so another football season is, with mercy, over. it has been a surprisingly turgid season, look you see, but then again also one punctuated by some moments of unexpected and impressive results. few, for instance, could have foreseen Liverpool's winning the title, Newcastle claiming the league cup with style and the frankly effortless way in which Arsenal swept aside Real Madrid.
but results (or achievements) in any season are, of course, just distractions from the big one. it remains, most decidedly so, that the most desired, the most hotly contested title (sadly with no formal trophy) of any football season is to be crowned "winners" of the Joe Cole derby games.
it is, of course, so that only four (4) clubs can actually win this particular title. they are the four teams which the legendary, celebrated Joe Cole represented with distinction. quite a few football sides, or rather the fans of them, like to make an awful lot of noise about how they are "big clubs", be it historically or presently. all well and good, and there's nothing wrong with taking pride in your team. but, that said, when you talk about a prestige club, an elite team, then you can't really call yourself that if Joe Cole has not worn your colours.
how is it that Joe Cole has become such a monumental (if not pivotal) figure in the sport? mostly it's been foisted on us by a range of broadcasters, employing him to comment on matches of fluctuating importance, as if the public at large look at football and the only thing which comes to mind is the pertinence of the question "but what does Joe Cole think".
let us not delay the matter any further. you want to know who rule supreme in the Joe Cole derby league this season (2024 - 2025) and here are the final standings. please note only FA Premier League games count, although throwing in the FA Cup games which were also Joe Cole derby matches would not have made all that much of a difference.
the big surprise here is, of course, that Chelsea have finished second. and a really, really close to Liverpool second too. famously Chelsea have had a couple of (by their recent standards) lean years, with few expecting them to push quite so hard for the Joe Cole trophy. some praise is due for their "do or do not" attitude here, with not a single draw in a Joe Cole derby match.
of particular disappointment is the lack of challenge from Aston Villa. they are very much a team in the ascendancy presently, and to be honest they were my pick to be the Joe Cole team of the year this season. you would have to take it as a given that the pressure to perform in the Champions League meant something had to give, and so the focus drifted away from all things Joe Cole. with their prestige or elite (whichever you prefer) credentials cemented, maybe the 25-26 season will see them be crowned Joe Cole derby winners.
right there above are all the results from all of the Premier League fixtured which are classified officially as being Joe Cole derby matches. you are very welcome to check i have the maths right for goals for and against, etc. pretty sure i have.
disgrace is the only way to describe West Ham, alas. a favourite thing of all fans of every other team but West Ham is to have reason to say "careful what you wish for" to the Hammers fan base. oddly this season it has been that virtually every weekend has given some cause (if not excuse) to piously say it in their direction. from a safe distance, of course, for their firm are quite hard. considering the incumbent manager of West Ham also managed another team what Joe Cole represented, perhaps the 25-26 season will see the team give greater importance to at least having a go next time out.
should for some reason you wish to see the results of previous Joe Cole derby leagues then i have reasonably good news for you, as this can be achieved by clicking here and indeed here. and with that, there's not much else one can say except to congratulate Liverpool on winning the double, with them claiming the "big one" and the Premier League title.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
