The Premier League is clearly the world’s most popular professional sports competition. Individual events like the Super Bowl or World Cup Final might draw more viewers on a one-off occasion, but the Premier League has an estimated 1.3 billion fans across the globe, and its broadcasts reach 188 of 193 countries.
It’s been a constant fixture in the lives of soccer fans for over 30 years, and they are all waiting for the kick-off of the new Premier League season on August 16th. Here are 20 facts about a competition that just seems to be getting bigger and bigger:
- The Premier League was founded in 1992, replacing the Football League First Division as the top tier of English football. The founding of the league coincided with a major broadcast deal with Sky Sports, ushering in the modern football era.
- Brian Deane scored the first goal of the Premier League era, scoring for Sheffield United against Manchester United. The Red Devils would shrug off this early setback to go on to win the first Premier League title in the 1992/93 season.
- Manchester United holds the record for the most Premier League titles, with 13 championships under Sir Alex Ferguson. Overall, United has won 20 (Premier League + old First Division), one more than fierce rivals Liverpool.
- While United has the most titles, neighbor Manchester City has been the most dominant team recently, winning a record four titles in a row. City is also the clear betting favorite for the upcoming 2024/25 Premier League season.
- Arsenal is the only team to have gone an entire Premier League season unbeaten, achieving this feat in the 2003-04 season, dubbed "The Invincibles". Again, while this record has not been equaled, City managed to secure the most points in a season with 100 points in the 2017-18 campaign.
- Alan Shearer is the Premier League's all-time top scorer, with 260 goals scored during his time at Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United. Many thought that England Captain Harry Kane would surpass the record, but he chose to move to Bayern Munich last
- Gareth Barry holds the record for the most Premier League appearances, with 653 games played, notably for Aston Villa and Manchester City. James Milner may equal that record this upcoming season: he needs to make 19 appearances or more for Brighton.
- Erling Haaland set the record for the most goals in a single season, scoring 36 goals in 2022-23 for Manchester City. Haaland broke several records that season, but his goalscoring prowess did slip a bit the subsequent season.
- Many fans will have never heard of him, but the oldest player to appear in a Premier League match is John Burridge, who played at the age of 43 years and 162 days for Manchester City in 1995.
- Harvey Elliott is the youngest player to play in the Premier League. He made his debut for Fulham at 16 years and 30 days old in 2019. Elliott only managed two Premier League appearances for Fulham, but it was enough to convince the mighty Liverpool to sign him.
- Jack Grealish holds the record for the most expensive transfer in the Premier League, having moved from Aston Villa to Manchester City for £100 million in 2021. Grealish struggled to get into the City team last season, even losing his England place for Euro 2024.
- Sir Alex Ferguson is the most successful manager in Premier League history, winning 13 titles with Manchester United. His battles with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger across the late 1990s and early 2000s were considered the golden era of the Premier League.
- The largest margin of victory in a Premier League match is 9-0. Three teams recorded the feat: Manchester United against Ipswich Town in 1995, Leicester City against Southampton in 2019, and Manchester United again against Southampton in 2021.
- On the other side of the pitch, Petr Čech holds the record for the most clean sheets in Premier League history (202). The Chelsea legend was part of a team (2004-2005) that only conceded 15 goals (a record) across an entire season.
- Shane Long holds the record for the fastest goals scored in Premier League history, hitting the back of the net after just 7.69 seconds (Southampton vs. Watford). Olie McBurnie scored in the 13th minute of stoppage time in January 2024, making it the latest goal.
- In 2020, Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United arguably scored the latest goal of the Premier League. While McBurnie’s goal (see above) was later in minutes, Fernandes’ goal came after the game finished. The video assistant referee awarded a penalty after the match ref had blown for full time.
- The Premier League is considered the most cosmopolitan sports competition in the world, with players from 123 countries having played in the competition. Players from every continent on Earth have played.
- Thierry Henry holds the record for the most assists in a single Premier League season, with 20 assists for Arsenal in the 2002-03 campaign. Ryan Giggs has the most assists overall, with 162.
- Sergio Aguero has the most hat-tricks with 12 (all for Manchester City. A former City player, Richard Dunner, has the unwanted record of most own goals. The Irishman put 10 in his own net.
- Finally, let’s end with this odd fact: The Premier League has a curious trend where no team that has been at the top of the table in August has gone on to win the title by the end of the season. So, there is something to be said for slow starters in the world’s most popular professional sports competition.
