10 Worst Title Defences in Premier League History (Ranked)
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10 Worst Title Defences in Premier League History (Ranked)

What Are The Biggest TItle Defence Fall-Off's in Premier League History?

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Winning a Premier League title is, of course, remarkably difficult. Being the strongest team over nearly ten months across 38 games to come out on top as champions of England is a feat only seven teams have achieved since England's top flight reformation to the Premier League in 1992.

However, as Arne Slot's Liverpool are finding out this campaign, going back next year and trying to do it all again is just as, if not more, difficult. With that in mind, here is a list of the ten biggest fall-offs of Premier League champions in the season following glory.

10: Arsenal 2004/2005

The first example on this list is most definitely the harshest, as Arsenal's 2004-05 campaign can hardly be classified as a 'collapse', but it still earns a spot in 10th.

The Gunners' 2003/2004 season needs no explanation or introduction, as Arsene Wenger's side made history by winning the Premier League title unbeaten. However, despite winning the FA Cup the following season, the Gunners failed to live up to expectations.

Many would have felt Arsenal would win the league once again, considering how strongly they performed the previous season, but instead, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea won the title in relatively comfortable fashion. Arsenal ended up finishing 12 points below the Blues, who only conceded 15 goals all season, a record still to this day.

Whilst Chelsea only lost once all campaign, Arsenal lost five, as well as drawing eight times, allowing Chelsea to win their first Premier League title without too much of a fight towards the end.

9: Manchester United 2001/2002

Similar to Arsenal's 04/05 season, Manchester United's 2001/2002 season was not much of a collapse; alas, again, they never really got close after winning the title the previous time out.

United finished third, behind Liverpool and champions Arsenal. And ended the season ten points off the Gunners, with a 0-1 win for Arsene Wenger's side at Old Trafford securing the title for the Gunners.

Alex Ferguson's team lost nine times throughout the 01/02 season and ended the season trophyless, with Arsenal also winning the FA Cup, and Liverpool winning that season's League Cup, whilst United saw themselves knocked out of the UEFA Champions League semi-final stage in what was an overall disappointing season for the Red Devils.

8: Manchester City 2024/25

The first in this list which could potentially be classified as a genuinely poor title defence, Manchester City's 24/25 Premier League season was perhaps their poorest since Pep Guardiola's first at the club.

After winning four titles in a row, City finished the 24/25 season trophyless, finishing third in the league with Arsenal and Liverpool, with Arne Slot's first season at Anfield seeing them become champions for the first time since the 2019/20 season.

Guardiola's team finished 13 points below Liverpool, losing nine times in the league, including a 5-1 defeat at the Emirates to Arsenal. With a dismal run over the winter months seeing City lose six of seven games in an unprecedented period of poor form.

Things weren't too much better on the European stage either, as City only managed to finish 22nd in the league phase before being knocked out in the knockout-playoff round by Real Madrid.

7: Liverpool 2020/21

Liverpool's 20/21 campaign can be strongly compared to that of City in 24/25, with the Reds going from imperious title winners to barely being in the fight and finishing in third place.

Liverpool during the 2019/20 season was one of the best teams the Premier League had seen, earning 99 points and having the title all but wrapped up by the time the Premier League season was stopped in early March due to COVID-19.

However, the 20/21 season was far from the same. With Liverpool earning 30 fewer points, finishing on 69. And only making the UEFA Champions League places by three points, thanks in part to a memorable late winner by goalkeeper Alisson away at West Brom.

Without its fans, Anfield wasn't the fortress it had been for so long under Jurgen Klopp. With Liverpool losing at home to the likes of Everton and Burnley and suffering a heavy 1-4 defeat to Manchester City.

6: Liverpool 2025/26

Staying on Merseyside and staying at Anfield, the 2025/26 season may be far from done, but it's fair to say the Reds have endured a very poor season compared to the success of last campaign.

It takes a lot for Liverpool fans to turn on a manager, especially one that won the league in his first season, but that is what has happened to a lot of Reds supporters this season. WIth boos being heard at Anfield on multiple occasions

Flat performances, poor results, and fall-outs with players such as Mohammed Salah has resulted in Liverpool finding themselves in 6th place in the table, far beyond the expectations following last year's title success, and with huge amount of money spent in the summer with the arrivals of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, pressure is on Slot to turn things around in the final months.

5: Chelsea 2017/18

Chelsea under Antonio Conte during 2016/17 were a brilliant team; the Italian's 3-4-3 formation helped get the best out of players like Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses as the Blues won the Premier League title with 30 wins, a record at the time.

However, in the following campaign, it was clear the system had lost its effect. With opposition teams now with ideas on how to counteract Conte's system, Chelsea struggled. As they went from earning 93 points to 70, finishing 5th and missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification.

Conte's side lost 10 league games out of the 38, a far cry from the previous season, which saw them lose five times. And although Conte was still able to bring silverware back to Stamford Bridge by winning the FA Cup, he lost his job at the end of the season, being replaced by fellow Italian Maurizio Sarri.

4: Blackburn Rovers 1995/96

Kenny Dalglish's Blackburn Rovers side of 1994/95 is no doubt one for the Premier League history books.

The side built by the finances and backing of Jack Walker and starring Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton up front became the first team other than Manchester United to win the Premier League.

However, that glorious success at Ewood Park did not last beyond that one season. Despite Shearer continuing to fire in front of goal, hitting beyond 30 goals for the second consecutive season, Blackburn struggled strongly to replace their success.

Rovers managed just 61 points, far less than the 89 they achieved the previous campaign on their way to title glory, and lost nearly double the amount of games, 13, compared to seven losses in 94/95. Finishing the season in 7th place.

3: Manchester United 2013/14

The conclusion of the 2012/13 season brought to an end a legendary era at Old Trafford, as Sir Alex Ferguson retired after over 20 years at the helm, going out in the best way possible, by winning yet another league title.

That summer, in came David Moyes to replace the legendary manager, whom Ferguson personally recommended. As optimism over an exciting new era blossomed over Old Trafford.

However, what happened was the complete opposite. As Moyes's management and ideas failed to grasp the United players, Moyes was sacked in April, with Ryan Giggs taking over until the end of the season.

United finished the campaign 7th, with their lowest points tally in the Premier League era with 64, 25 less than the previous season, and also with their highest amount of losses in a Premier League season at the time with 12.

2: Leicester City 2016/17

The 2015/16 Premier League season likely will never be beaten, as Leicester City, who had narrowly escaped relegation the previous season, defied everything to win the Premier League title and become champions of England.

However, perhaps expectedly, reality hit the Foxes the following season.

Despite most of the core team staying, one departure was hugely felt. N'Golo Kante, who had been at the heart of Leicester's unforgettable side, moved to Chelsea. Leaving a big hole in the midfield.

The 2016/17 season started poorly for the shock champions, with just three wins in the first ten games, and poor form continued in the opening months, as Leicester sat just above the relegation zone in February. With Claudio Ranieri shockingly sacked just nine months after writing history.

Assistant Craig Shakespeare took over on a caretaker basis and steadied the ship again at the King Power, reaching the UEFA Champions League knockout stage and steering Leicester to a 12th-place finish, with more than 30 less than the 2015/16 season.

1: Chelsea 2015/16

They may have finished higher than Leicester the following season, but Chelsea during the fairytale campaign of 2015/16 is undoubtedly the biggest collapse of a Premier League champion.

Jose Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge inspired the Blues to the title in 2014/15, finishing eight points ahead of 2nd place Manchester City.

However, everything went wrong for Chelsea the following season.

Poor opening months saw the Blues sit in mid-table, and Mourinho was sacked in December. Guus Hiddink took over at the Bridge on an interim basis and stabilised things but couldn't guide Chelsea beyond a 10th-place finish, by far the biggest drop-off of any champions in the Premier League era before Leicester the following campaign.

Eden Hazard, who was the Player of the Year the previous season, scored just four times all campaign. With Chelsea winning just five league matches, claiming just 50 points, and winning just 12 matches in by far their worst season since Roman Abramovich's takeover of the club.

Benji Kosartiyer
Journalist

Oliver Seymour

Freelance Content Writer

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