History UsefulNotes / EnglishPremierLeague

-->'''Current Manager:''' Rémi Garde

Generally a typical mid-table side from Birmingham, the odd flirtation with either end of the table notwithstanding; their highest finish was as runners-up under Ron Atkinson in the first Premier League season. They also mounted a consistent challenge for European places under the management of Martin O'Neill, only to have reverted to old ways since then. The 2014/15 season saw the sacking of manager Paul Lambert after a dire run that left them in the relegation zone. However, ex-Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood managed to keep the team from relegation and took them to the FA Cup final. After a monumentally bad start to the 2015/16 season, Sherwood was fired and replaced by Rémi Garde, former Arsenal player in Arsène Wenger's early years as manager. While he has managed to upgrade their performances from 'downright awful' to merely 'very bad', this is still not saying much. They're also controlled by an American: former Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner.

** Poor Joe Allen - a hardworking and thoroughly blameless midfielder in the mould of James Milner with an occasional touch of the spectacular, he became the subject MemeticMutation and mockery following his manager jokingly calling him 'the Welsh Xavi' or 'the Welsh Pirlo'. Xavi is a former Spanish international player, twice winner of the European Championship and once the World Cup, and key figure for Barcelona, one of the greatest clubs in the world. He is regarded as one of the greatest playmakers of all time. Andrea Pirlo is an Italian international player and also a master playmaker considered to be one of the best of his generation, a World Cup winner and twice Champions League winner. Both are universally admired. Needless to say, it was a standard that an honest, hard-working young professional was never going to be able to live up to.

*** While a relatively mild personality, United goalkeeper Davide de Gea, widely considered to be the second best in the world at the tender age of 25 (keepers usually come into their prime around 29/30), has almost singlehandedly kept his rather lacklustre teammates within striking distance of the top 4 and prevented more than one deeply embarrassing scoreline.

The Midlands-based "Foxes" had a good run under Martin O'Neill's management in the late nineties, but things went rapidly downhill after he went north of the border for Celtic in 2000. Leicester got relegated to League One in 2008, but they bounced back the following season and spent the next five seasons in the Championship. After being absent from the Premier League for ten years, the Foxes achieved promotion to the top flight following their victory over Sheffield Wednesday on 4 April 2014. In the 2014/15 campaign, they ensured continued top-flight status with a miracle run to rival Sunderland's from the year before, starting the month of April 7 points below safety and winning seven of the nine games remaining to ensure survival. [[AwesomeMoment As of March 2016, following the appointment of Claudio 'the Tinkerman' Ranieri, they have defied the odds to sit at the very top of the league with an eight point cushion thanks to the goal scoring form of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.]] [[ShockingSwerve To this day, no one's quite sure how]] ''[[ShockingSwerve that]]'' [[ShockingSwerve happened,]] but at this point, almost everyone is rooting for them to win it.

Liverpool's major rivals from just across town. Spent the first decade of the Premier League constantly fighting relegation, but after David Moyes's appointment as manager in 2002 they often challenged for European places, and managed to break into the Champions League spots (at that time occupied consistently by the "Big Four") in the 2004/05 season (ironically the one of the Four they replaced that year - Liverpool - actually won the Champions League that season, so got a bye into the following season's competition). Roberto Martínez took over as manager after David Moyes left for Manchester United and has constructed a team that plays delightful attacking football. Unfortunately, their defending is dubious.

The Midlands-based "Foxes" had a good run under Martin O'Neill's management in the late nineties, but things went rapidly downhill after he went north of the border for Celtic in 2000. Leicester got relegated to League One in 2008, but they bounced back the following season and spent the next five seasons in the Championship. After being absent from the Premier League for ten years, the Foxes achieved promotion to the top flight following their victory over Sheffield Wednesday on 4 April 2014. In the 2014/15 campaign, they ensured continued top-flight status with a miracle run to rival Sunderland's from the year before, starting the month of April 7 points below safety and winning seven of the nine games remaining to ensure survival. [[AwesomeMoment As of February 2016, following the appointment of Claudio 'the Tinkerman' Ranieri, they have defied the odds to sit at the very top of the league with a two point cushion thanks to the goal scoring form of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.]] [[ShockingSwerve To this day, no one's quite sure how]] ''[[ShockingSwerve that]]'' [[ShockingSwerve happened,]] but at this point, almost everyone is rooting for them to win it.

The second most successful club in English football, who have won the League 18 times and the European Cup 5 times, but have never won the Premier League in its present form, their best performances being runners-up in 2002, 2009 and 2014. Periodically threaten a return to the glory days and had a good record in the Champions League under Rafael Benítez, winning in 2005 and reaching the final in 2007, usually playing with attacking verve and style, but never quite succeed (usually because the defence isn't quite so effective). Owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Boston Red Sox]], who took over after the era of the widely despised [[IncompetenceInc Hicks and Gillette,]] who drove the club into bankruptcy. Almost won the title under Brendan Rodgers in 2013/14, playing near irresistible attacking football and blowing their rivals away via the exploits of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, before quite literally slipping up at the last moment with the title in their grasp. Following an abject finish to the 2014/15 season and a poor start to 2015/16, Rodgers was fired and replaced by charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, who made an immediate impact by restoring Liverpool's swagger and turning on the style to thrash last season's top 2, Chelsea 3-1 and Manchester City 4-1, then top 4 chasers Southampton ''[[CurbstompBattle 6-1]]'', all away from home. This was followed by a slump as Liverpool's traditional inconsistency reasserted itself. A Valentine's Day [[CurbstompBattle 6-0 walloping of]] [[ChewToy Aston Villa]], advancing to the League Cup final (lost on penalties to Manchester City) and the Last 16 of the Europa League (where they were drawn against [[ArchEnemy Manchester United]]), hammering Manchester City 3-0 at home [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge (3 days after the League Cup final defeat)]] and breaking the Crystal Palace curse with an improbably 2-1 win at Selhurst Park for the first time in nearly 20 years suggests that consistency may at last have been achieved.

The most successful club in English football, who have won the top League a record 20 times, including a record 13 Premier League titles all won under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Glazer family, which also owns the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], holds a controlling stake in the team; however, supporters have unsuccessfully attempted to buy out Malcolm Glazer, the family patriarch and owner of the club until his death in 2014, since he saddled the club with massive debts. David Moyes took over as manager following Ferguson's retirement in 2013. Unfortunately for United, the 2013/14 season went horribly wrong and Moyes got the heave-ho after losing 2-0 to his former club Everton at Goodison Park on 20 April 2014, failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995 in the process. Their present manager is the Netherlands' Louis van Gaal, then fresh from leading his national side to a third-place finish at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has recently been criticized for playing a very boring kind of football designed to neutralize opponents rather than attack them, to the derision of opposition fans and the frustration of their own, to the point where chants of AttackAttackAttack can be expected about fifteen minutes into the second half. Until now, Van Gaal could point to an extremely effective defence, based on David de Gea, first choice goalkeeper for Spain, regarded as one of the best keepers on the planet (especially for his age) and eyed covetously by Real Madrid. Losing 2-1 to Norwich at home for the first time in nearly 30 years poked more holes in an already threadbare claim.

Owned by [=SportsDirect=] tycoon Mike Ashley, this team from Newcastle-upon-Tyne is probably most famous for Kevin Keegan's rant in 1995, where with Newcastle 12 points ahead, he declared that he'd "love it if we (Newcastle) beat them (Manchester United)". [[NiceJobBreakingItHero They let that lead slip]]. The team had something of a slide around 2007/08, leading to the sacking of Sam Allardyce, Keegan's ill-fated return, and a whole lot of off-field issues, leading to club legend Alan Shearer taking his first management job to try and save them from relegation. It failed. They came back up at the first attempt, and in their second season back in the top flight, got into Europe under Alan Pardew, who apparently had a 10-year contract but left in January 2015 to rescue the fortunes of his former club, Crystal Palace. Newcastle went into a full-blown tailspin, dropping every single game until the last day of the season, where a crucial win secured their stay in the top flight. After a dire start to the season, freak 6-2 win over Norwich excepted, they looked set for relegation. However, after a 6-1 thumping by Crystal Palace, they fought back, getting a 2-0 win at home to Liverpool (then the league's form team) and a 2-1 win away at Tottenham. Despite spending over £80 million on new players, a long string of poor results led to [=McClaren=] getting the heave-ho and replaced by former Liverpool boss, Rafael Benítez.

* OneHundredPercentAdorationRating: Liverpool's appointment of manager Jürgen Klopp to succeed Brendan Rodgers was met with near universal approval by both fans and opponents, with legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitting that Klopp's appointment worried him for (from Liverpool's point of view) all the right reasons. As of the time of writing, this faith seems to have been justified, with an admittedly injury heavy Liverpool side regaining their team spirit and some of their attacking verve at the time of writing. While this hasn't been matched with consistent results, this is largely because key players, including the three first choice strikers, have spent most of the season injured - in the case of Danny Ings, he's out for the rest of the season. [[WeakButSkilled In the case of Daniel Sturridge, perpetually.]] However, defeating Chelsea 3-1, Manchester City 4-1, Southampton 6-1, Aston Villa 6-0 and Manchester City [[BrickJoke (Again)]] 3-0 has demonstrated that when Klopp gets the team playing the way he wants, they're capable of taking most anyone apart.

** They returned to handing these out in 2015/16 under [[OneHundredPercentAdorationRating Jurgen Klopp]], crushing Chelsea 3-1, Manchester City 4-1, Southampton 6-1, Aston Villa 6-0 and Manchester City [[BrickJoke (Again)]] 3-0, albeit not entirely consistently (in between the Southampton win and the Aston Villa win, they were themselves beaten 3-0 by Watford).

In the mid 2000's, the Premier League overtook Spain's La Liga to become the highest ranked league in Europe according to UEFA. However, recent resurgence from La Liga and Germany's Bundesliga, spearheaded by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and VFL Wolfsburg, and underachievement from PL teams means that there's been a power shift. Despite the small size of a lot of England's stadia compared to Europe, the quality of the English game is extremely high and total club revenue annually is almost billion! The Premier League's revenue is the fourth highest anywhere in the world, behind the NFL, Major League Baseball and the NBA - and with a new £5 ''billion'' television licensing deal, it's only likely to get richer.

However, the 2015/16 season has dramatically bucked this trend, with the adage 'anybody can beat anybody' coming dramatically true, with relegation tipped Leicester being two points clear at the top of the table over Christmas 2015 after several months of imperious form spearheaded by England striker Jamie Vardy and Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, 2014/15 champions Chelsea lurking in the bottom half of the table following a disastrous first half of the season and the subsequent sacking of their manager, Jose Mourinho, while similarly relegation tipped Watford and mid table stalwarts Crystal Palace jostle with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Liverpool for top 4 places, making the Premier League by far the most entertaining and competitive league in Europe (especially since Bayern Munich, Barcelona/Real Madrid and Paris St Germain usually run away with their respective leagues, with only Atletico Madrid challenging the Barca/Madrid hegemony, and Borussia Dortmund challenging Bayern Munich). This, perhaps, has something to do with the aforementioned television deal and the influx of finances.

The influx of foreign players means that Premier League fans get to watch some of the best players in the world every week, but it also means that English talent potentially gets squeezed out - in 1999, Chelsea became the first English club to field an entirely non-English starting eleven and at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, more than eighty Premier League players took part. Some say this has had a detrimental effect on the national team's talent pool.

-->'''Current Stadium:''' [[note]]Capacity: 30,016[[/note]]

-->'''Current Manager:''' Neil McDonald

-->'''Current Manager:''' Mick McCarthy

-->'''Current Manager:''' Brian McDermott
-->'''Current Captain:''' Paul McShane

-->'''Current Captain:''' Jay McEveley

-->'''Highest Finish:''' 11th

* ''Derby County'' (1996-2002; 2007-2008) -- mostly remembered as the first team that Brian Clough made into title-winners. They were a generally decent side for a few years under Jim Smith, until they were relegated in 2002. Returned for one season after that, which can only be described as [[EpicFail a failure of the most epic kind]].
* ''Fulham'' (2001-2014) -- Probably most famously had a great escape from relegation in 2007/08 under Roy Hodgson, then the following season got into Europe, before becoming runners-up in the 2009/10 Europa League - beating many of the game's most famous names to do so. The team lost their status as a Premier League club as a poor 2013/14 campaign saw both ex-Spurs boss Martin Jol and Rene Meulensteen getting the sack. Formerly owned by Mohammed Al Fayed, they were purchased in 2013 by Pakistani-born US billionaire Shahid Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
* ''Hull City'' (2008-2010, 2013-2015) -- First entered the Premier League (and indeed the top-flight) in 2008; the debut season of the Kingston upon Hull-based team is mostly remembered for them doing well until then-manager Phil Brown decided to berate his entire team ''on the pitch'' during half-time of one match, after which they didn't win a single home game for the rest of the season, and only won once away, at Fulham, and barely avoided relegation, before going down the following year having not won a single game on their travels. Returned to the top-flight in 2013 under Steve Bruce's management, came runner-up to Arsenal in the 2014 FA Cup after being up 2-0 within 20 minutes, and then went out of the Premier League on the final day the following season.
* ''Ipswich Town'' (1992-1995; 2000-2002) -- Norwich's main rivals, and a successful club under Bobby Robson in the seventies, but their first few years in the Premier League were unimpressive, and they were relegated after a really terrible season in 1994/95. They came back in 2000, and finished fifth that year, only to end up back in the second tier (where they remain to this day) the following year.
* ''Leeds United'' (1992-2004) -- frequently won trophies in the [=60s, 70s and 90s=], reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, but crashed and burned spectacularly after overspending in the early [=2000s=], being relegated in 2004, and then again to League One in 2007, and only avoided being tossed out of the Football League and bankrupted due to LoopholeAbuse (which cause the FA to bring in the more stringent financial rules that are in operation today). Got back to the Championship in 2010, but have never seriously looked like getting back into the Premier League since then, and in fact have only even once finished in the top half of the Championship, when they made the play-off final in 2006. Their main rivals used to be Liverpool and Manchester United, the two other traditional footballing superpowers of the North, and some fans still believe this is so, to the derision of Liverpool and United fans alike (it being one of the very few things the two groups agree on). Nowadays, their rivals are the two Sheffield clubs. Nowadays, fans quietly acknowledge that the old days of Champions League football and challenging for the title are long gone. Replaced an earlier club called Leeds City... who were tossed out of the Football League and bankrupted just after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI due to massive corruption, which included bribing league officials and paying their players illegal bonuses.
* ''Middlesbrough'' (1992-93; 1995-1997; 1998-2009) -- one of the "North-East Three" along with Newcastle and Sunderland. Were controversially relegated for failing to fulfil a fixture in 1997, but came back the following year and lasted over a decade, generally finishing mid-table before eventually going down in 2009.
* ''Nottingham Forest'' (1992-1993; 1994-1997; 1998-1999) -- enjoyed huge success under Brian Clough in the [=70s and 80s=], but the start of the Premier League brought relegation, and his retirement. Came back twice after that but, aside from a 3rd place finish in 1995, enjoyed little success, and ended up going down to League One in 2005 (they came back three years later).
* ''Oldham Athletic'' (1992-1994) -- smallish club based in Greater Manchester who nonetheless spent a few years in the top-flight back in the early [=90s=]. They were relegated in 1994 and since 1997 have been in the third tier - the longest period any non top-flight club have been in their division without being promoted or relegated.
* ''Portsmouth'' (2003-2010) -- south coast club, whose fortunes seem to be the opposite of bitter rivals Southampton at any given time. After getting into the Premier League, their fortunes improved year on year... until their playboy millionaire[[note]](and arms dealer)[[/note]] owner pulled the plug on them in 2009, sending them into a financial meltdown that made Bradford and Leeds's declines look ''tame''. They were relegated the following year, relegated to League One in 2012 (thanks to a points deduction) and relegated to League Two the year after that, only avoiding bankruptcy when the supporters' trust purchased the club.
* ''Queens Park Rangers'' (1992-1996, 2011-2013, 2014-2015) -- Yet another central London club, who were regular fixtures in the top-flight until relegation in 1996. After 15 years of varying fortunes they returned to the Premier League in 2011 with rich new owners, and barely survived the 2011/12 season before things went epically wrong the following season and they were relegated. They returned for 2014/15 after beating Derby County in the play-offs, but crashed out of the league after a brutal thrashing from Manchester City. Formerly managed by footballing stalwart Harry Redknapp, the club is facing an uncertain future as they have [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/queens-park-rangers/11587937/QPR-may-regret-failing-to-exploit-FFP-loophole.html enough financial debt to potentially prevent them from playing in the Football League]].
* ''Reading'' (2006-2008; 2012-2013) -- Berkshire-based club who were promoted to the top-flight for the first time ever in 2006. Despite a strong debut season, things went wrong the next year and they were relegated. They proved even worse the next time they were promoted, and went straight back down.
* ''Sheffield Wednesday'' (1992-2000) -- one of the two Sheffield clubs, who contest the Steel City derby (at least, when they're in the same division). Had varying fortunes for the first few Premier League seasons before getting relegated after a pretty terrible season in at the turn of the century. Have since been bouncing around between the second and third tiers, though are currently in the Championship and a division above neighbours United for the first time in quite a while.
* ''Sheffield United'' (1992-1994; 2006-2007) -- the other Sheffield club. Suffered last-day relegation from the Premier League on two separate occasions, the second in very controversial circumstances due to West Ham striker Carlos Tevez[[note]](who was at that club under an agreement that saw them merely pay his agent for the right to have him play for them without ever actually signing him, which was illegal at the time)[[/note]] scoring the goal which kept West Ham up at United's expense. Generally enjoyed better fortunes than Wednesday for most of the [=2000s=], though are currently in League One.
* ''Swindon Town'' (1993-1994) -- their only top-flight season to date did not go at ''all'' well, as they were relegated in bottom place after conceding precisely one hundred goals. To add insult to injury, they were then relegated the following year (though like Crystal Palace, this was only due to league reconstruction), and have since spent most of their time bouncing around between the bottom two divisions.
* ''Wigan Athletic'' (2005-2013) -- Lancashire club who spent the better part of a decade surviving against the odds, always managing to pull off last-day escapes. Unfortunately the 2012/13 season proved a step too far, and they were relegated despite winning the FA Cup. They almost reached the FA Cup final again the next year (beating Manchester City in the quarter-finals, no less), but eventual winners Arsenal put them out on penalties in the semi-finals.
* ''Wimbledon'' (1992-2000) -- South London club who were nicknamed "the Crazy Gang," and the only former Premier League club which is no longer in existence. The club itself became Milton Keynes Dons in 2004, while a SpiritualSuccessor club, AFC Wimbledon, was formed in 2002.
* ''Wolverhampton Wanderers'' (2003-2004; 2009-2012) -- hugely successful in the [=1950s=], and relatively common fixtures in the top-flight until the mid [=1980s=]. After their first Premier League campaign ended in immediate relegation they survived for a few years in the [=2000s/2010s=], only to be relegated in 2012, and then relegated ''again'' the following year, although were promoted back to the Championship in 2013/14.

* ''Barnsley'' (1997-98) -- Spent 102 years trying to make it into the top flight of English football, and then were relegated after only one season, having spent virtually the entire season in the bottom three. Did manage a strong FA Cup run in the same season though, reaching the fifth round and knocking Manchester United out along the way.
* ''Birmingham City'' (2002-2006; 2007-2008; 2009-2011) -- the other major club from Birmingham. Had quite a few seasons in the Premier League during the [=2000s=], but could never quite establish themselves despite a League Cup win months before their relegation in 2011.
* ''Blackburn Rovers'': (1992-1999; 2001-2012) -- won the Premier League once back in 1994/95 under Kenny Dalglish. The only former champions to have been relegated, twice no less; the second relegation came after they were taken over by Indian poultry giant Venky's, who sacked then-manager Sam Allardyce and replaced him with the highly unpopular Steve Kean, leading to relegation the following year, and the club getting through ''four'' managers in the following season in the Championship.
* ''Blackpool'' (2010-2011) -- mostly remembered for the success they had when Stanley Matthews played for them back in the [=50s=], but they suffered some very troubled times from the late [=70s=] onward, before getting back into the top-flight after a series of promotions in the mid-late [=2000s=]. They went down straight away, albeit with a relatively high points total for a relegated side, partly due to a series of good away wins in the first two thirds of the season, before a spectacular implosion in spring. They will compete in League 1 for the 2015/16 campaign after a torrid season in the Championship, finishing bottom.
* ''Bolton Wanderers'' (1995-1996; 1997-1998; 2001-2012) -- A Greater Manchester based club; their first Premier League season was awful, and their second saw them relegated on goal difference, but they established themselves as a pretty good side under Sam Allardyce in the [=2000s=], reaching highs of 6th place and establishing themselves in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League). Their fortunes gradually deteriorated after he left however, and they were eventually relegated in 2012.
* ''Bradford City'' (1999-2001) -- West Yorkshire club who famously survived on the last day of the 1999/2000 season by beating Liverpool. Unfortunately, in a portent of what would later happen to neighbours Leeds United, they then massively overspent on players and underwent financial meltdown, ending up in the Football League's lowest tier by 2007 (though they won promotion out of that division in 2013).
* ''Burnley'' (2009-2010, 2014-2015)-- The smallest club to have been promoted to the Premier League until Bournemouth's promotion in the 2014/2015 season. The club is based in a town in eastern Lancashire so small its population would only fill three of Old Trafford's stands. Despite starting their freshman season (2009/10) well, things went horribly wrong after promotion-winning manager Owen Coyle left and they ended up getting relegated shortly after. They got another chance in the Premier League during the 2014/2015 season, in which they had a number of notable feats, including getting a goalless draw against Manchester City, who up to that point had scored in every match. They fought hard to stay in the league, but it was not to be.
* ''Cardiff City'' (2013-14)-- The second Welsh club to have played in the Premier League. Their constant failures to get promoted to the top-flight were the source of a running joke for many years, until things finally went right in 2013 when they won the Football League Championship and earned promotion. Their owner, Vincent Tan, is a controversial figure for his constant ExecutiveMeddling [[note]]For instance, Tan changed the kit's color from its traditional blue to red, only to change it back in 2015 because of fan protests.[[/note]], [[https://twitter.com/htafc_Elam/status/417014081925947392/photo/1 his jeers toward his own players]] and his lack of knowledge for the game [[note]] [[http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1905776-cardiff-city-vincent-tans-5-most-outrageous-moments/page/3 Case in point]]: he once criticized his team's goalkeeper for ''not scoring enough goals''[[/note]]. However, his decision to sack Malky Mackay has helped vindicate his reputation after details about the former manager's... [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/cardiff-city/11047646/Malky-Mackay-texts-scandal-the-damning-evidence-discovered-by-Cardiff-chairman-Vincent-Tan.html unsavory text messages came to public light]]. Despite signing players such as England international Steven Caulker, their only season in the Premier League was a far cry from the success of their [[TheRival rival]] Swansea City and the Bluebirds got relegated after losing ignominiously to Newcastle on May 3, 2014.
* ''Charlton Athletic'' (1998-1999; 2000-2007) -- Another London-based club, who narrowly failed to survive in their first season, before establishing themselves as a decent mid-table side for a few years. However, things quickly went downhill after manager Alan Curbishley left, and they were relegated the following year, then again in 2009. Are currently in the Championship after winning promotion in 2012.
* ''Coventry City'' (1992-2001) -- Midlands-based club, with rivalries with Leicester City and the two Birmingham-based clubs. Like Southampton they were long time members of the top-flight, but constantly struggled and finally went down in 2001. Contrary to what ''MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' would have you believe, they ''have'' won the FA Cup (in 1987, well after the referenced sketch aired). Their failures to win promotion combined with the cost of building a new ground caused their finances to deteriorate as the decade progressed, leading to them being relegated again in 2012. To add insult to injury they were kicked out of their ground the following year, playing their 2013–14 "home" games 40 miles away in Northampton. They're now back in their Coventry ground.

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 3rd\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 17th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 1st in Championship\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 1st\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 10th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 11th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 14th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 6th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 2nd\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 4th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 15th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 3rd in Championship, won Playoff\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 7th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 9th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 16th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 8th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 5th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 2nd in Championship\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 13th\\

-->'''2014/15 Position:''' 12th\\

Despite what the name might suggest, they're based in ''east'' London (and are slated to take over the Olympic Stadium in the 2016/17 season). "The Hammers" are notable for their devoted, mostly blue collar fan base and for having contributed several key players to England's only World Cup winning side in 1966. The team has featured in most Premier League campaigns and generally finishes mid-table, but have twice suffered relegation on the back of ill-advised managerial appointments (going down under Glenn Roeder in 2003, and Avram Grant in 2011). Started 2015/16 brightly, if somewhat schizophrenically, beating the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool handily away from home, but losing at home to lesser teams. After weathering an injury crisis, West Ham saw their good form return over the Christmas period. Now, under the guidance of manager Slaven Bilic and buoyed by talismanic midfielder Dimitri Payet, the club is mounting a shock challenge for a top four spot. They don't like Spurs and they '''[[SeriousBusiness really]]''' [[ArchEnemy loathe Millwall.]]

Despite what the name might suggest, they're based in ''east'' London (and are slated to take over the Olympic Stadium in the 2016/17 season). "The Hammers" are notable for their devoted, mostly blue collar fan base and for having contributed several key players to England's only World Cup winning side in 1966. The team has featured in most Premier League campaigns and generally finishes mid-table, but have twice suffered relegation on the back of ill-advised managerial appointments (going down under Glenn Roeder in 2003, and Avram Grant in 2011). Started 2015/16 brightly, if somewhat schizophrenically, beating the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool handily away from home, but losing at home to lesser teams. After weathering an injury crisis, West Ham saw their good form return over the Christmas period. Now, under the guidance of manager Slaven Bilic and buoyed by talismanic midfielder Dmitri Payet, the club is mounting a shock challenge for a top four spot. They don't like Spurs and they '''[[SeriousBusiness really]]''' [[ArchEnemy loathe Millwall.]]

The second most successful club in English football, who have won the League 18 times and the European Cup 5 times, but have never won the Premier League in its present form, their best performances being runners-up in 2002, 2009 and 2014. Periodically threaten a return to the glory days and had a good record in the Champions League under Rafael Benitez, winning in 2005 and reaching the final in 2007, usually playing with attacking verve and style, but never quite succeed (usually because the defence isn't quite so effective). Owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Boston Red Sox]], who took over after the era of the widely despised [[IncompetenceInc Hicks and Gillette,]] who drove the club into bankruptcy. Almost won the title under Brendan Rodgers in 2013/14, playing near irresistible attacking football and blowing their rivals away via the exploits of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, before quite literally slipping up at the last moment with the title in their grasp. Following an abject finish to the 2014/15 season and a poor start to 2015/16, Rodgers was fired and replaced by charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, who made an immediate impact by restoring Liverpool's swagger and turning on the style to thrash last season's top 2, Chelsea 3-1 and Manchester City 4-1, then top 4 chasers Southampton ''[[CurbstompBattle 6-1]]'', all away from home. This was followed by a slump as Liverpool's traditional inconsistency reasserted itself. A Valentine's Day [[CurbstompBattle 6-0 walloping of]] [[ChewToy Aston Villa]], advancing to the League Cup final (lost on penalties to Manchester City) and the Last 16 of the Europa League (where they were drawn against [[ArchEnemy Manchester United]]), hammering Manchester City 3-0 at home [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge (3 days after the League Cup final defeat)]] and breaking the Crystal Palace curse with an improbably 2-1 win at Selhurst Park for the first time in nearly 20 years suggests that consistency may at last have been achieved.

Owned by [=SportsDirect=] tycoon Mike Ashley, this team from Newcastle-upon-Tyne is probably most famous for Kevin Keegan's rant in 1995, where with Newcastle 12 points ahead, he declared that he'd "love it if we (Newcastle) beat them (Manchester United)". [[NiceJobBreakingItHero They let that lead slip]]. The team had something of a slide around 2007/08, leading to the sacking of Sam Allardyce, Keegan's ill-fated return, and a whole lot of off-field issues, leading to club legend Alan Shearer taking his first management job to try and save them from relegation. It failed. They came back up at the first attempt, and in their second season back in the top flight, got into Europe under Alan Pardew, who apparently had a 10-year contract but left in January 2015 to rescue the fortunes of his former club, Crystal Palace. Newcastle went into a full-blown tailspin, dropping every single game until the last day of the season, where a crucial win secured their stay in the top flight. After a dire start to the season, freak 6-2 win over Norwich excepted, they looked set for relegation. However, after a 6-1 thumping by Crystal Palace, they fought back, getting a 2-0 win at home to Liverpool (then the league's form team) and a 2-1 win away at Tottenham. Despite spending over £80 million on new players, a long string of poor results led to McClaren getting the heave-ho and replaced by former Liverpool boss, Rafael Benítez.

-->'''Current Manager:''' Steve [=McClaren=]

Owned by [=SportsDirect=] tycoon Mike Ashley, this team from Newcastle-upon-Tyne is probably most famous for Kevin Keegan's rant in 1995, where with Newcastle 12 points ahead, he declared that he'd "love it if we (Newcastle) beat them (Manchester United)". [[NiceJobBreakingItHero They let that lead slip]]. The team had something of a slide around 2007/08, leading to the sacking of Sam Allardyce, Keegan's ill-fated return, and a whole lot of off-field issues, leading to club legend Alan Shearer taking his first management job to try and save them from relegation. It failed. They came back up at the first attempt, and in their second season back in the top flight, got into Europe under Alan Pardew, who apparently had a 10-year contract but left in January 2015 to rescue the fortunes of his former club, Crystal Palace. Newcastle went into a full-blown tailspin, dropping every single game until the last day of the season, where a crucial win secured their stay in the top flight. After a dire start to the season, freak 6-2 win over Norwich excepted, they looked set for relegation. However, after a 6-1 thumping by Crystal Palace, they fought back, getting a 2-0 win at home to Liverpool (then the league's form team) and a 2-1 win away at Tottenham.

Despite what the name might suggest, they're based in ''east'' London (and are slated to take over the Olympic Stadium in the 2016/17 season). "The Hammers" are notable for their devoted, working class fan base and for having contributed several key players to England's only World Cup winning side in 1966. The team has featured in most Premier League campaigns and generally finishes mid-table, but have twice suffered relegation on the back of ill-advised managerial appointments (going down under Glenn Roeder in 2003, and Avram Grant in 2011). Started 2015/16 brightly, if somewhat schizophrenically, beating the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool handily away from home, but losing at home to lesser teams. After weathering an injury crisis, West Ham Saw their good form return over the Christmas period. They don't like Spurs and they '''[[SeriousBusiness really]]''' [[ArchEnemy loathe Millwall.]]

A north London club and Arsenal's main rival. The Spurs were relatively unremarkable for the Premier League's first decade, usually finishing in a mid-to-low position, but became regular challengers for the Champions League first under Martin Jol, and then under Harry Redknapp, though to date have only actually made the top four twice, in 2010 and 2012 (and failed to qualify for the Champions League in the latter after sixth-place Chelsea won it). The 2013/14 season saw Spurs selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world record £85.3 million and sacking Andre Villas-Boas after a rocky start. In addition to loathing Arsenal, Spurs also have fierce derbies against West Ham United and Chelsea. They usually play exciting and attractive football, played by a young and talented team (they have the youngest squad in the division, albeit only by a fraction, with Liverpool close behind). Currently challenging for the title, driven on by emerging players such as Dele Alli & Harry Kane, who're pushing for a regular place in the England first team at the tender age of 19 & 22 respectively.

A north London club and Arsenal's main rival. The Spurs were relatively unremarkable for the Premier League's first decade, usually finishing in a mid-to-low position, but became regular challengers for the Champions League first under Martin Jol, and then under Harry Redknapp, though to date have only actually made the top four twice, in 2010 and 2012 (and failed to qualify for the Champions League in the latter after sixth-place Chelsea won it). The 2013/14 season saw Spurs selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world record £85.3 million and sacking Andre Villas-Boas after a rocky start. In addition to loathing Arsenal, Spurs also have fierce derbies against West Ham United and Chelsea. They usually play exciting and attractive football, played by a young and talented team (they have the youngest squad in the division, albeit only by a fraction, with Liverpool close behind). Currently challenging for the title, driven on by emerging players such as Delle Alli, who's pushing for a regular place in the England first team at the tender age of 19.

The second most successful club in English football, who have won the League 18 times and the European Cup 5 times, but have never won the Premier League in its present form, their best performances being runners-up in 2002, 2009 and 2014. Periodically threaten a return to the glory days and had a good record in the Champions League under Rafael Benitez, winning in 2005 and reaching the final in 2007, usually playing with attacking verve and style, but never quite succeed (usually because the defence isn't quite so effective). Owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Boston Red Sox]], who took over after the era of the widely despised [[IncompetenceInc Hicks and Gillette,]] who drove the club into bankruptcy. Following an abject finish to the 2014/15 season and a poor start to the 2015/16 season, Brendan Rodgers was fired and replaced by charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, who made an immediate impact by restoring Liverpool's swagger and turning on the style to thrash last season's top 2 at their home stadiums, Chelsea 3-1 and Manchester City 4-1, and top 4 chasers Southampton ''[[CurbstompBattle 6-1]]'' at their home stadium. However, this has not translated into consistent success, with a Valentine's Day [[CurbstompBattle 6-0 walloping of]] [[ChewToy Aston Villa]] (immediately nicknamed 'the St. Valentine's Day Massacre'), advancing to the League Cup final (lost on penalties to Manchester City after a heroic effort) and the Last 16 of the Europa League (where they were then drawn against arch-rivals Manchester United), hammering Manchester City 3-0 at home [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge (3 days after the League Cup final defeat)]] is mixed in with top players struggling to return from injury and and a still rickety defence.

** Manchester City aren't very good at playing Liverpool in the Premier League, particularly at Anfield - to this day, it remains the only Premier League stadium at which they have failed to win at even once since [[ArabOilSheikh Sheikh Mansour]] took over in 2008, [[TookALevelInBadass despite the many levels in badass they have taken since]], with the latest trip to Anfield in March 2016 ending with a nominally much weaker Liverpool side taking [[ItsPersonal enthusiastic]] [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge]] for a League Cup Final defeat three days before with a 3-0 victory. They aren't necessarily much better at playing them at home, either, as a [[CurbstompBattle 4-1 defeat]] earlier that same season proved.

However, the 2015/16 season has dramatically bucked this trend, with the adage 'anybody can beat anybody' coming dramatically true, with relegation tipped Leicester being two points clear at the top of the table over Christmas 2015 after several months of imperious form spearheaded by England striker Jamie Vardy and Algerian winger Riyad Mahrez, 2014/15 champions Chelsea lurking in the bottom half of the table following a disastrous first half of the season and the subsequent sacking of their manager, Jose Mourinho, while similarly relegation tipped Watford and mid table stalwarts Crystal Palace jostle with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester Utd, Tottenham and Liverpool for top 4 places, making the Premier League by far the most entertaining and competitive league in Europe (especially since Bayern Munich, Barcelona/Real Madrid and Paris St Germain usually run away with their respective leagues, with only Atletico Madrid challenging the Barca/Madrid hegemony). This, perhaps, has something to do with the aforementioned television deal and the influx of finances.

Generally a typical mid-table side from Birmingham, the odd flirtation with either end of the table notwithstanding; their highest finish was as runners-up under Ron Atkinson in the first Premier League season. They also mounted a consistent challenge for European places under the management of Martin O'Neill, only to have reverted to old ways since then. The 2014/15 season saw the sacking of manager Paul Lambert after a dire run that left them in the relegation zone. However, ex-Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood managed to keep the team from relegation and took them to the FA Cup final. After a monumentally bad start to the 2015/16 season, Sherwood was fired and replaced by Remi Garde, former Arsenal player in Arsene Wenger's early years as manager. While he has managed to upgrade their performances from 'downright awful' to merely 'very bad', this is still not saying much. They're also controlled by an American: former Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner.

-->'''Current Manager:''' Guus Hiddink (caretaker)

Liverpool's major rivals from just across town. Spent the first decade of the Premier League constantly fighting relegation, but after David Moyes's appointment as manager in 2002 they often challenged for European places, and managed to break into the Champions League spots (at that time occupied consistently by the "Big Four") in the 2004/05 season (ironically the one of the Four they replaced that year - Liverpool - actually won the Champions League that season, so got a bye into the following season's competition). Roberto Martinez took over as manager after David Moyes left for Manchester United and has constructed a team that plays delightful attacking football. Unfortunately, their defending is dubious.

-->'''Current Captain:''' Jordan Henderson.

-->'''Current Manager:''' Quique Sanchez Flores

* OneHundredPercentAdorationRating: Liverpool's appointment of manager Jürgen Klopp to succeed Brendan Rodgers was met with near universal approval by both fans and opponents, with legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitting that Klopp's appointment worried him for (from Liverpool's point of view) all the right reasons. As of the time of writing, this faith seems to have been justified, with an admittedly injury heavy Liverpool side regaining their team spirit and some of their attacking verve at the time of writing. While this hasn't been matched with many goals as yet, this is largely because the three first choice strikers are all injured - in the case of Danny Ings, for the rest of the season. In the case of Daniel Sturridge, perpetually.

** Tom Hicks and George Gillett, during their ownership of Liverpool, swiftly became two of the most hated men in the city.
** ''The Sun'' newspaper is also universally despised in Liverpool after its coverage of the Hillsborough disaster. To this day, despite several grovelling apologies of somewhat dubious sincerity, they struggle to sell a paper north of the Mersey.

* BerserkButton: The Hillsborough disaster, and mockery thereof, for Liverpool fans (in fact, it's one of the few things that can [[EnemyMine unite Liverpool and Everton fans]]). Just ask Kelvin [=MacKenzie=]...
** Heysel is also something Liverpool fans don't like hearing or talking about about, only in this case it's because it was the opposition fans being killed, during hooliganism's heyday in the '80's. This resulted in English teams being banned from European competition, which is also something of a Berserk Button to Everton fans, as they would have been England's representative at the European Cup the following season.

** Liverpool were this from 2009-10 when they dropped out of the Champions League places, then out of the European places entirely. The 2013-2014 season, however, comprised a massive HesBack moment, and they very nearly won the title. They regained this status somewhat in the 2014/2015 season, having lost their OneManArmy striker Luis Suárez to Barcelona, his near equally prolific strike partner Daniel Sturridge to injury and their replacements failed to succeed - [[EpicFail Liverpool's strikers scored fewer goals between them than Everton's defence.]] This meant that they lost a total of approximately sixty goals that they'd had the previous season. Despite this, they still managed to string together a brilliant run in the middle of the season, challenging for the Champions League, but ultimately failing to qualify, facing a humiliating 6-1 thrashing from ''Stoke'' on the final day of the season. 2015/16 has been a mixed bag, with Brendan Rodgers surviving until October, before being replaced by charismatic German Jurgen Klopp, who set something of a revival going, leading to successive thrashings of Chelsea (3-1), Manchester City (4-1) and Southampton (6-1), before hitting something of a downturn in form.

The second most successful club in English football, who have won the League 18 times and the European Cup 5 times, but have never won the Premier League in its present form, their best performances being runners-up in 2002, 2009 and 2014. Periodically threaten a return to the glory days and had a good record in the Champions League under Rafael Benitez, winning in 2005 and reaching the final in 2007, usually playing with attacking verve and style, but never quite succeed (usually because the defence isn't quite so effective). Owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Boston Red Sox]], who took over after the era of the widely despised [[IncompetenceInc Hicks and Gillette,]] who drove the club into bankruptcy. Following an abject finish to the 2014/15 season and a poor start to the 2015/16 season, Brendan Rodgers was fired and replaced by charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, who made an immediate impact by restoring Liverpool's swagger and turning on the style to thrash last season's top 2 at their home stadiums, Chelsea 3-1 and Manchester City 4-1, and top 4 chasers Southampton ''[[CurbstompBattle 6-1]]'' at their home stadium. However, this has not translated into consistent success, with a Valentine's Day [[CurbstompBattle 6-0 walloping of]] [[ChewToy Aston Villa]] (immediately nicknamed 'the St. Valentine's Day Massacre'), advancing to the League Cup final and the Last 16 of the Europa League mixed in with top players struggling to return from injury and and a still rickety defence.

Perennial underachievers and league ButtMonkey until being bought by Arab Sheik Mansour, after which the team became serious contenders, winning the 2011-12 title under Roberto Mancini and the 2013/14 title under Manuel Pellegrini, capitalising on the faltering at the end of the season of a previously rampant Liverpool side. Fans of other teams find City as a BaseBreaker because of the team's overwhelming wealth and despite their secure position at the top end of the Premier League, they have yet to translate it to European success, the standard by which every top club is ultimately judged. Had a mixed 2015/16, hanging around at the top of the table, but being overshadowed by surprise title challengers Tottenham Hotspur (usually scrapping for fourth place at best) and ''Leicester City'' (who everyone honestly expected to be relegated).

A South London-based club who to date have had five separate spells in the Premier League, more than any other team, and suffered immediate relegation in each of the first four (though were a little unlucky to go down in the 1994/95 season, when there was an extra relegation spot due to league reconstruction). They ''finally'' averted relegation in the 2013/14 season thanks to manager Tony Pulis, the ex-Stoke coach who has never suffered relegation with any of his teams. Pulis moved on to West Brom afterwards and Palace have further established themselves in the Premier League mix under former Newcastle manager (and ex-Palace player) Alan Pardew, who has succeeded in making them a credible threat to the very top teams, particularly the long suffering Liverpool. [[ArchEnemy They really]], '''[[ArchEnemy REALLY]]''' [[ArchEnemy don't like]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4CvRDkdp7g Brighton and Hove Albion]], and as much as they hate BHA, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?.v=JFsW6vvBwHk their hate for Eric Cantona is even worse]].

A South London-based club who to date have had five separate spells in the Premier League, more than any other team, and suffered immediate relegation in each of the first four (though were a little unlucky to go down in the 1994/95 season, when there was an extra relegation spot due to league reconstruction). They ''finally'' averted relegation in the 2013/14 season thanks to manager Tony Pulis, the ex-Stoke coach who has never suffered relegation with any of his teams. Pulis moved on to West Brom afterwards and Palace have further established themselves in the Premier League mix under former Newcastle manager (and ex-Palace player) Alan Pardew, who has succeeded in making them a credible threat to the very top teams, particularly the long suffering Liverpool. [[ArchEnemy They really]], '''[[ArchEnemy REALLY]]''' [[ArchEnemy don't like]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4CvRDkdp7g Brighton and Hove Albion]], and as much as they hate BHA, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFsW6vvBwHk their hate for Eric Cantona is even worse]].

The Midlands-based "Foxes" had a good run under Martin O'Neill's management in the late nineties, but things went rapidly downhill after he went north of the border for Celtic in 2000. Leicester got relegated to League One in 2008, but they bounced back the following season and spent the next five seasons in the Championship. After being absent from the Premier League for ten years, the Foxes achieved promotion to the top flight following their victory over Sheffield Wednesday on 4 April 2014. In the 2014/15 campaign, they ensured continued top-flight status with a miracle run to rival Sunderland's from the year before, starting the month of April 7 points below safety and winning seven of the nine games remaining to ensure survival. [[AwesomeMoment As of February 2016, following the appointment of Claudio 'the Tinkerman' Ranieri, they have defied the odds to sit at the very top of the league with a two point cushion thanks to the goal scoring form of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.]] [[ShockingSwerve No one's quite sure how ''that'' happened.]]

The second most successful club in English football, who have won the League 18 times and the European Cup 5 times, but have never won the Premier League in its present form, their best performances being runners-up in 2002, 2009 and 2014. Periodically threaten a return to the glory days and had a good record in the Champions League under Rafael Benitez, winning in 2005 and reaching the final in 2007, usually playing with attacking verve and style, but never quite succeed (usually because the defence isn't quite so effective). Owned by Fenway Sports Group, owners of the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams Boston Red Sox]], who took over after the era of the widely despised [[IncompetenceInc Hicks and Gillette,]] who drove the club into bankruptcy. Following an abject finish to the 2014/15 season and a poor start to the 2015/16 season, Brendan Rodgers was fired and replaced by charismatic German Jürgen Klopp, who made an immediate impact by restoring Liverpool's swagger and turning on the style to thrash last season's top 2 at their home stadiums, Chelsea 3-1 and Manchester City 4-1, and top 4 chasers Southampton ''[[CurbstompBattle 6-1]]'' at their home stadium. However, this has not translated into extended success, and Liverpool have hit a slump as top players struggle to return from injury, their strike force looks vaguely bemused and the defence is doing its time honoured impersonation of a colander.

Perennial underachievers and league ButtMonkey until being bought by Arab Sheik Mansour, after which the team became serious contenders, winning the 2011-12 title under Roberto Mancini and the 2013/14 title under Manuel Pellegrini, capitalising on the faltering at the end of the season of a previously rampant Liverpool side. Fans of other teams find City as a BaseBreaker because of the team's overwhelming wealth and despite their secure position at the top end of the Premier League, they have yet to translate it to European success, the standard by which every top club is ultimately judged.

The most successful club in English football, who have won the top League a record 20 times, including a record 13 Premier League titles all won under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Glazer family, which also owns the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], holds a controlling stake in the team; however, supporters have unsuccessfully attempted to buy out Malcolm Glazer, the family patriarch and owner of the club until his death in 2014, since he saddled the club with massive debts. David Moyes took over as manager following Ferguson's retirement in 2013. Unfortunately for United, the 2013/14 season went horribly wrong and Moyes got the heave-ho after losing 2-0 to his former club Everton at Goodison Park on 20 April 2014, failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995 in the process. Their present manager is the Netherlands' Louis van Gaal, then fresh from leading his national side to a third-place finish at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He has recently been criticized for playing a very boring kind of football designed to neutralize opponents rather than attack them, to the derision of opposition fans and the frustration of their own, to the point where chants of AttackAttackAttack can be expected about fifteen minutes into the second half. Until now, Van Gaal could point to an extremely effective defense, based upon David de Gea, first choice goalkeeper for Spain, regarded as one of the best keepers on the planet (especially for his age) and eyed covetously by Real Madrid. Losing 2-1 to Norwich at home for the first time in nearly 30 years poked more holes in an already threadbare claim.

South coast club who were regular fixtures (albeit usually struggling against relegation) until some epic mismanagement saw them relegated in 2005, and then again in 2009. Rebounded with back-to-back promotions in 2011 and 2012, though promotion-winning manager Nigel Adkins was controversially axed simply because the owners didn't think he was high-profile enough. However, the new boss, Mauricio Pocchetino, famous for his foul in the 2002 World Cup, helped Southampton climb into the top half of the table. They continued their good form during the 2014/15 season, they turned into unlikely title challengers under the management of Dutchman Ronald Koeman, and though they fell away, finished respectably. Losing yet more star players to clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool didn't immediately seem to impede them, but their confidence and form dropped dramatically after they were hammered 6-1 at home by Liverpool in the League Cup Quarter-Final, despite going in front in less than a minute.

A north London club and Arsenal's main rival. The Spurs were relatively unremarkable for the Premier League's first decade, usually finishing in a mid-to-low position, but became regular challengers for the Champions League first under Martin Jol, and then under Harry Redknapp, though to date have only actually made the top four twice, in 2010 and 2012 (and failed to qualify for the Champions League in the latter after sixth-place Chelsea won it). The 2013/14 season saw Spurs selling Gareth Bale to Real Madrid for a world record £85.3 million and sacking Andre Villas-Boas after a rocky start. In addition to loathing Arsenal, Spurs also have fierce derbies against West Ham United and Chelsea. They usually play exciting and attractive football, played by a young and talented team (they have the youngest squad in the division, albeit only by a fraction, with Liverpool close behind).

** Crystal Palace have become this to Liverpool in recent years, ever since they pulled back three goals in ten minutes to force a draw with a Liverpool side then considered favourites for the title. As a result, Liverpool lost their nerve and their title challenge failed. Ever since, Palace have either drawn with them or beaten them, sometimes by fairly humiliating score lines, with Liverpool suffering from a kind of psychological trauma.

** Chelsea manager José Mourinho surely counts here as well.
** As does Sir Alex Ferguson, to an extent. Not as much as the other two.

* DracoInLeatherPants: Chelsea manager Mourinho surely counts. The man has courted controversy his whole career, including poking the opposition's assistant coach in the eye. This is rationalized as him being a character and being both a DeadpanSnarker and handsome means he has a lot of females on his side. Noticeably different compared to his time in Italy and Spain where his antics are harshly criticized by the press.

** Sheffield United's board in 2006-07 solely blamed the Carlos Tevez "scandal" for sending them down, despite not spending a penny on the squad and actually strip-mining the squad.
** Southampton in the early 2000s - their chairman knew nothing about football, and in fact preferred rugby.

* OpposingSportsTeam: Every club has rivals. Arsenal have Tottenham, Manchester United have Manchester City (and Liverpool), Liverpool have Everton (and Manchester United), etc. Expect those matches to be pretty tense and hot. The Everton-Liverpool tie has produced the most red cards in the League.

The Midlands-based "Foxes" had a good run under Martin O'Neill's management in the late nineties, but things went rapidly downhill after he went north of the border for Celtic in 2000. Leicester got relegated to League One in 2008, but they bounced back the following season and spent the next five seasons in the Championship. After being absent from the Premier League for ten years, the Foxes achieved promotion to the top flight following their victory over Sheffield Wednesday on 4 April 2014. In the 2014/15 campaign, they ensured continued top-flight status with a miracle run to rival Sunderland's from the year before, starting the month of April 7 points below safety and winning seven of the nine games remaining to ensure survival. [[AwesomeMoment As of February 2016, following the appointment of Claudio 'the Tinkerman' Ranieri, they have defied the odds to sit at the very top of the league with a five point cushion thanks to the goal scoring form of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.]] [[ShockingSwerve No one's quite sure how ''that'' happened.]]

-->'''Current Manager:''' Manuel Pellegrini

** Crystal Palace. They've has five separate spells in the Premier League, and were instantly relegated in each of the first four. As of the 2013/14 season, they've managed to avoid relegation for the first time and this has died off. And now that they've gained a reputation of being a midtable team that has a tendency to challenge and sometimes beat the Top 6 in games (usually Liverpool, who seem to be somewhat traumatised following one particularly dramatic reversal that effectively destroyed their title challenge), this status shows no signs of resurgence.

* RunningGag: Arsène Wenger and his coat. Everything from [[http://footballburp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Arsene-Wengers-coat-gets-bigger-every-day.jpg how long it is]] to [[http://www.whoateallthepies.tv/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/arsen.gif his lack of pockets]], but especially [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeM28xfDw9I his trouble with the zippers.]] Puma and Wenger nodded to it with [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEc-Z29mgGI a video based entirely around Wenger's new zipper]], [[http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/040/335/c97657c50cc2270f030c3ce157bb16fb_crop_exact.png?w=1500&h=1500&q=85 and his new coat comes with a much larger zipper]]. [[EpicFail Too bad]] [[http://blog.foxsoccer.com/post/107127625662/arsene-wenger-still-cant-manage-coat-zippers he still has trouble getting it to work]].

[[caption-width-right:350:[[EnglishPremierLeague England's beautiful game.]] ([-[[ArabOilSheikh Property of the Quraci royal family.]]-]) ]]