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02 THE FOOTBALL SEASON OF LOVE 9Gareth Bale scored more winning goals than any other player in the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League season. 13 Gareth Bale scored 13 goals away from home and became the first Tottenham Hotspur player to score over 12 away goals in a Barclays Premier League season. 16 Tottenham Hotspur scored 16 goals from outside of the box, more than any other side. Gareth Bale got nine of those goals. 25 Gareth Bale’s goals won 25 points during the campaign; only Robin van Persie’s won more (26). 73 The most shots on target in the Barclays Premier League. THE FOOTBALL 2012/13 • SEASON REVIEW 11
HIGH FIVE The imperious champions, the Welsh conquistador, the fantastic goals, the dramatic matches and the final farewells: the 2012/13 Barclays Premier League story told in five vignettes. HOW THE TITLE WAS WON Manchester United’s 13th Premier League title might not have had the final day excitement with which their neighbours City were crowned 2011/12 champions – but it did prove that quality always wins out in the end. It is hard to argue with the statistics that United deserved to be champions: they won more games (28), scored more goals (86) and lost fewer games (five) than anyone else, while they also boasted the Barclays Premier League’s top scorer in Robin van Persie (above) with 26 goals. The flying Dutchman was the key to their success. From his spectacular first goal in his opening home game against Fulham to the hat-trick which snatched victory from defeat at Southampton a week later, the former Arsenal striker played a crucial role throughout. Among other highlights from Robin van Persie were his injury-time winner at the Etihad Stadium in December, which put United six points clear of City at the top, and the hat-trick against Aston Villa which secured the title with four games to go. The Red Devils went top of the table in mid-November and although Manchester City stayed behind them in second, United were not overtaken for the rest of the campaign. They were worthy champions. PLEASED TO MICHU Welshman Gareth Bale may have been the man who hoovered up the main player of the year awards last season, but if there was a prize for best signing of the season it belonged in his homeland. The likes of Robin van Persie, Eden Hazard and Santi Cazorla were the big money buys that many expected to do well, but arguably the deal that eclipsed them all was Swansea City’s £2m signing of Michu (below) from Rayo Vallecano. When Swans boss Michael Laudrup bought the attacking midfielder from the lower mid-table La Liga side, it meant little to supporters of other clubs. But when he hit six goals in his first eight Premier League games and led the division’s scoring charts in the early part of the season, people began to take notice. The 27-year-old finished the campaign with 18 Barclays Premier League goals, and 22 in all competitions, and helped Swansea confound the critics who thought they might struggle after the departure of Brendan Rodgers and Joe Allen to Liverpool. But the Swans spent almost the entire season in the top half of the table, finishing ninth, and picked up their first major trophy when they won the Capital One Cup. 12 SEASON REVIEW • 2012/13 THE FOOTBALL
Page 1 and 2: 02 THE FOOTBALL Living legend SATUR
Page 3: BALE AND PACE PFA Players’ Player
Page 7 and 8: Think strikers are alike? Then thin
Page 9 and 10: GOING TO PLAN After three years of
Page 11 and 12: FROM SUPPORT CENTRE TO SUPPORTERS N
Page 13 and 14: GAMES WITHOUT FRONTIERS The Premier
Page 15 and 16: From the moment a young footballer
Page 17 and 18: FOUR SEASONS IN ANDRE The job of be
Page 19 and 20: IMPROVING STANDARDS OF REFEREEING 2

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