Liverpool is getting closer to a historic moment in the history of English football. The Reds will likely win their 20th top flight title, tying Manchester United for the most all-time titles, with the 2024–25 Premier League title now just a hair’s breadth away.
In terms of the most English league titles ever won, however, where do they and other clubs stand?
Clubs With the Most English League Titles
The English top-flight championship standings, encompassing both the First Division and Premier League eras, are as follows:
20 – Manchester United
19 – Liverpool
13 – Arsenal
10 – Manchester City
9 – Everton
7 – Aston Villa
6 – Sunderland, Chelsea
4 – Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday
3 – Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Blackburn Rovers
2 – Preston North End, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County, Burnley, Portsmouth
1 – Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City
Since the English top flight began in 1888, 24 different clubs have won at least one league title. Here’s a closer look at the teams with the most top-flight English league championships to their name.
Manchester United – 20
Most Recent Title: 2012-13
Manchester United With 20 English league titles across the Premier League and First Division, Manchester United leads the all-time rankings. However, Liverpool, who are vying for the 2024–25 trophy, is expected to join them on 20 at any time.
Sir Matt Busby, whose “Busby Babes” won consecutive championships in the 1950s and contributed to United’s rise to prominence after the war, was responsible for the team’s early success.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles between 1993 and 2013, was the one who brought them true dominance.
Ferguson’s final season, 2012–13, continues to stand as United’s most recent championship victory. Since then, they have had difficulty regaining their place at the top of English football.
Liverpool – 19
Most Recent Title: 2019-20
With their upcoming 2024-25 title win, Liverpool will become 20-time English champions, tying Manchester United at the top of the leaderboard.
Liverpool established themselves as a major domestic force in the 1960s under Bill Shankly, then dominated in the 1970s and 1980s, winning 11 league titles in 18 seasons under Bob Paisley, Joe Fagan, and Kenny Dalglish.
That success, however, faded after 1990, with the club going 30 years without a Premier League title until Jürgen Klopp delivered it in 2019-20.
Liverpool is now on track for another golden era under Arne Slot. The Dutchman is on the verge of becoming only the sixth manager to win the Premier League in his first season in charge, after José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini, Claudio Ranieri, and Antonio Conte.
Arsenal – 13
Most Recent Title: 2003-04
Arsenal rank third for the most English league titles, with 13 in total.
Their golden era began in the 1930s, when legendary manager Herbert Chapman and successors Joe Shaw and George Allison won five championships in eight years.
The Gunners added three more in 1947-48, 1952-53, and 1970-71, before winning the league twice under George Graham in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Arsène Wenger won three Premier League titles, including the legendary Invincibles season of 2003-04, when Arsenal went unbeaten for the entire season — a feat previously accomplished by Preston North End in 1888-89.
Mikel Arteta continues to pursue the club’s long-awaited 14th league title.
Manchester City – 10
Most Recent Title: 2023-24
Manchester City’s Presence among the elite has primarily been limited to the Premier League era. Eight of their ten titles have come since Sheikh Mansour’s takeover of City in September 2008, which transformed the club’s financial position almost overnight. The first of their eight Premier League titles came in 2011-12, when Roberto Mancini broke a 44-year drought for top-flight success.
Under Pep Guardiola, City have redefined consistency and dominance. The 2023-24 season brought them a record-breaking fourth consecutive English league title — a first in the history of the men’s top flight.
Guardiola now has six titles in just eight seasons, and City remains the benchmark for modern English domestic success.
Lastly, spare a thought for the nearly men. Across English top-flight history, eight teams have finished in second place without ever having won a title: Bristol City (1906–07), Oldham Athletic (1914–15), Cardiff City (1923–24), Charlton Athletic (1936–37), Blackpool (1955–56), QPR (1975–76), Watford (1982–83) and Southampton (1983–84).
