Who is the most successful club in English football history?

After four years of dominance at Manchester City, we finally ushered in the new championship. With a key battle to defeat Tottenham 5-1 at the end of April, Liverpool was crowned the Premier League champion in 2024-25.

This is the 20th time that Liverpool has won the top league in England, tying the historical record maintained by his arch-rival Manchester United. But if all major trophys are taken into consideration (not just league champions), where is Liverpool’s position on the list of the most successful clubs in England?

Although football claims to value tradition, it faces a problem when evaluating club achievements: is it a simple count of the number of trophies? Or do we need to consider the differences in the times? For example, Newcastle's first three league championships were born when goalkeepers could still catch the ball with their hands at the midfield line, and Preston's two championships were even won before the penalty rules appeared. Are these honors the same amount as the trophys made by modern high-intensity soccer balls?

Liverpool leads the lead with 47 major trophys (20 League/8 FA Cup/10 League Cup/6 Champions League/3 UEFA Cup), leading Manchester United by 3. Although the two teams have a uniform league title number (20 times each), the Reds maintain an advantage in the number of Champions League trophys (6-3).

Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the 2025 League Cup final and won another important trophy after 56 years (the last time was the 1969 International City Expo Cup), which is also their first major domestic honor since the 1955 FA Cup.

It is worth noting that Manchester City (first championship: 1904 FA Cup) and Chelsea (first championship: 1955 League) are rapidly closing the gap with third-place Arsenal.

Before World War II (1900-1939), Aston Villa dominated with 12 trophies, followed by Blackburn (8) and five teams tied for seven championships. Arsenal is the only club on the list that is still competitive.

After World War II (1946 to the present), Liverpool (41 titles) narrowly led Manchester United (39 titles), and Chelsea and Manchester City have surpassed Arsenal to enter the top five of the Hyundai list. Manchester City completed the overtake of the Gunners with the Champions League championship in the 2023-24 season.

There is no eternal king in the football world. Preston in 1890, Newcastle in 1927, Sunderland in 1936, Arsenal in 2004... The overlords of each era firmly believed in the perpetuality of the dynasty. History reminds us: Please cherish every championship moment, because you never know when glory will end.

Top five of the historical total honor list: Liverpool has 47 titles, Manchester United has 44 titles, Arsenal has 34 titles, Chelsea has 30 titles, and Manchester City has 29 titles.

Top five honor lists after World War II: Liverpool 41 championships, Manchester United 39 championships, Chelsea 29 championships, Manchester City 28 championships, and Arsenal 27 championships.

(Note: The statistics range of this article includes the FA Cup, Top League, League Cup, Champions League, Europa League, Europa League, the now cancelled European Winners Cup, and the controversial International City Fair Cup.)