History of English Premier League (EPL)

English Premier League, as we know it today, came into being on 20 February 1992 with top football clubs in the Football League First Division breaking away from the Football League after years of heated negotiations over lucrative television rights deals and form a new league called Premier League or English Premier League (EPL) as it is known outside England. It started as FA Premier League but changed to Premier League in 2007.

How many times has the EPL been renamed?

The league has constantly changed its official name from FA Carling Premiership that it started with to the latest avatar of the English Premier League. It has been renamed 4 times in 20 years.

The first change in name was affected after 9 years in 2001 when it became the Barclaycard Premiership. But it last only for 3 years as the league again changed the name in 2004. This time it became the Barclays Premiership. Again after 3 years in 2007, the league took a new name, the Barclays Premier League. But for the most part, the league was just the English Premier League or the Premiership.

Who won the first Premier League season? 

Manchester United created history by claiming the first Premier League season in 1992-93. It finished 10 points clear of Aston Villa in the first season. And it was the first league championship win of Manchester United in over 26 years.

The club that is also known as The Red Devils retained the championship title in the second season of the league in 1993-94. In the second season, it again beat Aston Villa by 2-1 in the third game week. The Red Devils also accumulated the highest point in the league. It won the 2017-18 season with 100 points. Also, the club has the most consecutive title wins from 1998-99 to 2000-01 and from 2006-07 to 2008-09. By far, Manchester United has been the most successful club in EPL winning 13 titles.

Who is the best striker in EPL? 

One of the most popular football leagues in the world, EPL has produced great players including strikers that miss no opportunity of making goals. Here’re five top strikers of EPL.

1. Olivier Giroud – Chelsea

Olivier Jonathon Giroud, a French professional footballer, is considered one of the best strikers of his generation ever since he helped Chelsea finish fourth in the table in the 2020 season. It is only with the help of his goals that Chelsea was able to stay in the league.

 

2. Danny Ings – Southampton 

 Southampton did fairly well in the 2020 season and the credit for the best performance of the club goes to Danny Ings who was always leading the strike. The way Ings played at St. Mary’s Stadium, many pundits considered him as a player reborn.

3. Dominic Calvert-Lewin – Everton 

Everton can’t get a better striker than Dominic Calvert-Lewin who displayed amazing football in the 2000 season. He’s full of talent but lacks consistency. But still, he has scored 14 goals in all competitions. Many pundits believe that it was the impact of manager Carlo Ancelotti on Calvert-Lewin.

4. Harry Kane – Spurs

 The England skipper, Harry Kane is considered a gifted striker and this is evident from his goal score. He has scored 14 goals inall competitions and created 13 goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates. In the 2020 EPL season, he stunned the world by reinventing his football.

5. Jamie Vardy – Leicester City

Vardy won the Premier League Golden Boot with 23 goals in the 2019-20 season. And it was the first time that he won such a prestigious award. He’s also playing great football in the present season as he has already scored 9 goals in the EPL so far.

What Premier League records have Liverpool set?

 

The 2019-20 season was special for Liverpool not because they lifted the Trophy for the first time but by raising the bars for others. Here’re the records they set by Liverpool.

• With a 25-point lead, Liverpool got the biggest ever lead in the English top-flight history.

• With a 3-2 victory over West Ham United, Liverpool became the first club to have a 21 consecutive Premier League home win after breaking Man City’s record of 20 that is made in the 2011-12 season.

• Liverpool set the record of 24 consecutive home wins by beating AFC Bournemouth, Crystal, and Aston Villa.

• When Liverpool claimed the 2019-20 title, it had seven matches to spare and it was a record of the earliest title win. Earlier, Manchester United and Man City won the title in 2000-01 and 2017-18 respectively with five matches remaining.

• Liverpool won the most points in over 38 matches in the 2019-20 season. It won a total of 110 points. Earlier, Manchester City and Chelsea have made 102 points in seasons 2018 and 2015 respectively.

• Liverpool became the fastest team to win 30 matches out of 34 matches in a Premier League season. It beat Brighton & Hove Albion by 3-1 in the 30th match.

• Liverpool got the best start in the 2019-20 season. The Reds scored the highest points than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues. It scored 61 points in 21 matches and went on accumulating 79 points in 27 matches.

• By winning 18 home matches, Liverpool joined the club of most home wins in a season in 2019-20. Other teams with the most wins are Chelsea, Manchester United and Man City.

• Liverpool also has the record of most victories in a season in 2019-20. The Reds equaled the record of 32 victories of Man City. City made the record in 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.

What is the biggest defeat in Premier League history?

Winning or losing is a part of football but some defeats become humiliating because the losers don’t show anywhere in the game. Here’re six biggest humiliating defeats of the EPL.

• On 21 September 2019, Manchester City crushed Watford under 8 goals to none by the losing team. From City, Bernardo Silva scored a hat-trick on what was a desperate day for Watford.

• On 18 October 2014, Southampton defeated Sunderland by 8-0 in a brilliant display of football. Graziano Pelle scored twice for Southampton and put his team ahead in the game.

• On 9 May 2010, Chelsea destroyed Wigan Athletic by 8-0 goals. In this match, Didier Drogba hit a hat-trick and Nicolas Anelka scored two goals.

• On 22 November 2009, Tottenham beat Wigan Athletic by 9-1 goal. It was another thrashing for Wigan that had earlier tasted defeat at the hands of Chelsea. In this match, Jermain Defoe scored five goals for Tottenham and became the third player to score five goals in a season. The other two players to score five goals are Alan Shearer and Andy Cole.

• On 19 September 1999, Newcastle United humiliated Sheffield with 8-0 win. It is in this game that Alan Sheared made five goals and a Premier League season.

• On 4 March 1995, Manchester United drowned Ipswich Town with 9-0 goals. It was a ruthless display of football by Man United and it was in this match that Andy Cole scored five goals for the first time in the history of the Premier League. The forward player Cole was inducted into the team in January at the price tag of £6m. 

Conclusion 

English Premier League starts every August and lasts till May, but it remains under the media glare throughout the year. It has given many coaches and star players to football and it will continue to contribute to professional footballers in the years to come. Every year, new players make their debut and some of them go on becoming stars. This tournament proves one thing that it is players that make a team. And EPL clubs try buying the best players to make the best teams like Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool.