English League Champions 1888 to 2026
Sidebar
Football · Champions of England Cheat Sheet
Every English top-flight champion, 1888–89 to 2025–26 — First Division and Premier League treated as one continuous line, the way most fans actually talk about it. See the closing note on why that's a slight simplification.
Origins & the 1890s
1888–89Preston North End — unbeaten all season, football's first "Invincibles"1889–90Preston North End1890–91Everton1891–92Sunderland1892–93Sunderland1893–94Aston Villa1894–95Sunderland1895–96Aston Villa1896–97Aston Villa1897–98Sheffield United1898–99Aston Villa1899–1900Aston Villa1900s
1900–01Liverpool1901–02Sunderland1902–03Sheffield Wednesday1903–04Sheffield Wednesday1904–05Newcastle United1905–06Liverpool1906–07Newcastle United1907–08Manchester United1908–09Newcastle United1909–10Aston Villa1910s
1910–11Manchester United1911–12Blackburn Rovers1912–13Sunderland1913–14Blackburn Rovers1914–15Everton1915–19No competition — World War I1919–20West Bromwich Albion1920s
1920–21Burnley1921–22Liverpool1922–23Liverpool1923–24Huddersfield Town — first of an unprecedented 3 in a row1924–25Huddersfield Town1925–26Huddersfield Town — completed the hat-trick1926–27Newcastle United1927–28Everton1928–29Sheffield Wednesday1929–30Sheffield Wednesday1930s
1930–31Arsenal1931–32Everton1932–33Arsenal1933–34Arsenal1934–35Arsenal — Herbert Chapman's side, 3 in a row1935–36Sunderland1936–37Manchester City1937–38Arsenal1938–39Everton1939–46No competition — World War II1940s (Post-War)
1946–47Liverpool1947–48Arsenal1948–49Portsmouth1949–50Portsmouth1950s
1950–51Tottenham Hotspur1951–52Manchester United1952–53Arsenal1953–54Wolverhampton Wanderers1954–55Chelsea1955–56Manchester United — Busby Babes1956–57Manchester United1957–58Wolverhampton Wanderers1958–59Wolverhampton Wanderers1959–60Burnley1960s
1960–61Tottenham Hotspur — the modern era's first League/Cup double1961–62Ipswich Town1962–63Everton1963–64Liverpool1964–65Manchester United1965–66Liverpool1966–67Manchester United1967–68Manchester City1968–69Leeds United1969–70Everton1970s
1970–71Arsenal1971–72Derby County1972–73Liverpool1973–74Leeds United1974–75Derby County1975–76Liverpool1976–77Liverpool1977–78Nottingham Forest1978–79Liverpool1979–80Liverpool1980s
1980–81Aston Villa1981–82Liverpool1982–83Liverpool1983–84Liverpool1984–85Everton1985–86Liverpool1986–87Everton1987–88Liverpool1988–89Arsenal — won it at Anfield, injury time, last game of the season1989–90Liverpool1990s
1990–91Arsenal1991–92Leeds United — last-ever First Division champions1992–93Manchester United — first-ever Premier League champions1993–94Manchester United1994–95Blackburn Rovers1995–96Manchester United1996–97Manchester United1997–98Arsenal1998–99Manchester United — part of the Treble1999–2000Manchester United2000s
2000–01Manchester United2001–02Arsenal2002–03Manchester United2003–04Arsenal — "The Invincibles," unbeaten in all 38 games2004–05Chelsea — Mourinho's first title2005–06Chelsea2006–07Manchester United2007–08Manchester United2008–09Manchester United2009–10Chelsea2010s
2010–11Manchester United2011–12Manchester City — won on goal difference, with a 93rd-minute winner2012–13Manchester United — Ferguson's last title2013–14Manchester City2014–15Chelsea2015–16Leicester City — 5000/1 outsiders at the start of the season2016–17Chelsea2017–18Manchester City2018–19Manchester City2019–20Liverpool — ended a 30-year wait for the title2020s
2020–21Manchester City — first of an unprecedented 4 in a row2021–22Manchester City2022–23Manchester City2023–24Manchester City — completed the run, still the only 4-in-a-row2024–25Liverpool2025–26ArsenalTrivia & Records
Most titlesLiverpool & Manchester United, tied at 20 eachOnly 4-in-a-rowManchester City, 2020–21 to 2023–24Only unbeaten PL seasonArsenal, 2003–04 — "The Invincibles"Biggest underdog titleLeicester City, 2015–16First-ever championsPreston North End, 1888–89 — also unbeatenLongest gap between titlesLiverpool — 30 years, 1989–90 to 2019–20Two real gaps, and one competition that's technically two
"Champions of England" here treats the Football League First Division (1888–1992) and the FA Premier League (1992–present) as one continuous line, the way it's almost always talked about casually — but the Premier League was a genuine breakaway, formed when the top clubs left the Football League in 1992 to negotiate their own TV deal, not simply a rebrand of the same competition. There's also no official champion at all for 1915–16 through 1918–19 (World War I) or 1939–40 through 1945–46 (World War II) — both league seasons were suspended entirely, not merely uncontested.