Revealed: The Best Premier League Teams Ever
- Best English Soccer Teams
- Best English Soccer Team
- Manchester United Moments
- Arsenal’s Golden Age
- Liverpool’s European Reign
- Man City’s Rise to Glory
- Chelsea’s Russian Influence
- Tottenham’s Notable Seasons
- Frequently Asked Questions
With the best English soccer teams a controversial topic – with many fans having differing opinions – there’s a lot to consider, especially when comparing the biggest teams in the world. So, which team truly earns the title of the best Premier League team ever? Let’s dive into the history of English soccer and find out!
Best English Soccer Teams
The debate over the best ever Premier League team sparks passionate discussions among soccer fans worldwide. Manchester United defined an era under Sir Alex Ferguson, winning a record 13 Premier League titles. Arsenal played incredible soccer, winning 3 titles under Arsene Wenger, including the historic ‘Invincibles’ unbeaten season, while, more recently, Manchester City have taken the lead – seen by many as the top team of the past few years.
In today’s blog, we look at the best English soccer teams – and what makes them so successful in the soccer world.
Best English Soccer Team
The debate on the best English soccer team 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. It’s about teams that shaped the foundation of the Premier League, setting international soccer standards – and some teams have managed to sustain success over multiple seasons, while others have delivered short bursts of top performance – and we’ll be looking at the best English soccer team – in terms of long-term performance – in today’s blog.
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Manchester United Moments
The most successful English club of the modern era, Manchester United were the early pioneers of the Premier League when it began in 1992. Under legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, United set the tone for what a soccer team should be – and they’re one of the most iconic names in the world, known to fans worldwide.
Ferguson had already broken United’s long trophy drought by winning the FA Cup in 1990. But after the creation of the Premier League, he built United into England’s top soccer team – and they had the stats to prove it. United won their first two Premier League titles in 1992-93 and 1993-94, and Ferguson then recruited stars like Eric Cantona and built a world-class youth academy to train up younger players and help the team maintain its success.
United won a unique treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999, playing one of the most dramatic European games of all time, winning during injury time against Bayern Munich. The win proved Ferguson’s ability to build and manage teams over decades – and United would go on to win 7 more Premier League titles under Ferguson, including three straight from 2007-2009 featuring players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
In the years since Ferguson’s departure, United have struggled to maintain the power that they once had. Huge investments have been made to try and make United title challengers again under managers like Jose Mourinho and Erik ten Hag, but, so far, they are yet to regain the success they first saw under Ferguson. Still, they remain one of the world’s best-known soccer clubs, and they’re one of the most successful Premier League team names ever!
Arsenal’s Golden Age
Arsenal have 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 era. Under long-time manager Arsene Wenger, Arsenal established themselves as one of the top teams after the league began in 1992.
Wenger’s revolutionary training methods, eye for talent and tactical innovations like counter-attacking soccer made Arsenal instant contenders. They 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, something that had gone unmatched since 1889.
After their unbeaten campaign, Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006. While an incredible sight, the costs of the new stadium restricted their transfer budget compared to rivals, and since then, they have struggled to see the same levels of success they once enjoyed, with their last league title coming in 2004.
Under new manager Mikel Arteta, Arsenal are hoping to regain their place among England’s elite clubs. With young talent like Bukayo Saka emerging, Arsenal have shown moments of promise. But they have significant ground to make up to return to the top of English soccer – and fans around the world are keeping a close eye on the team to see if they can recreate their once-excellent reputation!
Liverpool’s European Reign
Liverpool are one of the most successful and iconic English soccer teams, with 19 league titles and 6 European Cups. After a hugely successful era in the 1970s and 80s, Liverpool endured a long drought until breaking through to win the Champions League in 2005 in dramatic fashion.
Since the Premier League began in 1992, it took Liverpool time to regain their footing. There were glimpses of promise but no 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, overwhelming opponents with their speed and top-level abilities.
After disappointment in the 2018 Champions League final, Liverpool would not be denied winning club soccer’s biggest prize in 2019, defeating Tottenham in an all-English final. They followed that up with a solid Premier League campaign in 2019-20, winning their first league title in 30 years with a record 7 games left to play.
Klopp has successfully re-established Liverpool as an elite club in Europe, and for Liverpool fans, he’s seen as somewhat of a godlike figure. He’s brought some of the game’s best stars onto the team, including the likes of Salah, van Dijk, and others – and with one of the most passionate global fan bases and their current quality, Liverpool seem set to make significant moves in the near future.
Man City’s Rise to Glory
Manchester City are now widely considered to be the best English soccer team, after decades of ups and downs. Things all changed when the team 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 – although many criticized them for their huge influx of capital.
Under manager Roberto Mancini, City ended their 44-year trophy drought by winning the 2011 FA Cup and their first league title in 2012 in an incredibly dramatic fashion – on the very last day! The 2013-14 season was even crazier as City scored over 100 goals to win their second Premier League crown. Pep Guardiola’s appointment as manager in 2016 took City to even greater heights – and they ended up breaking records with back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, earning the first-ever domestic treble in English soccer history in 2019.
With star players like Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, and David Silva, City have played an eye-catching offensive style under Guardiola, breaking numerous scoring records. They have assembled arguably the most talented and well-versed squad in Premier League history.
City backed it up with two more league titles in 2021 and 2022 to now have 6 Premier League trophies, joint second-most behind Manchester United. With their financial power, talent, and tactics, Manchester City have become one of the premier clubs not just in England but throughout Europe!
Chelsea’s Russian Influence
Next up, we come to Chelsea. They were propelled into the upper ranks of English football when they were taken over by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2003. The new owner then set about pumping huge sums of money into the team, bringing in many successful managers, most notably Jose Mourinho.
This huge injection of cash allowed Chelsea to compete with the best, and they went on to win 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.
But recently, the club has fallen on harder times. The war in Ukraine and subsequent sanctioning of Abramovich led to the Russian selling the club, and new owner Todd Boehly has seen the club slide, despite investing eye-watering sums of money.
Tottenham’s Notable Seasons
Historically one of England’s bigger clubs, Tottenham have emerged as consistent top 4 contenders in the Premier League era, though actually winning trophies has proven to be difficult for the team. However, after years of mid-table finishes, Spurs have become regular Champions League participants under managers like Mauricio Pochettino.
Spurs moved into a new 62,000 seat stadium in 2019, showing why they’ve become one of England’s major clubs. They have leaned on star players like Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, and Hugo Lloris during this change – and Pochettino installed an aggressive, high-pressing style and developed talents like Dele Alli and Harry Winks.
Tottenham managed to secure four straight top 4 Premier League finishes from 2016-2019 under Pochettino, although they failed to actually win the league during this time. They also made a memorable run to the 2019 Champions League final, coming up just short against Liverpool. Unfortunately, Pochettino’s successor, Jose Mourinho was unable to maintain this form, and was eventually replaced by Antonio Conte, who also failed to win over the Spurs fanbase.
For a club that last won the league title in 1961, Tottenham have unfinished business turning their steady success into trophies as they aim to join the Premier League’s winners’ circle. Here’s some interesting facts about Tottenham Hotspur:
Season | Notable Highlight |
---|---|
2010/11 | Champions League debut |
2015/16 | Title challenge |
2016/17 | Record points total |
2018/19 | Champions League Final |
2020/21 | New stadium inauguration |