Even a day is a long time in football. How about 31 years then? In 1992, Premier League was established which changed the face of English football forever. Since its inception, 50 clubs have played in the now world’s richest football league. Some come and go like yo-yos, and some scratch and claw for survival before eventually going down. However, some clubs can proudly say that they have never been relegated.
Here are the elite six Premier League clubs that have never been relegated in league history.
Manchester United
This list will be full of surprises not due to its inclusions, but due to its exclusions, which will be covered later. Therefore, it is no surprise to see the Premier League era’s most successful team in the list of Premier League clubs that have never been relegated.
With 13 PL titles and a record-low finish of only 7th, United’s PL record is second to none. Despite some lean years since Sir Alex’s retirement, United are near the top of every prestigious PL record, be it titles won, games won, and more.
On Sunday, champions Manchester United lifted the Barclays Premier League trophy for the 13th time. #BPL pic.twitter.com/IEDldqIhJt
— Premier League (@premierleague) May 13, 2013
Now with the Premier League’s elite increasingly trying to break away from the chasing pack, it looks unlikely that United ever create a new record-low finish, let alone get relegated.
Arsenal
Manchester United vs Arsenal is the rivalry that defined the PL in late 1990s and early 2000s. Therefore, it is no surprise to see the then archrivals on this list together.
Just like Sir Alex at Manchester United, the arrival of Arsene Wenger at Arsenal started a dynasty which, despite ending with a whimper, saw glory days at the very top.
The only thing that stopped Arsenal from winning more PL titles (3) was United’s dominance, as they finished 2nd six times.
📊 Arsenal Invincibles recorded the longest unbeaten streak in Premier League history.
👏 A total of 49 matches without a single defeat. pic.twitter.com/djc8iP4xXB
— GoonerBox (@gooner_box) May 15, 2020
Their lowest PL finish came in the 1994/95 season which saw them stumble to 12th. The dark nights gave way to glory days as Arsene Wenger took over soon after. Arsenal never looked back.
Despite some recent falls, Mikel Arteta has them back on an upward trajectory as they look well-placed to add to their PL tally in the future.
Liverpool
Liverpool’s best title-winning days were before the advent of the Premier League. However, they have remained a force to be reckoned with post that as well. Especially since the arrival of Jurgen Klopp and his ‘Gegenpressing‘, the club won their maiden PL title with a blistering total of 99 points in the 2019/20 season.
WE’RE PREMIER LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qX7Duxoslm
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) June 25, 2020
Even in the dark days, Liverpool were capable of wrestling near the top of the league, or at worst, giving an equal fight to their more successful rivals at the time.
With a record-low finish of just 8th, it shows that even when Liverpool were down, they were never out. They are unlikely to ever set a lower PL finish record. Even if they did, it is pretty much a guarantee that their record of never being relegated from the Premier League will stay intact forever, something that can’t be said about the next entrant.
Everton
The last few years have been a kind of return to form for Everton. Before David Moyes established them as a “best of the rest” club, Everton were a club that always flirted dangerously with relegation but never went down.
The Toffees finished 17th twice and 16th once before Moyes came and after early struggles, established them as a stable PL force which had the potential to cause the odd upset.
However, since his departure, the club has lurched from one manager to the next and despite some peaks (2x 5th under Moyes, 1x 5th under Roberto Martinez), the fans have been up in arms regarding mismanagement at the club.
Of all the clubs listed here, Everton are most prone to being off this list sometime in the future.
Tottenham
Often trolled for their lack of trophies, Tottenham are nonetheless in a fabled group of teams who have never been relegated.
Before establishing themselves as a member of PL’s “top six” under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham was the team which always flattered to deceive. Some UCL qualifications were combined with lacklustre campaigns, with the club always striving for stability and consistency.
While it will never go as dark as the early PL days, when the club achieved its record-low finish of 15th in the PL era (1993/94 season), there is work to be done to put Tottenham back on the map amongst elites.
Chelsea
People might be surprised, but before Roman Abramovich arrived and tore through the competition with his money, Chelsea was still a decent club that competed near the top of the league.
Their darkest days were in the early PL years when they finished 14th during the 1993/94 season. In the Abramovich era, the club has won five PL titles with a record-low finish of 10th.
While the club is on its way to setting a new record-low finish this season, their record of never being relegated from the PL is undoubtedly safe.
The notable exclusion from this list, when looking at the current PL table is Manchester City. Unlike Chelsea, Manchester City was a proper underdog club that was only known for causing the odd upset. Their highest PL finish before the lucrative takeover was 8th (2004/05 season).
They have been relegated twice from the PL and finished 16th multiple times. However, since the takeover, the club has been a winning machine. Having already surpassed Arsenal and Chelsea in PL titles won (Six), the club is a modern-day phenomenon of the Premier League despite its less-than-stellar history.
