Watched in over 212 territories and almost a billion homes, the English Premier League holds the record for the most popular sports league in the world. The EPL, legally known as the Football Association Premier League Limited, is the topmost tier of the English Football System. Currently, the league is contested by 20 teams, with the bottom four from smaller leagues at the start of the season.
Since its establishment, fifty-one clubs have participated, and only seven teams have claimed the top title over the years. Manchester United holds the most number of title wins, winning the league 13 times. Manchester City comes next with 7, Chelsea follows with 5, Arsenal with 3, Blackburn Rovers with 1, Liverpool with 1, and Leicester City with 1. Manchester City are the current champions of the league, under the management of Pep Guardiola.
For over three decades, the league has amassed billions of fans from every corner of the world. The Premier League alone has a huge unrivaled betting market of every other football tournament. Check out here for the best football tournaments you can watch live. Asides from the big numbers and records the Premier League has achieved over the years, there are some interesting facts you should know about its history!
Interesting Facts In The History Of The English Premier League
A lot has happened in the league’s history since its creation 31 years ago. Millions of fans have memories of their club’s winning goals, favorite players, reactions, and even management. While most of these interesting memories are subjective to players, we bring you objective interesting facts about the football league in its three decades so far.
The First Premier League Goal Was By Brian Deane
Brian Deane, currently aged 55, was the first person ever to score a goal in the English Premier League. In 1992, he scored a goal against Manchester United as a Sheffield United player. The game ended 2 – 1 in favor of Sheffield United, and it remains one of the most legendary games in Premier League history. Currently, he coaches the English Team, FC Ferizaj.
The Most Goals In The Premier League Is By Alan Shearer
Regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time in the Premier League, Aland Shearer holds the title for scoring the most goals in the league. When he retired in 2006, he had scored 260 goals, earning several awards and, ultimately, an inductee award into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2021. Currently, at age 53, he’s a world-renowned football pundit and retired Newcastle United manager.
Manchester City Holds The Highest Points In A Season
For the first time ever in the 2017 – 2018 season, Manchester City broke the record for the most points in a season with 100 points. It’s also the first time the league saw a triple-digit point. Before that season, Chelsea held the record for the most points at 95 points in the 2004 – 2005 season.
Relegation Hasn’t Touched Only Six Teams In The League
So far, fifty-one teams have played in the Premier League, but only six have managed to not be relegated in history. These teams include Everton, Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester United.
Petr Cech Is The Goalkeeper With The Most Number Of Clean Sheets
With a record of 202 clean sheets, Petr Cech is the legendary EPL goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. For Chelsea, he had 162 clean sheets, while he had 40 for Arsenal. The only person to come near this record is David James, with just 169 clean sheets.
The Player With The Most Substitutions Is James Milner
James Milner, a midfielder for Brighton & Hove Albion, has been substituted on more than any other player in Premier League’s history. His number of substitutions is at 200, and he will be making more in the coming seasons, seeing as he’s still active. Coming after him are Shane Long and Peter Crouch, both with 158 substitutions.
Gareth Barry Has The Highest Number Of Appearances and the Most Yellow Cards
Gareth Barry, a former midfielder, has the most appearances in the league at 653 matches. He also holds the record for the most number of yellow cards with 123 bookings. During his career, he played as a midfielder for Aston Villa, Everton, West Bromwich Albion, and Manchester City.
Derby County Has The Least Number Of Premier League Points Ever
Derby County had a total of 11 points in the 2007 – 2008 season of the Premier League. In this same season, they lost 32 games consecutively, making them the only team to do so in history.
The First Goalkeeper To Score From A Set-Piece Was Paul Robinson
In 2007, Paul Robinson became the first goalkeeper to score a long-distance goal in the Premier League. From 88 yards as a Tottenham goalkeeper, he fired a shot that bounced into Watford’s net to make this record.
Alan Shearer Has The Most Missed Penalties In The League
Although with the most goals, Alan Shearer also has the most missed penalties in Premier League history. He missed 11 penalties during his football career. Fortunately, he also holds the record for the most scores ones with 56 scored penalties.
These are only a few of the interesting facts about the Premier League so far. We’re sure there’d be more monumental moments as the league is not going anywhere anytime soon!
