What greatness truly is can only be quantified by one’s own interpretation but what is undeniable is that Premier League fans have enjoyed some of the finest teams that world football has ever seen.
In total, seven teams have lifted the Premier League trophy since its inception in 1992.
Manchester United’s unparalleled dominance may never be seen again, and Arsenal and Chelsea had magical seasons led by iconic managers Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho.
Some prefer incredible underdog stories like Blackburn Rovers’ solitary triumph in 1994/1995 and the 2015/16 season where Leicester never woke up from a 5000/1 dream.
NetBet weighs in on the timeless debate to narrow down five of the greatest champions in the Premier League era.
Liverpool 2019/20
Liverpool’s emotional end to a 30-year wait without a domestic title should not be tarnished by the coronavirus disruption or the season that followed.
Jurgen Klopp set about installing an identity at Anfield upon his arrival in 2015 and it wasn’t long before he adhered himself to the fans and the city.
In a five-year period, the German boss moulded a side in his relentless style, built on tireless energy, ruthless quality and unwavering spirit.
That included a remarkable sixth Champions League success just a year before losing in the final but the Premier League was the pinnacle and what Reds fans had been craving for so long.
And it all came together in the 2019/20 season as they blew the opposition out of the water, storming to their first title since 1990 by 18 points as they finished on a total of 99.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane formed one of the greatest attacking tridents English football has seen and the qualities of transformative signings Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson were priceless.
This side wrote their name in history and will be talked about on Merseyside for generations to come.
Manchester United 1998/1999
United supporters were lucky enough to witness a remarkable period of domestic dominance under Sir Alex Ferguson – who is widely recognised as the greatest sporting manager of all time.
Ferguson guided United to 13 league titles in total, from the 1994 double winning team inspired by Eric Cantona to the 2012/13 side who secured the club’s 20th title in the legendary Scot’s final season in charge.
But it would be foolish to overlook the team who completed a historic Treble in 1999.
Winning the Champions League and the FA Cup are incredible achievements but the Premier League is defined as the ultimate test and to claim every piece of coveted silverware is what was so impressive from this relentless United side.
Ferguson’s core was the famous ‘Class of 92’, including Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville. To this day no academy has ever simultaneously produced such a special group of individuals.
United edged out Arsenal by beating Tottenham on the last day of the league season, before securing the FA Cup and European Cup in a whirlwind 10-day period of success.
Manchester City 2017/18
It is widely known that Pep Guardiola has revolutionised English football and Manchester City’s centurion season is unmatched.
City achieved the feat no side had ever previously managed, reaching what seemed an almost unattainable 100-point mark.
That was ensured by striker Gabriel Jesus on the last minute of the final day, but it was what preceded that landmark moment that was so special.
Guardiola chose to invest in key areas at the start of the season with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Ederson and Benjamin Mendy all coming in.
But the signings paid off better than the Spaniard could have imagined.
City went on an 18-game winning run and didn’t lose before January, ending the season with a stunning 32 league wins.
It was the way in which City dominated their opponents that was more impressive, though.
The Blues outplayed their opposition in most games from the first minute to last, playing some glorious football to leave neighbours Manchester United in their wake and lifting the title by 19 points.
Chelsea 2004/2005
Jose Mourinho, known as the ‘Special One’, lifted three Premier League titles at Stamford Bridge and each triumphant side could have competed for a place in this list.
But the Portuguese tactician’s 2004/05 record breakers could not be ignored, despite the benefit of substantial financial backing from billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.
Fresh from an unlikely Champions League success with Porto in 2004, charismatic and forward-thinking Mourinho was tasked with penetrating the dominance of the great Arsenal and Manchester United sides constructed by iconic coaches Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Mourinho smashed records in his first season, claiming his maiden Premier League crown in his first season, ending the campaign with 95-points.
Chelsea were indestructible and lost just one game in the entire season, conceding just 15 goals and keeping 25 clean sheets.
In a matter of months, Mourinho had constructed a side of mentality monsters with a core of world-class stars, including Petr Cech, legendary skipper John Terry, all-time record goalscorer Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba.
Mourinho has been a serial-winner but this will go down as one of his greatest managerial feats.
Arsenal 2003/2004
Arsenal’s unprecedented Invincible feat is often undermined by their failure to replicate the same dominance in Europe.
But Arsene Wenger’s vintage 2003-2004 side are the first and only team to go through a whole 38-game Premier League season unbeaten.
Premier League sides have dominated from start to finish, playing with swashbuckling styles and scoring special goals, but this Arsenal side will stand alone for the simple fact they did not lose a game.
Wenger’s side was filled with supreme attacking quality. Genius Dennis Bergkamp led the line with arguably the Premier League’s greatest foreign player, Thierry Henry, and Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg bombed down the wings.
But what made the team unbeatable was its insurmountable defensive foundations.
Midfield greats Gilberto Silva and Patrick Vieira shielded Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure and Jens Lehmann, providing the perfect platform for the forwards to blow away the opposition.
It would be difficult to imagine such an achievement ever being matched; the Gunners truly were invincible.
