In as much as we know the joy football brings when you’re the defending champion, it can also be a cruel mistress, and the spotlight burns even brighter. The joy of victory quickly fades when teams falter in defending their crown.
Manchester City, four-time consecutive champions under Pep Guardiola, are already showing cracks midway through the 2024-25 campaign. Could they yet join the infamous ranks of teams whose title defences became nightmares? Only time will tell.
The Premier League has seen its fair share of humiliating title defences, where once-feared champions have fallen from the summit with a thud. Here are the worst of the bunch, with memories that still sting for those who lived through them.
Here Are The Premier League's Worst Title Defences of All Time
6. Liverpool – 2020/21
“From champions to scrambling for respectability.”
Liverpool’s 2019/20 campaign was nothing short of extraordinary. Jurgen Klopp’s men racked up 99 points, becoming the fastest team to secure the title (with seven games to spare). But the following season, the cracks began to show. By midseason, injuries—most notably to Virgil van Dijk—exposed their vulnerabilities.
After 16 games, Liverpool had accumulated 33 points, far below the standards of a reigning champion. Their final tally was 69 points, a massive drop-off from their title-winning exploits. Liverpool finished third, salvaging some pride, but the struggles of their campaign—including a run of six consecutive home losses in 46 days—remain a bitter memory for their fans.
5. Antonio Conte’s Chelsea – 2017/18
“Champions one season, nearly irrelevant the next.”
In 2016/17, Antonio Conte's Chelsea were a force of nature, amassing 93 points with their record-setting 30 league wins in a single season. Deploying a revolutionary 3-4-3 system, Chelsea ran away with the title and seemed poised to dominate for years.
However, things unraveled quickly the following season. An initial fallout with Diego Costa followed by a public fallout between Conte and the board over transfers created tension, and the team struggled for consistency. After 16 games, Chelsea had 32 points—decent, but a far cry from their title-winning pace.
They ultimately finished 5th with 70 points, missing out on Champions League football. It was a stark contrast to their dominance the year prior, and Conte left the club shortly after winning the FA Cup that same season. While not the absolute worst title defence, Chelsea’s fall from grace under Conte was dramatic enough to be remembered.
4. Leicester City - 2016/17
“A title win for the ages, followed by a reality check.”
When Leicester City lifted the trophy in 2016, it was a storybook ending that defied belief. The Foxes secured 81 points with players like Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and N’Golo Kanté leading the charge.
But as quickly as they ascended, they plummeted. Kanté’s departure to Chelsea left a gaping hole, and by February 2017, manager Claudio Ranieri was sacked—a shocking end for the man who had guided them to glory. Leicester finished 12th, managing just 44 points, 37 fewer than their title-winning tally. They narrowly avoided a relegation scrap, but their time as champions was brief and bittersweet.
3. Chelsea - 2015/16
“From the Special One to a season to forget.”
Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea dominated the 2014/15 season, claiming the title with 87 points. Mourinho appeared untouchable—until he wasn’t. The following campaign was a disaster. The Blues lost nine of their first 16 games and found themselves languishing in 16th place by December. Mourinho was dismissed shortly after.
Chelsea clawed their way to 10th place by the end of the season with just 50 points—a staggering 37-point drop. It was the lowest finish for a defending champion in Premier League history, until then, and a dark chapter for Mourinho’s Chelsea legacy.
2. Manchester United - 2013/14: The End of an Era
“The dynasty faltered, and Old Trafford mourned.”
The 2012/13 season was Sir Alex Ferguson’s swansong, and he went out in style, delivering Manchester United their 20th league title with 89 points. But his departure exposed just how pivotal his leadership was.
David Moyes inherited a team in transition and struggled to maintain Ferguson’s high standards. United finished the season in 7th place with just 64 points, their worst finish in the Premier League era at that time. Moyes was sacked before the season ended, and the Red Devils began a long, arduous journey to reclaim their former glory.
1. Blackburn Rovers - 1995/96: The Collapse of a Dream
“The first champions to stumble under the weight of expectation.”
Blackburn Rovers’ title-winning campaign in 1994/95 was remarkable. Alan Shearer’s 34 goals propelled them to 89 points and their first league championship in 81 years. But their title defence was disastrous. By Christmas 1995, Blackburn had already lost nine games and were well out of the race.
Rovers finished 7th with 61 points—a massive drop of 28 points from their title-winning total. They became the first team in Premier League history to fail to qualify for Europe as defending champions, a mark of how far they had fallen. For Blackburn fans, the high of 1995 quickly turned into a sobering reality.
The difficulty of defending a title is often underestimated. The pressure, the expectations, and the fatigue all mount, and even the strongest teams can falter. These title defences serve as a reminder that in the Premier League, every champion faces the same brutal challenge of staying at the top.
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