10 Best Club Teams in English Football History (Ranked)

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.

Due to this, we have decided to rank the nine greatest English clubs of all time. Based on performances in one specific season, they were a level above the rest of the world. Will Arne Slot’s Liverpool make this list given how incredibly well they have performed in this 2024/2025 Premier League season? Only time will tell, but this list comprises the best of the best in English football history.

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.

10

Arsenal

1997/1998

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

To begin, 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.

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.

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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.

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.

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.

3:13

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4

Arsenal

2003/2004

Arsenal have not won the Premier League since 2004, but when they did win it during their legendary year, they completed history. 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.

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.

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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 in the following summer.

2

Manchester City

2022/2023

Only two teams have ever completed the ‘true treble’ in English football. Man City always used to be called the ‘noisy neighbours’, but – in 2023 – they had every reason to be loud as they won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same campaign.

They pipped Arsenal to the league title after a frantic title race and beat bitter rivals United in the FA Cup final thanks to a stunning strike from Ilkay Gundogan. However, it was all topped when they tasted European success for the first time in their history by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the final. They had been craving it for so long – and Erling Haaland, always one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or, helped make it possible in the run to the final.

1

Manchester United

1998/1999

However, it’s always believed the first time is the most memorable, so Man United’s treble-winning side in the 1998/1999 campaign has ranked as the best English club side of all time. Ruled over by one of the greatest managers of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, the Red Devils narrowly won the title by one point ahead of rivals Arsenal, whilst they followed up that triumph by beating Newcastle 2-0 in the FA Cup final.

One game from history, the nerves were high when they went 1-0 down to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. However, two stoppage-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw them complete one of the greatest comebacks ever to win 2-1. Legendary in every sense, David Beckham was seen as the club’s main hero; he was named UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and was runner-up to Rivaldo for 1999’s Ballon d’Or.