"eight months as manager. 11 February 2009: Dutchman Guus Hiddink, manager of the Russia national football team, accepts an offer to manage Chelsea until the end of the season. 28 February 2009: Manchester United end February as Premier League leaders ahead of Chelsea by seven points and with a game in hand. Liverpool, Arsenal, Everton and Wigan Athletic complete the top seven. West Bromwich Albion, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City occupy the relegation places. Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City and Reading continue in the top threeplaces respectively in the Championship. 1 March 2009: Manchester United win the 2008–09 Football League Cup"
"of the Football League in 1888, the final has never been contested by two teams from outside the top division, and there have only been eight winners who were not in the top flight: Notts County (1894); Tottenham Hotspur (1901); Wolverhampton Wanderers (1908); Barnsley (1912); West Bromwich Albion (1931); Sunderland (1973), Southampton (1976) and West Ham United (1980). With the exception of Tottenham, these clubs were all playing in the second tier (the old Second Division) – Tottenham were playing in the Southern League and were only elected to the Football League in 1908, meaning they are the only non-League"
"Six of them have won the title since then: Manchester United (13), Chelsea (5), Arsenal (3), Manchester City (3), Blackburn Rovers (1), and Leicester City (1). Following the 2003–04 season, Arsenal acquired the nickname ""The Invincibles"" as they became, and still remain, the only club to complete a Premier League campaign without losing a single game. The record of most points in a Premier League season is 100 by Manchester City in 2017–18. Despite significant European success in the 1970s and early 1980s, the late 1980s marked a low point for English football. Stadiums were crumbling, supporters endured poor facilities,"
"title, while Aston Villa came second and Norwich City third. The Football League was consequently reorganised, with the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions renamed as the First, Second and Third Divisions respectively. Thus, the First Division, while still the top level of the Football League, became the second level of the entire English football league system with the top clubs inheriting the promotion play-off system from the old Second Division. The Premier League was reduced to 20 teams after the 1994-95 season. The Premier League has been won by 6 clubs in its 24 seasons, with Manchester United winning on"
"never previously won the top flight title. The winning squad was worth just one-tenth of that of Manchester City's. Leeds United, the last champions of English football before the creation of the Premier League, played in the first 12 seasons of the Premier League, peaking at third place in 2000, before being relegated in 2004 in the midst of a serious financial crisis which was the direct result of heavy spending on players in the previous few seasons and a failure to net the extra revenue that successful challenges for domestic and European silverware would have brought them. They have"
"Only Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal have more all-time points. With 7,733 league goals scored over 119 seasons (as of the end of 2017-18 season), Wolves have the third highest total of all-time league goals: only Manchester United and Liverpool have more. Football League First Division, superseded by the Premier League (Tier 1) EFL Championship/Football League Second Division (1892–1992) (Tier 2) EFL League One/Football League Third Division (Tier 3) Football League Fourth Division (Tier 4) UEFA Cup FA Cup Football League Cup FA Charity Shield Football League Trophy Texaco Cup Wolverhampton Wanderers was a founder member of the Football League"
"yet to return to the top flight since 2004. Huddersfield Town were the first team in English football to win the First Division title three times in a row back in the 1920s – a feat only matched by Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal – they also claimed the FA Cup, Charity Shield and finished as runners-up in the league three times in this period. Huddersfield spent 45 years outside of the top flight between 1972 and 2017. ""The Terriers"" had numerous promotions and relegations between the second, third and fourth tiers of English football. However, under their new manager"
"In the 1991–92 season, following two years of widespread speculation about the leading clubs of English football forming a breakaway league from the Football League, the 22 clubs competing in the First Division resigned ""en masse"" from the Football League, forming a new top-level competition, The FA Premier League, overseen by the FA, largely to capitalise upon their status as the biggest and most wealthy clubs in the country, and negotiate more profitable television rights. The new league came into force for the 1992–93 season. Its first champions were Manchester United, who ended their 26-year wait for a top division"
"the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league. From the 1922–23 season on it was required of the bottom two teams of both Third Division North and Third Division South. Arsenal, the most successful English club side of the 1930s, picked up their first postwar silverware, finishing top of the First Division by seven points. Their nearest rivals were Manchester United, who lifted the FA Cup with a dramatic 4-2 win over Blackpool at Wembley to end their 37-year wait"
"1937–38 in English football The 1937–38 season was the 63rd season of competitive football in England. Manchester City became the only team to have been relegated in the season after winning the league title as well as the only team to ever be relegated from the top tier of English football having scored the most goals in that particular season. The points spread between the league champions, Arsenal, and the team that finished bottom of the league, West Bromwich Albion, was a mere 16 points. Arsenal won the title (the club's fifth) on the final day of the season with"
"moved to Highbury in 1913 and dropping the ""Woolwich"" from their name). In the 1989–90 season, eight of London’s eleven professional clubs were in the top tier of English Football at the same time, forming 40% of the First Division that season. Historically, London clubs have not accumulated as many trophies as those from North West England, such as the 52 top-league English championships won by Liverpool, Manchester United, Everton and Manchester City; however, in the thirteen consecutive seasons since 2005–06, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham have consistently finished in the top six of the league table (92% top six finishes,"
"Chelsea were the first team to win the FA Cup at the new Wembley Stadium, having also been the last to win it at the old Wembley. They were the first English club to be ranked No. 1 under UEFA's five-year coefficient system in the 21st century. They were the first team in Premier League history, and the first team in the English top flight since their great rivals Tottenham Hotspur in 1962–63, to score at least 100 goals in a single season, reaching the milestone on the final day of the 2009–10 season. Chelsea are the only London club"
"Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke (now Stoke City), West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers), known as The Football League. When the League admitted additional members from the rival Football Alliance in 1892, it was split into two divisions. For the next 100 years, the First Division was the top professional league in English football. Then, in 1992 the 22 clubs making up the First Division elected to resign from the Football League and set up the Premier League. The Football League was consequently re-organised, with the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions now renamed"
"its existence as the top division in the country. Everton come closest, missing just four seasons through relegation, and remain one of only three clubs in England to have played over 100 top-flight seasons, along with Aston Villa and Arsenal. The League was suspended for four seasons during the First World War and resumed in 1919 with the First and Second Divisions expanded to 22 clubs. On resumption West Bromwich Albion (1919–20) and Burnley (1920–21), both original 12 clubs, won their first-ever titles (in Albion's case their only title to date). In 1920, leading clubs from the Southern League joined"
"two other English clubs, Liverpool in 1983–84 and Manchester United in 1998–99, but ultimately finished as runners-up in all three. Chelsea reached their third League Cup final in four years, but suffered a surprise 2–1 defeat to mid-table Tottenham at Wembley. Chelsea emerged as United's closest rivals in the title race; a 2–1 victory over United at Stamford Bridge in April left the teams level on points with four games remaining. The teams were still level on points going into the final game of the season, although United's superior goal difference meant Chelsea had to better their result; in the"
"the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league. From the 1922–23 season on it was required of the bottom two teams of both Third Division North and Third Division South. Portsmouth retained the First Division title, finishing level on points with Wolves. Sunderland finished a single point behind the leading pair, with Manchester United and Newcastle United completing the top five. Sixth placed Arsenal, the 1948 champions, finished four points off the top of the table but triumphed over Liverpool"
"Barclays Premier League is the most-watched football league in the world. Its biggest clubs include Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. In 2016, Leicester City, who were 5,000-1 outsiders at the start of the season, became champions. By some measures it was the greatest sporting upset ever: multiple bookmakers had never paid out at such long odds for any sport. As is the case throughout the UK, football in England is renowned for the intense rivalries between clubs and the passion of the supporters, which includes a tradition of football chants, such as, ""You're Not Singing"
"1893–94 in English football The 1893–94 season was the 23rd season of competitive football in England. The 1893–94 season saw four of the most famous teams in English Footballing history join the Second Division: Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester City, and the first team based in London, Woolwich Arsenal (later Arsenal). Other teams to join the expanded Second Division of 15 teams were Middlesbrough Ironopolis and Rotherham Town. Middlesbrough Ironopolis disbanded at the end of the season, having only completed one season in the Football League. Liverpool had the most successful season of all the new league clubs, winning the Second"
"of English Football at the same time, forming 40% of the First Division that season. Fulham were founded in 1879 and are London's oldest club still playing professionally. Royal Arsenal were London's first team to turn professional in 1891. They became Woolwich Arsenal in 1893, and then became just Arsenal in 1913. They are London's most successful team with 43 honours. Arsenal are only the second English club (after Preston North End of 1888–89), and the only London club to go an entire League season unbeaten, in the 2003–04 season. Arsenal have won The FA Cup a record 13 times;"
"five seasons after the 2011–12 campaign, Manchester United and Liverpool both found themselves outside of the top four three times while Chelsea finished 10th in the 2015–16 season. Arsenal finished 5th in 2016–17, ending their record run of 20 consecutive top-four finishes. In the 2015–16 season, the top four was breached by a non-Big Six side for the first time since Everton in 2005. Leicester City were the surprise winners of the league, qualifying for the Champions League as a result. Off the pitch, the ""Big Six"" wield financial power and influence, with these clubs arguing that they should be"
"(3 out of 3) of the runners-up, but only 33% (1 out of 3) of the winners (Manchester United in 2008), with the other two titles going to Milan in 2007 and Barcelona in 2009. And English dominance did not last, with the Premier League managing only two semi-finalists (Manchester United in 2011, and Chelsea in 2012) over the next four seasons (2010 to 2013), although Manchester United went on to be runners-up in 2011, and Chelsea won in 2012. In 2013, no Premier League side reached the last eight for the first time since 1996 (back in a time"
"No former National League club has yet reached the Premier League, although five such clubs did compete in the top tier of football prior to the Premier League, in the Football League First Division: Carlisle United, Leyton Orient, Oxford United, Luton Town and Grimsby Town. Except Leyton Orient, all four have since returned to the League, Luton by winning the title and the three others by winning the playoff finals. Additionally Luton and Oxford are the only clubs to have played league matches against each other in all top five tiers of English football. Bradford Park Avenue also played in"
"United all winning three or more league titles in the period leading up to World War I. Other clubs to win league titles in this period include Sheffield United, Manchester United and Everton. London-based clubs enjoyed little success during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the first major trophy being won by a London-based club being Tottenham Hotspur's FA Cup triumph in 1901, when they were still a Southern Football League club, although they were elected to the Football League soon after. During the war, competitive football was suspended. However, an unofficial ""Wartime Football league"" was played from"
"Manchester United F.C. Manchester United Football Club, commonly known as Man United, or simply United, is a professional football club based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, that competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. Nicknamed ""the Red Devils"", the club was founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to its current stadium, Old Trafford, in 1910. Manchester United have won more trophies than any other club in English football, with a record 20 League titles, 12 FA Cups, 5 League Cups and a"
"his excellent form over three years at the club before leaving to finish his career in Japan. Leeds had finally won promotion back to the top flight in 1990 and under Howard Wilkinson they won the 1991–92 league title. Wilkinson is still the most recent English manager to win the league championship. However, the departure of Eric Cantona to Manchester United, amongst other factors, meant they were unable to make a regular challenge for the title following the creation of the Premier League, although they did survive at this level for 12 seasons and achieved regular top five finishes. Manchester"
"Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England, that plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 League titles, a record 13 FA Cups, two League Cups, the League Centenary Trophy, 15 FA Community Shields, one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Arsenal was the first club from the South of England to join The Football League, in 1893, and they reached the First Division in 1904. Relegated only once, in 1913, they continue the longest streak in the top division, and"
"the FA did not support women's football and banned it altogether in 1921. Intense local derbies between neighbouring teams mean that there is less of a North–South rivalry than in some other sports. Many of the powerhouses of English football came from the North – as of the 2017–18 season, of the 120 top-flight league titles since 1888, 80 (67%) have been won by teams based north of Crewe. Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and, since 2001, Manchester City are among the mainstays of the Premier League, while teams like Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United and Sunderland have had more inconsistent"
"the Scots.) England equalized through Jack Reynolds with five minutes remaining and managed to hold on for a 2–2 draw. The result meant that Scotland won the British Home Championship for the fifth time outright – plus two shared with England. <nowiki>*</nowiki> England score given first Key 1893–94 in English football The 1893–94 season was the 23rd season of competitive football in England. The 1893–94 season saw four of the most famous teams in English Footballing history join the Second Division: Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester City, and the first team based in London, Woolwich Arsenal (later Arsenal). Other teams to"
"the league. From the 1894–95 season and until the 1920–21 season the re-election process was required of the clubs which finished in the bottom three of the league. From the 1922–23 season on it was required of the bottom two teams of both Third Division North and Third Division South. Arsenal won their second league title of the postwar era, finishing ahead of runners-up Preston on goal average - denying their nearest rivals a first league title since they won the first two English Football League titles more than 60 years earlier. Wolves bounced back after two disappointing seasons to"
"winning the FA Cup. Norwich are the only team from the region to have won the League Cup and being the only English team to have beaten German giants Bayern Munich at their Olympic Stadium in a competitive match. Both Ipswich Town and Norwich City can currently claim to be The Pride of Anglia, using the derby and league position methods. Ipswich finished 12th in the 2017–18 EFL Championship (2nd tier of English football), while Norwich finished 14th. No other Anglian teams featured in the top two tiers of English football during the latest completed season. The upcoming 2018–2019 season"
"is won over 38 matches. The financial gulf between successful clubs in the top-tier of European league has had an impact domestically, most notably in the Premier League, where for approximately a dozen years (from 1996 to 2008) there had been an almost complete dominance of the three major domestic English competitions by just three clubs (Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United). During this period, the lack of competition for lucrative Champions League football in England from outside of those four clubs was frequently criticised. More recently, however, the grip on the four top places in the Premier League (that enable"
"top flight, which lasted 86 matches from 20 March 2004 to 26 October 2008. They secured the record on 12 August 2007, beating the previous record of 63 matches unbeaten set by Liverpool between 1978 and 1980. Chelsea's streak of eleven consecutive away league wins, set between 5 April 2008 and 6 December 2008, is also a record for the English top flight. Their £50 million purchase of Fernando Torres from Liverpool in January 2011 was the record transfer fee paid by a British club until Ángel Di María signed for Manchester United in August 2014 for £59.7 million. Chelsea,"
"best English clubs, their only subsequent major trophy being the League Cup in 2002, and they have never finished higher than sixth in the Premier League since their 1995 title triumph. They endured a two-year exile from the Premier League after being relegated in 1999, and since their second relegation in 2012 they have still yet to gain promotion. Under Arsène Wenger, Arsenal have so far been Premier League champions three times; in 1998, 2002 and 2004. On the first two occasions, they completed the double of the league title and FA Cup, while on the third occasion they won"