Ranked: The 11 best starts to a Premier League season

[ad_1] Liverpool's 3-2 win over Southampton on the weekend additional prolonged their lead on the prime of the Premier League desk to a whopping eight factors after simply 12 video games performed.

The Reds have already amassed a powerful 31 factors - a complete that has solely been reached 10 occasions in Premier League historical past. Eight of these golf equipment went on to win the title.

Right here, we recall the 11 greatest begins to a Premier League season, together with Liverpool's spectacular begin to life below Arne Slot. Within the case of a tiebreaker, we have separated groups first by the lead they'd on the time, after which by the quantity of targets scored.

Associated

The closest title races in Premier League historical past

Manchester Metropolis and Arsenal have delivered a Premier League title race for the ages - listed here are a number of the tightest from years passed by...

11 Arsenal 31 factors, 2022/23

Reigning Premier League champions Manchester Metropolis appeared to have made a mistake by letting Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko transfer to Arsenal in the summertime of 2022.

With the pair of their group, the Gunners began the 2022/23 Premier League season with ten wins, one draw and one loss from their first 12 video games - kind that noticed them amass 31 factors and a two-point lead over Manchester Metropolis on the prime of the desk.

In the end, nonetheless, Metropolis gained the title on the penultimate weekend, considerably vindicating their determination to let Jesus and Zinchenko transfer to north London.

Arsenal's first 12 video games (2022/23)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Crystal Palace (A)

W 2-0

2

Leicester (H)

W 4-2

3

Bournemouth (A)

W 3-0

4

Fulham (H)

W 2-1

5

Aston Villa (H)

W 2-1

6

Man Utd (A)

L 1-3

7

Brentford (A)

W 3-0

8

Tottenham (H)

W 3-1

9

Liverpool (H)

W 3-2

10

Leeds (A)

W 1-0

11

Southampton (A)

D 1-1

12

Nottingham Forest (H)

W 5-0

Associated

Bukayo Saka's prime 11 Premier League targets for Arsenal

Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka not too long ago scored his fiftieth Premier League aim for the membership - listed here are his greatest strikes for the Gunners.

10 Manchester United 31 factors, 2006/07

A 5-1 victory over Fulham on the opening day of the 2006/07 season noticed Manchester United immediately declare the Premier League's prime spot.

9 extra wins from their subsequent 11 video games noticed Sir Alex Ferguson's facet, minus a short two-week slip in September, keep that place, and by mid-November, they had been three factors away from Chelsea on the head of the desk.

Man Utd's first 12 video games (2006/07)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Fulham (H)

W 5-1

2

Charlton (A)

W 3-0

3

Watford (A)

W 2-1

4

Tottenham (H)

W 1-0

5

Arsenal (H)

L 0-1

6

Studying (A)

D 1-1

7

Newcastle (H)

W 2-0

8

Wigan (A)

W 3-1

9

Liverpool (H)

W 2-0

10

Bolton (A)

W 4-0

11

Portsmouth (H)

W 3-0

12

Blackburn (A)

W 1-0

9 Newcastle United 31 factors, 1995/96

In 1995/96, Newcastle United, led by supervisor Kevin Keegan and bolstered by new recruits Les Ferdinand and David Ginola, gained 9 of their first dozen matches, recording wins over Liverpool, Everton and Chelsea to go 5 factors clear on the prime.

Ferdinand scored 14 targets in these 12 video games - a file that stood till Man Metropolis's Erling Haaland scored 17 in the identical timeframe in 2022/23.

The Magpies stayed prime till February, however a run of 5 defeats in eight finally noticed them concede the title to Manchester United.

Newcastle's first 12 video games (1995/96)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Coventry (H)

W 3-0

2

Bolton (A)

W 3-1

3

Sheff Wed (A)

W 2-0

4

Middlesbrough (H)

W 1-0

5

Southampton (A)

L 0-1

6

Man Metropolis (H)

W 3-1

7

Chelsea (H)

W 2-0

8

Everton (A)

W 3-1

9

QPR (A)

W 3-2

10

Wimbledon (H)

W 6-1

11

Tottenham (A)

D 1-1

12

Liverpool (H)

W 2-1

8 Chelsea 31 factors, 2005/06

In what was Jose Mourinho's second season in cost throughout his first spell at Chelsea, the Blues received off to a flyer within the Premier League, successful ten, drawing one, and dropping one among their first dozen video games.

By matchday 12, Mourinho's facet, who had stored six clear sheets of their first six video games, had been six factors away from second-placed Wigan Athletic (sure, actually) on the prime of the desk.

Chelsea's first 12 video games (2005/06)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Wigan (A)

W 1-0

2

Arsenal (H)

W 1-0

3

West Brom (H)

W 4-0

4

Tottenham (A)

W 2-0

5

Sunderland (H)

W 2-0

6

Charlton (A)

W 2-0

7

Aston Villa (H)

W 2-1

8

Liverpool (A)

W 4-1

9

Bolton (H)

W 5-1

10

Everton (A)

D 1-1

11

Blackburn (H)

W 4-2

12

Man Utd (A)

L 0-1

7 Liverpool 31 factors, 2024/25

Following the departure of long-standing supervisor Jurgen Klopp in the summertime, it was anticipated that Liverpool would take time to get used to life below successor Arne Slot.

As a substitute, the Reds have already soared into an eight-point lead within the Premier League after 12 video games, having recorded wins over Manchester United, Chelsea and Aston Villa.

Their solely defeat has come by the hands of Nottingham Forest, who beat them 1-0 again in September 2024.

Liverpool's first 12 video games (2024/25)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Ipswich (H)

W 2-0

2

Brentford (H)

W 2-0

3

Man Utd (A)

W 3-0

4

Nottingham Forest (H)

L 0-1

5

Bournemouth (H)

W 3-0

6

Wolves (A)

W 2-1

7

Crystal Palace (A)

W 1-0

8

Chelsea (H)

W 2-1

9

Arsenal (A)

D 2-2

10

Brighton (H)

W 2-1

11

Aston Villa (H)

W 2-0

12

Southampton (A)

W 3-2

6 Manchester United 31 factors, 1993/94

No group in Premier League historical past has had a much bigger lead on the prime of the desk after 12 video games than Manchester United in 1993/94.

By late October, the Crimson Devils had been already 9 factors forward of second-placed Norwich Metropolis, who they'd crushed 2-0 on the opening day due to targets from Ryan Giggs and Bryan Robson.

Unsurprisingly, United went on to win the title by an eight-point margin.

Man Utd's first 12 video games (1993/94)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Norwich (A)

W 2-0

2

Sheff Utd (H)

W 3-0

3

Newcastle (H)

D 1-1

4

Aston Villa (A)

W 2-1

5

Southampton (A)

W 3-1

6

West Ham (H)

W 3-0

7

Chelsea

L 0-1

8

Arsenal (H)

W 1-0

9

Swindon (H)

W 4-2

10

Sheff Wed (A)

W 3-2

11

Tottenham (H)

W 2-1

12

Everton (A)

W 1-0

5 Manchester Metropolis 32 factors, 2018/19

In 2018/19, Metropolis gained 10 and drew 2 of their opening 12 Premier League video games to amass a two-point lead over Liverpool on the prime of the desk.

Pep Guardiola's facet scored 36 targets in these dozen matches, beating Huddersfield City and Southampton 6-1, in addition to Burnley by 5 targets. Additionally they loved a 3-1 Manchester derby win over United due to targets from David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan.

Man Metropolis's first 12 video games (2018/19)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Arsenal (A)

W 2-0

2

Huddersfield (H)

W 6-1

3

Wolves (A)

D 1-1

4

Newcastle (H)

W 2-1

5

Fulham (H)

W 3-0

6

Cardiff (A)

W 5-0

7

Brighton (H)

W 2-0

8

Liverpool (A)

D 0-0

9

Burnley (H)

W 5-0

10

Tottenham (A)

W 1-0

11

Southampton (H)

W 6-1

12

Man Utd (H)

W 3-1

Associated

The 9 greatest derby matches in UK soccer - ranked

They're a number of the most heated matches on the calendar, however that are the very best?

4 Chelsea 32 factors, 2014/15

The 2014/15 season was Chelsea's first since 2000/01 with out talisman Frank Lampard, who had joined Man Metropolis in the summertime.

His absence proved to not matter, because the Blues went undefeated of their first 14 video games. After 12, they'd amassed 32 factors and had been six factors away from shock bundle Southampton on the prime.

Summer season signing Diego Costa was their primary man, scoring 11 occasions in his first 10 Premier League video games, together with in wins over Liverpool and Arsenal.

Chelsea's first 12 video games (2014/15)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Burnley (A)

W 3-1

2

Leicester (H)

W 2-0

3

Everton (A)

W 6-3

4

Swansea (H)

W 4-2

5

Man Metropolis (A)

D 1-1

6

Aston Villa (H)

W 3-0

7

Arsenal (H)

W 2-0

8

Crystal Palace (A)

W 2-1

9

Man Utd (A)

D 1-1

10

QPR (H)

W 2-1

11

Liverpool (A)

W 2-1

12

West Brom (H)

W 2-0

3 Manchester Metropolis 34 factors, 2011/12

Managed on the time by Roberto Mancini, Man Metropolis gained a then-record 11 of their first 12 video games, most notably thumping rivals United 6-1 at Outdated Trafford to file their greatest win within the Manchester derby.

In the course of the sport, Mario Balotelli unveiled an undershirt that learn "Why At all times Me?" after opening the scoring, seemingly responding to tabloid tales about his controversial behaviour off the pitch.

Man Metropolis's first 12 video games (2011/12)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Swansea (H)

W 4-0

2

Bolton (A)

W 3-2

3

Tottenham (A)

W 5-1

4

Wigan (H)

W 3-0

5

Fulham (A)

D 2-2

6

Everton (H)

W 2-0

7

Blackburn (A)

W 4-0

8

Aston Villa (H)

W 4-1

9

Man Utd (A)

W 6-1

10

Wolves (H)

W 3-1

11

QPR (A)

W 3-2

12

Newcastle (H)

W 3-1

2 Liverpool 34 factors, 2019/20

Liverpool gained 11 of their first 12 Premier League video games within the 2019/20 season to soar into an eight-point lead over second-placed Leicester Metropolis, scoring 28 targets within the course of. After that, they gained their subsequent 15 on the trot.

Regardless of a slip in kind within the remaining couple of months of the marketing campaign, the Reds' near-perfect begin was greater than sufficient to see them clinch their first league title since 1990.

Liverpool's first 12 video games (2019/20)

Sport

Opponent

Consequence

1

Norwich (H)

W 4-1

2

Southampton (A)

W 2-1

3

Arsenal (H)

W 3-1

4

Burnley (A)

W 3-0

5

Newcastle (H)

W 3-1

6

Chelsea (A)

W 2-1

7

Sheff Utd (A)

W 1-0

8

Leicester (H)

W 2-1

9

Man Utd (A)

D 1-1

10

Tottenham (H)

W 2-1

11

Aston Villa (A)

W 2-1

12

Man Metropolis (H)

W 3-1

1 Manchester Metropolis 34 factors, 2017/18

Like Liverpool in 2019/20, Metropolis gained all however one among their opening dozen video games within the prime flight again in 2017/18 to open up an eight-point lead on the prime.

Nevertheless, Guardiola's males managed 12 extra targets than the Reds, scoring an astonishing 40 occasions - 16 of which got here courtesy of strike duo Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, who scored eight apiece.