Most consecutive seasons in the top four since it became "the top four"

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youngbob

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18 Mar 2015
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Obviously lots of fretting at the moment over us not finishing in the top four for the first time since 09-10 and this potentially being the first season since the formation of the Premier League in which a Manchester club won't have finished at least 4th or higher.

The "top four" - as it relates to Champions League qualification - has been a thing since the 01-02 season (as opposed to it being the champions only, or the top 2/3 teams. So I decided to look back over the seasons since then and work out the longest consecutive appearances in the top four since then (when the Cup Winners Cup had been dissolved and English clubs were awarded four spaces in the Champions League).

I've decided to keep this about the top four places rather than include teams like Liverpool and Chelsea who qualified for the Champions League by winning it despite finishing in 5th and 6th. Wanted to keep the focus on league performance rather than Champions League performance.

The numbers in brackets represent the current streak for each team.

01-02
Arsenal (1)
Liverpool (1)
Man United (1)
Newcastle (1)

02-03
Man United (2)
Arsenal (2)
Newcastle (2)
Chelsea (1)

03-04
Arsenal (3)
Chelsea (2)
Man United (3)
Liverpool (1)

04-05
Chelsea (3)
Arsenal (4)
Man United (4)
Everton (1)

05-06
Chelsea (4)
Man United (5)
Liverpool (1)
Arsenal (5)

06-07
Man United (6)
Chelsea (5)
Liverpool (2)
Arsenal (6)

07-08
Man United (7)
Chelsea (6)
Arsenal (7)
Liverpool (3)

08-09
Man United (8)
Liverpool (4)
Chelsea (7)
Arsenal (8)

09-10
Chelsea (8)
Man United (9)
Arsenal (9)
Tottenham (1)

10-11
Man United (10)
Chelsea (9)
Man City (1)
Arsenal (10)

11-12
Man City (2)
Man United (11)
Arsenal (11)
Tottenham (1)

12-13
Man United (12)
Man City (3)
Chelsea (1)
Arsenal (12)

13-14
Man City (4)
Liverpool (1)
Chelsea (2)
Arsenal (13)

14-15
Chelsea (3)
Man City (5)
Arsenal (14)
Man United (1)

15-16
Leicester (1)
Arsenal (15)
Tottenham (1)
Man City (6)

16-17
Chelsea (1)
Tottenham (2)
Man City (7)
Liverpool (1)

17-18
Man City (8)
Man United (1)
Tottenham (3)
Liverpool (2)

18-19
Man City (9)
Liverpool (3)
Chelsea (1)
Tottenham (4)

19-20
Liverpool (4)
Man City (10)
Man United (1)
Chelsea (2)

20-21
Man City (11)
Man United (2)
Liverpool (5)
Chelsea (3)

21-22
Man City (12)
Liverpool (6)
Chelsea (4)
Tottenham (1)

22-23
Man City (13)
Arsenal (1)
Man United (1)
Newcastle (1)

23-24
Man City (14)
Arsenal (2)
Liverpool (1)
Aston Villa (1)

So there you have it. The longest streaks in the top four since the "top four" became the way to qualify for the Champions League in 01-02:

Arsenal (15 seasons) (2x PL titles)
Man City (14) (8x PL titles)
Man United (12) (6x PL titles)
Chelsea (9) (5x PL titles)
Liverpool (6) (1x PL title)
Tottenham (4)
Newcastle (2)
Leicester (1) (1x PL title)
Aston Villa (1)
Everton (1)

Maybe this is just our time for a year out.
 
Last edited:
It is a great stat to have, to go from Champions to outside the top 5 shouldn't happen from a quality run club. Not winning the league is going to happen and we should never expect it as it has come the last few years, but 1st to further than 5th? Nah
 
youngbob said:
Obviously lots of fretting at the moment over us not finishing in the top four for the first time since 09-10 and this potentially being the first season since the formation of the Premier League in which a Manchester club won't have finished at least 4th or higher.

The "top four" - as it relates to Champions League qualification - has been a thing since the 01-02 season (as opposed to it being the champions only, or the top 2/3 teams. So I decided to look back over the seasons since then and work out the longest consecutive appearances in the top four since then (when the Cup Winners Cup had been dissolved and English clubs were awarded four spaces in the Champions League).

I've decided to keep this about the top four places rather than include teams like Liverpool and Chelsea who qualified for the Champions League by winning it despite finishing in 5th and 6th. Wanted to keep the focus on league performance rather than Champions League performance.

The numbers in brackets represent the current streak for each team.

01-02
Arsenal (1)
Liverpool (1)
Man United (1)
Newcastle (1)

02-03
Man United (2)
Arsenal (2)
Newcastle (2)
Chelsea (1)

03-04
Arsenal (3)
Chelsea (2)
Man United (3)
Liverpool (1)

04-05
Chelsea (3)
Arsenal (4)
Man United (4)
Everton (1)

05-06
Chelsea (4)
Man United (5)
Liverpool (1)
Arsenal (5)

06-07
Man United (6)
Chelsea (5)
Liverpool (2)
Arsenal (6)

07-08
Man United (7)
Chelsea (6)
Arsenal (7)
Liverpool (3)

08-09
Man United (8)
Liverpool (4)
Chelsea (7)
Arsenal (8)

09-10
Chelsea (8)
Man United (9)
Arsenal (9)
Tottenham (1)

10-11
Man United (10)
Chelsea (9)
Man City (1)
Arsenal (10)

11-12
Man City (2)
Man United (11)
Arsenal (11)
Tottenham (1)

12-13
Man United (12)
Man City (3)
Chelsea (1)
Arsenal (12)

13-14
Man City (4)
Liverpool (1)
Chelsea (2)
Arsenal (13)

14-15
Chelsea (3)
Man City (5)
Arsenal (14)
Man United (1)

15-16
Leicester (1)
Arsenal (15)
Tottenham (1)
Man City (6)

16-17
Chelsea (1)
Tottenham (2)
Man City (7)
Liverpool (1)

17-18
Man City (8)
Man United (1)
Tottenham (3)
Liverpool (2)

18-19
Man City (9)
Liverpool (3)
Chelsea (1)
Tottenham (4)

19-20
Liverpool (4)
Man City (10)
Man United (1)
Chelsea (2)

20-21
Man City (11)
Man United (2)
Liverpool (5)
Chelsea (3)

21-22
Man City (12)
Liverpool (6)
Chelsea (4)
Tottenham (1)

22-23
Man City (13)
Arsenal (1)
Man United (1)
Newcastle (1)

23-24
Man City (14)
Arsenal (2)
Liverpool (1)
Aston Villa (1)

So there you have it. The longest streaks in the top four since the "top four" became the way to qualify for the Champions League in 01-02:

Arsenal (15 seasons) (2x PL titles)
Man City (14) (8x PL titles)
Man United (12) (6x PL titles)
Chelsea (9) (5x PL titles)
Liverpool (6) (1x PL title)
Tottenham (4)
Newcastle (2)
Aston Villa (1)
Everton (1)

Maybe this is just our time for a year out.
Click to expand...
Leicester?
 
Master-Lotus said:
I'd say we can still do top 3
Click to expand...
Only if we stop treating mid and lower PL teams as though they are prime Barcelona, RM and Brian Munich.
Take a few risks and see what happens. Giving teams plenty of time to get ten men and the ref behind the ball is ineffective and boring.
Mancini and Pellers showed you could win PL titles with two up front and lots of attacking, Pep did the same using Sergio and wingers who could score. Our current tactics would have led to a 2-0 win against Watford at Wembley not a 6-0 win.
 
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