Another year bites the dust, and as we wave goodbye to 2021 in the rear-view mirror it's time to hand out a few gongs to the best – and worst – of the last 12 months.
Happy New Year, whoever you support, and stay safe. Football is an important release from the fear and anxiety of a pandemic, so let's look after each other in 2022.
TEAM OF THE YEAR
No Manchester United players, no Arsenal players, no Tottenham players... and they can have no complaints.
In a year dominated by Manchester City winning the title and Chelsea winning the Champions League, it's no surprise that those two clubs account for nine of my Premier League Dream Team of 2021.
It's a 4-3-3 formation with a false nine – a concept which served Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel well for much of the calendar year.
EDOUARD MENDY (Chelsea): Unlucky to miss out on the gong for best goalkeeper at the Ballon D'Or awards. Signed by Frank Lampard – an inspired piece of recruitment.
REECE JAMES (Chelsea): Of England's embarrassment of riches at right-back (or right wing-back), his mobility and eye for goal was an outstanding feature of Chelsea's year.
RUBEN DIAS (Manchester City): Voted Footballer of the Year by the football writers – and who am I to argue with them? Absolute rock at the heart of City's title triumph.
ANTONIO RUDIGER (Chelsea): As well as an almost intimidating presence in Chelsea'a back line, he brings old-fashioned virtues of defending to the party.
JOAO CANCELO (Manchester City): Too often overlooked for his creative influence, his goal at Newcastle the other week was a thing of beauty.
KEVIN DE BRUYNE (Manchester City): Somebody once said he wasn't worth £54 million when City signed him. Somebody was wrong.
N'GOLO KANTE (Chelsea): Man-of-the-match performance in the Champions League final and, six years after he won the title with Leicester, still the best 'minesweeper' in the world.
DECLAN RICE (West Ham): England's best player in the Euro 2020 final against Italy. You can seen why David Moyes thinks he's worth upwards of £100 million.
MO SALAH (Liverpool): If we are coming towards the end of the Cristiano Ronaldo-Lionel Messi era, on current form here's the best player on the planet now.
BERNARDO SILVA (Manchester City): Whether he plays as a false nine or in the three supporting forwards in a 4-2-3-1 formation, he has been simply irresistible, a joy to watch.
PHIL FODEN (Manchester City): His performance in City's comprehensive 4-1 win at Liverpool last February was one of the finest I have ever seen from a young player. He's still only 21.
MANAGER OF THE YEAR: DAVID MOYES (West Ham) - For West Ham to be in Europe, after falling just short of a top-four finish, is a tribute to Moyes' enduring excellence. And it wasn't just a flash in the pan – the Hammers are going to be top-six contenders again.
BEST GOALS OF 2021
MO SALAH (Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City): Twinkling feet, finding space in an impossibly crowded box, and a rasping finish across Ederson into the far corner. What a goal.
PATRIK SCHICK (Scotland 0-2 Czech Republic): Amazing opportunism and accuracy from the halfway line, it was like a golfer's tee shot hit with draw to pin-high.
AARON RAMSEY (Turkey 0-2 Wales): Gareth Bale's lofted pass and an elegant finish to silence the vast majority of a 30,000 crowd in Baku. As a proud Welshman, I enjoyed that one.
GAME OF THE YEAR
LIVERPOOL 2-2 MANCHESTER CITY: Two fabulous sides going hammer and tongs in front of a pulsating full house at Anfield. Everything good about the Premier League was on show here.
MACCLESFIELD 1-0 VAUXHALL MOTORS: Forgive my indulgence, but I couldn't resist doing a Mourinho slide down the touchline after Tom Clare's 95th-minute winner.
MAGIC MOMENT OF 2021
Seeing my son Charlie make his Manchester United debut aged 18 in the Champions League against Young Boys.
It was only a few minutes, but in the Savage household he will always be able to say he made more appearances, both for United and in the Champions League, than his father.
Never mind the magic moment of 2021, it was one of the greatest moments of my life.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
MO SALAH – Whatever he wants to stay at Liverpool, just give it to him. Salah has been untouchable. When the Egyptian King goes to the Africa Cup of Nations next week, they won't half miss him.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2021
TOTTENHAM – Just over a year ago, Spurs were top of the league. Since then, they have sacked Jose Mourinho, put caretaker Ryan Mason in charge for a Wembley cup final and fired Nuno Espirito Santo after just four months. Hanging on to Harry Kane last summer seemed a hollow victory by comparison, but there are brighter times ahead under Antonio Conte.
FOUR TO WATCH IN 2022
JAMES McATEE (Manchester City)
JACOB RAMSEY (Aston Villa)
CONOR GALLAGHER (Crystal Palace)
CHARLIE SAVAGE (Manchester United) – excuse the nepotism!
