Source: Planet football
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 Northeast 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
