London derbies: the final table
Who are the Kings of London in the Premier League for 2023-24?
Chelsea’s 5-0 battering of West Ham United on 5 May was the final Premier League London derby of the 2023-24 season.
Despite the Blues’ erratic form, two goals from Nicolas Jackson plus one each from Noni Madueke, Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher were enough to see off the Hammers.
Some positions are still to be decided - West Ham could cement a top-10 spot if they beat… er… I forget. In any case, it’s time to announce the Kings of London 2024.
Yes, whatever happens in the next few days, Arsenal are once again the Kings of London.
The Gunners weren’t anywhere near as dominant in the capital as they were last season, when they dropped just four points in derbies. Damaging defeats to Fulham and West Ham (as well as points dropped against Chelsea, Spurs and Fulham in draws) now seem decisive in terms of who takes the Premier League title.
The big surprise for me was Chelsea (7th in the Premier League, as of 14 May). As previously mentioned, it’s been an erratic campaign for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, but they gained just one less point than Arsenal in derbies. This is particularly impressive given the 5-0 hammering they received at the Emirates just a couple of weeks ago.
The four points Fulham (14th overall) took off Arsenal have helped the Cottagers finish third in the London table, just above Spurs (5th overall). West Ham (9th) conceded the most goals but just managed to pip Brentford (16th) to fifth place.
The Bees had the best derby record at the halfway point of the season, but managed just two points from their last five derbies to slip to sixth out of seven. Crystal Palace (12th) struggled throughout the season in London derbies, but their 5-2 win over West Ham will give hope of a better showing next time around.
Football League London derbies
In each of the three divisions of the Football League there were only two London teams, a situation that will remain the same next season. There wasn’t much to separate any of them, either.
Championship
Honours were even in the second tier as Millwall and Queens Park Rangers beat each other 2-0.
The points were more valuable for Rangers as they finished just six points clear of relegation, while Millwall had to settle for mid-table obscurity.
League One
Mid-table obscurity is the order of the day for League One’s London rivals, too. Leyton Orient will be much happier with their situation, finishing 11th in their first season back in the third tier since 2014-15.
Orient beat Charlton Athletic 1-0 on Boxing Day 2023 with a goal from Omar Beckles. This marked the Os’ revenge for Charlton’s 1-0 win on the opening day of the season, George Dobson scoring on that occasion.
League Two
Commiserations to Sutton United as they were relegated out of the Football League alongside Forest Green Rovers. AFC Wimbledon, on the other hand, had a decent season, finishing 10th, just five points off the playoffs.
Once again, honours were even between the two London sides. Sutton secured a 1-0 away win on Boxing Day thanks to a second-half Omar Sowunmi goal, while Wimbledon won 3-0 at Sutton in August.
National League
Bromley will replace Sutton in League Two next season after they beat Solihull Moors 4-3 on penalties in the playoff final after a 2-2 draw.
Barnet also made the playoffs but were blown away 4-0 by Solihull Moors in the first round.
Of the four London teams competing in the National League this season - also including Dagenham & Redbridge and Wealdstone - Bromley just about had the best record in derbies.
There are still two London derbies to play in the Women’s Super League: Spurs play Chelsea tonight and it’s Spurs v West Ham on 18th May. Chelsea are looking good for the Queens of London title for now, but watch this space…
