunn[24] 9 July 2020
Bristol City   Lee Johnson[25] Sacked 4 July 2020 Pre-Season   Dean Holden[26] 10 August 2020
Tranmere Rovers   Micky Mellon[27] Signed by Dundee United 6 July 2020 Pre-Season   Mike Jackson[28] 21 July 2020
Colchester United   John McGreal[29] Sacked 14 July 2020 Pre-Season   Steve Ball[30] 28 July 2020
Huddersfield Town   Danny Schofield[31] End of caretaker spell 19 July 2020 Pre-Season   Carlos Corberán[32] 23 July 2020
Birmingham City 22 July 2020 Pre-Season   Aitor Karanka[33] 31 July 2020
Watford   Hayden Mullins[34][35] 22 July 2020 Pre-Season   Vladimir Ivić[36] 15 August 2020
Wigan Athletic   Paul Cook[37] Resigned 29 July 2020 Pre-Season   John Sheridan[38] 11 September 2020
Oldham Athletic   Dino Maamria[39] Sacked 31 July 2020 Pre-Season   Harry Kewell[40] 1 August 2020
Bournemouth   Eddie Howe[41] Mutual consent 1 August 2020 Pre-Season   Jason Tindall[42] 8 August 2020
Scunthorpe United   Russ Wilcox End of caretaker spell 7 August 2020 Pre-Season   Neil Cox[43] 7 August 2020
Reading   Mark Bowen Mutual consent 29 August 2020 Pre-Season   Veljko Paunović[44] 29 August 2020
Barnsley   Gerhard Struber[45] Signed by New York Red Bulls 6 October 2020 21st   Valérien Ismaël[45] 23 October 2020
Nottingham Forest   Sabri Lamouchi[46] Sacked 6 October 2020 22nd   Chris Hughton[46] 6 October 2020
Salford City   Graham Alexander[47] 12 October 2020 5th   Richie Wellens[48] 4 November 2020
Mansfield Town   Graham Coughlan[49] 27 October 2020 22nd   Nigel Clough[50] 6 November 2020
Tranmere Rovers   Mike Jackson[51] 31 October 2020 18th   Keith Hill[52] 21 November 2020
Swindon Town   Richie Wellens Signed by Salford City[48] 4 November 2020 20th   John Sheridan[53] 13 November 2020
Sheffield Wednesday   Garry Monk[54] Sacked 9 November 2020 23rd   Tony Pulis[55] 13 November 2020
Wigan Athletic   John Sheridan[56] Signed by Swindon Town 13 November 2020 24th   Leam Richardson (caretaker) 13 November 2020
Bristol Rovers   Ben Garner[57] Sacked 14 November 2020 18th   Paul Tisdale[58] 19 November 2020
Derby County   Phillip Cocu[59] Mutual consent 14 November 2020 24th   Wayne Rooney[b][60][61] 27 November 2020
Watford   Vladimir Ivić[62] Sacked 19 December 2020 5th   Xisco Muñoz[63] 20 December 2020
Shrewsbury Town   Sam Ricketts[64] 25 November 2020 23rd   Steve Cotterill[65] 27 November 2020
Sheffield Wednesday   Tony Pulis[66] 28 December 2020 23rd   Darren Moore[67] 1 March 2021
Sunderland   Phil Parkinson[68] 29 November 2020 8th   Lee Johnson[69] 5 December 2020
Bradford City   Stuart McCall[70] 13 December 2020 22nd   Mark Trueman
  Conor Sellars[71]
22 February 2021
Barrow   David Dunn[72] 13 December 2020 21st   Michael Jolley[73] 23 December 2020
West Bromwich Albion   Slaven Bilić[74] 16 December 2020 19th   Sam Allardyce[75] 16 December 2020
Grimsby Town   Ian Holloway[76] Resigned 23 December 2020 20th   Paul Hurst[77] 30 December 2020
Burton Albion   Jake Buxton[78] Sacked 29 December 2020 24th   Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink[79] 1 January 2021
Fleetwood Town   Joey Barton[80] 4 January 2021 10th   Simon Grayson[81] 31 January 2021
Port Vale   John Askey[82] 4 January 2021 17th   Darrell Clarke[83] 15 February 2021
Cardiff City   Neil Harris[84] 21 January 2021 15th   Mick McCarthy[85] 22 January 2021
Chelsea   Frank Lampard[86] 25 January 2021 9th   Thomas Tuchel[87] 26 January 2021
AFC Wimbledon   Glyn Hodges[88] Mutual consent 30 January 2021 21st   Mark Robinson[89] 17 February 2021
Bournemouth   Jason Tindall[90] Sacked 3 February 2021 6th   Jonathan Woodgate[c][91] 21 February 2021
Bristol Rovers   Paul Tisdale[92] 10 February 2021 20th   Joey Barton[93] 22 February 2021
Northampton Town   Keith Curle[94] 10 February 2021 23rd   Jon Brady[95] 11 February 2021
Walsall   Darrell Clarke Signed by Port Vale[96] 15 February 2021 11th   Brian Dutton[97] 15 February 2021
Bristol City   Dean Holden[98] Sacked 16 February 2021 13th   Nigel Pearson[99] 22 February 2021
Barrow   Michael Jolley 21 February 2021 23rd   Rob Kelly (Caretaker)[100] 21 February 2021
Colchester United   Steve Ball 24 February 2021 21st   Wayne Brown (Caretaker)[101] 24 February 2021
Leyton Orient   Ross Embleton[102] 27 February 2021 14th   Jobi McAnuff (Caretaker)[103] 28 February 2021
Ipswich Town   Paul Lambert[104] Mutual consent 28 February 2021 8th   Paul Cook[105] 2 March 2020
Doncaster Rovers   Darren Moore[106] Signed by Sheffield Wednesday 1 March 2021 6th   Andy Butler (interim)[107] 1 March 2021
Oldham Athletic   Harry Kewell[108] Sacked 7 March 2021 16th   Keith Curle[109] 8 March 2021
Sheffield United   Chris Wilder[110] Mutual consent 13 March 2021 20th   Paul Heckingbottom (interim)[110] 13 March 2021
Portsmouth   Kenny Jackett[111] Sacked 14 March 2020 7th   Danny Cowley 19 March 2021
Charlton Athletic   Lee Bowyer[112] Resigned 15 March 2021 8th   Nigel Adkins 18 March 2021
Birmingham City   Aitor Karanka[113] 16 March 2021 21st   Lee Bowyer[114] 16 March 2021
Preston North End   Alex Neil[115] Sacked 21 March 2021 16th   Frankie McAvoy (interim)[115] 21 March 2021
Salford City   Richie Wellens[116] Mutual consent 22 March 2021 9th   Gary Bowyer[117] 23 March 2021
Colchester United   Wayne Brown (Caretaker)[101] End of caretaker spell 31 March 2021 21st   Hayden Mullins (Caretaker)[118] 31 March 2021
Southend United   Mark Molesley[119] Mutual consent 9 April 2021 23rd   Phil Brown[120] 9 April 2021
Forest Green Rovers   Mark Cooper[121] Sacked 11 April 2021 6th   Jimmy Ball (interim)[121] 11 April 2021
Swindon Town   John Sheridan[122] 18 April 2021 24th   Tommy Wright (interim) 18 April 2021
Tottenham Hotspur   José Mourinho[123] 19 April 2021 7th   Ryan Mason (interim)[123] 19 April 2021

New clubs

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Clubs removed

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Deaths

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Retirements

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Diary of the season

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  • 30 September 2020: The first month of the condensed football season ends with Leicester City, Liverpool, and Everton leading the Premier League, all winning their three games played so far. Aston Villa, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, and Leeds United have all also made good starts with six points from the first three matches. Burnley, Sheffield United, and Fulham (the only clubs without points so far) made up the bottom three. Reading and Bristol City are setting the early pace in the Championship with a full nine points each, followed by Swansea City, Bournemouth, and Watford on seven, and Blackburn Rovers in sixth due to a +8 goal difference at this early juncture. The third relegated club, Norwich City, finish September in midtable. Nottingham Forest, who missed the playoffs on the final day of the previous season, only avoid finishing the first month of the new season in the relegation zone due to Sheffield Wednesday's 12-point deduction. Wednesday finish September on -8 points, joined in the relegation zone by Derby County (22nd) and newly promoted Wycombe Wanderers.
  • 31 October 2020: October ends with Liverpool on top of the table, three points ahead of Everton (who have a game in hand) and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Chelsea, Aston Villa, Leicester and Tottenham Hotspur hold fourth through to seventh, while Sheffield United, Fulham, and Burnley remain in the relegation zone (their only changes in position coming about from changes in goal difference). Reading continue their good start in the Championship with a four-point lead on second-placed Swansea. Bournemouth, Norwich, and Watford continue to make headway on their campaigns to immediately return to the Premier League and stand third, fourth, and sixth respectively (Middlesbrough are fifth). Sheffield Wednesday remain on a negative points tally, and Derby and Wycombe continue to occupy the basement of the second tier.
  • 30 November 2020: Tottenham take the lead over Liverpool at the top of the table as November ends, albeit only on goal difference. However, with a quarter of the season played the Premier League table still shows congestion, with two points separating Chelsea, Leicester, West Ham United, Southampton and Wolves in the top seven, and six separating Chelsea from 15th-placed Crystal Palace. Sheffield United, the only club in the top four divisions without a league win so far, are firmly rooted to the foot of the table. Fulham have climbed out of the relegation zone at the expense of West Bromwich Albion; Burnley are 19th. The three sides relegated to the Championship last season continue to lead the way in the Championship, occupying the top three positions. Swansea and Reading are level with third-placed Watford on points, and Bristol City are sixth. Sheffield Wednesday are now 23rd after their points deduction was cut to 6 points, replaced at the bottom by Derby, while Wycombe remains in the relegation zone despite some good recent form.
  • 31 December 2020: For the third year running Liverpool finish the year top of the table, three points ahead of arch-rivals Manchester United having played a game more. The race for European football remains hotly contested with Leicester and Everton finishing 2020 in the top four and Aston Villa, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and Southampton all tied on 26 points. Sheffield United remain bottom with the worst-ever start to a Premier League season - 2 points from 16 matches. West Brom have dropped to 19th, prompting the sacking of Slaven Bilic in favour of Premier League veteran Sam Allardyce. Fulham are back in the relegation zone but have a game in hand over their nearest rivals, Brighton & Hove Albion. Norwich have climbed to the Championship summit, three points ahead of EFL Cup semi-finalists Brentford. Swansea consolidate third place, with them and Reading sandwiching Bournemouth and Watford, although the two relegated sides have a game in hand over their rivals. Derby have experienced a resurgence under former England international Wayne Rooney and finish December in 20th. Wycombe are now bottom. Sheffield Wednesday remain in the bottom three but have ceded 23rd place to Rotherham United, who have two games in hand over their Yorkshire neighbours due to postponements following a Covid outbreak.
  • 31 January 2021: A resurgent Manchester City finish January on top of the Premier League, having won all 9 games they played that month. Manchester United remain three points behind of the leaders in second, though City have the game in hand. A poor January that has seen the end of their 68-match unbeaten run at home sees Liverpool finish the month in third. Leicester drop to fourth, West Ham continue their unexpected run for European football to finish January fifth, and Spurs, Chelsea, and Everton are tied on 33 points to hold sixth through to eighth. The relegation zone remains unchanged from December despite Sheffield United picking up their first two league victories of the season, with Fulham 7 points adrift of 17th-placed Brighton. In the Championship, Norwich extend their lead to four points, with Swansea and Brentford swapping places from the end of 2020. Watford, Reading, and Bournemouth remain in the Championship top six (in that order), as do Rotherham (22nd), Sheffield Wednesday (23rd), and Wycombe (24th) in the bottom three.
  • 28 February 2021: Manchester City have extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to 12 points, having extended their winning run in all competitions to 20 games. Manchester United remain second, while Liverpool's poor form has seen Leicester, West Ham and Chelsea leapfrog them in the chase for Champions League football, with seventh-placed Everton also having a chance of jumping ahead of their Merseyside rivals if they win their two games in hand. Fulham, West Brom and Sheffield United remain in the relegation zone, but Fulham are now only 3 points behind Brighton and Newcastle United. Meanwhile, Norwich's lead in the Championship has been extended to 7 points, with Brentford taking back second place. Watford, Swansea (with two games in hand on their promotion rivals), Reading and Bournemouth remain in the top six, although Barnsley (who only avoided relegation the previous season with an injury-time goal in their final match) are only a point behind Bournemouth with a game in hand. The Championship relegation zone remains unchanged, but Rotherham hold two games in hand on relegation rivals Coventry City and Birmingham City.
  • 31 March 2021: Manchester City continue to extend their Premier League lead, standing 14 points ahead of Manchester United despite having their winning run ended by their city rivals. Leicester remain third, Chelsea and West Ham end the month exchanging their positions from February, and Liverpool have dropped to seventh, below Spurs. The relegation zone is unchanged, though Brighton have begun to pull away from the drop zone, leaving Fulham and Newcastle to fight for 17th. In the Championship, Norwich's lead has been slightly increased to 8 points despite the resurgence of second-placed Watford, but more importantly they are 14 points clear of Swansea, who have 27 left to play for. Brentford have dropped to fourth, while Barnsley have climbed to fifth, knocking Reading and Bournemouth down a place each. For the fourth consecutive month Wycombe, Sheffield Wednesday, and Rotherham hold the bottom three spots, but with Rotherham's multiple games in hand Coventry, Birmingham, and Derby are by no means out of the woods.
  • 30 April 2021: Manchester City are on the brink of their fifth Premier League title, standing 10 points ahead of Manchester United with only 5 games remaining. Leicester remain third with a 6-point lead over fourth-placed Chelsea who have a game in hand over them. West Ham remain fifth, three points behind Chelsea in the chase for a Champions League place. Liverpool and Spurs exchange their positions from March. The relegation zone in unchanged, though a resurgent Newcastle side are now 9 points clear of relegation places. Fulham and West Brom chances of staying are slim at this point, needing a highly unlikely turnaround in their last five games to have any chance of surviving. In the Championship, Norwich and Watford have been promoted to the Premier League after a single season at this level, with Norwich needing just another win to go up as league champions. Brentford have all but confirmed to finish the season third, meanwhile Swansea, Bournemouth and Barnsley have all confirmed their playoff spots as well. For the fifth consecutive month Wycombe, Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham are in the relegation zone, with Wycombe needing a highly unlikely swing in the goal difference to stay up, but Rotherham still have a game in hand over Derby.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, all matches scheduled for September 2020 will be played behind closed doors.[1][2]
  2. ^ The final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.[9]
  3. ^ Attendance was capped at 20,000 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[17]
  4. ^ The match was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[18]
  5. ^ The match was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.[22]
  1. ^ The final was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
  2. ^ Rooney was initially appointed as interim manager until the end of the season, but the move was made permanent on 15 January 2021.
  3. ^ Woodgate was initially caretaker manager, but was then appointed as manager until the end of the season on 21 February 2021.

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