Manchester City are currently 14 points clear of the chasing pack, but where would they rank if they maintain that distance between now and the end of the season?
6. Manchester United (10 points, 2000/01)
Manchester United also won the title by 10 points in 1992/93, as did Leicester in 2015/16 – but Alex Ferguson’s 2000/01 vintage were further ahead of the division’s runners-up on goal difference.
United drew two of their first three matches but soon found their feet, winning 13 of their next 15 contests to rise to top spot. They wrapped up the title in April but blew the chance to finish even further clear of Arsenal after losing each of their final three encounters to Derby, Southampton and Tottenham.
5. Arsenal (11 points, 2003/04)
Arsenal’s Invincibles are certainly in the conversation for the Premier League’s greatest ever teams after going the entire campaign unbeaten in 2003/04. Liverpool – now without a loss in 41 top-flight matches – may beat the Gunners’ record 49-game stretch, but may struggle to remain undefeated for the remainder of 2019/20.
Arsene Wenger’s side drew 12 of their 38 games, and at one point their failure to turn draws into wins looked like it would give Manchester United a shot at the title – it was the Red Devils, not the Gunners, who topped the table after 20 matches. However, Arsenal began to turn the screw thereafter and ultimately finished 11 points clear of runners-up Chelsea – and a further four ahead of a United team that fell away in the second half of the season.
4. Manchester United (11 points, 2012/13)
The signing of Robin van Persie from Arsenal in the summer of 2012 tipped the balance of the Premier League title race back in United’s favour. Manchester City were champions the season before but were unable to keep pace with their cross-town rivals in what turned out to be Alex Ferguson’s final campaign at the helm at Old Trafford.
Van Persie scored 26 goals to fire the Red Devils to their 13th title of the Ferguson era. This was not seen as a vintage United side, but they were still comfortably better than the competition, finishing 11 points in advance of City after winning 28 of 38 games.
3. Chelsea (12 points, 2004/05)
Jose Mourinho made quite the impression in his Chelsea unveiling in summer 2004, and then proceeded to lead the Blues to their first league title in 50 years. Mourinho’s side only lost one game all season – a 1-0 reverse to Manchester City – and conceded just 15 goals, a Premier League record that Liverpool will not beat this term.
Chelsea finished 12 points clear of Arsenal in the end, although their goal difference was only marginally better than Arsene Wenger’s charges. Their margin could have been even wider had they not taken their foot off the gas late on, drawing with Birmingham, Arsenal and Newcastle in April and May.
2. Manchester United (18 points, 1999/00)
The 1998/99 Manchester United team are more celebrated because of their Treble triumph, but the side that followed a year later were stronger in Premier League terms. Alex Ferguson’s men won six of their first seven games, but a wobble in the autumn brought only one win in five, a stretch which included a 5-0 shellacking by Chelsea.
From late January onwards, though, they occupied first position in the table, and ultimately finished well clear of Arsenal at the top. United romped to the prize with 11 consecutive wins at the end of the campaign, including a 7-1 thrashing of West Ham.
1. Manchester City (19 points, 2017/18)
Liverpool moved 19 points clear at the summit of the standings with victory over West Ham on Wednesday – the same distance between Manchester City and second spot at the end of the 2017/18 campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s side broke a number of Premier League records that season: most points (100), most away points (50), most wins (32), most away wins (16), most goals (106), best goal difference (+79) and most consecutive victories (18). However, they now look set to be outdone by Liverpool just two years later, at least in terms of the biggest title-winning margin.