Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sunderland are set to play European football next season, after finishing ahead of the so-called ‘Big Six’ sides Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
After finishing in sixth and seventh, Bournemouth and Brighton qualified for the Europa League. Sunderland finished in eighth to seal a Europa Conference League spot.
Chelsea and Tottenham missed out on Europe, finishing 10th and 17th in the final Premier League standings.
How smart recruitment shaped the European race
Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland were not expected to finish in European places at the start of the campaign.
The Cherries sold several key players, Brighton have previously been inconsistent and Sunderland had just returned to the top flight.
Bournemouth signed Eli Junior Kroupi, Adrien Truffert and Rayan, all of whom emerged as outstanding performers this term.
Kroupi is already being linked with Manchester City and Arsenal, underlining his brilliant performances this season.
The addition of Maxim de Cuyper last summer and the re-signing of Pascal Gross in January helped the Seagulls.
Cuyper ranked second for big chances created, while Gross finished fourth in their squad, despite playing in fewer games.
Sunderland used their promotion windfall wisely, signing Granit Xhaka, Noah Sodiki, Nordi Mukiele and Brian Brobbey. They played vital roles in their success.
By contrast, several of Chelsea and Tottenham’s signings failed to deliver. Alejandro Garnacho and Randal Kolo Muani are notable examples.
Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland also enjoyed greater managerial stability, unlike Chelsea and Tottenham, who went through six managers between them.
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It will be intriguing to see whether the trajectory remains the same next season, particularly at Bournemouth, where Marco Rose will replace Andoni Iraola.