Football is sacred in England. Every week from August to May, thousands of fans travel up and down the country to support their side. Whether it’s in the depths of non-league or one of the hardest competitions in the world – the Premier League – they follow passionately hoping for victory.

At the top of the pyramid, a handful of legendary teams have dominated over the years with some of the best footballers of all time. By playing beautiful and elegant football – or doing the opposite and ‘parking the bus’ – they have ‘completed football’ in the process.

Having won the Premier League in the 2024/2025 season, Liverpool under Arne Slot embarked on an unprecedented spending spree in the summer transfer window, which has seen them break the British transfer record twice to sign both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

Will the addition of those two and their several other marquee signings make them enjoy a stunning campaign this time around too? Due to the question over the Merseysiders and their title-winning pursuit, we have decided to rank the ten greatest English clubs of all time. Based on performances in one specific season, they were a level above the rest of the world.

Ranking Factors

• Trophies won – Only sides who won major honours have been included.
• Quality of players – Whether the players they had are now seen as legendary.
• Style of play – Whether they were exciting to watch with free-flowing football.

12

Everton

1984/1985

Back in the mid-eighties, Merseyside controlled the footballing landscape in England – and Everton, who are among the six teams to never be relegated from the Premier League, bucked the trend of Liverpool’s dominance to win the First Division title in 1984/85 as they finished 13 points ahead of the cross-city rivals to glory.

Club legend Howard Kendall was at the helm during the Toffees’ best-ever campaign and what made it so special is because they beat Liverpool three times from start to finish. Alongside their success on the domestic stage, they also picked up their first bit of European silverware in the form of the Cup Winners’ Cup. Losing to Manchester United in the FA Cup final, though, was their only downfall.

11

Manchester United

2008/09

Manchester United’s most famous side is, of course, that treble-winning side a decade or so earlier – but Sir Alex Ferguson had the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney at his disposal in 2008/09. They won the Premier League that season for the third time on the spin, equalling (at the time) Liverpool’s record of 18 top flight titles, and it also marked the end of Ronaldo’s Old Trafford stint as he struck 26 times across the campaign.

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League success aside for a second, the Red Devils won the League Cup 4-1 on penalties after their trip to Wembley against Tottenham Hotspur ended goalless, and they also picked up Club World Cup glory for good measure. Losing in the Champions League final to Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona was a low point – but if they enjoyed success at Europe’s top table, too, they would be further up this list given how ruthless they were on the pitch.

10

Arsenal

1997/1998

Photo courtesy of Reuters.

In Arsene Wenger’s first full season in charge of the club, Arsenal completed the domestic double by lifting both the Premier League and FA Cup at the end of the campaign – the first time they had done so since 1970/1971. Having inherited the much-vaunted back-five of David Seaman, Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Lee Dixon, Wenger set about looking to add a bit of verve and flair to his attack, and was promptly rewarded with some scintillating performances from the likes of Marc Overmars and Dennis Bergkamp in particular.

But, none perhaps matched the kind of thrilling pace, directness and audacity of French sensation Nicolas Anelka. The teenager scored in the FA Cup final to round off an exciting season, and kick-start Wenger’s incredible legacy in English football’s most decorated and historic cup competition.

9

Nottingham Forest

1978/1979

No longer such a force in English football circles, Nottingham Forest are one of the most historic clubs in English football history. They are famous for their history – and that mostly came in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During the 1978/1979 campaign, Forest completed the ultimate goal in football by winning the European Cup.

They finished second in the First Division, eight points behind champions Liverpool, and also won the League Cup by defeating Southampton 3-2 in the final. However, those achievements were quickly trumped by European success, as they beat Malmo 1-0 in the European Cup final. Trevor Francis will forever be a Forest legend by scoring the only goal of the match.

8

Manchester United

1967/1968

Over 10 years before Nottingham Forest’s incredible triumph, Manchester United also won the European Cup. 10 years after the Munich Air Disaster in 1958, they had won football’s greatest prize to honour those who sadly lost their lives that day, with George Best at the heart of their success.

Throughout the season, one of the greatest British players of all time scored 32 goals and he was named European Footballer of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year. Their European Cup final victory came in the form of a 4-1 win against Benfica, where Sir Bobby Charlton scored twice, capping off an impressive campaign which saw them finish second in the First Division.

7

Chelsea

2004/2005

Stretching back into the modern day, Jose Mourinho‘s Chelsea were one of the greatest defensive teams of all time. Nowadays, football seems to be focused on attacking output, but the legendary former Porto manager went against the grain. As they cruised to the title with 95 points, 12 ahead of Arsenal, they broke a plethora of records.

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At the time, it was the most points ever won in a season, whilst they also broke the record for most clean sheets (25) and fewest goals conceded (15). They still hold the latter two records – and, coupled with winning the League Cup by beating Liverpool 3-2 in the final, it was an unbelievable campaign for the Blues.

6

Manchester City

2017/2018

The Centurions. There are only 114 points available in a Premier League campaign, so the thought of a team picking up 100 felt impossible years ago. However, in 2018, Manchester City completed mission impossible. After an incredible campaign, Gabriel Jesus scored a 94th-minute winner away to Southampton on the final day of the season to become centurions.

Absolute bedlam ensued as they created history. The league campaign also saw them break the record for the most wins (32), most away wins (16) and most goals (106), whilst they also won the EFL Cup, beating Arsenal 3-0 in the final, to complete an unforgettable campaign.

5

Liverpool

2019/2020

Two seasons after Man City picked up 100 points, Liverpool came narrowly close to replicating the feat, but they fell short – potentially due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. During an incredible Premier League campaign, the Reds won the competition for the first time in the most comfortable situation possible.

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They finished on 99 points, 18 ahead of Man City, whilst they also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup after qualifying for them due to winning the Champions League the season prior. With one of the best-attacking trios of all time, Jurgen Klopp’s side were genuinely world-class – and this campaign came in the middle of an era where they won everything possible. Legendary.

4

Arsenal

2003/2004

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, but when they did win it during their legendary year, they wrote their name in the history books. With a record of 26 wins and 12 draws, the Gunners became the first – and remain the only – English side to go the whole league campaign unbeaten.

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Playing at their fortress, Highbury, Arsene Wenger’s side were in a world of their own. They fell short in both domestic cups and the Champions League, but that was simply forgotten as they celebrated with their golden Premier League. Thierry Henry, one of the best strikers in Premier League history, was at the heart of their success, scoring a remarkable 39 goals during the campaign.

3

Liverpool

1976/1977

Featuring for a second time on this list, Liverpool showcased their dominance during an earlier spell in the 1970s, winning the First Division for the second successive season in 1977. They finished just one point ahead of Man City, whilst they then lost to bitter rivals Man United in the FA Cup final.

The defeat stopped them from becoming the first English club to win three major trophies in the same season, yet no one cared when they flexed their strength and won the European Cup for the first time. As they beat Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1 in Rome, they cemented their place in greatness. Bob Paisley became one of the Reds’ greatest managers of all time, whilst top goalscorer Kevin Keegan secured a British record move to Hamburg the following summer.