The Premier League Winners List is not only a list of modern trophies. It also shows how English football’s top league grew over time. It started with 12 clubs in 1888 and later became one of the most watched leagues in the world.

The Football League started in 1888 after meetings led by Aston Villa director William McGregor. Preston North End became the first champions in 1888–89. They finished the season without losing a game. At first, most clubs came from northern and central parts of England, where professional football was growing quickly.

Football League, 1888–1892

From 1888 to 1892, the competition was called the Football League. Preston North End were the first champions. Sunderland won the final title of this first four-season period in 1891–92.

This makes Preston North End the first club in the long history of the Premier League Winners List, even though the modern Premier League did not exist then. Preston also won the first two championships.

In 1892, the league became bigger by joining with the Football Alliance. It then had 28 clubs and was split into two divisions. The original league became the First Division. Promotion and relegation were also introduced between the two divisions.

Football League First Division, 1892–1992

The Football League First Division was the top level for the next 100 years, from 1892–93 to 1991–92. Sunderland were the first champions under the First Division name, while Leeds United were the last, winning the title in 1991–92. This period had several important eras: Aston Villa were strong around the start of the twentieth century, Huddersfield Town won three titles in a row in the 1920s, and Liverpool became the leading team of the late twentieth century.

Liverpool’s First Division success was remarkable. The club won back-to-back titles in 1975–76 and 1976–77, then won three in a row from 1981–82 to 1983–84. These runs show how hard it was to stay dominant for a long time, even before the Premier League era.

The World Wars stopped the competition. The league was suspended from 1915–16 to 1918–19 during the First World War and from 1939–40 to 1945–46 during the Second World War.

Football League First Division Champions Table (1892–1992)

Premier League, 1992–present

The modern Premier League started in 1992 when First Division clubs left the Football League to create the FA Premier League as a new top division. Larger TV deals changed the money in football and helped English football become popular around the world.

Manchester United were the first Premier League champions in 1992–93. Arsenal are the current champions after winning the 2025–26 season, their 14th English top-flight title according to the supplied record. The Premier League Winners List shows how the strongest teams changed over time: Manchester United dominated the early years, Chelsea and Arsenal stopped that run, Manchester City became a major modern force, and Liverpool returned to the top in 2019–20 and 2024–25.

Here is the Premier League Winners List by year; the season-by-season table below is the easiest reference.

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Premier League Champions Table (1992–present)

You can check all the fixtures of the Premier League 2026 HERE

Most successful clubs

Liverpool and Manchester United lead the all-time table with 20 English top-flight titles each. Arsenal have 14, Manchester City have 10, and Everton have nine. Aston Villa have seven, while Sunderland and Chelsea have six each.

The modern era added an important chapter. Manchester City won four Premier League titles in a row from 2020–21 to 2023–24, a run not matched in the supplied Premier League record. Manchester United also had long periods of success, including three titles in a row from 1998–99 to 2000–01 and another three-title run from 2006–07 to 2008–09. Arsenal’s 2003–04 season was special for another reason: the club finished unbeaten, becoming a memorable champion in English football history.

Leicester City’s 2015–16 title is another major moment. Their win remains one of the biggest surprises in the competition. Nottingham Forest’s 1977–78 success and Derby County’s 1971–72 title were earlier examples of clubs breaking into the champions’ group.

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List of champion clubs by titles won

The Premier League Winners List shows how English football has changed over more than a century. From Preston North End to modern champions, each era has added new clubs, records, rivalries, and memorable moments.

Which Premier League club do you think has made the biggest impact on English football, and why? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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