Which is the top club in the land? Which teams are punching above their weight and which historic powerhouses languish in the lower divisions? This year’s Ultimate League has arrived…
The Ultimate League factors each club’s average league position over the past 50 years and includes every team featured in England’s top four tiers for at least 10 seasons.
Liverpool remain England’s top club with a remarkable average position of 3.4 over the last half century, while Manchester United staved off Arsenal narrowly for runners-up spot, with Tottenham completing the top four.
Everton’s continuous top-flight presence during the period, which has come under threat over the past three seasons, in addition to title-winning campaigns in the early ’70s and mid ’80s, places the Toffees in fifth spot.
Chelsea’s notable success since the millennium helps the Blues secure sixth spot ahead of Aston Villa, who last won the top-flight title back in 1980/81 and only regained Premier League status five years ago after spending three campaigns in the Championship.
Reigning champions Manchester City hold eighth spot after enjoying considerable success in recent years, particularly under Pep Guardiola. Indeed, City had slipped into the third tier only 26 years ago but have now won eight league titles in the past 13 years and are challenging to claim an unprecedented fifth in a row this term.
Current top-flight clubs West Ham, Newcastle, Southampton, Leicester, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace reside rightfully in England’s top tier, according to their historic league success.
Biggest underachievers
Oldham, who currently play in the National League, are England’s biggest underachievers and languish 47 places below their 50-year average ranking after suffering relegation from the Football League for the first time in 115 years in 2021/22, followed by Scunthorpe (-44) and Southend (-40).
Oldham last appeared in England’s top division in 1994, when they also reached the FA Cup semi-finals
Other serious underachievers include Swindon (-37), Torquay (-34), Charlton (-25), Hartlepool, Bolton, QPR, and Tranmere (all -22).
Biggest overachievers
In contrast, Wycombe are punching 38 places above their weight, followed by Bournemouth, Brentford (both +36), Stevenage (+35), Stockport (+33) and Wrexham (+31).
Other notable overachievers include Lincoln (+30), Mansfield (both +29), Brighton (+28), Crawley (+27), Exeter and Fulham (all +24).
Exactly where they should be
Only four clubs are currently in the same position as their average rank over the past half century: Liverpool, Luton, Cardiff and Bristol Rovers.