Evolution of top flight record point totals once held by Liverpool and Everton – Liverpool Echo

Liverpools defeat to Arsenal means that they can no longer set a new top flight points record.

Jurgen Klopps side have 93 points to their name at the time of writing.

With two games of the season left to go, the most they can finish with is 99 points, one short of Manchester Citys record.

Its hard to imagine Liverpools players shedding too many tears over missing the 100-point mark when the champagne corks start flying at their title celebrations.

Nevertheless though, City will take some solace in the knowledge that their record is safe.

Its a record theyve held along with 11 different clubs - Preston, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal, Leeds United, Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea.

Here, the Liverpool ECHO chart the progression of the top flights points total record.

1888/89 to 1890/91 Preston North End - 40 points

Preston went unbeaten in the very first Football League season, winning a total of 40 points. They also won the FA Cup, becoming the countrys first double winners and earning them the nickname The Invincibles.

1891/92 Sunderland - 42 points

The league expanded in 1891 to include two extra clubs. This meant four extra games in which to pick up points. It helped Sunderland beat Prestons record, winning the league with 42 points. The Black Cats won all of their home games during this campaign and remain the only side ever to do so.

1892/93 to 1898/99 Sunderland - 48 points

Sunderland were unbeaten at home once again, but two draws meant they didnt have a 100% record. They became the first club ever to score 100 goals in a season.

1899/00 to 1904/05 Aston Villa - 50 points

Aston Villas fifth league title may have been won by a record number of points, but with the season expanded to 34 games by this time it was actually a lower points per game average (1.5) than any of the previous three records - 1.6 for both of Sunderlands titles and 1.8 for Prestons.

1906/06 to 1906/07 Liverpool - 51 points

The First Division was expanded to 20 clubs for the first time this season which meant each side played 38 games. Thats four more than the previous season and 16 more than the first. Newcastle United matched Liverpools points total the following year, before Manchester United surpassed them both the season after.

1907/08 Manchester United - 52 points

The first of Manchester Uniteds 20 league titles was won in only their second season back in the top flight after 12 years in the Second Division. They won the title again in 1910/11 with the exact same number of points.

1908/09 to 1911/12 Newcastle United - 53 points

Newcastles third title in just five seasons saw them finish seven points ahead of second placed Everton, and nine ahead of local rivals Sunderland. The Magpies tally of 53 points was matched the following season by league winners Aston Villa.

1912/13 to 1914/15 Sunderland - 54 points

Sunderland and Aston Villa were both chasing the double in 1912/13. The Black Cats managed to win the league four points ahead of second placed Villa. However, it was the Villains who went on to win the Cup, beating Sunderland one-nil in the final.

1919/20 to 1929/30 West Bromwich Albion - 60 points The First Division was expanded to 22 teams when football returned after WWI in 1919/20, adopting a format that would remain in place until the 1987/88 campaign. It meant clubs played an additional four games compared to previous seasons. West Brom won the title with 60 points at the same points per game ratio, 1.4, as Sunderland had averaged to set the previous record. West Brom equalled their own record in 1922/23, and Sheffield Wednesday also matched it in 1929/30.

1930/31 to 1959/60 Arsenal - 66 points

This was not only Arsenals first title, but the Souths first title as well. The Gunners scored an incredible 127 goals on their way to the title. That would have been a record at the time had it not been for second placed Aston Villa scoring 128 in the same season. It does, however, remain a record number of goals scored by a title winner to this day. Tottenham equalled Arsenals record in 1960/61. The 31 seasons that this record stood for is the longest of any of them.

1968/69 to 1977/78 Leeds United - 67 points

Leeds United lost just two games as they romped home to their first ever league title under the stewardship of the late, great Don Revie. United were unbeaten at home and conceded a total of just 26 goals all season, giving them the tightest defence of any title winner since Preston in 1889 (15 goals) who played 20 games fewer.

1978/79 to 1980/81 Liverpool - 68 points

Bob Paisley guided Liverpool to their third league title in four years. His side were unbeaten at home, conceded just four goals at Anfield and another 12 away. No league title winner would concede fewer over the course of a season until Chelsea in 2005.

1981/82 to 1983/84 Liverpool - 87 points

The 1921/82 campaign was the first where teams were awarded three pints for a win as opposed to just two. It saw Liverpool smash their own record by nearly 20 points. Their record of 26 wins and nine draws would only have left them with 61 points under the old system which would have been less than Arsenal won the league with back in 1931.

1984/85 to 1992/93 Everton - 90 points

Howard Kendalls Everton very nearly completed a domestic and European treble in 1985, but fell just short. The Toffees finished 13 points ahead of runners-up Liverpool in the league. They also won the Cup Winners Cup but lost the FA Cup final three days later to Manchester United in extra time.

1993/94 to 2003/04 Manchester United - 92 points

Manchester United recorded their highest ever points total in the 93/94 season. They won other titles more convincingly and by larger points margins, but they never finished with more than the 92 they won in this campaign. Thats because this was the penultimate season in which 42 games were played in the top flight. United average 2.2 points per game in this season compared to 2.4 per game when they won the title in 1999/00 when they finished with 91 points.

2004/05 to 2016/17 Chelsea - 95 points

Chelsea conceded just 15 goals in Jose Mourinhos first season in charge of Chelsea. Its the joint lowest number of goals conceded along with Preston in 1888/89. However, Preston played just 22 games that season compared to Chelseas 38. The west London club averaged 2.5 points per game, which was the most of any title winners at that time.

2017/18 to present Manchester City - 100 points

After finishing a disappointing third the previous season - Pep Guardiolas first in the Premier League - Manchester City turned on the style in 2017/18. Scoring over 100 goals and losing just two matches, they smashed the previous points record by five. Their 32 wins was also a new record, surpassing the 31 wins Tottenham notched up in 1960/61. City won more points over 38 games than previous champions would have managed over 42 had three points been awarded for a win - 97 for Tottenham in 60/61 and 98 for Liverpool in 78/79.

From - To // Points // Club 1888/89 - 1890/91 // 40 // Preston North End 1891/92 // 42 // Sunderland 1892/93 - 1898/99 // 48 // Sunderland 1899/00 - 1904/05 // 50 // Aston Villa 1905/06 - 1906/07 // 51 // Liverpool 1906/07 // 51 // Newcastle United 1907/08 // 52 // Manchester United 1908/09 -1911/12 // 53 // Newcastle United 1912/13 - 1914/15 // 54 // Sunderland 1919/20 - 1929/30 // 60 // West Bromwich Albion 1922/23 - 1929/30 // 60 // West Bromwich Albion 1929/30 // 60 // Sheffield Wednesday 1930/31 - 1959/60 // 66 // Arsenal 1960/61 - 1967/68 // 66 // Tottenham 1968/69 - 1977/78 // 67 // Leeds United 1978/79 - 1980/81 // 68 // Liverpool 1981/82 - 1983/84 // 87 // Liverpool 1984/85 - 1992/93 // 90 // Everton 1987/88 - 1992/93 // 90 // Liverpool 1993/94 - 2003/04 // 92 // Manchester United 2004/05 - 2016/17 // 95 // Chelsea 2017/18 - present // 100 // Manchester City

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Evolution of top flight record point totals once held by Liverpool and Everton - Liverpool Echo

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