List of Premier League seasons
| Founded | 20 February 1992 |
|---|---|
| Country | England |
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) |
| Number of teams | 20 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | EFL Championship |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League |
| Current champions | Manchester City (5th title) (2020–21) |
| Most championships | Manchester United (13 titles) |
| Current: 2021–22 Premier League | |
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition and is contested by 20 clubs. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 38 matches each, totalling 380 matches in the season. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with games also played on certain weekday evenings.
The competition was formed in February 1992 following the decision of clubs in the Football League First Division to break away from The Football League, in order to take advantage of a lucrative television rights deal. Teams competing in the Premier League may qualify for the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League on virtue of league positions. The competition adopts a promotion and relegation system with the Football League which comes into place at the end of each season. Since the inaugural season in 1992–93, 49 teams have competed in the Premier League, while Brentford FC will make it 50 in season 2021/22, following their promotion from the Football League Championship the previous season. At the end of the 1994–95 season, the league was reduced from 22 teams to 20.
Seven clubs have won the title: Manchester United (13 times), Chelsea (5), Manchester City (5), Arsenal (3), Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Liverpool (1): Manchester United was the first club to win the league three consecutive seasons twice (1998–99 to 2000–01 and 2006–07 to 2008–09) and Arsenal was the only team to go an entire season without a single defeat in 2003–04. The record number of points accumulated by a team is 100 by Manchester City, who won the Premier League in 2017–18. Norwich City and West Bromwich Albion have been relegated the most times (5) while Derby County accumulated the lowest ever points total with 11 in the 2007–08 season. The Premier League Golden Boot, awarded to the top goalscorer each season, has been won by 16 players from 11 different clubs. Andy Cole and Alan Shearer have both scored 34 goals in a 42-game season – the most in a Premier League season. Mohamed Salah holds the record in a 38-game season with 32. Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was the first foreigner to win the award outright in 2000–01 having shared the accolade with Dwight Yorke of Trinidad and Tobago in 1998–99.
History
Champions
"They've deserved to win the league and now, having opened the door, if they show the same hunger they have shown this year, there's no saying what they can achieve."
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson on his players winning the Premier League in May 1993.[1]
In the inaugural season of the Premier League Manchester United finished 10 points clear of Aston Villa to win their first league championship in over 26 years.[2] The club successfully retained the title in 1993–94, leading the table after beating Aston Villa 2–1 in the third gameweek.[3] Manchester United also completed a league and cup double, beating Chelsea 4–0 in the FA Cup final. Blackburn Rovers under the investment of owner Jack Walker and manager Kenny Dalglish won their first championship since 1913–14 on the final day of the 1994–95 season.[4] Despite Blackburn losing to Liverpool, Manchester United – in second place and two points behind the leaders before kick-off had failed to capitalise on the result, drawing at West Ham United.[5] Manchester United however regained the Premier League in 1995–96 after much scrutiny over the inexperience of the first team at the beginning of the season.[6] Newcastle United who held a 12-point lead at the top in January 1996 were pegged back in the following weeks before Manchester United moved in front at the end of March.[7]
Manchester United retained the league in 1996–97 but were overhauled by Arsenal in the final ten weeks of the 1997–98 season, finishing second.[8][9] Arsenal, managed by Arsène Wenger in his first full season at the club also beat Newcastle 2–0 in the FA Cup final to win the trophy and accomplish a double.[10] They however failed to retain both trophies as Manchester United pipped Arsenal on the final day of the league season, winning the Premier League as well as defeating the holders in a FA Cup semi-final replay.[11] United won the league for two successive seasons: in 1999–2000 ending the season 18 points in front and 2000–01 by 10.[12] After four seasons without a trophy, Arsenal again completed a league and cup double in 2001–02 remarkably scoring in every single Premier League match.[13] The title the following season was won by Manchester United, with striker Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring 25 goals in 38 league matches.[14]
In the summer of 2003, Chelsea were taken over by businessman Roman Abramovich and despite the club spending over £100m on new players, the 2003–04 champions were Arsenal, who became the first Premier League club to win the league without defeat.[15][16] Chelsea's failure to finish first culminated in managerial changes: coach Claudio Ranieri was sacked and subsequently replaced with Portuguese José Mourinho.[17] The club won the league in 2004–05, 12 points ahead of runners-up Arsenal, scoring 72 goals and conceding 15 in the process.[18][19] Chelsea won a second successive Premier League title in 2005–06 before Manchester United became the third different club to win the league in four seasons in 2006–07.[20][21] Despite Arsenal leading the division for much of the 2007–08 season, Manchester United retained the championship on the final day of the season and won their eleventh Premier League title in 2008–09 after much competition from Liverpool.[22][23] Chelsea reclaimed the league in 2009–10, scoring a record 103 goals and won the FA Cup to end the season as double winners.[24] In May 2011, Manchester United won their 12th Premier League title and a record 19th after drawing away to Blackburn Rovers.[25]
Promotion and relegation
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2012) |
Nottingham Forest were the first team relegated from the Premier League in the 1992–93 season, losing 2–0 at home to Sheffield United on 1 May 1993.[26] They were joined by Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace, with the latter club relegated on goal difference. Newcastle United and West Ham United were both automatically promoted from the First Division while Swindon Town triumphed in the playoffs.
Blackburn Rovers are the only Premier League champions to have been subsequently relegated from the league, in 1998–99 and 2011–12, although Leicester City (most recently in 2003–04) and Manchester City (most recently in 2000–01) had been relegated from the Premier League prior to winning their first titles.
Top goalscorer
The top goalscorer in the Premier League at the end of each season is awarded the Premier League Golden Boot, known for sponsorship reasons as the Barclays Golden Boot. The first recipient was Teddy Sheringham of Tottenham Hotspur, who scored 21 goals in 40 games for the club as well as an additional goal for Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season.[27] Andy Cole scored 34 goals for Newcastle United in 1993–94 before Alan Shearer won three consecutive awards: twice for Blackburn Rovers including their league-winning season and once for Newcastle United in 1996–97. Chris Sutton, Michael Owen and Dion Dublin of Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Coventry City respectively were the joint recipients of the Golden Boot the following season, with 18 goals apiece. Owen again shared the accolade, scoring 18 goals in 1998–99 with Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke and Leeds forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. In 1999–2000, the award was given to Kevin Phillips of newly promoted Sunderland, scoring 30 goals in 36 games.[28] At a strike rate of 0.83, he was also awarded the European Golden Shoe.[28]
Hasselbaink was the winner in 2000–01, scoring 23 goals for Chelsea in 35 appearances.[29] Thierry Henry of Arsenal picked up the prize a year later with 24 goals and Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy was the awardee in 2002–03, scoring one more than the previous season's tally.[30][31] Henry picked up three successive Golden Boots in 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 scoring 30, 25 and 27 goals respectively.[32] Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was the top goalscorer in 2006–07 with 20 goals and Manchester United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo contributed to his team's success in 2007–08, scoring 31 goals in 34 league games; a strike rate of 0.91.[33][34] Nicolas Anelka of Chelsea was the recipient in 2008–09 with 18 goals before his fellow strike partner Drogba won his second Golden Boot the following season with 29 goals.[35][36] Both Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester City and Manchester United respectively each won their first Golden Boot at the end of the 2010–11 season, scoring 20 goals.[37]
Seasons
| † | League champions won domestic double |
| § | League champions won domestic treble |
| ‡ | Team qualified as UCL winners |
| # | Team qualified as UEL winners |
Notes
- ^ The Champions League was initially contested by domestic league champions of nations affiliated to UEFA. From the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League season the competition was expanded to include eight domestic league runners-up selected by a coefficient system. A preliminary spot was awarded to the third place team in the Premier League starting from the 1998–99 Premier League season for the 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League and an increase in coefficient points in 2001, first in effect for the 2001–02 Premier League season ahead of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League, resulted in an extra preliminary spot being awarded to the team finishing fourth in the Premier League. The 2008–09 Premier League season before the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League was the first to see the top three Premier League teams automatically qualify for the group stages of the competition, with the fourth-placed team participating in a play-off. As of the 2017–18 Premier League season ahead of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, the top four Premier League teams all automatically qualify for the group stages.[38][39][40][41][42]
- ^ Originally referred to as the UEFA Cup, the competition was revamped to the UEFA Europa League from the start of the 2009–10 season.[43] Since the 2001–02 Premier League season ahead of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup, the fifth-placed team in the Premier League automatically qualifies for the competition. The winners of the FA Cup and League Cup also qualify. If the League Cup winner qualifies for Europe through their league place, the next best-placed team in the league takes the European spot. Prior to the 2014–15 Premier League season ahead of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, if the winner of the FA Cup had already qualified for European competition, their place would be transferred to the runner-up. However, starting in 2015, if the FA Cup winner has already qualified for European competition, the next best-placed team in the Premier League will take their place (same as the League Cup).[44][45]
- ^ In addition to the Premier League champions, teams who also qualify for Europe by virtue of their league position, not those who qualify by other means such as winning the FA Cup, Football League Cup or via the Fair Play initiative. Two abolished competitions, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the less prestigious UEFA Intertoto Cup, are excluded.
- ^ Sheringham joined Tottenham Hotspur in August 1992 for £2.1 million. In the league, he scored one goal for Nottingham Forest (against Liverpool on the opening weekend of the season) and 21 for Tottenham Hotspur.[46][27]
- ^ Middlesbrough were deducted three points and fined £50,000 by the Premier League after failing to attend the scheduled fixture against Blackburn Rovers in January 1997.[47]
- ^ As well as winning the league and FA Cup, Manchester United beat Bayern Munich 2–1 in the final of the UEFA Champions League to complete a European treble.[48]
- ^ Kevin Phillips won the European Golden Shoe for the 1999–2000 season, scoring 30 league goals.[49]
- ^ Thierry Henry won the European Golden Shoe for the 2003–04 season, scoring 30 goals.[50]
- ^ Thierry Henry was the joint holder of the European Golden Shoe with Diego Forlán who also scored 25 goals.[51]
- ^ Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the European Golden Shoe for the 2007–08 season, scoring 31 goals.[52]
- ^ Portsmouth were deducted ten points after entering administration in February 2010.[53]
- ^ Luis Suárez shared the European Golden Shoe for the 2013–14 season with Cristiano Ronaldo, both scoring 31 goals.[54]
References
General
- "History of the Premier League". 24 November 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- "Barclays Premier League Table". Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- "Who qualifies to play in Europe?". Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- Ross, James M. (7 November 2008). "English League Leading Goalscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
Bibliography
- Ascough, Phil (2011). Kissing the Badge. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-6508-9.
Specific
- ^ Winter, Henry (5 May 1993). "Football: United revel in their new "theatre of dreams": Ferguson reacts to the title with a call for continued hunger as Cantona, Giggs and Robson reveal appetite for more". The Independent. London. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "FA Premier League / Football League Division One". ManUtd.com. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Shaw, Phil (3 May 1994). "Football / The Race for The Premiership: United take title as Blackburn's chase ends: Darby inspires Coventry to deny denuded Rovers and ensure championship stays in Manchester". The Independent. London. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Shaw, Phil (15 May 1995). "Ewood Park has seen it all before – long, long ago". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
- ^ Moore, Glenn (15 May 1995). "Rovers' title forged by Hammers". The Independent. London. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
- ^ Moore, Glenn (6 May 1996). "United finish in style of worthy champions". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Shaw, Phil (6 May 1996). "Keegan to fight on despite anticlimax". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Hodgson, Guy (12 May 1997). "Football: Cruyff's delight enlivens drudge match". The Independent. London. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ "Arsenal crowned Premiership champions". BBC News. 3 May 1998. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ "Arsenal at the double". BBC News. 16 May 1998. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Thorpe, Martin (22 May 1999). "Dominant Reds make the Double look easy". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Lacey, David (16 December 2000). "Fergie's shadow leaves the future unclear". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Arsenal clinch Double". BBC Sport. 8 May 2002. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (4 May 2003). "Ten weeks that turned the title". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Ridley, Ian (10 August 2003). "Reality check for Roman's dream team". The Observer. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ McCarra, Kevin (26 April 2004). "Celebrations as Arsenal clinch title". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Brodkin, Jon (1 June 2004). "Mourinho flies in as Ranieri is fired". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Walker, Michael (16 May 2005). "Mourinho's record-breakers take Geordie salute". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Chelsea 2004–2005 : English Premier League Table". Statto.com. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ "Chelsea 3–0 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 29 April 2006. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Fletcher, Paul (6 May 2007). "How the title was won". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ McKenzie, Andrew (12 May 2008). "How the title was won". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ Stevenson, Jonathan; Cheese, Caroline (16 May 2009). "How the Premier League was won". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
- ^ McNulty, Phil (9 May 2010). "Chelsea 8–0 Wigan". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Nurse, Howard (14 May 2011). "Blackburn 1–1 Man Utd". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Fox, Norman (2 May 1993). "Football: Clough bids the saddest farewell". The Independent. London. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ a b May, John (10 February 2003). "Sheri all round in exclusive club". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ a b Roach, Stuart (15 February 2002). "Phillips' uncertain world". BBC Sport. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Manchester City 1–2 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 19 May 2001. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Arsenal 4–3 Everton". BBC Sport. 11 May 2002. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Van Nistelrooy nets Golden Boot". BBC Sport. 11 May 2003. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Turner, Georgina; Ingle, Sean (17 May 2004). "Mr Em and Sven's squad, and Fiver Worst Player Awards VI". guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ "Drogba collects Golden Boot award". BBC Sport. 18 May 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Ronaldo & Ferguson win top awards". BBC Sport. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "Anelka's Golden Boot delight". skysports.com. BSkyB. 28 May 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Didier Drogba revels in beating Rooney to golden boot". BBC Sport. 9 May 2010. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Marshall, Adam (26 May 2011). "Dimitar strikes gold". ManUtd.com. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ "Competition format". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "FAQ: Qualification and Seeding for the European Cups". RSSSF. 28 October 1999. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "European qualification explained". BBC Sport. 25 March 2002. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Champions League final switched". BBC Sport. 30 November 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Champions League and Europa League changes next season". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
- ^ "Uefa Cup given new name in revamp". BBC Sport. 26 September 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Premier League, FAQ.
- ^ "UEFA Direct" (PDF). UEFA Magazine. October 2013. Retrieved 27 October 2013.
- ^ Ascough, p. 16.
- ^ Duxbury, Nick (15 January 1997). "Middlesbrough rocked by three-point penalty". The Independent. London. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "United crowned kings of Europe". BBC News. 26 May 1999. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Phillips nets Golden prize". BBC Sport. 29 July 2000. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
- ^ "2004 at a glance". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 January 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Henry and Forlan win Golden Shoe". BBC Sport. 30 May 2005. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ Pontes, Carlos (14 September 2008). "Ronaldo receives Golden Boot in his native Madeira". Reuters. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ "Pompey become first top-flight club in administration". BBC Sport. 26 February 2010. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ Carroll, James (19 May 2014). "Suarez jointly wins Golden Shoe prize". Liverpool F.C. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ a b http://www.premierleague.com/en-gb/players/profile.statistics.html/harry-kane
- ^ "Salah breaks record as Liverpool seal top-four spot". premierleague.com. Premier League. 13 May 2018. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
- ^ "Premier League Golden Boot: Salah, Mane and Aubameyang share prize". BBC Sport. 12 May 2019. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
- ^ "Premier League Golden Boot: Leicester City's Jamie Vardy wins with 23 goals". BBC Sport. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
- ^ "Kane wins double with Golden Boot and Playmaker awards". Premier League. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
