Photo by FMT, CC by 4.0
Arsenal and Everton have experienced contrasting seasons, with the Gunners spending much of their time at the top of the Premier League, while the Toffees have found themselves struggling near the foot of the table.
But there is one table in which they have both been highly-placed. Below, we take a look at which teams have spent the most time in the English top flight.
Arsenal – 99 seasons
Arsenal may have been chasing their first Premier League title since 2004 but the Gunners boast a remarkable record in English football.
Following their election to the top division in English football for the 1919-20 season, the North London side have remained there ever since. A whopping 99 seasons and counting – if you take into account seasons that were cancelled because of war.
They have never been relegated since then and it is highly unlikely that they will be anytime soon. It’s a fantastic record and one which looks set to stretch even further.
Everton – 71 seasons
The Toffees have flirted with danger in recent seasons, and once again, they find themselves hovering just above the relegation zone halfway through the 2024/25 season.
Everton have long lived in the shadow of their Merseyside rivals, Liverpool, but they can proudly boast a longer period spent in the English top flight than their illustrious neighbours.
Promoted for the 1954-55 season, the Blues have remained in the top division ever since and will clock up 72 seasons in the country’s leading competition should they avoid the drop come May.
Liverpool – 63 seasons
The Reds aren’t used to being in Everton’s shadow but they are well adrift of the Toffees for time spent in the top flight.
England’s most successful club have taken advantage of their time in the top division, though, being crowned English champions on 14 occasions since their promotion from the second division in the next in the 1962-63 season.
As one of the leading sides in the competition, Liverpool don’t look like going down anytime soon and they can extend their impressive record for many years to come.
Sunderland – 57 seasons
The Stadium of Light has not seen Premier League action since 2016, but its tenants, Sunderland AFC, still boast one of the longest spells in the highest tier of English football.
The Black Cats played in 57 consecutive top flight seasons from the 1890/91 to the 1957/58 season. They returned to the First Division seven seasons later, but have yet to add to their tally of six top-division titles since then.
The club has gone through some turbulent days in recent years. In 2018, they were relegated to League One, but they have since come close to a return to the top flight. They reached the Championship Playoffs in 2023, and midway through the 2024/25 Championship season, they sit in fourth place.
So, Sunderland fans can remain hopeful that a return to the English top flight is on the horizon.
Manchester United – 50 seasons
England’s second most successful have also made the most of their tenure in the English first division, or Premier League as it is now known.
United hit the big time in the 1975-76 season after a six-year spell in the second tier and never looked back.
They have won the English title a record 20 times but waited a whopping 26 years between 1967 and 1993 to be crowned champions. Given the global phenomenon they have become, it’s unlikely they will have to wait that long again, and even less likely that they will ever face relegation again.
Tottenham Hotspur – 47 seasons
Spurs were promoted to the leading division in England after the 1978-79 campaign and they have remained there ever since.
The Lilywhites have been one of the stronger members in the top flight and their position has rarely been threatened despite their infamous lack of success.
It’s 47 seasons and counting for Tottenham and that is a record not to be sniffed at.
They are way behind north London rivals Arsenal but their impressive sequence is only likely to go on and on, barring an unlikely collapse.
