Which is the top club in the country? Which teams are punching above their weight and which historical powerhouses are languishing in the lower divisions? This year's Ultimate League has arrived…
The Ultimate League takes into account each club's average league position over the past 50 years and includes every team that has played in England's top four for at least ten seasons.
Liverpool remain England's top club with a remarkable average ranking of 3.4 over the past half century, while Manchester United narrowly avoided Arsenal in second place, with Tottenham completing the top four.
Everton's continued presence at the top level during the period, which has come under pressure over the past three seasons, alongside the title-winning campaigns of the early 1970s and mid-1980s, places the Toffees in fifth place.
Chelsea's remarkable success since the millennium sees the Blues secure sixth spot, ahead of Aston Villa, who last won the top-flight title in 1980/81 and only regained Premier League status five years ago after three seasons in the Championship spent.
Reigning champions Manchester City are in eighth place, having achieved significant success in recent years, especially under Pep Guardiola. Having only reached the third tier 26 years ago, City have now won eight league titles in the last 13 years and face a challenge to claim an unprecedented fifth-place finish in a row this season.
The current top clubs West Ham, Newcastle, Southampton, Leicester, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace are rightly among the top in England, given their historic success in the competition.
Biggest underachievers
Oldham, currently in the National League, is England's biggest underachiever, languishing 47 places below the 50-year average after being relegated from the Football League for the first time in 115 years in 2021/2022, followed by Scunthorpe (- 44). ) and Southend (-40).
Other serious underachievers include Swindon (-37), Torquay (-34), Charlton (-25), Hartlepool, Bolton, QPR and Tranmere (all -22).
Biggest overachievers
Wycombe, on the other hand, punches 38 places above their weight, followed by Bournemouth, Brentford (both +36), Stevenage (+35), Stockport (+33) and Wrexham (+31).
Other notable overachievers include Lincoln (+30), Mansfield (both +29), Brighton (+28), Crawley (+27), Exeter and Fulham (all +24).
Exactly where they should be
Only four clubs are currently in the same position as their average ranking over the past half century: Liverpool, Luton, Cardiff and Bristol Rovers.
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