The Premier League's standard has increased over time, resulting in a higher overall quality across the league, but this has also meant that some top teams have been relegated.
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With that in mind, we've taken a look back at another team that deserves to be considered in that category; Scott Parker's Fulham side from the 2020-21 season, which lost 20 times and managed just five wins. On paper, it was a season that should never have occurred.
GK: Alphonse Areola
The French goalkeeper came through PSG's youth academy and remained with the club until 2022, but had loan stints at several other clubs, including Fulham before departing.
He had previous experience in France and Spain before joining the Premier League and was arguably one of their top performers, if not their best, boasting a 74% save percentage and exceeding his expected saves.
After returning to PSG, he was then loaned to West Ham, where he had to wait in reserve as a cup goalkeeper behind the experienced L
However, he was instrumental in their Conference League triumph under David Moyes, starting in every game, and though that earned him the number one spot last season, he has had to divide his playing time with Fabianski this season.
RCB: Ola Aina
The former Chelsea graduate was a highly regarded defender during his time in their academy and with the England youth teams – and he had impressed at Hull City and Torino on loan.
He joined Fulham on a loan deal a year after signing with Torino, but struggled to find a consistent position within the team's back three.
Since then, he moved back to England and joined Nottingham Forest in 2023.
He has only started 20 times in his first season, but this season he has been a revelation, finally reaching his full potential as a right-back at the age of 28.
And he has been one of the standout goalkeepers in the league this season, contributing significantly to the joint-most clean sheets (10) achieved by his team, Liverpool.
CCB: Joachim Andersen
Having moved to Fulham on loan for the 2020-21 season, he was under contract with Lyon at the time but sought first-team football.
He was starting games for Denmark by then and was a well-established member of the team. With 33 starts, he was a crucial figure and led the team in most of those matches.
Following that, he quickly moved to Crystal Palace, where he found stability and his reputation flourished as his performance improved significantly.
In 2024, he made a return to Fulham, which was considered a significant acquisition for the London club, as he had developed into one of the top centre-backs outside of the top six teams.
He has had injury problems, but he has formed a strong partnership with Calvin Bassey and is now a crucial player in the team once more.
LCB: Tosin Adarabioyo
In his first full season in the top division, Tosin had moved to the top team from Manchester City after a few loans in the English Football League, and was eager to take on a starting role.
At the age of 23, he was extremely inexperienced at this level, having only made eight appearances for City, but he made 33 starts that season.
Following that, he became a regular presence in Fulham's lineup throughout their Championship season and over the next two seasons in the Premier League, before deciding to leave the club and secure a transfer.
He had numerous top clubs interested in him in England and abroad, but he chose Chelsea, where he has developed into a key player for Enzo Maresca's young team, playing in 21 matches across all competitions, starting in nine league matches.
RWB: Bobby Decordova-Reid
Initially, Decordova-Reid moved to Fulham on loan the previous season, where he was a key player, developing himself as a versatile player as he made 42 appearances across various positions.
Parker then utilized him in the right wing-back position, achieving varied results, but he remained one of their top performers with five goals and two assists.
Following that, he remained a faithful servant to the club and had a strong championship campaign, before commencing 29 games in the Premier League after their promotion.
He then had a reduced role the following year before deciding to join Leicester City in 2024, where he has only started four games so far.
CM: Mario Lemina
Lemina was on loan from Southampton at that time, having secured a regular starting spot at 27 years old.
The highlight of his career was scoring the winning goal at Anfield, a moment that took place during a dismal home streak for Liverpool, but he was far from the player he is today.
The past couple of years have been his most successful, with numerous starting opportunities at Wolves and Nice after departing Southampton, and he is currently in Turkey with Galatasaray, aiming for the Turkish League title, having recently signed with Wolves in the January transfer window.
CM:
The Cameroon international started 29 matches in the midfield that season, aged 25, and had already spent a full season in the Premier League two years prior, but the system didn't quite suit him, particularly in a 3-4-3 midfield formation.
After being relegated, he moved to Napoli on loan, and eventually signed a permanent deal.
That's where he found his footing and realized his true potential. He ended up playing a crucial role in midfield as they won the title in the 2022-23 season and was one of the top midfielders in the league in Serie A that season.
His performances in the Champions League also drew attention, and four years later, he remains a crucial player under Antonio Conte aiming for another title.
LWB: Antonee Robinson
The former Everton academy graduate experienced a sluggish beginning to his career, having spent time on loan in the English Football League at Wigan and Bolton.
He made no appearances for the Toffees before being sold to Fulham in 2020, marking his first full season in the Premier League.
Playing his first full season at 23 was quite challenging and he made no goal contributions throughout the season, clearly indicating that he was far from the player he has become.
He has stayed at the club ever since and has developed year by year into one of the top left-backs in the Premier League.
This season, he has added 10 assists to his previous six, and his energy, work rate, and ability to find a teammate in and around the box are now at a high level – the only thing missing for him in 2021 was experience.
CAM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek
This was a significant achievement for Fulham at the time; Loftus-Cheek had previously excelled under Maurizio Sarri a few years earlier, but an ACL injury sustained in a charity match in 2019 forced him to miss over a year of action, putting his career on hold.
The move to Fulham was intended to revitalize his career, but Parker was unable to maximize his potential, instead often using him in an attacking midfield position instead of his preferred box-to-box role, and also struggling with the effects of a prolonged period of inactivity.
He eventually found his footing under Thomas Tuchel, but left for greener pastures at AC Milan.
CAM: Adeola Lookman
The Adeola Lookman we know today and the one who debuted for Fulham in 2021 are like two completely different individuals.
At the time, he was on loan from RB Leipzig and was one of Parker's most impressive players, having scored four goals and provided four assists throughout the season.
However, he was still inexperienced at this level, and this inexperience was evident in his infamous penalty mishap against West Ham in November 2020.
Since joining Atalanta in 2022, he has experienced significant growth and is now at the peak of his career, having scored a hat trick in the Europa League final last season, which contributed to him being named African Footballer of the Year.
A significant change is on the horizon in the near future. He has made considerable progress.
READ MORE: Ademola Lookman and the 14 other players awarded a perfect 10/10 by L'Equipe
ST: Aleksandr Mitrovic
What made this season so surprising is that Mitrovic was on the verge of a breakthrough in the seasons to come, but he hadn't quite reached that point yet.
He managed only four goals this season and struggled because of the team's weak attacking system, which created the sixth-lowest expected goal opportunities that season.
The following year in the Championship, he scored a record 43 goals, and then went on to score 14 in the Premier League.
His impressive performance earned him a lucrative transfer to Saudi Arabia to join Al-Hilal, who dominated the Saudi Pro League with his goal-scoring ability, netting 40 goals in 44 games, and he has continued this form this season with 20 goals in 24 matches.