Liverpool finished the 2016/17 campaign 16 points better off than in 2015/16, highlighting the club’s improvement in Jurgen Klopp‘s first full season in charge.
The Reds sealed a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League with a 3-0 win at home to Middlesbrough on Sunday, capping a successful season on Merseyside.
While they harboured hopes of a title challenge in the first half of the campaign, a January slump saw sights lowered to their early season objective of returning to the Champions League.
Klopp is now 20 months into his reign as Liverpool manager, and the German is making a major impact at Anfield, as the Reds head back into Europe’s elite.
And studying the points total of each side to play in the Premier League in both 2015/16 and 2016/17, Liverpool’s progress is clear.
Finishing the season with 76 points, Liverpool made a 16-point improvement on their 2015/16, the same as Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham, who finished the campaign second in the table.
Chelsea, who endured a torrid first half of 2015/16 under Jose Mourinho, made the biggest step up, with a 43-point difference between last season and this time out.
Both Everton (+14) and Man City (+12) also produced a major swing in points, while Arsenal (+4), Bournemouth (+4), Man United (+3) and West Brom (+2) all improved on their 2015/16 output.
Eight clubs gained fewer points in 2016/17, with Leicester suffering the most dramatic decline following their unexpected title victory last season.
That Liverpool have progressed so rapidly is hugely encouraging, and Klopp will be hoping this continues next season.
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