The Untouchables: Premier League Records That May Never Be Broken

The Untouchables: Premier League Records That May Never Be Broken

Premier League records – something many clubs strive to break but only a few teams attain the capacity to do so. Breaking a record is something, but it is when a team manages to not only extend it, but to put it out of reach of other sides for decades.

This is what we are focusing on today. Records which teams will wish to forget we shall leave for another day, and in this piece, we will be taking a look at five of the most extraordinary records that have been completed since the inception of the English Premier League, with exception to one which has stood for a remarkable 87 years.

From stalwart defences to a memorable year to be a punter, here are five Premier League records that may never be broken.

Jose Mourinho’s Stalwarts

In the 2004/05 Premiership campaign, Chelsea welcomed a recent UEFA Champions League winner to Stamford Bridge in Jose Mourinho from FC Porto. To this point, The Blues had never won a PL title, so after just winning the Champions League, many saw this as a step backward from Mourinho, but this was in fact the complete opposite, as he would lead Chelsea to just one loss all season and a then-record 95 points to lift their first top-flight title in 50 years before defending their crown the year after.

One thing that stood out amongst the rest, however, was the goals conceded column. When looking at stats, metrics such as goals conceded are often overlooked, but during this very campaign, Chelsea conceded just 15 goals all season – a record that no other Premier League team has come close to breaking. That season’s fortification of a backline broke Arsenal’s record from six years prior of 17 goals, with Manchester United’s 22 conceded in 2007/08 the closest any team has come to breaking this outstanding feat.

With Mourinho’s arrival, then owner Roman Abramovich was looking at blockbuster signings to show backing to their new Portuguese boss, however, the likes of Ronaldinho were turned down by Mourinho as he instead persuaded his higher-up to bring in Didier Drogba – someone I would love to speak more about, however, that is for a different article! Focusing on the backline, The Blues had an almost complete re-jig, with then 22-year-old Petr Čech arriving from Stade Rennais alongside the Porto duo Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira following Mourinho to west London.

With this brought an already solid defence to one of the best backlines the league has ever seen, with a young and still growing Čech starred between the sticks, completing 25 clean sheets in his debut season (another record). The chemistry between the two Porto arrivals was evident from the get-go, while the partnership between John Terry and Carvalho didn’t take long to form, and the pair worked in tandem beautifully throughout. The Blues’ 15 goals conceded from 38 games meant that they conceded a goal every 228 minutes of football – or 2.53 matches.

This record is remarkable for many reasons, and it is quite obvious to me that this record may never be broken. The game is becoming increasingly attacking-minded, with clubs looking to splash the cash on a star forward rather than ensuring their team is built from an excellent foundation. Although, it is also important to find balance between a stalwart defence and a strong attack – something I reluctantly say Arsenal is a perfect example of right now, however, with the sport's primary focus on goals, it is extremely difficult to see any team conceding less than 15 goals in a single Premier League campaign anytime soon.

Chelsea's 04/05 season:

• 95 points (PL record at the time)
• 15 goals conceded (PL record)
• 9 goals conceded from open play (PL record)
• 1 defeat
• 25 clean sheets (PL record)

Truly insane. Peak Jose Mourinho 🐐 pic.twitter.com/0KFfdagjjT

— SPORTbible (@sportbible) November 8, 2022

The Only Golden Trophy: The Invincibles Era

Just one year before the previous record on this list, the 2003/04 marked a simply mind-blowing campaign in the minds of fans all over the country – and still to this day, the record has not got any less impressive.

During the incredible reign of Arsene Wenger, this campaign marked a first for English football as they became the first team to go an entire campaign without losing a game. The Gunners were a well-drilled team perfectly built by the Frenchman to the point where they had an elite player in every position. From Jens Lehmann’s 15 clean sheets stating their stance of demolition from the ground up, to Thierry Henry’s astonishing 30 goals – eight clear of the next best in one Alan Shearer, displayed sheer and utter domination all over the pitch, leading to a well-deserved season without disappointment.

It was only the league in which Arsenal were dominant, however, as they were held out at the Semi-final stage in both the FA Cup and the League Cup, while they stumbled to the Quarter-finals of the Champions League. There were a number of times in the league where The Gunners left it late at times, but the constant ability to fight back and save a result throughout a 38-game season is what makes this record so impressive.

We have seen sides get close to joining the north London outfit in the Invincibles club, however, it has never been done over the next two decades. While this feat has been replicated elsewhere in Europe, more recently Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga, the Premier League is a different beast, and with teams getting richer and stronger every season, the odds of something like this happening again are very unlikely. Moreover, with the increased number of matches and heavy fixture congestion at certain periods in the year, managers will have to rotate, leaving their team not at the optimal level and therefore more vulnerable to a defeat – this record may never be matched.

19 years ago today, Arsenal beat Leicester at Highbury to complete the season as The Invincibles 👑

38 games
26 wins
12 draws
0 losses

It’s the last time they have won the league. The wait goes on. pic.twitter.com/jvw5TDE8jU

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 15, 2023

Stamford Bridge: A Fortress

We now head back to another Chelsea record. Now I know you may be thinking that I am being biased, and which to an extent you are definitely correct. However, these two records fit the bill, and I highly doubt that they will be broken – not for the next four years anyway.

You might be wondering why I have specified four years, and that is because Chelsea’s longest unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge lasted four years, and seven months – spanning an extraordinary 86 matches. Now you may have been thinking how incredible it was for Arsenal to go a full season undefeated – and don’t get me wrong, it is – but going for over four and a half years without a loss at home is just mind-blowing.

What makes this even more remarkable is the fact that The Blues had employed four different managers during this timeframe; starting with Claudio Ranieri at the back end of the 2003/04 season, through Mourinho to Avram Grant before October of 2008, when under Luiz Felipe Scolari, the record was finally brought to an end by Liverpool.

What puts this record on par as its two predecessors in this list, is that in four years literally anything can happen, and so to be able to consistently succeed over that long a period is very impressive. Following Liverpool's 68-game home unbeaten run ended in 2021, it leaves Chelsea's record clear of any danger for the coming years.

Will anyone ever match Chelsea's remarkable 86-match unbeaten home run? pic.twitter.com/dFCz5AiXpY

— Premier League (@premierleague) October 26, 2024

5000-1

These were the odds offered by bookmakers at the commencement of the 2015/16 Premier League season for Leicester City to lift the title – something it is safe to say they would come to regret. Punters who had a go on this leg would later become a part of the largest winning bet in history.

What honestly makes The Foxes’ story even more remarkable was their odds to go down, which stood at 1-20. A team that Nigel Pearson had saved from relegation just a few months before appointing a future icon in Ranieri to the Midlands was already a move which surprised many, but what came over the next nine months nobody saw coming.

Leicester came into the season with absolutely no expectations on them other than they were favourites to be relegated – however, the sceptics were soon silenced. After four games they were in the top four, with their odds still at 5000-1, but just nine games later, The Foxes found themselves on the summit, and never really looked back.

It is safe to say the bookies learned their lesson with this, as they have not placed a team at 5000-1 to win the title since. Everything about this season for Leicester was truly iconic, from Jamie Vardy’s shithousery, Vardy and Mahrez’s remarkable and utterly ruthless partnership, and Wes Morgan becoming the first Jamaican to achieve a Premier League winners medal and the first Caribbean player to captain a side to top-flight glory. This season will forever live on in memory of all English football fans, and it is a mystery if we will ever see something like this happen again.

Congratulations to all 47 customers who backed Leicester to win the Premier League at 5000/1 #LCFC pic.twitter.com/FHvwx8fBnf

— Ladbrokes (@Ladbrokes) May 2, 2016

87 Years in the Making

Lastly on this list, we head to Manchester, where United hold one of the more niche records on this list, but one that stands out for its uniqueness and longevity value. October 30, 1937 – before the start of World War 2 – was when this streak begun. 87 years later, it is still standing tall.

United are known for their incredible academy success and the excellent talent that has been homegrown over the years, but it is their consistency which has stood out over everything else. Since the date above, at least one academy graduate has been present in every first-team matchday squad. This record spans over all competitive competitions too, and it is coming on its 88-year mark.

The Class of ’92 is the first group of any players you may think of, with Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville and more playing a crucial role in continuing the development of the academy, but it all started with Tom Manley and Jack Wassall. Now, we see players such as Kobbie Mainoo and Tyler Fredricson aiming to continue the legacy.

There have been worries that the streak of over 4,300 matches could be coming to an end after the departures of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay in recent times, with Mainoo the only eligible player to be classed as a ‘regular’ heading into this season. There has always been focus on academies of clubs around the country, but this statistic for Manchester United’s is very impressive and the club openly holds a lot of pride upon this record, and they will hope that it will not be ending anytime soon. It certainly displays the limitless ceiling in clubs who put their faith in the youth.

🚨 BREAKING:

Manchester United have now had at least one Academy graduate in every matchday squad for 𝟖𝟕 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 – dating back to 30 October 1937.

YOUTH. COURAGE. SUCCESS. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/inc3PHK2MH

— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) October 30, 2024