The Most Successful Football Teams in EPL History
Started in 1889, The Football League ran all the way until 1992 when it was converted to the English Premier League (EPL) and has been named that ever since. It is one of the most respected and richest football leagues in the entire world, and draws in players from all over the world and from other huge leagues like the Spanish La Liga and the Italian Serie A. There have been many successful clubs move in and out of the EPL but some clubs have maintained their incredible success over more than a century of the EPL's existence. So here are the five most successful football teams in the history of the EPL and a description of their trophies, honors and finest moments, as well as some of their worst.
Manchester United F.C.
The Football League/EPL Trophies: 20
FA Cup Trophies: 11
League Cup Trophies: 4
European Cup/Champions League Trophies: 3
Other: 24
The 2013 EPL Winners and the most successful English club in history, Manchester United are well known all around the world, not just in the UK. The club began earlier, but officially changed it's name to Manchester United in 1902, over a hundred years ago. They then moved into their now famous stadium, Old Trafford, where they have played ever since. They have won my EPL titles than any other club and were also the first ever English football club to win the European Cup (now known as The Champions League) back in 1968. In the memorable 1999 season they also won the all elusive and near impossible 'Treble,' winning the English Premier League, F.A Cup and Champions League titles all in the same year. That run is most known for the incredible comeback from 1-0 down in stoppage time to win 2-1 with goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Manchester United are one of the richest football clubs in the whole world, and are known for making incredibly large transfer signings, although strangely not as large as some of the other teams. They've been a club that have managed to keep players for longer under a more stable environment, largely due to their great management, including the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, who retired after the 2013 season. Ferguson managed the club for 26 years before handing the reigns over to David Moyes.
Liverpool
The Football League/EPL Trophies: 18
FA Cup Trophies: 7
League Cup Trophies: 8
European Cup/Champions League Trophies: 5
Other: 22
Another club with an incredibly old and rich history is Liverpool, who have been around and playing at their current stadium, Anfield, since 1892. The club is the second most successful English club after Manchester United, and have won 18 Premier League trophies as well as an incredible 5 European Cups. There most recent EPL title came in 2012, after a long drought, and they won the Champions League most recently in the 2004-2005 season after Steven Gerrard sparked an incredible comeback in one of the best football matches in history.
Liverpool are a club that is also known for signing big name players, and has a fierce rivalry with multiple teams, most notably Everton and Manchester United. They have one of the most well known histories in all of football, and are one of the few clubs known almost as well as Manchester United. One darker memory from their past is the famous Hillsborough Disaster in 1989, where overcrowding and a stadium malfunction killed 96 of their fans.
Highlights From Liverpool's 2005 Champions League Final
Which of the top 5 clubs is your favorite, if any?
Arsenal
The Football League/EPL Trophies: 13
FA Cup Trophies: 10
League Cup Trophies: 2
European Cup/Champions League Trophies: 0
Other: 14
The next club in our list is Arsenal, a London based team who now play at Emirates Stadium, after a long stint at the famous Highbury. The club was founded in 1886 and has a great history of winning in a variety of competitions, but have never won a European Cup or Champions League title. They have won a whopping 13 EPL titles and 10 FA Cups, which helps vault them near the top of the all time most successful clubs. They actually hold the record for being in the top league for the longest unbroken period.
Arsenal have won a number of 'Doubles' and are known for their incredible 2003-2004 season where they ran the entire season without a loss, becoming just the second team at the time to complete that task. They have perhaps the most heated and vicious rivalry in all of English Football, with their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, as well as other London clubs like Chelsea and West Ham. They are in the top five most times in the list of most valuable football clubs in the world.
Chelsea
The Football League/EPL Trophies: 4
FA Cup Trophies: 7
League Cup Trophies: 4
European Cup/Champions League Trophies: 1
Other: 10
Another London based club, Chelsea began in 1905 and play at the historic Stamford Bridge stadium in Fulham. Unlike the first three clubs in this list, Chelsea did not have much success in their earlier years, but began a good run of winning around the 1950s, winning the League in 1955. Their numbers in terms of EPL titles are a little lower at 4, but have had a lot of other successes. They have done well in Europe, and are none of the London clubs had ever won the Champions League until Chelsea did so in 2012. Much of their greatest success had been in recent years, where they have become a defensive force, spending far more money under richer ownership.
They club has been erratic in management in recent years, and have become notorious for being intolerant of poor play, quick to let managers go. They are currently owned by Roman Abramovich, who is a billionaire from Russia, who has funded much of their recent success. They have famous rivalries with Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, but because they have been relatively unsuccessful of late, they have sparked rivalries with some of the other bigger clubs in the EPL like Arsenal and Man United.
Everton
The Football League/EPL Trophies: 9
FA Cup Trophies: 5
League Cup Trophies: 0
European Cup/Champions League Trophies: 0
Other: 10
Another club based in the Liverpool area, Everton are the oldest club on this list, founded in 1878. They were founding members of the league and have been in the league for more years than any other team, despite dropping out for short periods. Due to their location they are very fierce rivals with Liverpool, and they play in what is called the Merseyside Derby. They play at Goodison Park and have done for many years. The club has had plenty of success, but much of this took place in their earlier years, as they haven't won many big trophies in recent years.
The club has won a solid 9 EPL titles, but as mentioned many of them came in the early years, and they have never won The Champions League. What makes Everton different to the other clubs on this list is that they are far less valuable and have far less available in the way of financial resources for transfers and wages. This makes success in the modern world of football much more difficult, but the club are actually experiencing a strong period, battling for top spots in the EPL. We will see if their success can actually convert into a League Championship while battling with the big money clubs we've mentioned above.
