Playing in the Premier League is what just about every club in England is striving to do. Reaching the top of the football pyramid is the end game and it’s the reward for hard work and success on the pitch. It’s not easy, though, and keeping hold of a spot in the top flight once you’re there is even harder.
Some teams have been very fortunate, spending the majority of their careers in the top flight, while others have only had a slight taste of what it feels like to be in the promised land. And then there are some teams in the football league right now who have never quite made it to the top. A recent study has revealed just how many seasons each of the 92 clubs in the football league right now has spent in the top flight of English football throughout history.
League Two
Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
There are two teams in League Two who have spent a considerable amount of time in the top flight.
Oldham Athletic, who were only recently promoted back into the Football League, and Grimsby Town have both spent 12 years in the first division. Swindon Town and Northampton Town are the only other teams in League Two to have spent anytime in the top flight at all. The Robins took part in just the second ever Premier League campaign, but finished dead last in the table and never returned.
Elsewhere, the likes of Accrington Stanley, Bristol Rovers and Crewe Alexandra have never played in the top flight and considering they’re currently three promotions away from the promised land, it will be a while before any of them rectify that.
How many top flight seasons every League Two club has had
League Two rank
Club
Number of top flight seasons
National rank
1
Oldham Athletic
12
45
2
Grimsby Town
12
47
3
Northampton Town
1
62
4
Swindon Town
1
63
N/A
Accrington Stanley
0
N/A
N/A
Barnet
0
N/A
N/A
Bristol Rovers
0
N/A
N/A
Cheltenham Town
0
N/A
N/A
Chesterfield
0
N/A
N/A
Colchester United
0
N/A
N/A
Crawley Town
0
N/A
N/A
Crewe Alexandra
0
N/A
N/A
Exeter City
0
N/A
N/A
Fleetwood Town
0
N/A
N/A
Gillingham
0
N/A
N/A
Newport County
0
N/A
N/A
Port Vale
0
N/A
N/A
Rochdale
0
N/A
N/A
Rotherham United
0
N/A
N/A
Salford City
0
N/A
N/A
Shrewsbury Town
0
N/A
N/A
Tranmere Rovers
0
N/A
N/A
Walsall
0
N/A
N/A
York City
0
N/A
League One
Action Images via Reuters/Carl Recine
Leicester City, who lifted the Premier League trophy in 2016 but are now in the third tier after suffering back-to-back relegations, have spent 56 years among the big boys. Only Sheffield Wednesday have spent more seasons in England’s top flight (66) than them.
There’s a sizeable gap between the Foxes and the next three teams, with Huddersfield Town, Notts County and Blackpool spending 32 years, 30 years and 28 years respectively in the top flight across their histories.
The 2023/24 campaign saw Luton Town embark on their first ever Premier League season, but it was far from their first rodeo at the top of the pyramid. They’ve actually spent 17 years in the first division.
The only other team in League One with double-digit experience in terms of years in the top flight is Bradford City. The Yorkshire-based side, who were promoted from League Two in 2025, have spent 12 years in the promised land over time. Wigan Athletic (8), Reading (3), Leyton Orient (1) and Barnsley (1) are the only other teams in League One who have ever made it to the top flight.
How many top flight seasons every League One club has had
League One rank
Club
Number of top flight seasons
National rank
1
Sheffield Wednesday
66
16
2
Leicester City
56
24
3
Huddersfield Town
32
31
4
Notts County
30
32
5
Blackpool
28
34
6
Luton Town
17
40
7
Bradford City
12
46
8
Wigan Athletic
8
52
9
Reading
3
56
10
Oxford United
3
57
11
Leyton Orient
1
57
12
Barnsley
1
58
N/A
AFC Wimbledon
0
N/A
N/A
Bromley
0
N/A
N/A
Burton Albion
0
N/A
N/A
Cambridge United
0
N/A
N/A
Doncaster Rovers
0
N/A
N/A
Mansfield Town
0
N/A
N/A
Milton Keynes Dons
0
N/A
N/A
Peterborough United
0
N/A
N/A
Plymouth Argyle
0
N/A
N/A
Stevenage
0
N/A
N/A
Stockport County
0
N/A
N/A
Wycombe Wanderers
0
N/A
Championship
via Reuters
Almost every club in the Championship has made it to the top flight in their history. The only teams to never make it to the big one are Wrexham and Lincoln City. Considering the Welsh side’s meteoric rise up the football pyramid in recent times, though, with three consecutive promotions, it might not be long before they realise that dream.
West Bromwich Albion, Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers have spent the most time in the top flight of anyone in the second tier. The Baggies have spent the majority of their history in the first division and rank 11th across the whole Football League. Blackburn are one of just two teams to win the Premier League who are no longer in the division. They’ve spent 72 years in the top flight, despite a now 14-year absence.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United, who were both relegated from the Premier League in 2025/26, have spent 71 and 68 seasons in England’s top-flight respectively.
Millwall have spent just two seasons in England’s top-flight. They will be looking to make it to the Premier League for the first time after coming so close to promotion last time out.
How many top flight seasons every Championship club has had
Championship rank
Club
Number of top flight seasons
National rank
1
West Bromwich Albion
81
11
2
Bolton Wanderers
73
12
3
Blackburn Rovers
72
13
4
Wolverhampton Wanderers
71
14
5
West Ham United
68
15
6
Derby County
65
17
7
Sheffield United
63
18
8
Stoke City
62
19
9
Burnley
61
21
10
Middlesbrough
61
22
11
Birmingham City
57
23
12
Southampton
47
26
13
Preston North End
46
27
14
Portsmouth
33
29
15
Norwich City
27
36
16
Charlton Athletic
26
37
17
Queens Park Rangers
23
38
18
Cardiff City
17
41
19
Watford
14
43
20
Bristol City
9
50
21
Swansea City
9
51
22
Millwall
2
54
N/A
Wrexham
0
N/A
N/A
Lincoln City
0
N/A
Premier League
REUTERS/Ed Sykes
Surprisingly, none of the traditional big six in the Premier League have actually spent the most seasons in the top flight. That honour goes to Everton. The Toffees have spent just four seasons in their entire history outside the division. It’s an astonishing achievement, but one they have risked ruining in recent years as they came close to dropping to the Championship.
Second, 11 years behind Everton is Aston Villa. The Villans record would look even better if they hadn’t just spent several seasons in the Championship. One campaign behind them is Liverpool, who have won the top flight a record-tying 20 times. The rest of the big six then follows, with Arsenal (110), Manchester United (102), Manchester City (98), Tottenham Hotspur (92) and Chelsea (92) all also ranking in the top 10.
After another highly successful 2025/26 campaign, Bournemouth have solidified themselves as a top flight side. They’re still relatively new to the division, though, and have only spent 10 years within it. The only Premier League club that have spent fewer seasons than them in England’s top flight is Hull City (6).
How many top flight seasons every Premier League club has had
Premier League rank
Club
Number of top flight seasons
National rank
1
Everton
124
1
2
Aston Villa
113
2
3
Liverpool
112
3
4
Arsenal
110
4
5
Manchester United
102
5
6
Manchester City
98
6
7
Newcastle United
95
7
8
Tottenham Hotspur
92
8
9
Chelsea
92
9
10
Sunderland
88
10
11
Nottingham Forest
61
22
12
Leeds United
55
25
13
Coventry City
35
28
14
Fulham
32
31
15
Ipswich Town
28
33
16
Crystal Palace
27
35
17
Brighton & Hove Albion
14
42
18
Brentford
11
48
19
Bournemouth
10
49
20
Hull City
6
53
All statistics courtesy of Soccer Facts and accurate as of 19/08/2026
Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Aston Villa centre-back Ezri Konsa, according to David Ornstein.
The Gunners have been in the market for a new centre-back all summer after it was revealed that William Saliba would miss several months of the new season due to a back injury. After being linked with the likes of Jarell Quansah, John Stones and Cristian Romero, Konsa emerged as the priority target.
Ornstein suggests that while the deal isn’t concluded, dialogue at the ownership level has led to the gap in the valuation between the two clubs being reduced.
Villa have been reported to be holding out for £60 million, so it remains to be seen whether the West Midlanders will ultimately get their wish.
Bayern Munich and Germany star Jamal Musiala has suffered through various injuries and fitness issues over the last couple of seasons, with a broken fibula and dislocated ankle in July 2025 the most serious hurdle he’s faced.
The 23-year-old had been hoping that the 2026/27 Bundesliga campaign would finally put his bad luck behind him. But the attacking midfielder’s pre-season was disrupted by an altogether different medical issue that has left football fans worrying over his health.
Suffering through mysterious bouts of unconsciousness during Bayern’s pre-season friendlies, Musiala’s immediate playing future has been left hanging in the balance.
What Happened to Jamal Musiala?
REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Musiala collapsed in two consecutive friendlies whilst representing Bayern Munich. The first incident, which happened during Bayern’s 3-1 friendly win over RB Leipzig on August 15, 2026, made headlines. Looking dazed during the match, Musiala was safely assisted to the turf by new signing Ismael Saibari before receiving medical treatment.
Subsequent medical tests revealed no deeper lying issues and the playmaker quickly returned to training. “The most important thing is that he is well,” commented Bayern Munich executive Max Eberl after the match. “There’s nothing more to say about anything else.” Bayern boss Vincent Kompany also reassured concerned fans that the collapse was likely a combination of the extreme heat and Musiala’s recent medical issues.
But serious concern for the young Bayern star was raised just four days later. Eight minutes after coming on as a substitute in the friendly against Heidenheim, Musiala again collapsed on the pitch. Musiala’s worried teammates surrounded him as the team’s medical staff assessed the player’s health. Positively, Musiala was able to walk off the pitch unassisted and allayed concerns with an update after the second incident.
What Caused Jamal Musiala to Collapse?
REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
After the second collapse during the Heidenheim fixture, Musiala revealed that absence seizures had been the cause of his medical issues during pre-season.
As outlined by Johns Hopkins Medicine, absence seizures are “caused by abnormal brain activity. These mixed messages confuse your brain and cause a seizure. An absence seizure causes you to blank out or stare into space for a few seconds. […] They usually don’t cause any long-term problems. They often occur after a period of very fast breathing (hyperventilation).”
Most sufferers return to normality quite quickly, with it being “rare for them to last longer than 15 minutes.” Absence seizures tend to be more common in children, and it is currently unknown whether Musiala suffered similar issues in his formative years.
Following the second collapse, Musiala released a statement via his Instagram account confirming the diagnosis:
“I want to put those concerns to rest today and explain a little more: I have been diagnosed with brief, temporary episodes of absence that are easily treatable and are caused by a neurological dysfunction. These can lead to the moments that have occurred recently, such as against Leipzig and now in Heidenheim. I know that they may seem scary at first glance – but for me, they are currently simply part of my everyday life. I am receiving the best possible medical care in this regard, and I am very optimistic. FC Bayern and the people closest to me are always by my side and supporting me on this journey.”
Musiala also added that it was his decision to return to play against Heidenheim, even after suffering his first absence seizure incident just four days prior against RB Leipzig:
“What is important is that there is no additional health risk beyond this. In close consultation and regular communication with the specialists, it was my personal wish to face this challenge and, with the approval of the neurological specialists, to continue doing what helps me most in my recovery: simply living my everyday life and continuing to pursue my passion of playing football. I have taken responsibility for that decision.”
How Serious is Jamal Musiala’s Condition?
REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
Despite Musiala gaining medical approval to return quickly to professional football, there will be some long-term concern over his diagnosis. As highlighted by John Hopkins Medicine, absence seizures can be a precursor to epilepsy, as “a diagnosis can be made after two or more seizures by a neurologist.”
As shown by Musiala’s case, absence seizures do not normally cause physical injury to the sufferer. However, the context in which they occur can present dangers. If an individual suffers an absence seizure during an activity that requires uninterrupted attention, such as driving or riding a bike, it can create issues for the person and potentially the people around them.
A change in drivers has been confirmed for Red Bull Racing ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix this weekend after Isack Hadjar picked up an injury.
The event, held at Circuit Zandvoort in North Holland, marks Formula One’s return from its summer break, but Hadjar won’t be racing. Alan Permane’s team, Racing Bulls, have confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that the substitution will go ahead.
Hadjar has been an immense signing for Red Bull so far, meaning his absence will be a huge blow for the upcoming Grand Prix. The 21-year-old has doubled the contribution of his replacement in just half a season, while also lapping within two-tenths of Max Verstappen on average.
Isack Hadjar’s Dutch Grand Prix Replacement Confirmed
As first reported by Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf, Hadjar picked up a wrist injury during the summer off-season. Replacing him this weekend will be Liam Lawson, who hasn’t raced for Red Bull since the start of the 2025 season.
While Hadjar’s injury isn’t believed to be serious, his team still think it’ll be a couple of weeks until the French-Algerian driver is back in action. It means Lawson will partner Verstappen for the time being, including at the Dutch GP.
The reshuffle also means Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda has been drafted into the junior team to replace Lawson. Tsunoda or rookie Arvid Lindblad were the other options to be Verstappen’s temporary teammate, but Red Bull opted for Lawson.
Tsunoda actually stepped in for Lawson last time he drove for Red Bull, after the New Zealander only lasted two races before being demoted. He also failed to meet expectations, however, and was subsequently dropped at the end of the 2025 season.
Hadjar’s Expected Return Date
After sitting out at Zandvoort this weekend, Hadjar will have two weeks to recover before the Italian Grand Prix, which will be held in Monza.
It’s been an impressive debut campaign for the 21-year-old, who was promoted after a strong rookie year with Racing Bulls. He’s expected to remain Verstappen’s partner for next season. As it stands, Hadjar is eighth in the drivers’ standings with 11 of 23 scheduled rounds complete. He’s 41 points back from his Dutch colleague in sixth.
He actually achieved his first podium for Red Bull at Zandvoort last year, so it will be a bitter blow to miss out this time around.
