Who Is The Best Football Team In England?

Manchester City is currently the best football team in England, but this was not always the case. The club languished in the lower leagues for most its history. City is not the most successful Premier League club, never mind most successful team in England. Since Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought the Eastlands club in 2008, City has won the most major trophies in English football. 

The ‘Citizens’ have won 19 major trophies in England, Europe, and World club football in the last 16 years since the Abu Dhabi United Group purchased the club. SportsBoom compares Manchester City’s current dynasty to England’s greatest football clubs to see how the nouveau riche stands up to neighbours Manchester United and Liverpool, the country’s two most successful clubs, historically. 

How Manchester City Became The Best Football Team In England

Manchester City became the best football team in England by winning everything on offer and doing so in style. Since the 2008/09 season, City has won 16 domestic trophies. They have won eight English Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and six English Football League Cups (EFL Cup). They have claimed eight top flight titles in the previous 13 league campaigns, the most since Manchester United did so in the 1990s and 2000s. 

Man City has also added the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup titles to their domestic silverware. The ‘Sky Blues’ have won three FA Community Shields during this unprecedented period of success; however, the famous charity shield does not count as a major domestic trophy, unlike similar ‘Super Cups’ on continental Europe. 

Since the Abu Dhabi royal family poured their oil money into the blue half of Manchester, success has flowed, and so has the silverware. Pep Guardiola is responsible for most of this success. The Catalan has changed the way football is played, and his City team has dominated English football. 

Under Guardiola, they have won six of the last seven championships, the second-most by a manager after legendary United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Guardiola has won Premier League titles with the record most points, as City became ‘Centurions.’ This season, City won an unprecedented fourth Premier League in a row, the first team in England to win four titles on the bounce. 

The Spanish manager has led the Manchester club to two domestic league doubles, in 2018/19 and 2022/23. The 2022/23 season also included the side’s first domestic treble, winning the Premier League, FA, and League Cup. City won two trophies (Premier League & League Cup) four times in a row under Guardiola - they have been simply the best. 

How Manchester City Compares To England’s Most Successful Football Teams

Manchester City ranks fourth overall for major honours in English football. Despite a generation of success, City is still a long way off being compared historically to England’s most successful clubs. The 19 major honours accumulated by City, though impressive, are nothing rivals Manchester United and Liverpool have done before. 

In fact, United and Liverpool have more than double the total silverware the Qatar-owned club has. Moreover, until this season, United and Liverpool had won double the league titles, not to mention numerous European trophies. Even Arsenal more trophies. The ‘Gunners’ have three more league titles and double the amount of FA Cups than City. 

Until the 2023/24 campaign, City were level on league titles with Everton, who have not won the league since 1986/87 (27 years ago). Regardless of City’s recent success and total English domination, the club has fallen short in European competition. City might currently be the best football team in England, but not historically. 

*Rank based on League titles won, not total trophies

The best football clubs in the world measure themselves in Europe. This is no different for England’s two greatest clubs, Liverpool and United. The Merseyside club is England and Britain’s most successful club in Europe, while the Salford side is not far behind.

Liverpool has won 14 continental and world honours. They are one of the best football clubs of all time. They have won six UEFA European Cups/Champions Leagues, three UEFA Cup/Europa League titles, four UEFA Super Cups, and the FIFA Club World Cup. United’s continental and world honours are equally impressive, claiming eight trophies in total. 

The ‘Red Devils’ have three UEFA European Cups/Champions Leagues, one European Cup Winners’ Cup, Europa League title, Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, and the defunct Intercontinental Cup each. City has a total of four continental and world titles. Judging all the English clubs on historical success, Liverpool edge United as the best football team in England of all time. 

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*List of major honours won by English clubs, including continental and world titles