Premier League

Premier League

Football Tournament
Premier League

1992


The Premier League, often known as the English Premier League or EPL outside of the UK, is the top level in the English footballing pyramid. It was founded on the 20th February 1992, is a member of UEFA. contains twenty teams who play each season, and is widely regarded as the best footballing league across the entire world.

History

In a new division that has come to reflect the changing times into a modern footballing era, in a league that now had a major broadcasting package signed by Sky Sports to regularly televise football to the public, Sheffield United’s Brian Deane scored the first goal in a 2-1 win over a Manchester United side that would go on to win that year’s (1992/93) campaign.

The big four

In the 2000s, the original ‘top four’ came to dominance across English football. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool came to be the regular ones to expect to qualify for the Champions League, with all but the Merseyside giants winning the league by the end of the 2004/05 season.

The Champions League came to be dominated by English sides as well in the period after the Millenium. Between 2005 and 2012, seven of the eight UCL finals had been contested by English teams, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all lifting the coveted trophy in this period. The 2007/08 final was played between United and Chelsea in the Luhzniki Stadium in Moscow, with United running out eventual winners after penalties

Unlike the others who were historic footballing heavyweights, transformed by the funding of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovic, had used their increased monetary power to purchase the top talent in world football and rise to the top of the pile. 

Transformation to a top-six

After the domination of the original quartet throughout the 90s and 2000s, another two clubs emerged onto the scene in the 2010s and took the league by storm - Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Both had previously been relatively small in footballing terms and often overshadowed by their neighbours in terms of silverware, but this has changed over time. Since their move from Maine Road, Manchester City’s new ownership under Sheikh Mansour has seen not only great moments on the pitch due to their increased money - with numerous PL titles won and one season that achieved 100 points, but also off of the pitch. The new training complex at the City Football Academy is immense and has helped to develop an area of Manchester that previously was chemical works. The new area is home to numerous offices and football pitches, as well as a bespoke stadium - The Academy Stadium, where City’s Women’s team and their Elite Development Squad (EDS) play.

City’s move onto the footballing scene was announced at the culmination of the 2011/12 season, with Sergio Aguero’s goal at the death on 93:20 against Queens Park Rangers to steal the title from neighbours United going down in football history.

The same has become true for Tottenham Hotspur. They may not have had the same luck when it comes to trophies as Manchester City, but their facilities have drastically improved. Spurs have moved from their previous White Hart Lane ground to the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a ground that is one of the greatest across the entire world, with multiple pitches to host both football and NFL, immense facilities, rail seating, and impeccable views of the footballing action. 

The league has truly now become a contest between these six clubs for who competes at the top. The 2019/20 has narrowed this, however, and the title race now seems to be something for which only Manchester City and Liverpool are competing. Leicester City have spearheaded their way towards the top since their historic 2016 Premier League victory where they lifted the title against all odds. Sheffield United have also looked impressive under Chris Wilder, and alongside Wolverhampton Wanderers add to the sides aiming for a limited number of European spots.

Format

The competition runs from August to May of each year (although it is yet to be seen what the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak will have on the scheduling), it runs on a basis of promotion and relegation from the second tier, the EFL championship, and was ranked second in the UEFA Coefficient in both 2019 and 2020.

The top team at the end of May lifts the trophy, with all teams from 1st to fourth place gaining access to compete from the group stages in the UEFA Champions League.

The fifth-placed side in the Premier League plays in the UEFA Europa League. Winners of the FA Cup and League cup also gain entry to this competition, but this regularly changes due to the nuances of the structuring:

  • If the winners of the FA Cup finish within the top-five of the PL, then the next highest-ranked team who is not in a UEFA competition starts the UEL in the group stages
  • If the winners of the League Cup (Carabao Cup) finish within the top five positions in the league, then this is given the next highest-ranked side who are not qualified to compete in UEFA competitions and they start the Europa League in the Second Round Qualifying.
  • Should a PL club win the UCL or UEL and gain qualification to the Champions League, then their qualification place is handed down the table

There can only be a maximum of five English sides in the Champions League each season.

 

2019/20

After the promotion of Aston Villa, Norwich City and Sheffield United to the PL as well as the relegation of Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, and Fulham, here are the teams that are competing in the 2019/20 edition of the league.

Club Stadium
Arsenal Emirates Stadium
Aston Villa Villa Park
Brighton and Hove Albion American Express Stadium (AMEX)
Burnley Turf Moor
Chelsea Stamford Bridge
Crystal Palace Selhurst Park
Everton Goodison Park
Leicester City King Power Stadium
Liverpool Anfield Stadium
Manchester City

Etihad (City of Manchester) Stadium

Manchester United Old Trafford
Newcastle United St James' Park
Norwich City Carrow Road
Sheffield United Bramall Lane
Southampton St Mary's
Tottenham Hotspur Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Watford Vicarage Road
West Ham United London Stadium
Wolves Molineux

Founding Members

Arsenal

Aston Villa

Blackburn Rovers

Chelsea

Coventry City

Crystal Palace

Everton

Ipswich Town

Leeds United

Liverpool

Manchester City

Manchester United

Middlesbrough

Norwich City

Nottingham Forest

Oldham Athletic 

Queens Park Rangers

Sheffield United

Sheffield Wednesday

Southampton 

Tottenham Hotspur

Wimbledon

Previous winners

1992/93 - Manchester United

1993/94 - Manchester United

1994/95 - Blackburn Rovers

1995/96 - Manchester United

1996/97 - Manchester United

1997/98 - Arsenal

1998/99 - Manchester United

1999/00 - Manchester United

2000/01 - Manchester United

2001/02 - Arsenal

2002/03 - Manchester United 

2003/04 - Arsenal

2004/05 - Chelsea

2005/06 - Chelsea

2006/07 - Manchester United 

2007/08 - Manchester United 

2008/09 - Manchester United 

2009/10 - Chelsea

2010/11 - Manchester United 

2011/12 - Manchester City

2012/13 - Manchester United

2013/14 - Manchester City

2014/15 - Chelsea

2015/16 - Leicester City 

2016/17 - Chelsea

2017/18 - Manchester City

2018/19 - Manchester United

This biography was written by Adam Millington