LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 08: Cole Palmer celebrates scoring the first of his two goals for Chelsea during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Chelsea FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 08, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Cole Palmer has enjoyed a fabulous 2024 (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Season’s greetings, whoever you support, from the top of the Premier League to grassroots.
As 2024 draws to a close, I thought I’d hand out some festive awards for the best (and worst) of the calendar year.
So here are the Sav Oscars for 2024 – Merry Christmas, one and all.
Best player of 2024 – Cole Palmer
From a frustrated kid who wasn’t happy with the amount of game time he was getting at Manchester City, Palmer is now the Premier League’s brightest star. As well as his 30 goals for club and country, including four in a 6-0 rout of Everton, more than anyone he has turned Chelsea into title contenders.
And even at £42.5 million, Palmer is the bargain of the century who has transformed the outlook at Stamford Bridge just as Peter Schmeichel (£500,000) and Eric Cantona (£1.2m) turned Manchester United into serial winners.
If Chelsea go on to win the title, Palmer will be one of the best-value signings of all time. As it is, he’s the player I would pay to watch more than any other in English football.
Cole Palmer
Cole Palmer has been the clear stand-out this year ( Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
Team of 2024 – Nottingham Forest
Yes, Manchester City won their sixth title in seven years, but Forest have been a revelation.
To be fourth, approaching the halfway stage of the season, is remarkable when they only secured safety at the other end of the table on the last day of term in May.
It’s fair to say fans were not completely sold on Nuno Espirito Santo’s appointment as manager, but he has done a superb job, the recruitment has been spot-on and the City Ground is rocking again.
Best manager of 2024 – Enzo Maresca
He brought Leicester up as champions, was head-hunted by Chelsea – and now he has turned a massively under-achieving club into title contenders.
Where the Blues were once a basket case struggling to get a tune out of £1bn worth of new players, Maresca has brought authority and style back to Stamford Bridge.
Honourable mentions in this category go to Arne Slot, who has made a remarkable start as Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Liverpool, Unai Emery for leading Aston Villa into the Champions League and Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth.
Best goal of 2024 – Erling Haaland
Manchester City v Sparta Prague
When you’re 6ft 4in tall, it’s not easy to make a perfect connection with a back-heeled volley shoulder-high – or to make any connection at all.
But Haaland’s acrobatic volley for City against Sparta Prague in the Champions League defied all the rules of physiology and gravity. As a game, City’s win was as routine as they come – but Haaland’s party piece was truly memorable.
Surprise package of 2024 – Bournemouth
Please do not adjust your glasses, that really is Bournemouth in the top six.
Andoni Iraola has done a remarkable job at a club who used to flirt with relegation – but now the Vitality stadium is a place where the big guns fear to tread.
When Bournemouth beat Arsenal and Manchester City in consecutive home games, it was a big statement that the Cherries are now ready to compete on their own terms with anybody despite losing £65m talisman Dominic Solanke to Tottenham. And they play dynamic, high-tempo football, too.
Best game of 2024
Manchester United 4-3 Liverpool, FA Cup quarter-finals
A thunderous, see-saw Cup tie at Old Trafford which ended Liverpool’s hopes of winning four trophies – and sent the Stretford end wild.
Amad Diallo’s winner in the dying seconds of extra time settled a classic, and if that wasn’t enough disappointment for Liverpool their thrilling 2-2 draw in the league at Old Trafford later that month inflicted serious damage to their title challenge.
Amad Diallo topped off a chaotic but brilliant game ( Image: Offside via Getty Images)
Biggest disappointment of 2024 – Tottenham
You could argue that Newcastle’s failure to build on their top-four finish the previous season was a let-down, but for me Tottenham are the great enigmas of English football. How can you play so much stylish, entertaining football and have nothing to show for it?
I love watching Spurs play, but the fans want to see them winning trophies and the meter has been ticking since 2008.
In a way I admire Ange Postecoglou for sticking to his principles, but the simple truth is that Spurs are 10th – nowhere near good enough.
Best save of 2024 – Emi Martinez
Nottingham Forest v Aston Villa
World Cup winner Martinez has dropped one or two clangers this season, but the mistakes are massively outnumbered by saves which have often earned Aston Villa extra points.
Pick of the bunch was his astonishing swoop to claw Nicolas Dominguez’s header off the line in Villa’s 2-1 defeat at Nottingham Forest. The ball was actually behind him, but the Argentina No.1 somehow arched his back and got down to stop Dominguez’s effort crossing the line.
It reminded me of David Seaman’s back-from-the-brink save for Arsenal to deny Sheffield United’s Paul Peschisolido in an FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford in 2003 - one of the greatest saves of all time.
The team of 2024 (4-3-3)
Emi Martinez (Aston Villa)
Diogo Dalot (Manchester United)
William Saliba (Arsenal)
Gabriel (Arsenal)
Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth)
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Rodri (Manchester City)
John McGinn (Aston Villa)
Mo Salah (Liverpool)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
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