More than 60 clubs have played in the English top flight since 1888 – but which of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United come out on top?
You might be surprised to learn that Liverpool are top, with 7332 points, while Tottenham are the lowest of the big six, in eighth, with 5406.
The rest of the big six clubs are as follows: Arsenal second on 7148 points, United fifth with 6733, City sixth with 5740 and Chelsea seventh, on 5417. Filling the gaps, very rarely relegated Everton are third, with 6917 points, and Aston Villa are in fifth, on 6227.
The two giants of North East football, Newcastle and Sunderland, sit ninth and 10th, the Magpies the higher of the pair, with 5186 points, while their rivals are 10th, with 4560.
West Brom, in 11th, are the highest club not currently playing in the top flight, with 4091 points in their history.
Between 10th and 20th, they’re joined by a fair few Championship clubs, in Blackburn Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby County and Sheffield United.
The first team not in any of the top two divisions currently are Bolton, who are 14th, on 3692 points, and the next best current League One club historically is Blackpool, in 31st and on 1527 points.
After halfway, some interesting names begin to crop up, with juxtaposition between big and small, as well as some clubs that are no longer around in the same guise they once were.
Crystal Palace have the 38th-most points in the history of the top flight, with 1118, and just below them are Bury, with 1017 points.
They had to withdraw from the Football League in 2019 due to going into administration.
Other highlights include now dissolved side Wimbledon – who reformed under another name in recent years – in 42nd, Bradford Park Avenue in 54th, Accrington FC in 55th, Darwen in 61st and Glossop North End, who are dead last, in 65th, with 22 points in one campaign.
Here is the full league table in the history of the English top flight, ranging from September 1888 to May 2025:
1\. Liverpool – 7332pts 2. Arsenal – 7148pts 3. Everton – 6917pts 4. Manchester United – 6733pts 5. Aston Villa – 6227pts 6. Manchester City – 5740pts 7, Chelsea – 5417pts 8. Tottenham Hotspur – 5406pts 9. Newcastle United – 5186pts 10. Sunderland – 4560pts 11. West Bromwich Albion – 4091pts 12. Wolverhampton Wanderers – 3716pts 13. Blackburn Rovers – 3702pts 14. Bolton Wanderers – 3697pts 15. Sheffield Wednesday – 3552pts 16. West Ham United – 3428pts 17. Derby County – 3303pts 18. Sheffield United – 3266pts 19. Leeds United – 3189pts 20. Burnley – 3148pts 21. Nottingham Forest – 3084pts 22. Middlesbrough – 3065pts 23. Stoke City – 2917pts 24. Leicester City – 2813pts 25. Birmingham City – 2755pts 26. Preston North End – 2403pts 27. Southampton – 2296pts 28. Huddersfield Town – 1810pts 29. Portsmouth – 1765pts 30. Coventry City – 1686pts 31. Blackpool – 1527pts 32. Ipswich Town – 1493pts 33. Fulham – 1359pts 34. Charlton Athletic – 1318pts 35. Notts County – 1276pts 36. Norwich City – 1256pts 37. Queens Park Rangers – 1146pts 38. Crystal Palace – 1118pts 39. Bury – 1017pts 40. Cardiff City – 890pts 41. Luton Town – 833pts 42. Wimbledon – 729pts 43. Watford – 622pts 44. Oldham Athletic – 606pts 45. Grimsby Town – 598pts 46. Bradford City – 582pts 47. Brighton & Hove Albion – 569pts 48. Brentford – 474pts 49. Bristol City – 436pts 50. Swansea City – 422pts 51. Bournemouth – 354pts 52. Wigan Athletic – 331pts 53. Hull City – 171pts 54. Bradford Park Avenue – 147pts 55. Accrington FC – 138pts 56. Reading – 119pts 57. Oxford United – 119pts 58. Millwall – 79pts 59. Northampton Town – 43pts 60. Carlisle United – 41pts 61. Darwen – 41pts 62. Barnsley – 35pts 63. Swindon Town – 30pts 64. Leyton Orient – 27pts
65\. Glossop North End – 22pts
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