10 Worst Title Defences In Premier League History (Ranked)

10 Worst Title Defences In Premier League History (Ranked)

Current Premier League champions Liverpool have had a more than shaky start to their title defence season. They currently find themselves in 8th, already eight points below league leaders Arsenal. They have spent a serious amount of money on a variety of top quality players yet the fall off since lifting the trophy has been massive. If Liverpool carry on in this way, if their new and old star players don't start to turn up and get results, this could definitely be seen as one of the worst title defences in history. However, this season hasn't ended, so lets take a look back into Premier League history and see who have made the worst attempts at defending their reign.

Is Liverpool’s Premier League title defence the worst in history??

— FootyTrader (@TheTradingGree1) November 14, 2025

10 - Manchester City 2019/20

League finish - 2nd

Manchester City had an unbelievable title winning season in 2019, finishing on 98 points, so this season is less about the place finished but the drop off. City still finished 2nd this season, however they ended this season with a 18 points difference between the season before and this. Liverpool ran away with the league and City were no were near the level that they had achieved for the previous two seasons.

9 - Liverpool 2020/21

League finish - 3rd

Again with the last one, not the worst league finish, with the Merseyside team finishing 3rd, however the actual season had many lows that make this spot very deserving. Liverpool went from storming the league the season before, finishing 18 points clear and on 99 points, to then losing six, yes, six! home games in a row. Not many clubs ever do this, let alone Liverpool Football Club. A late run of wins towards the end of the season salvaged a 3rd place finish, but the majority of this season was no where near this level.

8 - Manchester City 2012/13

League finish - 2nd

After winning the League with quite possibly the most iconic moment in football history... AGUEROOO!, the following season did not live up to that moment and was seen as a very flat season by City. They still finished in 2nd place, however they ended the season 11 points behind local rivals Manchester United. City never quite managed to hit the same heights as the season before, and were chasing United for the large majority. Not the worst placed team, but still no where near that league title.

7 - Arsenal 1998/99

League finish - 2nd

This season isn't about the finish, but all about the collapse towards the end. Arsenal were in a very strong position in all competitions, but they failed to win a single trophy. They were knocked out of the FA Cup by a last minute Ryan Giggs goal, and they struggled to keep up with Man United in the run in. This season was an underperformance after everyone expected Arsenal to kick on to an even higher level.

6 - Chelsea 2017/18

League finish - 5th

Chelsea missed out on Champions League football in their title defence season. Not only was their a lack of quality performances on the pitch, there was also plenty of internal issues between Conte and the Chelsea board. Also, they had big signings that were very underwhelming i.e. Morata, Bakayoko. Overall just a terrible season on and off the pitch which left Chelsea in the Europa League, not a level in which Champions should be.

5 - Manchester United 2013/14

League finish - 7th

This season is one of Man United's lowest ever Premier League finishes. The giants finished in 7th, David Moyes came in to follow on from Sir Alex Ferguson's triumph, but he didn't even make it to the end of the season. Man United went from finishing as champions to not even making European football the next season, easily one of the worst title defences you will ever see.

4 - Blackburn Rovers 1995/96

League finish - 7th

After winning the previous season under Kenny Dalglish, Blackburn rapidly fell apart, finish their title defence in 7th. Their attack lost it's quality, the squad cohesion was broke down and they were not once serious contenders throughout the season. this was the start of a massive decline for the once dominant side.

3 - Leicester City 2016/17

League finish - 12th

Following their miraculous title winning season, Leicester were quickly brought back down to earth and couldn't replicate and build on their unlikely triumph. Ranieri's side struggled with consistency and they were quickly brought back to a mid table standard. Ranieri didn't make it to the end of his title defence, which shows how difficult of a job he had. Leicester from this point onwards weren't the same side and had no chance of becoming a title challenger again.

2 - Chelsea 2015/16

League finish - 10th

After winning the 2014/15 title under Mourinho, Chelsea suffered a horrific collapse. Internal conflicts, key players form dropping massively and a defensive meltdown. Mourinho was sacked by December, and the team spent much of the season near relegation, marking one of the worst title defences in history, only beat by one...

1 - Leeds United 1992/93

League finish - 17th

Although the title win wasn't in the Premier League era, this season marked the first of the new era. Leeds endured a season of defensive woes, with the club on just finishing above relegation in 17th. The team struggled with poor away form, injuries and a squad ill-prepared for their title defence. This is one of the most dramatic collapses in football history and is more than deserving of the position of the worst Premier League title defence their has ever been. This will probably never be beaten.