We all know that football didn’t start in 1992, but the English top flight’s rebranding from the First Division in 1992 to the Premier League has played a big part in making the English game so popular worldwide.
The English Premier League is considered by many to be one of the most exciting leagues in world football. One of the factors that make it exciting is the fact that the league tends to have a bit of variety each season, as different teams suffer relegation and new teams feature in the English top flight.
However, there is a small select group of clubs that have never been relegated in the Premier League era. Here are those clubs:
Arsenal
The Gunners is the club who have spent the most consecutive seasons in the English top flight. Arsenal’s last relegation came in the season 1912/13. However, the club from north London returned to the top table of English football in 1920 and has been in the English top flight ever since, accruing 13 top-flight titles, including three in the Premier League era.
Arsenal’s closest call with relegation in over a century came in the 1970s, but they have never really been in any danger of suffering relegation in the Premier League era.
Everton
The Toffees have played a historic part in English football, as no club has played in the English top flight in more seasons. In fact, in the history of the English top flight, Everton has spent just four seasons outside the top tier of the English game.
Everton’s last relegation came in 1951. However, they were not in the second tier for long, as the Toffees won promotion back to the First Division in season 1954/55 and have held on to their top-flight status ever since, despite some close calls with the drop.
Out of all the teams on our list, the Toffees have come the closest to suffering relegation to the Championship, producing great escapes on several occasions in the Premier League years.
Liverpool
The Merseysiders are one of the biggest clubs in the English top flight courtesy of their trophy-laden history. They are also the second most successful club in the history of the English top flight, claiming 19 league titles, but with only one coming during the Premier League era.
They have never come close to suffering relegation during the Premier League years. Their last relegation from the English top flight was in 1954 when they finished rock bottom of the league. The Reds didn’t enjoy an instant return to the pinnacle of the English game, though, as it took until the 1962/63 season for the men from Merseyside to return to the First Division.
Manchester United
The Red Devils have a proud history in the English game both in the English First Division and the Premier League. The men from Manchester have been more accustomed to winning silverware than fighting relegation battles. United are the most successful club in terms of winning the English title, having won it 20 times, 13 of which have come in the Premier League era.
United’s last relegation from the English top flight came way back in 1974 before they won promotion back to the top league in 1976. They have never looked like relegation fodder in the Premier League.
Tottenham
The north London club may never have suffered relegation from the Premier League, but they did go down to the English second tier in season 1976-77. Spurs took a few seasons to return to the English top flight, winning promotion from the Second Division in season 1978/79.
Since the start of the Premier League era, like most clubs on this list, they have never really been in any danger of a return to the second tier.
Chelsea
In recent decades, the Blues have become a force in English and European football courtesy of big investment by the club’s previous owner Roman Abramovich. However, the Blues are the team who have spent the least time in the English top flight of the teams on our list.
The team from south west London suffered relegation to the second tier in season 1987/88 and made an immediate return in 1988/89, just three seasons before the First Division was rebranded as the Premier League. Chelsea has won the Premier League title on five occasions, having previously been crowned as champions on just one occasion in the First Division.
Brighton
Although Brighton Hove Albion have not been an ever-present in the Premier League they deserve an honourable mention, as the Seagulls have not suffered relegation from the Premier League since returning to the top flight in 2018. Before winning promotion to the Premier League the team from the south coast had last featured in the English top-flight in season 1982/83.