Which groups have made the perfect begins to a Premier League season in historical past? We use Opta’s historic knowledge to search out out.
All the things appeared to be pointing in the direction of Manchester Metropolis difficult the document for the perfect begin to a Premier League season in 2023-24; they’d been rampant and ruthless regardless of shedding Kevin De Bruyne to damage.
Then, alongside got here struggling Wolves. Sure, Wolves. Gary O’Neil’s facet had solely received one among their first six Premier League this season, however they beat Metropolis 2-1 at Molineux on 30 September to offer the remainder of the Premier League a bit of extra hope… for just a few months, till they went on to win a fourth league title in a row.
How shut did they get to breaking the document? Under are the perfect begins to a Premier League season…
9 Wins: Chelsea in 2005-06
Chelsea maintain the document for the perfect begin to a Premier League season with 9 consecutive wins.
In what was a golden period for the membership, the defending Premier League champions got down to retain their crown in ravenous style and José Mourinho’s facet had the remainder of the pack panting of their wake inside only a few weeks.
Wigan Athletic, Arsenal, West Brom, Tottenham, Sunderland and Charlton Athletic have been their first six victims, seeing them equal the Premier League document for many successive wins initially of a season.
Then, a 2-1 comeback triumph at dwelling to Aston Villa courtesy of a Frank Lampard double noticed Chelsea set a brand new document, which was then prolonged with 4-1 and 5-1 hammerings of Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers, respectively.
They have been halted of their pursuit of the all-time top-flight document (extra on that later…) by Everton on Matchday 10, solely capable of depart Goodison Park with a 1-1 draw. Manchester United inflicted their first defeat of the season in early November, however Chelsea ended up coasting to the title with an eight-point lead over Sir Alex Ferguson’s facet.
8 Wins: Liverpool in 2019-20
Having gone agonisingly near a Premier League and UEFA Champions League double the season earlier than, solely successful the latter, Liverpool started 2019-20 with a vengeance.
Norwich Metropolis, perennial lambs to the slaughter at Anfield, have been gutted 4-1 on the opening day of the marketing campaign, and Jürgen Klopp’s facet ploughed on thereafter. They didn’t fall behind till Matchday 5 when an early Jetro Willems aim put Newcastle United 1-0 up on Merseyside, although a Sadio Mané double turned issues round previous to half-time and Mohamed Salah sealed a 3-1 win.
Three extra wins adopted, the final of which – 2-1 at dwelling to Leicester Metropolis – required a Ninety fifth-minute James Milner penalty. They have been inside touching distance of equalling Chelsea’s 14-year-old document, however a ninth consecutive victory eluded them as they salvaged a 1-1 draw away to Manchester United because of Adam Lallana’s late leveller.
That was a mere, momentary blip in an in any other case super season, nonetheless. They then launched into a outstanding 18-match successful run within the high flight and went on to win their first league title in 30 years, and a primary Premier League crown ever.
6 Wins: Newcastle United in 1994-95
Lengthy earlier than dignitaries of Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund began fluttering eyelashes in the direction of St James’ Park, Newcastle had been one of many early powers of the Premier League.
However their 1994-95 season is a cautionary story to any staff that begins to consider its personal hype. They have been, in any case, the primary staff to win every of their first six video games of a Premier League marketing campaign, and so they did so in thrilling style.
Supervisor Kevin Keegan was famend for his somewhat gung-ho ways, and this run encapsulated them completely. Every of their opening six video games noticed a minimum of 4 targets, and so they solely stored one clear sheet. They crushed Coventry Metropolis (4-0) and Southampton (5-1) inside the area of some days; in addition they beat Chelsea 4-2 and Arsenal 3-2, the latter being at Highbury.
And but, the wheels quickly fell off. A 1-1 draw at Liverpool ended the successful run in late September, and so they’d solely decide up one other six league victories earlier than the tip of January. One other unhealthy run in the direction of the tip of the season consigned them to a sixth-placed end.
6 Wins: Chelsea in 2009-10
Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea turned solely the third staff in Premier League historical past to win their opening six video games of a season en path to securing the 2009-10 title in record-breaking style.
A largely type fixture schedule in the course of the early weeks helped Chelsea set the tone. They beat Hull Metropolis, Sunderland, Fulham, Burnley and Stoke Metropolis, earlier than then sweeping Spurs apart 3-0 on 20 September.
The actual fact they scored 15 occasions in these first six video games and conceded simply three made the abrupt finish to that run so stunning. It’s a surprise Ancelotti’s eyebrow didn’t go into orbit; they have been crushed 3-1 at Wigan Athletic, although clearly the purple card proven to Petr Cech for hauling down Hugo Rodallega – who dispatched the ensuing penalty – performed a major half within the shock defeat.
Chelsea avenged that loss in astonishing style on the final day of the season, nonetheless, beating Wigan 8-0 at Stamford Bridge. It was a end result that helped Chelsea change into the primary Premier League staff to attain over 100 targets (103) and the primary top-flight membership since Tottenham in 1962-63.
6 Wins: Manchester Metropolis in 2016-17
Pep Guardiola loved an emphatic begin to life within the Premier League. Six matches down and Metropolis had most factors, having crushed Sunderland, Stoke, West Ham, Man Utd, Bournemouth and Swansea Metropolis.
However inside that run there have been indicators of imperfection; a single clear sheet from a comparatively type run of video games in hindsight was an indication of hassle. On Matchday 7, Metropolis’s unblemished begin was ended by Spurs, who have been 2-0 winners at White Hart Lane – Erik Lamela additionally missed a penalty.
Metropolis went on to solely document one shutout of their subsequent eight league video games, drawing with Everton, Southampton and Middlesbrough, and shedding to Chelsea and Leicester Metropolis.
Regardless of such a promising begin, Guardiola’s Metropolis completed third, 15 factors adrift of champions Chelsea – although the Catalan coach has since introduced unrivalled success to the membership.
6 Wins: Liverpool in 2018-19
Very similar to Newcastle in 1994 and Metropolis in 2016, a wonderful begin to the season didn’t result in the title for Liverpool; although in contrast to the opposite two, it’d be truthful to say Klopp’s facet have been extremely unfortunate to overlook out.
Liverpool’s incapability to win the Premier League in 2018-19 was much less about them not being adequate and extra to do with Metropolis being outstanding.
A starting to the marketing campaign that noticed them beat West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton, Leicester, Spurs and Southampton put Liverpool on observe. A 1-1 draw at Chelsea on 29 September introduced the successful begin to a halt, however you would argue they have been solely simply discovering their groove.
They didn’t lose a recreation within the league till a 2-1 defeat to Metropolis on 3 January, which was their solely lack of your complete marketing campaign. Ultimately, they have been pipped to the title by Guardiola’s facet, who completed a degree forward of them on 98.
Liverpool’s 97 factors stays probably the most ever collected by a staff to not win the English title, although they have been capable of console themselves with Champions League success and in the end ended their lengthy top-flight championship drought the next 12 months.
6 Wins: Manchester Metropolis in 2023-24
The present Manchester Metropolis staff equalled their membership document of six consecutive wins to start out a Premier League season, set in Guardiola’s first marketing campaign on the membership (2016-17). Not like that first season although, they ended 2023-24 with the Premier League crown – a document fourth in succession.
They picked up wins in opposition to Burnley, Newcastle, Sheffield United, Fulham, West Ham and Nottingham Forest – the final of these coming with a 2-0 victory regardless of happening to 10 males following Rodri’s throat-grab on Morgan Gibbs-White simply 27 seconds into the second half.
Metropolis’s successful streak got here to an abrupt finish at Wolves, nonetheless, regardless of dominating the encounter. O’Neil’s males received 2-1 because of a Rúben Dias personal aim and Hwang Hee-chan’s strike both facet of Júlian Álvarez’s equaliser.
5 Wins
Arsenal, 2004-05
Chelsea, 2010-11
Manchester United, 2011-12
Manchester Metropolis, 2015-16
Chelsea, 2018-19
Arsenal, 2022-23
Prime-Flight All Time
After all, English soccer did exist earlier than the Premier League’s creation in 1992, and there have been truly two cases of groups bettering the season-commencing nine-match successful streak recorded by Chelsea in 2005.
Right here’s the definitive checklist of the perfect successful begins in England’s top-flight historical past:
11 Wins: Tottenham, 1960-61
10 Wins: Manchester United, 1985-86
9 Wins: Chelsea, 2005-06
8 Wins: Liverpool, 2019-20
8 Wins: Liverpool, 1990-91
8 Wins: Sheffield United, 1903-04
8 Wins: Everton, 1894-95
7 Wins: Leeds United, 1973-74
7 Wins: Sheffield Wednesday, 1904-05
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