The 2025/26 Premier League season is just days away, and whatever happens, it’ll be a historic one for the club as we enter our 100th consecutive top-flight season.
Since we were elected to the old First Division in 1919/20, we have been a fixture in the top tier for a century of campaigns, a feat that no other club in English football history comes close to.
Our current run consists of 4,024 games heading into the season opener against Manchester United, where we could notch win number 1,900 in that time.
Most consecutive seasons in England's top-flight
**Team**
**Seasons**
YEARS
Arsenal
100
1919 -
Everton
72
1954 -
Liverpool
64
1962 -
Sunderland
57
1890-1958
Manchester United
51
1975 -
Tottenham Hotspur
48
1978 -
Aston Villa
44
1888 - 1936
Blackburn Rovers
44
1888 - 1936
It was back in 1904/05 when the club - then known as Woolwich Arsenal - first sampled life in England’s top-flight, spending seven seasons at that level before suffering the only relegation in our history back in 1913 - the same year we moved to Highbury.
After two seasons in Division Two, football was suspended due to the outbreak of World War I. When play resumed in 1919, the Football League was expanded, and we benefited by being selected to join the First Division, where we have remained ever since.
Top-flight since 1919/20
**P**
**W**
**D**
**L**
**F**
**A**
**Pts**
Arsenal
4024
1899
1023
1102
6859
4907
5728
Liverpool
3688
1807
948
933
6281
4207
5492
Man Utd
3604
1753
901
950
6236
4439
5367
Everton
3856
1486
1035
1335
5676
5311
4664
Chelsea
3398
1421
882
1095
5287
4646
4493
Tottenham
3394
1445
808
1141
5455
4659
4441
Man City
3336
1406
792
1138
5453
4680
4250
Aston Villa
3408
1291
844
1273
5091
5073
3979
Newcastle
3074
1155
762
1157
4585
4561
3574
West Ham
2700
920
668
1112
3810
4234
3011
We have held the record for the longest top-flight tenure since 1983/84, which was our 58th consecutive season at that level, surpassing Sunderland’s 57-season stint from 1891 to 1958.
Five of the six longest top-flight spells are ongoing, which sees all the Premier League ever-presents included except Chelsea, who will play a 37th-straight season in the top-flight this term. Aside from those six, Manchester City are the side with the next longest run - 24 since they were promoted in 2003/04.
Showing how staggering our achievement is, Leicester City have suffered 12 relegations to the second tier during our 100-season stint, while six other teams have endured that fate on nine occasions.
We boast a win percentage of 47% across our 100 seasons, winning the championship on 13 occasions, including at least one in seven different decades.
As for those who have contributed most during that time, no player has appeared in more of our 4,024 games than David O'Leary, who is approaching the 50th anniversary of his debut back in 1975, with four-time title-winning captain Tony Adams in second spot.
And it is no surprise to see Thierry Henry on top of the tree when it comes to most goals netted, with 175 of our talisman's record haul of 228 coming in the Premier League. Meanwhile, no manager took charge of more matches than Arsene Wenger's tally of 828 between 1996 and 2018.
Most league games and goals since 1919/20
Player
**Apps**
**Player**
**Goals**
David O'Leary
558
Thierry Henry
175
Tony Adams
504
Cliff Bastin
150
George Armstrong
500
Ian Wright
128
Lee Dixon
458
Doug Lishman
125
Nigel Winterburn
440
Jimmy Brain
125
Bob John
421
Ted Drake
124
David Seaman
405
David Jack
113
Pat Rice
397
John Radford
111
Eddie Hapgood
393
Joe Hulme
107
Peter Storey
391
Reg Lewis
103
Putting our three-figure achievement in further perspective, when looking further afield only Inter Milan are on a longer top-flight tenure in one of Europe’s top five major leagues, a run of 116 years. Notably, Celtic hold the world record for 129 straight seasons in Scotland’s highest tier, while Northern Ireland trio Cliftonville, Glentoran and Linfield have played in 125 straight top-tier seasons.
Uruguayan side Penarol have reached 122 campaigns, while Flamengo have hit 113 in Brazil, with Boca Juniors one behind in Argentina. Ajax have spent 107 seasons at the top level of Dutch football, while Barcelona, Real Madrid and Athletic Club are the only clubs never to be relegated from La Liga since its inception 96 years ago.
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