The 2008–09 Premier League season (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) will be the seventeenth since its establishment in 1992. Manchester United are the defending champions, having won their tenth Premier League title on the final day of the previous season. The campaign – the fixtures for which were announced on 16 June – began on Saturday 16 August 2008, and is scheduled to end on 24 May 2009. A total of 20 teams will contest the league, including 17 who competed the previous season and three promoted from the Football League Championship.


Whats New this time? :

Starting with this season, clubs are now allowed to name seven substitutes on the bench instead of five.This season is also different in that there will be no New Year's Day game, as is usually traditional. This is because the FA Cup Third Round is traditionally played on the first Saturday in January, which in 2009 will fall in the usual spot for New Year's league games.

Promotion and Relegation :

Teams promoted from 2007-08 Football League Championship
* Champions West Bromwich Albion
* Runners up Stoke City
* Play-offs: Hull City

Teams relegated to 2008-09 Football League Championship
* Reading
* Birmingham City
* Derby County

Transfers This Season:







Season statistics(Till Now) :

League standing till 27th September,08:

Scoring :

* First goal of the season: Samir Nasri for Arsenal against West Bromwich Albion, 4th minute (16 August 2008)
* Fastest goal in a match: 156 seconds – Carlos Tévez for Manchester United against Liverpool (13 September 2008)
* Goal scored at the latest point in a match: 90+5 minutes – Carlton Cole for West Ham United against Blackburn Rovers (30 August 2008)
* Widest winning margin: 6 goals – Manchester City 6-0 Portsmouth (21 September 2008)
* Most goals in a match: 6 goals – Aston Villa 4–2 Manchester City (17 August 2008)[5], Manchester City 6-0 Portsmouth (21 September 2008)
* Most goals in one half by one team: 4 goals – Aston Villa 4–2 Manchester City (17 August 2008)[5] Manchester City 6-0 Portsmouth (21 September 2008)
* First own goal of the season: Robert Huth (Middlesbrough) for Tottenham Hotspur, 90+2 minutes (16 August 2008)
* First hat trick of the season: Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) against Manchester City (17 August 2008)
* Fastest hat trick of the season: 7 minutes, 37 seconds – Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) against Manchester City (17 August 2008)

Discipline

* First yellow card of the season: Sam Ricketts for Hull City against Fulham, 29th minute (16 August 2008)
* First red card of the season: Mark Noble for West Ham United against Manchester City, 38th minute (24 August 2008)

References:

* www.wikipedia.org
* www.soccernews.com
* www.rediff.com