As we brace ourselves for the new Premier League campaign, the 20 competing teams are deep into their preparations to deliver a stellar campaign for their supporters and local communities.
Every year, fans enter the season with hope that this will be the most successful season they have yet to witness. This got us thinking about what would be considered the best campaign of the Premier League era for the 20 clubs competing in 2023-24.
AFC Bournemouth - 2015-16 (16th)
After storming to the Championship title in 2014-15 to gain promotion to the Premier League for the first time in their history, many expected AFC Bournemouth’s bubble to burst once they came up against the big boys. How wrong they were. Not only did they stay up by five points, they showed that they belonged at this level. Eddie Howe even guided the club to a memorable victory over Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium which was a warning to the rest of the division. The Cherries enjoyed five successive years in the Premier League, achieving a top-half finish in 2016-17.
Arsenal - 2003-04 (1st)
Even non-Arsenal supporters know exactly why this season is the Gunners’ greatest of the Premier League era. The ‘Invincibles’ campaign is forever immortalised because it has never been repeated. An entire season without defeat is simply incredible. The team featured the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires to name a few. There was just so much to like about Arsene Wenger’s side because it was filled with talent and flair.
Aston Villa - 1995-96 (4th, League Cup winners)
While Aston Villa fans are hoping for Unai Emery to be the manager to restore them back to their former glory, it was Brian Little who last secured silverware for the West Midlands club. Villa were the League Cup winners in 95-96, beating Leeds United 3-0 at Wembley Stadium. Little also delivered an impressive campaign in the league with a more than respectable fourth-place finish.
Brentford - 2022-23 (9th)
After surviving their first year in the Premier League with ease, Thomas Frank’s side used that momentum to climb higher in the table. Ivan Toney chipped in with a stunning 20 goals before his gambling suspension, and for a time it looked like the Bees had a shot of finishing in the European places. Brentford are one of the model clubs in England and their rise over the past decade has been phenomenal.
Brighton & Hove Albion - 2022-23 (5th)
The Seagulls have been soaring in the past couple of years and they’ve had to bide their time since their promotion to the top flight in 2016-17. After losing Graham Potter to Chelsea in September, his successor Roberto De Zerbi built on his fine work to deliver European football at Brighton for the first time in their history. They also made it to the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley but missed out on the final to Manchester United.
Burnley - 2017-18 (7th)
Sean Dyche built up his coaching credentials with Burnley and, despite never spending much money, he maintained their top-flight status after their second promotion in 2015-16. Two years later he surpassed all expectations to lead Burnley to a stunning seventh-place finish which put the Clarets in the Europa League qualifying rounds. It’s a shame they threw their opportunity away to focus on their Premier League campaign.
Chelsea - 2004-05 (1st, League Cup winners)
Following Roman Abramovich’s takeover of Chelsea in 2003, people wondered how quickly he could turn the club into Premier League contenders. Under Jose Mourinho in the Russian’s second season, Chelsea lost just one game (1-0 to Manchester City) in the league to secure their first league title in 50 years. They also won the League Cup by beating Liverpool 3-2 after extra time at the Millennium Stadium. Chelsea have enjoyed more success over the years but this campaign stands out because it was when they announced themselves to the rest of the league.
Crystal Palace - 2015-16 (15th)
Crystal Palace have enjoyed many obscure mid-table finishes in the Premier League over the years but this one is regarded as the best of the bunch because it saw them reach the FA Cup final, where they were beaten by Manchester United after extra time. Alan Pardew was the man in the dugout, and they may have lost that final but we did get that iconic Pardew dance at Wembley when Jason Puncheon scored the opener.
Everton - 2004-05 (4th)
They may have won the FA Cup back in 1994-95 but 10 years later, Everton established themselves as the fourth best team in England. Under David Moyes, they finished fourth to reach the Champions League third qualifying round the following season to give supporters hope that they were on their way to new heights. Unfortunately, they lost to Villarreal but the campaign that got them into that position is fondly remembered.
Fulham - 2009-10 (12th, Europa League finalists)
This season is immortalised in Fulham’s history because they were one game away from securing their first major title as they finished runners-up in the Europa League. The Cottagers, led by Roy Hodgson, lost to Atletico Madrid in Hamburg. The campaign delivered some of the greatest memories in the club’s history and as such no Fulham fan will ever have a bad word to say about Hodgson.
Liverpool - 2019-20 (1st)
Liverpool are one of the giants of football across the world and they have a rich history of success. Of course, when it came to the Premier League era, league titles were hard to come by for them. So when they were able to secure their first title three years ago, it highlighted just how special Jurgen Klopp’s side were, having already won the Champions League the season before. It was only a shame that the Covid-19 pandemic stopped supporters from following this great campaign live.
Luton Town - N/A
Manchester City - 2022-23 (1st, Champions League winners, FA Cup winners)
Since 2011, Manchester City have had a lot of memorable campaigns, particularly following Pep Guardiola’s arrival at the club in 2016. But of course, the obvious stand-out year for the Cityzens was last season when they won a historic treble: Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. They equalled the feat set by rivals Manchester United in 1998-99 and they could finally call themselves the best team in Europe after falling short in the two previous years.
Manchester United - 1998-99 (1st, Champions League winners, FA Cup winners)
This was the year when United became the first English side to win the treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League under Sir Alex Ferguson. Two injury-time goals from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw United complete the treble in dramatic fashion against Bayern Munich and it remains one of the greatest seasons in football history.
Newcastle United - 1993-94 (3rd)
Forget the promise and then disintegration of 1995-96, Newcastle United’s debut in the Premier League was one to remember for all the right reasons. Kevin Keegan’s side played some excellent football to make a lasting first impression and Andy Cole’s stunning 34-goal haul in the league saw them finish third and qualify for the UEFA Cup. As well as Cole, Peter Beardsley scored an impressive 21 league goals with Rob Lee adding some pizzazz from midfield to help the Magpies fly.
Nottingham Forest - 1994-95 (3rd)
Following relegation in the very first Premier League campaign, Nottingham Forest bounced straight back up the following year hoping to learn from their mistakes. They did more than that under Frank Clark as they stormed to a third-place finish. Forwards Stan Collymore and Bryan Roy contributed 38 league goals between them and defender Stuart Pearce grabbed 10 for himself. This team was enjoyable to watch and it was a stark contrast from the side who were whipping boys two years prior.
Sheffield United - 2019-20 (9th)
After six years languishing in League One, Sheffield United returned to the Championship under Chris Wilder and within two years they were back in the Premier League for the first time in 12 years. Wilder’s side were lauded for their organisation and ruthlessness in attack, something which had a great effect in their first season back in the big time. They pulled off shocks against Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur on their way to a top-half finish. It was some season.
Tottenham Hotspur - 2018-19 (4th, Champions League finalists)
Mauricio Pochettino is considered one of the greatest coaches in Tottenham Hotspur’s history despite not winning anything. He built an exciting team which contended for the Premier League title on a couple of occasions and in 2018-19 led the club to their first Champions League final. It was a route that was full of drama.
There was their thrilling 4-4 win via away goals against Manchester City in the quarter-finals, with Raheem Sterling having a late goal chalked off for offside which would’ve ended the journey. Then there was the stunning comeback against Ajax in the semi-finals with Lucas Moura’s jaw-dropping second-half hat-trick to send Spurs through again on away goals. The final may have been disappointing, but that route to the final was something special.
West Ham United - 2022-23 (14th, Europa Conference League winners)
After a couple years of finishing comfortably in the top seven, West Ham did have an underwhelming year in the Premier League. But this season was one of the best in the club’s history because they won the Europa Conference League thanks to their 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in Prague. Manager David Moyes claimed his first major title as a coach and the Hammers won their first trophy in over 40 years. It also ensured their place in the Europa League for 2023-24.
Wolverhampton Wanderers - 2019-20 (7th, Europa League quarter-finalists)
After a stunning Championship title win in 2017-18, Wolves made a splash in the Premier League with their exciting squad and style in 2018-19 to finish seventh and secure a place in the Europa League qualifiers, which they smashed the following season. They got through the group with 13 points and defeated Espanyol and Olympiacos to reach the quarter-finals. Their fairytale journey was cut short, but Wolves fans were given a European tour to remember.
