What a season

Nemanja Vidic captained Manchester United to a 19th league title

Now the dust has began to settle on an enthralling Premier League season, it is time to look back and offer a review of the campaign.

This was one of the most thrilling campaigns ever, not because of the quality but because of the sheer excitement, closeness of the competition and number of goals.

There is a lot of hype around the Premier League, but it surely is the best league in the world.

Only Germany's Bundesliga can match it in terms of fan numbers and passion, and this will always be the case.

Spanish football has the two best teams in the world - Barcelona and Real Madrid - but not a whole lot else.

Italy has lost its glamour in recent years too, with the integrity of the league stained after the match-fixing scandal of 2006. Fan numbers are down and interest is beginning to drop.

La Liga may be the league with the best 'quality' at the top end of the competition but certainly not the most excitement.

Most atmospheres are stale and many games are played in front of half-empty stadia, with Almeria playing two games this season in front of just 5000 fans.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are so far ahead of the rest that the league has become far too predictable.

Real Madrid have registered wins of 8-1 and 7-0, while Barcelona won an away game 8-0, while in England any heavy victories for the top sides took place at the beginning of the season.

The gap between the top and the bottom has closed in England, with champions Manchester United losing at Wolves, second-placed Chelsea also losing at Molineux and relegated Birmingham, while third-placed Manchester City were another side to lose at Wolves.

Wolves beat Manchester United 2-1 at Molineux

Teams at the bottom no longer go into games against the top sides with any real trepidation, with every team feeling they can win any game, and this has helped provide a thrilling season.

This season will mostly be remembered for Manchester United winning a record 19th English league title.

They won 18 of their 19 home games and that is where the league was won.

They are formidable at home and looked unbeatable at Old Trafford this season. This was crucial as they won just five away games, another indicator of the tightness of the competition.

This is by no means a vintage United side, but manager Sir Alex Ferguson will cherish this triumph as much as any other.

His team have been written off throughout the season, but by winning the league and reaching the Champions League final they have proved that Manchester United should never be written off.

The quality of the sides at the top of the Premier League has undoubtedly dropped in recent years but this has been good for the game, evening out the competition.

This United side sums that up.

Their triumph was based on a real team effort, with no real superstars standing out.

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar will retire after the Champions League final at Wembley

The likes of Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, Dimitar Berbatov, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez, Nani and Ryan Giggs have all played a similarly important part, and the lack of a standout superstar is why this team has been criticised in the past.

Their competition for the title has left a lot to be desired though.

Chelsea started in blistering form but crumbled in November and December after the sacking of assistant manager Ray Wilkins.

They were well off the pace and never returned to form, despite the January £50million signing of Fernando Torres, but somehow got to within three points of Manchester United and almost nicked the title.

It would have been bad for the game if they had won the league as they have been woeful for much of the season and would have been truly undeserving winners.

Manchester City finished third but never really threatened to win the title, while Arsenal threw away a league which should have been theirs and eventually finished fourth.

The title was there for the taking for Arsene Wenger's side this season, but they imploded too many times and showed their mental frailties throughout.

Most of the drama was saved for the bottom of the league and the relegation battle, with 'Survival Sunday' certainly not disappointing.

West Ham, Blackpool and Birmingham went down but all could so easily have stayed up.

Ian Holloway's attacking Blackpool side were a breath of fresh air for the Premier League this season

They are all decent sides and, particularly in the case of Blackpool and Birmingham, they have a great chance of bouncing straight back up.

Before the season, most observers predicted Blackpool would be relegated by some margin but they confounded the critics throughout the campaign and only just failed to survive.

Most neutrals wanted them to survive as they lit up the Premier League this season with their attacking instincts and exciting style of football. As Sir Alex Ferguson said, they will be a loss to the Premier League.

Birmingham experienced the joy of winning the Carling Cup but were unlucky to be relegated.

Their form did plummet as the season drew to a close and their lack of a goalscorer cost them, but injuries and suspensions at crucial times handicapped them.

Until quite near the end of the season, there were around 14 clubs involved in the relegation battle and that provided great excitement.

Hopefully, this trend will continue in the future as it is great to see such tight battles and every team having something to play for.

This has been a fantastic season in the Premier League which produced one of the most exciting relegation battles ever, and in the coming days and weeks I will be offering individual reviews of each Premier League team's season.

For now though, here are my awards of the season:

Luka Modric was not nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award

Best player: Luka Modric. (Runner-up: Vincent Kompany) Spurs' midfield magician often gets overshadowed by team-mates Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart but the Croatian is the man who makes them tick. The best passer in the Premier League, Modric was key in Spurs' Champions League adventure and creates so many chances. With a deadly striker, Spurs would be an even greater force as Modric would give them so many opportunities to score. Modric has been outstanding all season and it is a real shame he is not given the praise he deserves. Spurs must keep hold of him if they are to progress as without him, they would be nowhere.

Best young player: Jack Wilshere. (Runner-up: Javier Hernandez) At just 19, Wilshere has established himself as a key member of an Arsenal side who challenged for the title for much of the season. He made 35 Premier League appearances this campaign and was excellent against the might of Barcelona in the Champions League. He has already won four England caps and looks set to secure a regular place in the England midfield. There seems no limit to what Wilshere can achieve in the game providing he keeps his feet on the ground and stays injury-free.

Unsung hero: Dirk Kuyt. (Runner-up: David Vaughan) Dirk Kuyt is always praised for his work-rate, but this season he has backed that up with 13 league goals from the right-wing. He was an integral part of a Liverpool team in excellent form under Kenny Dalglish and, at 30, looks set to be a key player for them next season. He still doesn't get the praise he deserves, largely due to his reputation as someone who tries hard but doesn't really produce, but he has improved so much in the last few years that he should get more recognition. He could be a real contender for Liverpool's Player of the Year, and his hat-trick against Manchester United will live long in the memory of Liverpool fans.

One-man team: Charlie Adam, Blackpool. (Runner-up: Scott Parker, West Ham) It may be a bit harsh to call Blackpool a 'one-man team' but Adam has been phenomenal this season despite the Seasiders' relegation. He takes all their free-kicks, corners and penalties and scored twelve times in the league this season. He was at the heart of everything Blackpool did well and they will find it impossible to replace him when he leaves this summer. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to being a small fish in a big pond rather than a big fish in a small pond next season. Liverpool are said to be interested and his form this season has warranted a move of that calibre.

Tony Pulis is in his second spell as Stoke manager

Best manager: Tony Pulis. (Runners-up: Sir Alex Ferguson and Ian Holloway) Sir Alex Ferguson has done magnificently to lead a 'mechanical' Manchester United side to the title and Champions League final, but Tony Pulis has arguably done an even more impressive job at Stoke. He doesn't get the credit he deserves at times, but he has done remarkably well at the Britannia Stadium. They may have finished two places lower than last season, in 13th, but that was largely due to the closeness of the league. They could so easily have finished eighth. They reached the FA Cup final for the first time in Stoke's history this season. Chairman Peter Coates describes Pulis as the club's greatest ever manager.

Best team: Manchester United. (Runner-up: Manchester City) Who else but the 19-times champions of England? This team may lack the flair great United teams of the past have had but more than make up for that with a real team effort. They won 18 out of their 19 home games, with performances from Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic and Javier Hernandez particularly standing out. This team never accepts defeat until the game is over, as they proved by coming from two down to beat West Ham and Blackpool and from two down to draw at Aston Villa. They boast the league's joint-top scorer, Dimitar Berbatov, yet he couldn't get into the team by the end of the season which shows the strength in depth they have. If they win the Champions League at Wembley, this will be one of the best seasons in the club's history.

Best game: Newcastle 4-4 Arsenal. (Runners-up: Tottenham 3-3 Arsenal and Wigan 3-2 West Ham) 4-0 down at half-time against title-chasing Arsenal, having just sold star striker Andy Carroll, the future looked bleak for Newcastle. Thoughts of relegation swept around St James' Park and anger at the board for selling Carroll was clear. 45 crazy minutes later however, and the Toon Army's faith in their team was restored. Abou Diaby was sent off before a Joey Barton-inspired Newcastle went on a rampage, pulling the score back to 4-3 before Cheik Tiote's blockbusting equaliser sent St James' Park wild. Kevin Nolan almost won the game for the Magpies in stoppage time. This game was another prime example of Arsenal's mental frailties. The first time in Premier League history a side has come back from four goals down, this is a game which will live long in the memory. A game like this will not be seen again for quite some time.

Best signing: Cheik Tiote. (Runners-up: Javier Hernandez, Peter Odemwingie and Luis Suarez) While Hernandez and Odemwingie rightfully grabbed the headlines for their magnificent first seasons in English football, Newcastle's midfield lynchpin Cheik Tiote deserves this award for his exceptional displays this season. He may have picked up 14 bookings but his contribution has been immense when he hasn't been suspended, helping to break up opposition attacks and start attacks for his team. A low-key signing last summer for around £3.5million, Tiote has quickly established himself as a key member of a Newcastle side who enjoyed a strong start to life back in the Premier League. The Magpies will do well to keep hold of him in the summer, with Arsenal and Chelsea said to be interested.

Bebe has failed to impress since moving to Old Trafford last summer

Worst signing: Bebe. (Runners-up: Fernando Torres, Joe Cole and Stephen Ireland) It says something that Bebe has beaten Fernando Torres to this award. Torres has been awful since joining Chelsea for £50million in January but may offer hope for the future, while Bebe has been a joke since joining Manchester United. It cost United a reported £7.4million to land him last summer and this is money they may as well have thrown down the drain. Two league games and no goals later, this is looking like one of the worst signings of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign at Old Trafford. He may come good in the future but it seems highly unlikely.

Cheik Tiote's stunning goal sparked scenes of jubilation at St James' Park

Best goal: Cheik Tiote, Newcastle vs Arsenal. (Runner-up: Wayne Rooney, Manchester United vs Manchester City) Tiote had never looked like troubling the scorers until his stunning 35-yard left foot volley sealed Newcastle's four-goal comeback against Arsenal. It is easy to forget that Tiote is right-footed when watching this goal, and the strike will live long in the memory of Newcastle fans. With the ball in the air, heading towards Tiote, it was one of those moments when time seemed to stand still. "Surely not?" was probably the thought going through most minds. It was the sweetest of strikes, angling away from goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to leave the Pole with no chance. This goal will go down in Geordie folklore.

Dirk Kuyt's 102nd-minute penalty was the latest goal in Premier League history

Best moment: Dirk Kuyt's 102nd-minute penalty against Arsenal. (Runners-up: Cheik Tiote's equaliser against Arsenal, Birmingham win Carling Cup, Blackpool win at Anfield and Wayne Rooney's penalty against Blackburn to seal title) Arsenal needed to win this game to stand a realistic chance of the title and Robin van Persie's 98th-minute penalty seemed to earn the Gunners a vital win. However, with stoppage time continuing due to an earlier injury to Jamie Carragher, Liverpool pushed forward and were given a penalty when Emmanuel Eboue clumsily bundled over Lucas in the box. Dirk Kuyt stepped up in the 102nd-minute and earned Liverpool a point which, ultimately, helped great rivals Manchester United overtake them by winning their 19th league title. A touch-line row between Arsene Wenger and Kenny Dalglish ensued, with Wenger realising his side had thrown away any chance of winning the title.