The Best English Football Team in the Premier League
By
Will Brown
Contributor Updated: 20 December 2024
Will Brown Contributor
William Brown is a Content Writer with strong expertise in US and global gambling industry trends. Having covered the local sports betting market since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, William approaches his gambling guides with passion and diligence. He is a keen player of online slots, blackjack, and a regular sports bettor.
Best Premier League Teams
Since the English Premier League was established, the question of what the best English football team of the year is has been contested. However, with several teams dating back to the 1860s, the answer to the question of what the best team of all time is becomes a lot more murky. In this guide, we’ve thoroughly assessed the qualities of the most successful franchises to settle the score. While a decisive answer remains elusive, join us as we dissect the achievements of these popular EPL teams.
Intro to the Best English Football Teams
Before jumping into each of the best English football teams, we’ve explained how we’ve judged the historical performances of each team. While their wins are certainly important, we’ve also considered important cultural moments within each franchise that have resulted in their enduring popularity.
From there, we’ve looked at the best teams, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur. You can use the following links to jump to each team or keep scrolling to learn about them all.
- What Makes a Top EPL Team?
- Manchester United
- Arsenal Football Club
- Liverpool F.C.
- Manchester City F.C.
- Chelsea Football Club
- Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
How the Best Premier League Team Ever is Decided
The debate on the best Premier League team ever isn’t just a matter of trophies. It spans generations, playing styles, and defining moments. The very essence of a team’s success can be found in its ability to adapt, overcome, and capture the imagination of fans across the globe.
The top teams have shaped the foundation of the Premier League and had an impact on international soccer. They have also helped to drive the exploding interest in soccer in the US, with iconic players such as David Beckham playing a large role in the sport’s rapid adoption. In any case, with all these factors considered, we have to begin with the most successful team: Manchester United.
Manchester United Moments
The argument for Manchester United as the best English football team is easy to make. The team was an early pioneer of the Premier League since it began in 1992. Under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, United set the tone for what a soccer team should be, and they’ve since become one of the most iconic names in the world of sports.
Before the Premier League launched, Ferguson had broken United’s long trophy drought by winning the FA Cup in 1990. It didn’t take long for the team to dominate in the new league, with team winning back-to-back Premier League titles in 1992-93 and 1993-94. Ferguson then built a world-class youth academy to train younger players and recruited stars like Eric Cantona.
United won a unique treble of the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League in 1999, playing in one of the best Champions League finals of all time to win in injury time against Bayern Munich. United would go on to win 7 more Premier League titles under Ferguson, including three straight from 2007-2009 featuring players like Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, and Wayne Rooney.
In recent years, United have struggled to maintain the power that they once had. However, with a total of 20 league titles and a history that dates back to 1878, the United’s reign is linked to the global success of the Premier League and can safely lay claim to being the best Premier League team ever.
Arsenal’s Golden Age
Arsenal has a long and successful history in English soccer. As the dominant club of the 1930s and one of the powerhouses of the early Premier League, Arsenal thrived under the management of long Arsene Wenger. Wenger’s revolutionary training methods, eye for talent, and tactical innovations like counter-attacking soccer made Arsenal instant contenders.
The team won the league and FA Cup double in 1998, 2002, and 2004, helped by stars like Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira. Their 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ team went a full season unbeaten, an achievement that had gone unmatched since 1889. This was the last time the team won a title after moving to Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal had a strong run of FA Cup wins under Wenger too, with the manager leading them to a record-breaking seven wins. The team has also participated in some of the best FA Cup finals, including their nail-biting victory against Hull in 2014.
Under new manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal are hoping to regain their place among England’s elite clubs. Young talent such as Bukayo Saka has emerged to boost Arsenal’s standing, with the team finishing second on the 2023-2024 rankings. This makes them one to watch when it comes to Premier League soccer betting in 2025.
Liverpool’s European Reign
If looking at the combined totals of cup wins in English football, Liverpool can be considered to be the most successful Premier League team. The team has won 69 cups across FIFA, UEFA, FA, EFL, and Premier League competitions, putting it one cup ahead of Manchester United.
This includes 19 league titles and 6 European Cups. What is considerably impressive is that Liverpool’s successes were spotty after dominating English football in the 1970s and 1980s, only for their fortunes to be reversed in 2005. Their drought was broken with a Champions League victory that year.
The following years showed glimpses of promise, but the team struggled with consistency until the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager in 2015. Klopp implemented his high-pressing style and shrewdly invested in players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, and Virgil van Dijk. Liverpool quickly assembled one of the most fearsome attacking units in Europe.
A win during the 2019 Champions League was backed up by a solid Premier League campaign in 2019-20 when the team won its first league title in 30 years with a record 7 games left to play. With a steady claim to being the best English football team in history, Liverpool’s fanbase remains one of the most passionate in the world.
Man City’s Rise to Glory
Manchester City is now widely considered to be the best English football team playing today. After decades of ups and downs, the team was promoted to the Premier League in 2001. While its performances were inconsistent for much of the decade, its fortunes changed after it was purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008.
With a massive influx of funding and world-class talent, City quickly rose to become the top team in the league. Under manager Roberto Mancini, City ended its 44-year trophy drought by winning the 2011 FA Cup and its first league title in 2012 on the very last day of the season.
The 2013-14 season saw City score over 100 goals to win its second Premier League crown. Pep Guardiola’s appointment as manager in 2016 took City to even greater heights. The team surprised pundits by winning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, earning the first-ever domestic treble in English soccer history in 2019. It has since gone on to win four more consecutive titles.
Chelsea’s Russian Influence
After Chelsea was taken over by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2003, it has strived to become one of the best Premier League teams of all time. The new owner pumped huge sums of money into the team, bringing in successful managers such as Jose Mourinho.
Over the last two decades, Chelsea has won five Premier League titles. They have also had significant success in domestic and European cup competitions, most notably winning the Champions League in 2012 and 2021. Recently, though, the club has fallen on harder times. The war in Ukraine saw Abramovich sanctioned, with the club sold to Todd Boehly. It has yet to regain its former glory.
Tottenham’s Notable Seasons
Tottenham has emerged to become one of the best English football teams in the Premier League era despite a consistent struggle to win trophies. In fact, despite consistent wins in domestic and international leagues, the team has yet to win a Premier League trophy.
The Spurs have become regular Champions League participants under managers like Mauricio Pochettino. They have leaned on star players like Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Hugo Lloris, adopting an aggressive, high-pressing style. For a club that last won the league title in 1961, Tottenham fans eagerly await promotion to the Premier League’s winners’ circle.
