History UsefulNotes / EnglishPremierLeague

Despite this, the team continue to be consistently inconsistent, looking like world-beaters one day, only to slump the next, as evidenced by a convincing win over West Ham, followed by grindy wins against Aston Villa and Luton, and then a stunning loss to Fulham, a bright start against Manchester City only to lose it late, a win against Everton with the only goals scored being penalties, leaving them eight points back from 4th only to draw and lose their way to 13 points back, and an FA Cup Semifinal against lower-league side Coventry City that saw them go up 3-0, blow the lead to go to extra time, nearly lose the match on a late winner that was determined to be offside, then squeak by on penalties to schedule a postseason FA Cup Final date with Manchester City. As things stand, it looks as though this is their last chance at anything resembling a successful season, as they followed up their near-collapse in the FA Cup by defeating a dire Sheffield, but drawing Burnley and then being torn apart by Crystal Palace and falling below ''Chelsea'' and out of the potential European places!

'''Current Manager:''' Liam Rosenior\\

Despite this, the team continue to be consistently inconsistent, looking like world-beaters one day, only to slump the next, as evidenced by a convincing win over West Ham, followed by grindy wins against Aston Villa and Luton, and then a stunning loss to Fulham, a bright start against Manchester City only to lose it late, a win against Everton with the only goals scored being penalties, leaving them eight points back from 4th only to draw and lose their way to 13 points back, and an FA Cup Semifinal against lower-league side Coventry City that saw them go up 3-0, blow the lead to go to extra time, nearly lose the match on a late winner that was determined to be offside, then squeak by on penalties to schedule a postseason FA Cup Final date with Manchester City.

'''Current Manager:''' David Moyes\\

But in the summer they bid farewell to their captain Declan Rice as he completed a blockbuster nine-figure move to Arsenal, and despite not really cashing in on their new riches, they started off the season extremely well, handily winning their Europa League group. Unfortunately, their campaign began to show signs of shakiness as they started to suffer from injuries, and then they were brutally embarrassed '''6-0''' on their own ground by Arsenal, with Rice scoring a world-class screamer of a goal in the process to add insult to their ''many'' injuries, leaving them in 10th. Despite this, they've picked themselves up and begun to march back up the table, though they are still several points back of the European places as they stand, and have progressed to the Europa League quarterfinal where they were defeated by Bayer Leverkusen.

Summer 2023 saw Kane depart for Bayern Munich shortly before the start of the season, but despite this, Spurs seemingly rallied around Ange and went unbeaten for ten matchweeks before utterly collapsing against Chelsea, having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by Wolverhampton Wanderers, and suffering another defeat from a winning position against Aston Villa, drawing with City, losing to west Ham, demolishing Newcastle, and surviving Everton, only to slide back even further in March, now jostling Aston Villa for 4th while Arsenal, City, and Liverpool broaden their leads. After a lengthy break, however, Spurs faced a gauntlet to close the season, having to play all three of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City, with Aston Villa holding the advantage to finish Top 4 and England's chances of getting a 5th Champions League spot being very nearly gone entirely. This gauntlet began against Arsenal, who survived a late scare from Spurs to win the game and celebrate St. Totteringham's Day on their ground, and continued with a tepid 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on ''their'' ground[[note]]with both goals coming off of set pieces after Postecoglu answered an interview question by commenting that he doesn't prepare for set pieces[[/note]], leaving them staring down Liverpool at Anfield and, nightmare of nightmares, a match against City just before the final day, where taking any points at all to try and make the Champions League could hand their hated rivals the title!

They bounced back the following season though, having a strong campaign under new manager Paul Heckingbottom, achieving promotion by late April. The return has been abject though, with just one win in the opening four months of the season, plus a couple of pretty horrific thumpings (8-0 at home to Newcastle and 5-0 to Burnley, of all teams). To the surprise of no one, Heckingbottom was dismissed in early December, the first Premier League sacking of the season; more surprisingly, he was succeeded by a returning Chris Wilder, but they still haven't been able to do much to improve their chances, sitting bottom after the break with a measly 13 points. Their lone hope would be if Forest and Everton are both hit with points deductions strong enough to put them in striking distance, but Everton pull away with each passing weak, and they set the record for most goals conceded in a 38-game season with 93... with four whole matches left to play! This was unsurprisingly followed up by them getting slaughtered at Newcastle 5-1 and assuring their relegation, with three matches left to potentially break Swindon Town's record for most goals conceded in a season outright at 100, with only 3 more goals needed!

!!Norwich City (1992-95, 2004-05, 2011-14, 2015-16, 2019-20, 2021-22)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwich_city_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:On the Ball, City]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Canaries\\
'''Current Owners:''' Creator/DeliaSmith, Michael Wynn-Jones and Michael Foulger\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Wagner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Grant Hanley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Carrow Road[[note]]Capacity: 27,010[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 3rd (1992/93)
----

Title challengers under Mike Walker in the first Premier League season, but suffered a spectacular collapse after he left the following year and went down in the 1994-95 season. Came back for one season in 2004/05, before returning again and stabilising themselves in 2011. A torrid[[note]]if you're a Yank, substitute "horrible"[[/note]] 2013/14 campaign, however, saw the Canaries being too cautious and conservative for their own good and they paid dearly by being relegated on the season's final day.

Fortunately for Canary fans, the team redeemed themselves in the Championship thanks to a much more positive play-style under Scottish manager Alex Neil and they achieved promotion after comfortably beating Middlesbrough in the 2015 Playoff Finals.

Returned in the 2015/16 season, beginning most of a decade impersonating a footballing yo-yo. Despite a famous victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford, they were relegated despite doing their part in the final days. Came back for the 2019/20 season, but despite a famous 3-2 win over Manchester City and an earnest devotion to their stylish attacking football, they got kicked right back down immediately.

Dominated the Championship the next season, and earned promotion once again by finishing 1st, but followed that up with a season in which they languished in last place, with their relegation confirmed in late April. In 2023/24, they made the playoffs.

'''Current Stadium:''' King Power Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,312. Current sponsor is King Power, sponsor-less name is Walker Stadium.[[/note]]\\

!!Norwich City (1992-95, 2004-05, 2011-14, 2015-16, 2019-20, 2021-22)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwich_city_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:On the Ball, City]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Canaries\\
'''Current Owners:''' Creator/DeliaSmith, Michael Wynn-Jones and Michael Foulger\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Wagner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Grant Hanley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Carrow Road[[note]]Capacity: 27,010[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 3rd (1992/93)
----

Title challengers under Mike Walker in the first Premier League season, but suffered a spectacular collapse after he left the following year and went down in the 1994-95 season. Came back for one season in 2004/05, before returning again and stabilising themselves in 2011. A torrid[[note]]if you're a Yank, substitute "horrible"[[/note]] 2013/14 campaign, however, saw the Canaries being too cautious and conservative for their own good and they paid dearly by being relegated on the season's final day.

Fortunately for Canary fans, the team redeemed themselves in the Championship thanks to a much more positive play-style under Scottish manager Alex Neil and they achieved promotion after comfortably beating Middlesbrough in the 2015 Playoff Finals.

Returned in the 2015/16 season, beginning most of a decade impersonating a footballing yo-yo. Despite a famous victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford, they were relegated despite doing their part in the final days. Came back for the 2019/20 season, but despite a famous 3-2 win over Manchester City and an earnest devotion to their stylish attacking football, they got kicked right back down immediately.

Dominated the Championship the next season, and earned promotion once again by finishing 1st, but followed that up with a season in which they languished in last place, with their relegation confirmed in late April. In 2023/24, they made the playoffs.

'''Current Owner:''' Kyril Louis-Dreyfus[[note]]The current youngest owner of a football team in the English Football League. Also a distant cousin of {{Creator/Julia Louis Dreyfus}}[[/note]]\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in League Two\\

! Guaranteed playoff spot or better:
%% List teams here by table position. When teams lose out in the playoffs, return them to their alphabetical spots in the list below if applicable.
%% If a team in a playoff spot is not a former member of the league, place them in the Former Members list in the event that they lose, but commented out to save effort in case we need them later. Brighton was one such example, losing in the 2015/16 season playoff, but winning promotion in 2016/17 and having a commented out segment for us to Copy/Paste

!!Ipswich Town (1992-1995; 2000-2002)

'''2022/23 Position:''' 2nd in League One (promoted)\\

Norwich City's main rivals, and Suffolk's only professional team. They won the First Division title in 1962 in their first ever top flight season, and were a successful club under Bobby Robson in the seventies, but their first few years in the Premier League were unimpressive, and they were relegated after a really terrible season in 1994/95. They came back in 2000, and finished fifth that year, only to end up back in the second tier the following year, but a torrid 2018/19 campaign saw them finish dead last with only 28 points out of 46 games, which sent them down into League 1, but they were able to win promotion in 2023 under the management of highly-rated young coach Kieran [=McKenna=], while managing to score over 100 goals. As of April 2024, they managed to snag a playoff spot in the middle of a fierce battle with Leeds and Leicester for automatic promotion.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 19th (relegated)\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 20th (relegated)\\

He was replaced by Luton Town manager Nathan Jones, under whom their league form continued to slump and, after just fourteen games in charge and with the club bottom of the table, he too was fired, to be replaced by his assistant Ruben Selles. Despite a win over Chelsea in his first game in charge and draws at both Old Trafford and the Emirates, Selles was unable to lift the club off the foot of the table and they were ultimately relegated in mid-May following a loss to Fulham.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other Former Members of the League]]
!!Barnsley (1997-98)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnsley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Helo, hello! We are the Barnsley Boys!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Tykes\\
'''Current Owners:''' Chien Lee, Paul Conway, Grace Hung, Neerav Parekh, Billy Beane[[note]]yes, ''that'' [[Film/{{Moneyball}} Billy Beane]][[/note]] and The Cryne Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Martin Devaney (caretaker)\\
'''Current Captain:''' Alex Mowatt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Oakwell [[note]]Capacity: 23,009[[/note]]\\
'''2023/24 Position:''' 6th in League One\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 19th (1997/98)

Spent 102 years trying to make it into the top flight of English football, and then were relegated after only one season, having spent virtually the entire season in the bottom three. Did manage a strong FA Cup run in the same season though, reaching the fifth round and knocking Manchester United out along the way. Came close to a return in 2000, but were relegated to the third tier 2 seasons later. Yo-yo between Championship and League 1 nowadays. An FA Cup run to the semi-finals, exactly 10 seasons after the Premier League season, repeating its bright spot of a historic win at Anfield, then ending Chelsea's defence, was their most notable moment since. Earned a playoff spot in 2020/21, but fell short against Swansea, only to follow it up with an abysmal 2021/22 season, getting relegated in mid-April, though they managed a playoff spot first time round the next season, followed up with another the year after.

!!Birmingham City (2002-2006; 2007-2008; 2009-2011)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birmingham_city_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I am a City fan,\\
and I am from Birmingham!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Bluenoses.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Owner:''' Paul Suen (majority), Creator/TomBrady (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tony Mowbray\\
'''Current Captain:''' Harlee Dean\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Andrew's [[note]]Capacity: 30,016[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 17th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 9th (2009/10)

During the 2023 offseason, City picked up a new minority owner in retired NFL legend Creator/TomBrady, and, a few months into the subsequent season, England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was appointed as manager; his tenure would be a short one though, with fifteen games in charge yielding just two wins, and he ended up being the first English league managerial casualty of 2024.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 7th in Championship\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 21st in Championship\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in Championship\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 18th in Championship\\

Floundered for a few years, but won a playoff spot in 2022, though they ultimately fell short in the Playoff Final.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 15th in Championship\\

A failed spell under ex-Russia boss Lenoid Slutskiy led to Hull needing another boss change, and risking an untenable back to back relegation and financial ruin after a decade of yo-yoing between the top 2 tiers, though Nigel Adkins has stabilised them since and they were able to stay up in the Championship for next season, only to be kicked down after a truly dismal second half of the season in 2020, with just 6 points in 20 games. Since then, they've come back up and are currently holding onto one of the playoff places.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 4th in Championship\\

!!Norwich City (1992-95, 2004-05, 2011-14, 2015-16, 2019-20, 2021-22)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/norwich_city_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:On the Ball, City]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Canaries\\
'''Current Owners:''' Creator/DeliaSmith, Michael Wynn-Jones and Michael Foulger\\
'''Current Manager:''' David Wagner\\
'''Current Captain:''' Grant Hanley\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Carrow Road[[note]]Capacity: 27,010[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 13th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 3rd (1992/93)
----

Title challengers under Mike Walker in the first Premier League season, but suffered a spectacular collapse after he left the following year and went down in the 1994-95 season. Came back for one season in 2004/05, before returning again and stabilising themselves in 2011. A torrid[[note]]if you're a Yank, substitute "horrible"[[/note]] 2013/14 campaign, however, saw the Canaries being too cautious and conservative for their own good and they paid dearly by being relegated on the season's final day.

Fortunately for Canary fans, the team redeemed themselves in the Championship thanks to a much more positive play-style under Scottish manager Alex Neil and they achieved promotion after comfortably beating Middlesbrough in the 2015 Playoff Finals.

Returned in the 2015/16 season, beginning most of a decade impersonating a footballing yo-yo. Despite a famous victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford, they were relegated despite doing their part in the final days. Came back for the 2019/20 season, but despite a famous 3-2 win over Manchester City and an earnest devotion to their stylish attacking football, they got kicked right back down immediately.

Dominated the Championship the next season, and earned promotion once again by finishing 1st, but followed that up with a season in which they languished in last place, with their relegation confirmed in late April. In 2023/24, they're on the edge of the play-off places.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 20th in Championship\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 3rd in League One (won playoff, promoted)\\

Came close to promotion to the Prem in 2016 and 2017, but unluckily lost in the play-offs to near rivals both times, before an abysmal 2020/21 campaign saw them finish bottom and go down with a whimper. Spent two years in League One before earning promotion back to the Championship via the playoffs in 2022-23 after a spectacular comeback where they beat Peterborough United 5-1 in the semi-final second leg, overcoming a ''4-0'' deficit from the first before a penalty shootout win, before beating Barnsley via a similarly dramatic last minute goal in the final.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 16th in Championship\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 6th in Championship\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in Championship\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 11th in Championship\\

!!West Bromwich Albion (2002-03, 2004-06, 2008-09, 2010-2018, 2020-21)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/west_bromwich_albionsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Boing boing, Baggies!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Baggies\\
'''Current Owner:''' Guochuan Lai\\
'''Current Manager:''' Carlos Corberan\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Brunt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Hawthorns[[note]]Capacity: 26,850[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 9th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 8th (2012/13)
----

West Midlands-based club, who spent much of the [=2000s=] bouncing between the Premier League and Championship, before establishing themselves as a decent mid-table side under Roy Hodgson before he left to take over England. Best known for their "Great Escape" during the 2004/05 season, where they became the first team to escape relegation having been bottom at Christmas (in fact, they were ''still'' bottom going into their final match).

They were relegated the following season, however. Under Tony Pulis, they re-established their mid-table status, proving a hard team to break down and a consistent threat to top teams via set-pieces up until a dire end to the 2016-17 season sent them plummeting and, when wins in their first 2 games in the 2017-18 season were followed by a 19 game winless run, Pulis was sacked in favor of Alan Pardew. Having oscillated between stability and PR disasters throughout 8 years in the PL unimpeded, their 2017-18 campaign descended into farce, and Pardew was ditched with one league win in 30 league games, and 10 points adrift with 18 to gain, though Moore gaining 11 of them in his first 5 games, including against Man Utd, Liverpool and Spurs, ensured WBA were only demoted on the final week.

They failed to gain promotion in the 2018-19 year, but managed it the following season. However, like Fulham, they were kicked right back down, a season best known for Liverpool winning at the Hawthorns thanks a 93rd minute header from their ''goalkeeper''.

2023/24 saw excitement reign supreme once again. Arsenal dusted themselves off, made key acquisitions, and returned to battle again for the title, Spurs revitalised themselves under newcomer Ange Postecoglu, Manchester City made a few acquisitions to bolster an aging side off the back of their treble and a few of their elder players leaving, Liverpool rebuilt their midfield from scratch; and Manchester United and Chelsea broke the bank to bring in more key players, with their goals being Champions League or bust. What followed were nine months unpredictability. The title race turned into the tightest race in years, with Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City all staying within a game or two of each other from the start, each team taking the lead for a few weeks and losing it, until the brakes began to fall off for Liverpool in late April, leaving it down to Arsenal and City once again. Spurs also shot out of the gate with an unbeaten run, before their form dipped and they slid into a battle for Top 4 against [[EnsembleDarkhorse shock contender]] Aston Villa, who snatched victories against the top sides all season long and kept pace at the top as well, before sliding to bump shoulders with Spurs for 4th. Manchester United, however, stumbled their way through the season, too good to fall into midtable, but too bad to break into the Top 4 race. Chelsea, meanwhile, followed up the previous season's disappointment with an even ''worse'' one despite earning more points by virtue of seeing the team fail to win a Cup against an injury-ravaged Liverpool's academy players and regressing into being a one-man show[[note]]After signing a player from City who quickly turned into their star, "Cole Palmer FC" became the derisive nickname thrown their way, which wasn't helped at all when someone ran the numbers and determined that with Palmer's contributions removed, Chelsea would be in the relegation zone[[/note]].

The new season began with them qualifying for the competition proper over [[UsefulNotes/ScottishPremierLeague Hibernian]], but despite a slow start in the league, they came roaring back in the second and third run of games to sit in 4th, 8 points back from leaders Liverpool and only 6 and 5 behind Arsenal and Manchester City respectively (albeit having played one game more than all three), only three points ahead of Spurs, despite Spurs beating them in mid-March - though, as with the others, they have ''also'' played one more game than Spurs. They did, however, progress in the Europa Conference League, earning a tie against LOSC Lille in the quarterfinal, and hold a six-point lead over Spurs after snatching another three points from Arsenal with two games in hand.

Mauricio Pochettino was hired in the summer, and they followed this up with another massive summer spending spree, dropping another €400m on another haul of players[[note]]only slightly mitigated by selling several players to other clubs for about €250m back in total[[/note]], including breaking the British transfer record again. With ''€1 billion'' spent in three windows, it is clear that it is Champions League or bust for Chelsea, and their first few matches saw them faceplant out the gate. While a draw against Liverpool gave them hope, their form has still been extremely shaky with many a dropped point in matches in which they looked the better team, though they managed a big win against Spurs and a heroic 4-4 draw against Manchester City, and a few close victories against Luton, Fulham, and Crystal Palace to see them in 9th, near the end of January. While they have slipped back to 11th, they're still only 4 points behind 7th-placed Brighton and their overall form has improved, including another heroic draw (this time, 1-1) with City, and they even managed a League Cup Final appearance, only to lose out to a Liverpool team that finished the match with 12 senior players in the treatment room and 5 U-20s on the pitch and ''still'' dominated the match. This led to them being witheringly dubbed "the Blue Billion Pound Bottle-Jobs." Things went from bad to worse, despite a seven-game unbeaten run, as their burgeoning star Cole Palmer began to emerge as nothing short of their crutch[[note]]The numbers were run on if Palmer hadn't made any contributions all season, and the end result had Chelsea fighting relegation[[/note]], leading to the team to also be derisively dubbed "Cole Palmer FC", a sentiment only further exacerbated by Palmer missing a crucial derby against Arsenal and the team being humiliated 5-0.

Summer 2023 saw Kane depart for Bayern Munich shortly before the start of the season, but despite this, Spurs seemingly rallied around Ange and went unbeaten for ten matchweeks before utterly collapsing against Chelsea, having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by Wolverhampton Wanderers, and suffering another defeat from a winning position against Aston Villa, drawing with City, losing to west Ham, demolishing Newcastle, and surviving Everton, only to slide back even further in March, now jostling Aston Villa for 4th while Arsenal, City, and Liverpool broaden their leads. After a lengthy break, however, Spurs faced a gauntlet to close the season, having to play all three of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City, with Aston Villa holding the advantage to finish Top 4 and England's chances of getting a 5th Champions League spot being very nearly gone entirely. This gauntlet began against Arsenal, who survived a late scare from Spurs to win the game and celebrate St. Totteringham's Day on their ground, leaving them staring down Liverpool at Anfield and, nightmare of nightmares, a match against City just before the final day, where taking any points at all to try and make the Champions League could hand their hated rivals the title!

'''Nickname:''' The Gunners[[note]]Fans refer to themselves as Gooners.[[/note]]\\

'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st or 2nd in Championship (promoted)\\

Unfortunately, a string of bad results saw them slip out of the Top Four, and then in the final game, they let a 2-1 lead against Tottenham slip, sealing them at 5th place for the second year running. Have followed this up by falling back into the midtable in 2021/22 and have started the 2022/23 season in utter shambles, sitting dead bottom with just a single point in 7 games. They since found a way out of the relegation zone, but after months of just hanging in, Brendan Rodgers was sacked following a late collapse against Crystal Palace. Dean Smith, formerly of Villa and Norwich, was subsequently brought in for the remainder of the season, but things did not sufficiently improve and, despite a valiant 2-1 win over West Ham on the final day, it was not enough to prevent them becoming the second former Premier League champions to be relegated after Blackburn Rovers. The 2023/24 season was nothing short of domination, seeing them guarantee promotion with two weeks to play in the middle of a tight race with Ipswich, Southampton, and Leeds.

'''Current Manager:''' Neill Collins\\

[[caption-width-right:175:You'll never walk alone!]]

2023/24 saw excitement reign supreme once again. Arsenal dusted themselves off, made key acquisitions, and returned to battle again for the title, Spurs revitalised themselves under newcomer Ange Postecoglu, Manchester City made a few acquisitions to bolster an aging side off the back of their treble and a few of their elder players leaving, Liverpool rebuilt their midfield from scratch; and Manchester United and Chelsea broke the bank to bring in more key players, with their goals being Champions League or bust. What followed were nine months unpredictability. The title race turned into the tightest race in years, with Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City all staying within a game or two of each other from the start, each team taking hte lead for a few weeks and losing it, until the brakes began to fall off for Liverpool in late April, seemingly leaving it down to Arsenal and City once again. Spurs also shot out of the gate with an unbeaten run, before their form dipped and they slid into a battle for Top 4 against [[EnsembleDarkhorse shock contender]] Aston Villa, who snatched victories against the top sides all season long and kept pace at the top as well, before sliding to bump shoulders with Spurs for 4th. Manchester United, however, stumbled their way through the season, too good to fall into midtable, but too bad to break into the Top 4 race. Chelsea, meanwhile, followed up the previous season's disappointment with an even ''worse'' one despite earning more points by virtue of seeing the team fail to win a Cup against an injury-ravaged Liverpool's academy players and regressing into being a one-man show[[note]]After signing a player from City who quickly turned into their star, "Cole Palmer FC" became the derisive nickname thrown their way, which wasn't helped at all when someone ran the numbers and determined that with Palmer's contributions removed, Chelsea would be in the relegation zone[[/note]].

Despite a stumble in December, the Gunners entered 2024 taking no hostages, blitzing through January, February, and March with only an FA Cup and Champions League stumble against Porto slowing them down en route to blowing the title race wide open and sticking their noses in front ever so slightly. However, a defeat to Aston Villa has left them two points adrift of the top spot, they were defeated in a tense affair by Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinal, and Manchester City seized a narrow lead on equal games played. Despite this disappointment, Arsenal have seemingly committed all the harder to finishing the season strong, winning anervy affair against Wolves and then tearchng Chelsea apart 5-0, the largest home victory over their neighbors since 1930. Four games remain, including a North London Derby and a visit to Old Trafford, and the Premier League is known, if nothing else, for its unpredictability.

2023/24 saw them pick right back up where they left off with a quick jump out front, and despite a slide due to injuries in the early part of 2024 to key players, some stumbles by their rivals Arsenal and Liverpool have allowed City to climb ahead for the time being, but with seemingly their toughest fixtures behind them. Despite a defeat on penalties to Real Madrid in the Champions League, they still have the last few weeks of the League and pontentially two more FA Cup matches remaining to at least claim a domestic Double.

Summer 2023 saw Kane depart for Bayern Munich shortly before the start of the season, but despite this, Spurs seemingly rallied around Ange and went unbeaten for ten matchweeks before utterly collapsing against Chelsea, having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by Wolverhampton Wanderers, and suffering another defeat from a winning position against Aston Villa, drawing with City, losing to west Ham, demolishing Newcastle, and surviving Everton, only to slide back even further in March, now jostling Aston Villa for 4th while Arsenal, City, and Liverpool broaden their leads. After a lengthy break, however, Spurs' now face a gauntlet to close the season, having to play all three of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City, with Aston Villa holding the advantage to finish Top 4 and England's chances of getting a 5th Champions League spot being very nearly gone entirely.

!!Sheffield United
%%%(1992-1994; 2006-2007, 2019-2021, 2023-)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sheffield_united.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh Sheffield United,\\
Come thrill me again!]]
->'''Year Established:''' 1889\\
'''Nickname:''' The Blades\\
'''Current Owner:''' Abdullah bin Musa'ed\\
'''Current Manager:''' Chris Wilder\\
'''Current Captain:''' John Egan\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bramall Lane [[note]]Capacity: 32,702[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 2nd in Championship (promoted)\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 9th (2019/20)
----

One of the two Sheffield clubs, who contest the Steel City derby (at least, when they're in the same division). Suffered last-day relegation from the Premier League on two separate occasions, the second in very controversial circumstances due to West Ham striker Carlos Tévez[[note]](who was at that club under an agreement that saw them merely pay his agent for the right to have him play for them without ever actually signing him, which was illegal at the time)[[/note]] scoring the goal which kept West Ham up at United's expense. Generally enjoyed better fortunes than Wednesday for most of the [=2000s=], though they only just won back promotion to the Championship, where a blistering start suggested that Wilder could be promoted from League 2 to Premier League in successive seasons (Northampton in 2015-16, Sheffield United since), though the Blades ultimately fell short.

Achieved promotion for the 2019/20 campaign and have became notable for merited away results at Stamford Bridge, Goodison, Tottenham, Molineux and Emirates Stadium (and limiting Liverpool and Man City to narrow wins) making a European place far likelier than the relegation that seemed odds on when the season began as they jostle with Big Six sides Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, and Chelsea, as well as surprise challengers Wolves and Burnley.

The following season was similarly spectacular, but for completely the opposite reasons... they officially made the worst start in the history of ''all four'' of England's top divisions and went down without even having 15 points to their name on the day relegation was confirmed.

They bounced back the following season though, having a strong campaign under new manager Paul Heckingbottom, achieving promotion by late April. The return has been abject though, with just one win in the opening four months of the season, plus a couple of pretty horrific thumpings (8-0 at home to Newcastle and 5-0 to Burnley, of all teams). To the surprise of no one, Heckingbottom was dismissed in early December, the first Premier League sacking of the season; more surprisingly, he was succeeded by a returning Chris Wilder, but they still haven't been able to do much to improve their chances, sitting bottom after the break with a measly 13 points. Their lone hope would be if Forest and Everton are both hit with points deductions strong enough to put them in striking distance, but Everton pull away with each passing weak, and they set the record for most goals conceded in a 38-game season with 93... with four whole matches left to play!

-->None yet.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 6th in League Two\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in League Two\\

Their only top-flight season to date did not go at ''all'' well, as they were relegated in bottom place after conceding precisely one hundred goals. To add insult to injury, they were then relegated the following year (though like Crystal Palace, this was only due to league reconstruction), and have since spent most of their time bouncing around between the bottom two divisions, as evidenced by their relegation to League Two in 2017. Their stadium is next to a bizarre set of roundabouts called The Magic Roundabout. Gained promotion despite the COVID-19 outbreak shortening the 2019/20 season.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 21st in League Two\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 4th in League One\\

Spent 102 years trying to make it into the top flight of English football, and then were relegated after only one season, having spent virtually the entire season in the bottom three. Did manage a strong FA Cup run in the same season though, reaching the fifth round and knocking Manchester United out along the way. Came close to a return in 2000, but were relegated to the third tier 2 seasons later. Yo-yo between Championship and League 1 nowadays. An FA Cup run to the semi-finals, exactly 10 seasons after the Premier League season, repeating its bright spot of a historic win at Anfield, then ending Chelsea's defence, was their most notable moment since. Earned a playoff spot in 2020/21, but fell short against Swansea, only to follow it up with an abysmal 2021/22 season, getting relegated in mid-April, though they managed a playoff spot first time round the next season.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 22nd in Championship (relegated)\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in League One\\

The following season was one of total turmoil, in no small part due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but they were relegated to League Two. They were, however, able to turn it around and returned to League One at the first opportunity, and earned a playoff spot in 2023.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in League One\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 7th in League One\\

Sadly, despite heroics like a 2-1 win against a nearly unstoppable Fulham, [[ShootTheShaggyDog they were officially relegated to League One with three matches to spare, as the club's future was becoming bleaker by the day.]] Rooney then abruptly resigned as manager during the summer. Despite it all, the club was officially bought on July 1 by a consortium led by lifelong Rams supporter and property developer David Clowes, meaning they would avoid yet another points deduction in League One, and they only just missed out on a playoff spot in 2023.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 22nd in Championship (relegated)\\

'''2022/23 Position:''' 24th in Championship (relegated)\\

-->None yet.

! Guaranteed playoff spot or better:
%% List teams here by table position. When teams lose out in the playoffs, return them to their alphabetical spots in the list below if applicable.
%% If a team in a playoff spot is not a former member of the league, place them in the Former Members list in the event that they lose, but commented out to save effort in case we need them later. Brighton was one such example, losing in the 2015/16 season playoff, but winning promotion in 2016/17 and having a commented out segment for us to Copy/Paste.
!!Leicester City (1994-95, 1996-2002, 2003-04, 2014-2023)

'''2022/23 Position:''' 18th (relegated)\\

Unfortunately, a string of bad results saw them slip out of the Top Four, and then in the final game, they let a 2-1 lead against Tottenham slip, sealing them at 5th place for the second year running. Have followed this up by falling back into the midtable in 2021/22 and have started the 2022/23 season in utter shambles, sitting dead bottom with just a single point in 7 games. They since found a way out of the relegation zone, but after months of just hanging in, Brendan Rodgers was sacked following a late collapse against Crystal Palace. Dean Smith, formerly of Villa and Norwich, was subsequently brought in for the remainder of the season, but things did not sufficiently improve and, despite a valiant 2-1 win over West Ham on the final day, it was not enough to prevent them becoming the second former Premier League champions to be relegated after Blackburn Rovers. The 2023/24 season offers some hope of return at the first time of asking, however, guaranteeing a playoff spot with only 5 matches left to play.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 12th in National League\\

2023/24 has shaped into the tightest race in recent history, thanks to a resilient Arsenal looking to build on their previous title challenge, a revitalised Spurs under Ange Postecoglu, and a Liverpool side reborn after successfully replacing their entire midfield, while Aston Villa stealthily built a Top 4 challenge of their own. The old rule of thumb is that after 10 games, the table starts to take shape, and at the time of writing, after 31 games and going into mid-April and the run-in, there are three teams within ''two points'' of each other at the top: City in the lead on 73, and Arsenal and Liverpool jostling behind them with 71, with Arsenal leading advantage on goal difference. [[EnsembleDarkhorse Aston Villa]] managed to keep pace for a while, but following a defeat to dogged pursuers Tottenham, they have fallen nine points back of the leaders (though still give them trouble, to Arsenal's dismay), with Spurs having an additional game in hand to pip them for 4th, only to lose to Fulham in the very next outing, squandering their advantage. Manchester United, meanwhile, drifted down into mid-table with Chelsea and managed to be magnificently inconsistent, but put together a belated winning run that (before Fulham derailed it) took them up to 47 and at least nominally into competition for the 4th Champions League spot.

All of this competition led to the English teams reasserting their noughties dominance in the Champions League in 2017/18, with ''all five'' English teams reaching the Champions League Last 16 (Manchester United finished outside the top four, but reached the group stage by winning the Europa League), a feat unprecedented in UCL history, and all but Chelsea winning their groups outright, with Liverpool ending up as defeated finalists. Things got even better the following season, as EVERY English side in a group stage reached the last 8 of either the Champions League or Europa League. This led to the first all-English Champions League final in a decade (between Liverpool and Spurs, which Liverpool won, having pulled off an improbable comeback in the semis against Barcelona from 3-0 down), which had been preceded three days earlier by an all-English Europa League final between Chelsea and Arsenal (with Chelsea thrashing Arsenal 4-1, having got to the final after a [[DowntotheLastPlay penalty shootout)]]. This meant the Premier League had provided ''all four European finalists'', something ''never'' seen before. Then, in 2020/21, the league promptly provided three of the finalists, as if to prove that this wasn't just a one-time thing.

Despite a stumble in December, the Gunners entered 2024 taking no hostages, blitzing through January, February, and March with only an FA Cup and Champions League stumble against Porto slowing them down en route to blowing the title race wide open and sticking their noses in front ever so slightly. However, a defeat to Aston Villa has left them two points adrift of the top spot, they were defeated in a tense affair by Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinal, and they have a gauntlet of games coming up to close out the season, including matches against Chelsea at home, Tottenham and Manchester United away, and even a scrap against relegation-battling Everton.

The new season began with them qualifying for the competition proper over [[UsefulNotes/ScottishPremierLeague Hibernian]], but despite a slow start in the league, they came roaring back in the second and third run of games to sit in 4th, 8 points back from leaders Liverpool and only 6 and 5 behind Arsenal and Manchester City respectively (albeit having played one game more than all three), only three points ahead of Spurs, despite Spurs beating them in mid-March - though, as with the others, they have ''also'' played one more game than Spurs. They did, however, progress in the Europa Conference League, earning a tie against LOSC Lille in the quarterfinal, and hold a three-point lead over Spurs after snatching another three points from Arsenal.

Mauricio Pochettino was hired in the summer, and they followed this up with another massive summer spending spree, dropping another €400m on another haul of players[[note]]only slightly mitigated by selling several players to other clubs for about €250m back in total[[/note]], including breaking the British transfer record again. With ''€1 billion'' spent in three windows, it is clear that it is Champions League or bust for Chelsea, and their first few matches saw them faceplant out the gate. While a draw against Liverpool gave them hope, their form has still been extremely shaky with many a dropped point in matches in which they looked the better team, though they managed a big win against Spurs and a heroic 4-4 draw against Manchester City, and a few close victories against Luton, Fulham, and Crystal Palace to see them in 9th, near the end of January. While they have slipped back to 11th, they're still only 4 points behind 7th-placed Brighton and their overall form has improved, including another heroic draw (this time, 1-1) with City, and they even managed a League Cup Final appearance, only to lose out to a Liverpool team that finished the match with 12 senior players in the treatment room and 5 U-20s on the pitch and ''still'' dominated the match. This led to them being witheringly dubbed "the Blue Billion Pound Bottle-Jobs."

The 2023/24 campaign, however, has seen some improvement, as they managed a few desperately-needed wins to hover safely above the drop zone in midtable going into the third break, but then down came the hammer of the FA, handing Everton a 10-point deduction due to breaches in Financial Fair Play. Despite this, Everton seemed to rally at the ruling and fought to claw their way back out of the drop zone immediately. In January they were charged again with another points deduction looming, but a successful appeal on the first deduction reduced the 10-point penalty to 6, seeing them climb up to 15th on 25 points, only to be handed ''another'' points deduction (only 2 this time) in early April, leaving them only a slim 2 points above the drop zone.

With Klopp's exit looming, the Reds have put together an impressive run despite an ''extremely'' controversial defeat to Spurs and a string of niggling injuries, as well as the month and half long absence of the peerless Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations (where he promptly got injured). However, following a complete defeat to Arsenal[[note]]They tallied their lowest xG ''ever'' under Klopp and their only goal was an own goal deflection[[/note]] and a draw against City in Klopp and Pep's final league clash against each other, their grip on the top spot faltered, replaced by Arsenal who hold a tenuous grip on goal difference alone, with their own clash against Pep's machine looming. However, a goalless draw between their rivals and a solid win against Brighton has allowed them to wheel back two points clear of Arsenal and three of City, retaking the lead in Klopp's last dance, only for their eternal enemy Manchester United to steal a draw at Old Trafford to put Arsenal back ahead on goal difference, a 0-3 chastening from Atalanta, and a 0-1 defeat to Crystal Palace yet again seeing them slide back into 3rd in the title race, with a gauntlet of away games now on the docket.

Despite this, the team continue to be consistently inconsistent, looking like world-beaters one day, only to slump the next, as evidenced by a convincing win over West Ham, followed by grindy wins against Aston Villa and Luton, and then a stunning loss to Fulham, a bright start against Manchester City only to lose it late, and finally a win against Everton with the only goals scored being penalties, leaving them eight points back from 4th, but an FA Cup run to the semifinals, dumping Liverpool out along the way in Extra Time, has been a bright spot.

They bounced back the following season though, having a strong campaign under new manager Paul Heckingbottom, achieving promotion by late April. The return has been abject though, with just one win in the opening four months of the season, plus a couple of pretty horrific thumpings (8-0 at home to Newcastle and 5-0 to Burnley, of all teams). To the surprise of no one, Heckingbottom was dismissed in early December, the first Premier League sacking of the season; more surprisingly, he was succeeded by a returning Chris Wilder, but they still haven't been able to do much to improve their chances, sitting bottom after the break with a measly 13 points. Their lone hope would be if Forest and Everton are both hit with points deductions strong enough to put them in striking distance.

Summer 2023 saw Kane depart for Bayern Munich shortly before the start of the season, but despite this, Spurs seemingly rallied around Ange and went unbeaten for ten matchweeks before utterly collapsing against Chelsea, having defeat snatched from the jaws of victory by Wolverhampton Wanderers, and suffering another defeat from a winning position against Aston Villa, drawing with City, losing to west Ham, demolishing Newcastle, and surviving Everton, only to slide back even further in March, now jostling Aston Villa for 4th while Arsenal, City, and Liverpool broaden their leads.

But in the summer they bid farewell to their captain Declan Rice as he completed a blockbuster nine-figure move to Arsenal, and despite not really cashing in on their new riches, they started off the season extremely well, handily winning their Europa League group. Unfortunately, their campaign began to show signs of shakiness as they started to suffer from injuries, and then they were brutally embarrassed '''6-0''' on their own ground by Arsenal, with Rice scoring a world-class screamer of a goal in the process to add insult to their ''many'' injuries, leaving them in 10th. Despite this, they've picked themselves up and begun to march back up the table, reaching 7th place, and have progressed to the Europa League quarterfinal where they have a tie with German league leaders Bayer Leverkusen on the docket.

Talks between their owners SISU and Wasps had broken down before the 2019/20 season, so they had to move out of Ricoh Arena and arrange a groundsharing agreement with Birmingham City while a new stadium gets planned. On the plus side, while the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with each team be allocated points on a Points-Per-Game basis, Coventry finished 1st and achieved promotion to the Championship. Their Championship performance improved over the following seasons, and they made the promotion playoff final in 2022/23, to be played against familiar foe and fellow league climbers Luton Town, but they fell in sudden-death penalties. 2023/24 saw them dust themselves off and go again in an extremely tight field of contenders, but their most memorable moment came from a ''late'' stoppage time winner in the FA Cup quarterfinals against Wolves to send them to the semifinals in Wembley.

Despite a stumble in December, the Gunners entered 2024 taking no hostages, blitzing through January, February, and March with only an FA Cup and Champions League stumble against Porto slowing them down en route to blowing the title race wide open and sticking their noses in front ever so slightly. However, a defeat to Aston Villa has left them two points adrift of the top spot, and they have a gauntlet of games coming up to close out the season, including a trip to Munich for the away leg of the Champions League semifinals against Bayern, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United away, and even a scrap against relegation-battling Everton.

2023/24 saw them pick right back up where they left off with a quick jump out front, and despite a slide due to injuries to Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne, and latterly John Stones and Kyle Walker, as well as draws with both Liverpool and Arsenal that puts them third and three points behind first placed Liverpool, they remain firmly in the mix - and while the odds officially now favour Liverpool, if narrowly, their experience and belief in their implacability is such that few wish to bet against them. Whether they can balance Europe and the League, with a Champions League tie against Real Madrid coming up, is an open question - but again, no one is willing to put too much money on their failing, especially as they have retaken the lead following Liverpool and Arsenal stumbles in mid-April.

'''2023/24 Position:''' 1st/2nd in League One (promoted)\\

2023/24 has shaped into the tightest race in recent history, thanks to a resilient Arsenal looking to build on their previous title challenge, a revitalised Spurs under Ange Postecoglu, and a Liverpool side reborn after successfully replacing their entire midfield, while Aston Villa stealthily built a Top 4 challenge of their own. The old rule of thumb is that after 10 games, the table starts to take shape, and at the time of writing, after 31 games and going into mid-April and the run-in, there are three teams within ''one point'' of each other at the top: Arsenal and Liverpool on top with 71, with Arsenal leading on goal difference, and City in 3rd on 70. [[EnsembleDarkhorse Aston Villa]] managed to keep pace for a while, but following a defeat to dogged pursuers Tottenham, they have fallen nine points back of the leaders, with Spurs having an additional game in hand to pip them for 4th, only to lose to Fulham in the very next outing, squandering their advantage. Manchester United, meanwhile, drifted down into mid-table with Chelsea and managed to be magnificently inconsistent, but put together a belated winning run that (before Fulham derailed it) took them up to 47 and at least nominally into competition for the 4th Champions League spot.

Despite a stumble in December, the Gunners took a short trip to Dubai and have taken no prisoners since returning, outscoring opponents 38-4 in their first ten league matches to open the year, tossing Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Burnley, Sheffield United, and even stalwart Newcastle United, ambitious Brighton, and fellow challengers Liverpool by the wayside en route to blowing open the title race once more, finally taking back the top spot on goal difference after a character-revealing win against Brentford while their two rivals played each other to a draw, following it up with a goalless draw at the Etihad against City, leaving them two points behind Liverpool, and following ''that'' up with two quick wins (and a Liverpool draw against United) to put their noses in front once again on goal difference. They go into mid-April riding a solid wave of momentum, even managing to overcome a stout Porto in the Champions League to book a place in the quarterfinals ([[RunningGag and yet another date with Bayern Munich]]).

The new season began with them qualifying for the competition proper over [[UsefulNotes/ScottishPremierLeague Hibernian]], but despite a slow start in the league, they came roaring back in the second and third run of games to sit in 4th, 8 points back from leaders Liverpool and only 6 and 5 behind Arsenal and Manchester City respectively (albeit having played one game more than all three), only three points ahead of Spurs, despite Spurs beating them in mid-March - though, as with the others, they have ''also'' played one more game than Spurs. They did, however, progress in the Europa Conference League, earning a tie against LOSC Lille in the quarterfinal.

With Klopp's exit looming, the Reds have put together an impressive run despite an ''extremely'' controversial defeat to Spurs and a string of niggling injuries, as well as the month and half long absence of the peerless Salah to the Africa Cup of Nations (where he promptly got injured). However, following a complete defeat to Arsenal[[note]]They tallied their lowest xG ''ever'' under Klopp and their only goal was an own goal deflection[[/note]] and a draw against City in Klopp and Pep's final league clash against each other, their grip on the top spot faltered, replaced by Arsenal who hold a tenuous grip on goal difference alone, with their own clash against Pep's machine looming. However, a goalless draw between their rivals and a solid win against Brighton has allowed them to wheel back two points clear of Arsenal and three of City, retaking the lead in Klopp's last dance, only for their eternal enemy Manchester United to steal a draw at Old Trafford to put Arsenal back ahead on goal difference, and with a gauntlet of away games fast approaching.

2023/24 saw them pick right back up where they left off with a quick jump out front, and despite a slide due to injuries to Rodri and Kevin de Bruyne, and latterly John Stones and Kyle Walker, as well as draws with both Liverpool and Arsenal that puts them third and three points behind first placed Liverpool, they remain firmly in the mix - and while the odds officially now favour Liverpool, if narrowly, their experience and belief in their implacability is such that few wish to bet against them. Whether they can balance Europe and the League, with a Champions League tie against Real Madrid coming up, is an open question - but again, no one is willing to put too much money on their failing.

'''2022/23 Position:''' 8th in League One\\

...until their playboy millionaire[[note]](and arms dealer)[[/note]] owner pulled the plug on them in 2009, sending them into a financial meltdown that made Bradford and Leeds's declines look ''tame''. They were relegated the following year, relegated to League One in 2012 (thanks to a points deduction) and relegated to League Two the year after that, only avoiding bankruptcy when the supporters' trust purchased the club. They were able to win promotion to League One again in 2017, and a former Disney CEO purchased them that summer.

!!Southampton (1992-2005, 2012-2023)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fc_southamptonsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Oh when the Saints go marching in...]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Saints\\
'''Current Owners:''' Sport Republic, backed by Dragan Solak\\
'''Current Manager:''' Russell Martin\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jack Stephens\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Mary's Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,505[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 20th (relegated)\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 6th (2015/16)
----

South Coast club who were regular fixtures (albeit usually struggling against relegation) until some epic mismanagement saw them relegated in 2005, and then again in 2009 to the third tier. Rebounded with back-to-back promotions in 2011 and 2012, though promotion-winning manager Nigel Adkins was controversially axed simply because the owners didn't think he was high-profile enough.

However, the new boss, Mauricio Pochettino, famous for his foul in the 2002 World Cup, helped Southampton climb into the top half of the table, resulting in Pochettino getting poached by Premier League rivals Tottenham. They continued their good form without him during the 2014/15 season however, briefly turning into unlikely title challengers under the management of Dutchman Ronald Koeman, and though they fell away, finished respectably. Losing yet more star players to clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool didn't seem to impede them again, despite a dismal period from late November to early January (where they only obtained 4 points from a possible 24), they turned it around to finish in their highest ever position and qualify for the Europa League group stage.

Things, however, have been tougher since due to the increasing changeover in managers, with veteran Mark Hughes being required to save them with 8 games left of 2017-18 despite reaching the FA cup Semi Final, though he succeeded. However, after just one win in their first 14 games (with the 15th "away" to Spurs, which would produce another routine loss under the interim management, though a last-gasp goal back made it the first time in 8 years ''every'' team scored in a PL game round), Sparky got canned for the second time in 2018, the final game seeing them lose a 2-0 lead to draw with Manchester United

Austrian Ralph Hasenhuttl, who had an impressive record in the German Bundesliga with young and unheralded squads, was the next to the role. His first home game saw a win over Arsenal, despite being pegged back twice, their first win since round 4, and the Gunners' first loss since round 2. However, a run of 3 favourable games produced only 2 points after the January window ended without investment despite a prior revival, but the inconsistency of rivals was enough for Southampton to steer away from the danger zone. The next season saw an utterly humiliating 9-0 home loss to Leicester (both Leicester strikers got hat-tricks), and widespread speculation that they would be relegated. However, this was followed by a winning run including at Stamford Bridge, at home to Spurs, and most notably, in the return in Leicester, aided by an astonishing scoring streak by Danny Ings, who barely missed out on that season's Golden Boot. Football is a strange game, sometimes. Hasenhuttl managed to survive another two seasons (one of which saw them lose 9-0 ''again'', this time to Manchester United at Old Trafford) before he was eventually dismissed in November 2022 in the wake of a 4-1 home defeat to Newcastle.

He was replaced by Luton Town manager Nathan Jones, under whom their league form continued to slump and, after just fourteen games in charge and with the club bottom of the table, he too was fired, to be replaced by his assistant Ruben Selles. Despite a win over Chelsea in his first game in charge and draws at both Old Trafford and the Emirates, Selles was unable to lift the club off the foot of the table and they were ultimately relegated in mid-May following a loss to Fulham.

!! Promoted teams (Will play in Premier League next season):

!! Guaranteed playoff spot or better:

-->None yet.

[[/folder]]

[[folder:Other Former Members of the League]]
!!Barnsley (1997-98)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnsley_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Helo, hello! We are the Barnsley Boys!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Tykes\\
'''Current Owners:''' Chien Lee, Paul Conway, Grace Hung, Neerav Parekh, Billy Beane[[note]]yes, ''that'' [[Film/{{Moneyball}} Billy Beane]][[/note]] and The Cryne Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neill Collins\\
'''Current Captain:''' Alex Mowatt\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Oakwell [[note]]Capacity: 23,009[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 4th in League One\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 19th (1997/98)

Spent 102 years trying to make it into the top flight of English football, and then were relegated after only one season, having spent virtually the entire season in the bottom three. Did manage a strong FA Cup run in the same season though, reaching the fifth round and knocking Manchester United out along the way. Came close to a return in 2000, but were relegated to the third tier 2 seasons later. Yo-yo between Championship and League 1 nowadays. An FA Cup run to the semi-finals, exactly 10 seasons after the Premier League season, repeating its bright spot of a historic win at Anfield, then ending Chelsea's defence, was their most notable moment since. Earned a playoff spot in 2020/21, but fell short against Swansea, only to follow it up with an abysmal 2021/22 season, getting relegated in mid-April, though they managed a playoff spot first time round the next season.

!!Birmingham City (2002-2006; 2007-2008; 2009-2011)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/birmingham_city_fc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I am a City fan,\\
and I am from Birmingham!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Blues[[note]]The fans refer to themselves as the Bluenoses.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Owner:''' Paul Suen (majority), Creator/TomBrady (minority)\\
'''Current Manager:''' Tony Mowbray\\
'''Current Captain:''' Harlee Dean\\
'''Current Stadium:''' St Andrew's [[note]]Capacity: 30,016[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 17th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 9th (2009/10)

The other major club from Birmingham. Had quite a few seasons in the Premier League during the [=2000s=], but could never quite establish themselves despite a League Cup win months before their relegation in 2011. With Villa and Wolves, forms one-third of a trio of Midlands clubs that have benefited from Chinese investment.

The word "benefit" is used loosely however at this stage. The investors sacked local boy Gary Rowett just before Christmas with the side near the Play-off places, replacing him with Gianfranco Zola, and Zola saw the team slide towards the relegation zone, resigning after a loss to Burton in the pre anti penultimate fixture, with Brum now just 1 point above the relegation zone. Harry Redknapp came in, and they won their last 2 games to stay in the Championship when a loss in either of them would have seen Birmingham relegated, but was sacked after a slow start to the next season, another one where they survived for definite on the final day.

During the 2023 offseason, City picked up a new minority owner in retired NFL legend Creator/TomBrady, and, a few months into the subsequent season, England and Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was appointed as manager; his tenure would be a short one though, with fifteen games in charge yielding just two wins, and he ended up being the first English league managerial casualty of 2024.

!!Blackburn Rovers (1992-1999; 2001-2012)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackburn_rovers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Run, run, wherever you may be!\\
We are the Blackburn Rovers FC!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Rovers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Blue and Whites, Riversiders, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs Riverside Rovers]].[[/note]]\\
'''Current Owners:''' The V H Group\\
'''Current Manager:''' John Eustace\\
'''Current Captain:''' Elliott Bennett\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Ewood Park [[note]]Capacity 31,367[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 7th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 1st (1994/95)

Won the Premier League once back in 1994/95 under Kenny Dalglish, with Alan Shearer up front before he moved to Newcastle next season. The first of two former champions to have been relegated, twice no less; the second relegation came after they were taken over by Indian poultry giant Venky's, who sacked then-manager Sam Allardyce and replaced him with the highly unpopular Steve Kean, leading to relegation the following year, and the club getting through ''four'' managers in the following season in the Championship. Relegated again in 2017, with Venkys still owning the club, but immediately returned to the Championship the following year.

!!Blackpool (2010-2011)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/blackpool_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:We follow Blackpool FC\\
We come from the seaside,\\
The only team in football\\
In tangerine and white!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Seasiders[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Tangerines.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Owner:''' Simon Sadler\\
'''Current Manager:''' Neil Critchley\\
'''Current Captain:''' Chris Maxwell\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Bloomfield Road [[note]]Capacity: 17,338[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 22nd in Championship (relegated)\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 19th (2010/11)

Mostly remembered for the success they had when Stanley Matthews played for them back in the [=50s=], but they suffered some very troubled times from the late [=70s=] onward, before getting back into the top-flight after a series of promotions in the mid-late [=2000s=]. They went down straight away, albeit with a relatively high points total for a relegated side, partly due to a series of good away wins in the first two thirds of the season, before a spectacular implosion in spring.

They were relegated twice in a row as the ownership was losing control and fans were turning against the Oyston family regime that has owned the Tangerines for decades, but snuck into the play offs in League Two, despite continued fan anger at the club's corrupt ownership, after winning their last game when any 2 of 9 teams could have made the play off, and beat Luton dramatically before holding off Exeter in the play off final.

After four seasons in League One, during which the Oystons finally sold up, to the unbridled delight of the entire fanbase, they returned to the Championship, again via the play-offs, in 2021, only to get sent back down in 2023.

!!Bolton Wanderers (1995-1996; 1997-1998; 2001-2012)
[[quoteright:150:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bolton_wanderers.png]]
[[caption-width-right:150:We're the one and only Wanderers!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Wanderers[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Trotters.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Owners:''' Football Ventures\\
'''Current Manager:''' Ian Evatt\\
'''Current Captain:''' Antoni Sarcevic\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Toughsheet Community Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 28,723[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in League One\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 6th (2004/05)

A Greater Manchester based club; their first Premier League season was awful, and their second saw them relegated on goal difference, but they established themselves as a pretty good side under Sam Allardyce in the [=2000s=], reaching highs of 6th place and establishing themselves in the UEFA Cup (now the Europa League).

Their fortunes gradually deteriorated after he left however, and they were eventually relegated in 2012. After a dismal 2015/16 campaign, which saw them in 173 million pounds of debt, and handed a transfer embargo to boot, they were relegated to the third tier for the first time since 1993, though they won their way back up next season, and only narrowly avoided going down again in the final minutes of the 2017-18 season, but fell apart the following season, as financial woes got so bad that the certainty of them even playing games was low and their last home game cancelled completely.

Things got so bleak that they were at risk of being expelled from the Football League altogether and doomed to extinction (a fate that befell unfortunate neighbours Bury FC, who had been in the Football League for 134 years until this happened), until they were saved in the eleventh hour by Football Ventures buying the team out.

The following season was one of total turmoil, in no small part due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but they were relegated to League Two. They were, however, able to turn it around and returned to League One at the first opportunity, and earned a playoff spot in 2023.

!!Bradford City (1999-2001)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bradford_city_afc.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:[[Music/JohnDenver Take me home, Midland road...]]]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Bantams[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Paraders or the Citizens.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Owner:''' Stefan Rupp\\
'''Current Manager:''' Graham Alexander\\
'''Current Captain:''' Richard O'Donnell\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Valley Parade [[note]]Capacity: 25,136[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 6th in League Two\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 17th (1999/2000)

West Yorkshire club who famously survived on the last day of the 1999/2000 season by beating Liverpool. Unfortunately, in a portent of what would later happen to neighbours Leeds United, they then massively overspent on players and underwent financial meltdown, ending up in the Football League's lowest tier by 2007 (though they won promotion out of that division in 2013). Generally chased promotion to the Championship since they knocked Chelsea out of the FA cup in 2015, until a dire end to the 2017-18 season ended promotion hopes and continued into the new year.

!!Cardiff City (2013-14, 2008-19)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cardiff_city_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:I'll be there, I'll be there,\\
With my little pick and shovel, I'll be there!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Bluebirds\\
'''Current Owner:''' Vincent Tan\\
'''Current Manager:''' Erol Bulut\\
'''Current Captain:''' Joe Ralls\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Cardiff City Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 33,280[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 21st in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 18th (2018/19)

The second Welsh club to have played in the Premier League. Their constant failures to get promoted to the top-flight were the source of a running joke for many years, until things finally went right in 2013 when they won the Football League Championship and earned promotion.

Their owner, Vincent Tan, is a controversial figure for his constant ExecutiveMeddling [[note]]For instance, Tan changed the kit's color from its traditional blue to red, only to change it back in 2015 because of fan protests, and changed the away kit to red instead, which was considered to be a more than acceptable compromise (if only because away kits usually change colour on an annual basis).[[/note]], [[https://twitter.com/htafc_Elam/status/417014081925947392/photo/1 his jeers toward his own players]] and his lack of knowledge of the game [[note]] [[http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1905776-cardiff-city-vincent-tans-5-most-outrageous-moments/page/3 Case in point]]: he once criticized his team's goalkeeper for ''not scoring enough goals''[[/note]]. However, his decision to sack Malky Mackay has helped vindicate his reputation after details about the former manager's... [[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/cardiff-city/11047646/Malky-Mackay-texts-scandal-the-damning-evidence-discovered-by-Cardiff-chairman-Vincent-Tan.html unsavory text messages came to public light]].

Despite signing players such as England international Steven Caulker, their first season in the Premier League was a far cry from the success of their [[TheRival rivals]] Swansea City and the Bluebirds got relegated ignominiously, and have since bounced around the Championship. However, under Neil Warnock, they managed the division's best winning start in 2017, with 5 on the trot, and got a fairer crack of the PL whip in real colours.

In spite of their season being destroyed by their marquee signing being killed in a plane crash a day after joining the club, they won back-to-back, a feat not achieved the previous time, but lost late to Crystal Palace to be sent down with one match left to play, bringing an end to their rather tragic season. The following season, they managed a playoff spot, but lost to Fulham.

!!Charlton Athletic (1998-1999; 2000-2007)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/charltonbadge_30jan2020.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The mist rolling in from the Thames, my desire,\\
Is always to be found at Valley Floyd Road.]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Addicks\\
'''Current Owner:''' Thomas Sandgaard\\
'''Current Manager:''' Nathan Jones\\
'''Current Captain:''' George Dobson\\
'''Current Stadium:''' The Valley [[note]]Capacity: 27,111[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 10th in League One\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 7th (2003/04)

Another London-based club, who narrowly failed to survive in their first season, before establishing themselves as a decent mid-table side for a few years. However, things quickly went downhill after long-time manager Alan Curbishley left, and they were relegated the following year, then again in 2009. They won promotion back to the Championship in 2012, before their new owner's mismanagement of the club saw them sent back down in 2016, having relied on a partnership with clubs of his in Belgium, Spain and Hungary, where he was losing popularity at a rapid rate. Lost in Playoffs in 2017-18 under the guidance of ex Leeds and West Ham bad boy Lee Bowyer, but earned a shock win over Sunderland with the last action of the play-off final the next year. Despite a valiant effort, they went straight back to League One the following season however.

!!Coventry City (1992-2001)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/coventry_city_fc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Let's all sing together,\\
Play up Sky Blues,\\
While we sing together,\\
We will never lose!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Sky Blues\\
'''Current Owner:''' Doug King\\
'''Current Manager:''' Mark Robins\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Kelly\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Coventry Building Society Arena [[note]]Capacity: 32,609[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 5th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 11th (1993/94 and 1997/98)

Midlands-based club, with rivalries with Leicester City and the two Birmingham-based clubs. Like Southampton they were long time members of the top-flight, but constantly struggled and finally went down in 2001. Contrary to what ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus'' would have you believe, they ''have'' won the FA Cup (in 1987, well after the referenced sketch aired).

Their failures to win promotion combined with the cost of building a new ground caused their finances to deteriorate as the decade progressed, leading to them being relegated again in 2012. To add insult to injury they were kicked out of their ground the following year, playing their 2013–14 "home" games 40 miles away in Northampton.

They're now back in their Coventry ground... though they're now tenants of the Wasps rugby union club, formerly playing near London, which bought the ground and moved their home matches there in late 2014. They had a torrid 2016/17 campaign and have gone down to League 2. They last placed in the top 5 in any division in 1966, but Reached the FA cup last 16, including beating Stoke, and placed 6th, thereby earning a playoff place, in 2017-18. They won the play off final, finally getting upward trajectory.

Talks between their owners SISU and Wasps had broken down before the 2019/20 season, so they had to move out of Ricoh Arena and arrange a groundsharing agreement with Birmingham City while a new stadium gets planned. On the plus side, while the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with each team be allocated points on a Points-Per-Game basis, Coventry finished 1st and achieved promotion to the Championship. Their Championship performance improved over the following seasons, and they made the promotion playoff final in 2022/23, to be played against familiar foe and fellow league climbers Luton Town, but they fell in sudden-death penalties. 2023/24 saw them dust themselves off and go again in an extremely tight field of contenders, but their most memorable moment came from a ''late'' stoppage time winner in the FA Cup quarterfinals against Wolves to send them to the semifinals in Wembley.

!!Derby County (1996-2002; 2007-2008)
[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/derby_county_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:200:All teams who come here,\\
There's nowhere to hide,\\
Everyone is frightened,\\
Of that Derby pride.]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Rams\\
'''Current Owner:''' David Clowes\\
'''Current Manager:''' Paul Warne\\
'''Current Captain:''' Curtis Davies\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Pride Park Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 33,597[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 7th in League One\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 8th (1998/99)

Mostly remembered as the first team that Brian Clough made into title-winners. They were a generally decent side for a few years under Jim Smith, until they were relegated in 2002.

Returned for one season after that, which can only be described as [[EpicFail a failure of the most epic kind]]. We're talking the lowest points total in Premier League history, the earliest relegation in Premier League history, only a single win from 38 matches (24 points adrift of 19th place, much less safety) and even a bizarre sex tape scandal involving their manager erupting in the middle of it (which, frankly, was more fun to follow than the team itself). Their season was ''legendarily'' bad.

They most recently made it into a playoff spot, winning the home fixture against Fulham, but losing the away by a greater margin. After Gary Rowett joined Stoke, ex-Chelsea icon Frank Lampard decided the Rams were his first managerial job. They found their way into the play offs, and controversially beat Leeds, in spite of having lost the first leg at home, 1-0, they earned a 4-2 win in a high-octane return, only to lose to Aston Villa. Lampard would leave after that season for Chelsea. Their 2021/22 season started in a very bleak note as the club entered administration, which had them start at -12 points on the first matchday; as if that wasn't enough, in a prime display of Murphy's Law, the team was deducted a further ''9'' points on November due to breaching EFL accounting rules. Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was called up as manager to steer what was by all accounts a sinking ship, but with the team's heroic efforts on the pitch they sat within striking distance of safety in multiple occasions.

Sadly, despite heroics like a 2-1 win against a nearly unstoppable Fulham, [[ShootTheShaggyDog they were officially relegated to League One with three matches to spare, as the club's future was becoming bleaker by the day.]] Rooney then abruptly resigned as manager during the summer. Despite it all, the club was officially bought on July 1 by a consortium led by lifelong Rams supporter and property developer David Clowes, meaning they would avoid yet another points deduction in League One, and they only just missed out on a playoff spot in 2023.

!!Huddersfield Town (2017-19)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/huddersfield_town_afc_logo.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:So Town play up, and bring the Cup\\
Back to Huddersfield!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Terriers\\
'''Current Owner:''' Phil Hodgkinson\\
'''Current Manager:''' Andre Breitenreiter\\
'''Current Captain:''' Christopher Schindler\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Kirklees Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 24,500[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 18th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 16th (2017/18)

Like Preston North End, Huddersfield are an historic team with regard to English football. When the English top flight was the Football League's First Division, they were the first team to win three straight titles (1923/24 to 1925/26), as well as the first team to score an Olímpico (a goal directly from a corner kick) in English history.

They have not won a title since, and they began slipping over the next few decades, going down from the top flight in 1972 as far as the Fourth Division in 1975 (the first League Champions to do so). The Terriers spent most of their time in the Premier League era sitting still in the Championship and League One (with a single year in League Two), but in 2012 they won promotion to the Championship. They then climbed the ranks to make it to the Championship Playoff Final in 2017, where they beat Reading 4-3 on penalties.

The 2017-2018 season was their first season in the Premier League, and their first top-flight season in 45 years. They became the second newly promoted team to not concede a goal before the first international break (in the 3 games, wins by 3-0 and 1-0 and a 0-0 draw). They struggled afterwards, but then became the first team to beat Manchester United in the 2017-18 season, and shock late season stalemates at Etihad Stadium and Stamford Bridge allowed their survival with time to spare. This didn't occur the next season though, as their inability to find a goalscorer cut Huddersfield well adrift from the start, and indeed, they suffered the second earliest relegation (one day later than Derby's hapless 2007-08 ensemble), with three wins, two of which were against Wolves, the other against fellow strugglers Fulham, scoring just 18 goals in the process.

Floundered for a few years, but won a playoff spot in 2022, though they ultimately fell short in the Playoff Final.

!!Hull City (2008-10; 2013-15; 2016-17)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hull_city_afc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:For I can't help falling in love with you\\
The Tigers!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Tigers\\
'''Current Owners:''' Acun Ilıcalı\\
'''Current Manager:''' Liam Rosenior\\
'''Current Captain:''' Richie Smallwood\\
'''Current Stadium:''' KC Stadium [[note]]Capacity: 25,450[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 15th in Championship\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 16th (2013/14)

Hull first entered the Premier League (and indeed the top-flight) in 2008. The Kingston upon Hull-based team's debut season was mostly remembered for them doing well until then-manager Phil Brown decided to berate his entire team ''on the pitch'' during half-time of one match. After that moment, they barely avoided relegation after failing to win a single home game for the rest of the season (winning only once away, at Fulham) before going down the following year having not won a single game on their travels.

Hull returned to the top-flight in 2013 under Steve Bruce's management and finished as runners-up to Arsenal in the 2014 FA Cup after being up 2-0 within 20 minutes. While the Tigers went out of the Premier League on the final day the following season, they quickly rebounded and ultimately achieved promotion after beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 in the 2016 Championship playoff final. Usually struggling against relegation and being the whipping boy of the League in the first half of the 2016/17 season, including a wince-worthy 5-1 defeat to Liverpool, a change of manager restored fortunes somewhat (including with a 2-0 victory over Liverpool), but it was not enough to stop them from going down and losing star left-back Andy Robertson... [[RuleOfThree to Liverpool]].

A failed spell under ex-Russia boss Lenoid Slutskiy led to Hull needing another boss change, and risking an untenable back to back relegation and financial ruin after a decade of yo-yoing between the top 2 tiers, though Nigel Adkins has stabilised them since and they were able to stay up in the Championship for next season, only to be kicked down after a truly dismal second half of the season in 2020, with just 6 points in 20 games. Since then, they've come back up and are currently holding onto one of the playoff places.

!!Ipswich Town (1992-1995; 2000-2002)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ipswich_townsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Uppa Towen!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Blues, The Tractor Boys\\
'''Current Owner:''' Gamechangers 20 Ltd. (Majority Shareholders) and Marcus Evans\\
'''Current Manager:''' Kieran [=McKenna=]\\
'''Current Captain:''' Luke Chambers\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Portman Road [[note]]Capacity: 30,311[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 2nd in League One (promoted)\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 5th (2000/01)

Norwich City's main rivals, and Suffolk's only professional team. They won the First Division title in 1962 in their first ever top flight season, and were a successful club under Bobby Robson in the seventies, but their first few years in the Premier League were unimpressive, and they were relegated after a really terrible season in 1994/95. They came back in 2000, and finished fifth that year, only to end up back in the second tier the following year, but a torrid 2018/19 campaign saw them finish dead last with only 28 points out of 46 games, which sent them down into League 1, but they were able to win promotion in 2023 under the management of highly-rated young coach Kieran [=McKenna=], while managing to score over 100 goals. As of March 2024, they are in the middle of a shock successive automatic promotion attempt.

!!Leeds United (1992-2004, 2020-2023)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leeds_united_fc_logosvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:Marching On Together!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Peacocks[[note]]Sometimes referred to as the Whites[[/note]]\\
'''Current Owners:''' 49ers Enterprises[[note]]Yes, ''[[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague those]]'' 49ers; see more below.[[/note]]\\
'''Current Manager:''' Daniel Farke\\
'''Current Captain:''' Liam Cooper\\
'''Current Stadium:''' Elland Road[[note]]Capacity: 37,890[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 19th (relegated)\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 3rd (1999/2000)

Replaced an earlier club called Leeds City... who were tossed out of the Football League and bankrupted just after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI due to massive corruption, which included bribing league officials and paying their players illegal bonuses.

Known as "the Whites" or "the Peacocks", they frequently won trophies in the [=60s, 70s and 90s=] (though they gained notoriety for an extremely brutal playing style - even by the lax standards of the time - under Don Revie), reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, but crashed and burned spectacularly after overspending in the early [=2000s=], being relegated in 2004, and then again to League One in 2007, and only avoided being tossed out of the Football League and bankrupted due to LoopholeAbuse (which cause the FA to bring in the more stringent financial rules that are in operation today). Got back to the Championship in 2010, but never seemed to look like serious promotion contenders.

Their main rivals used to be Liverpool and Manchester United, the two other traditional footballing superpowers of the North, and some fans still believe this is so, to the derision of Liverpool and United fans alike. This is one of the very few things the two groups actually agree on. Nowadays, their rivals are the two Sheffield clubs, and fans quietly acknowledge that the old days of Champions League football and challenging for the title are long gone.

When they began competing for promotion, they gained a reputation for bungling away leads, as they managed to blow nearly-assured promotion, and a nearly-assured playoff spot multiple times over the years, but with famed Argentine manager Marcelo "El Loco" Bielsa they finally played up to their potential and managed to dominate the Championship for all of the 2019-20 season, sealing their definitive return to the Premier League after 16 long years of absence.

They promptly threw down the gauntlet to the rest of the league by managing several surprise wins, though they ultimately finished midtable. Next season, however, a bunch of mid-to-long-term injuries to their starters left them hovering just above the drop zone; following a run of three successive heavy defeats in late February, 4-2 to Manchester United, 6-0 to Liverpool and 4-0 to Tottenham, Bielsa was let go and was replaced by former RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg manager Jesse Marsch. Marsch's leadership saw the team climb out of relegation, and they were able to secure their survival with a win on the final day. They carried their strong momentum into the next season, and after three matches, sat as high as 2nd in the table after trouncing a dismal Chelsea side 3-0.

They carried their momentum for a few months, but then went on a winless streak that lasted through the World Cup, all of December and January, and into February, leaving them stranded in the relegation zone and resulting in Jesse Marsch's sacking. Former Watford boss Javi Gracia replaced him, but failed to improve the club's situation, and was himself sacked in early May, with "Big Sam" Allardyce replacing him and given four matches to preserve the club's top flight status. These four matches ultimately yielded just one point and Leeds were ignominiously relegated on the final day after a 4-1 loss to Tottenham. Allardyce stood down less than a week later.

Not long after, the majority shareholder Andrea Radrizzani agreed to sell his stake to 49ers Enterprises, an investment arm of the [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL's]] San Francisco 49ers that bought into the club in 2018 and had increased its stake to 44% before Radrizzani sold out.

!!Leicester City (1994-95, 1996-2002, 2003-04, 2014-2023)
[[quoteright:175:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/leicester_city_crestsvg.png]]
[[caption-width-right:175:The foxes are on the prowl!]]
->'''Nickname:''' The Foxes\\
'''Current Owners:''' The Srivaddhanaprabha Family\\
'''Current Manager:''' Enzo Maresca\\
'''Current Captain:''' Jonny Evans\\
'''Current Stadium:''' King Power Stadium[[note]]Capacity: 32,312. Current sponsor is King Power, sponsor-less name is Walker Stadium.[[/note]]\\
'''2022/23 Position:''' 18th (relegated)\\
'''Highest Finish:''' 1st (2015/16)

The Midlands-based "Foxes" had a good run under Martin O'Neill's management in the late nineties, but things went rapidly downhill after he went north of the border for Celtic in 2000.

Leicester got relegated to League One in 2008, but they bounced back the following season and spent the next five seasons in the Championship. After being absent from the Premier League for ten years, the Foxes achieved promotion in 2014, following a miraculous rally that saw them come from bottom into safety within two months.

Following a tumultuous offseason that saw their old manager sacked, the club swiftly appointed Claudio 'The Tinkerman' Ranieri, former Chelsea boss, who had never won a top flight title in his 28 year career as a manager. Despite all the odds[[note]]Bookies had Ranieri down as first manager to be sacked, along with the team being favourites to be relegated[[/note]], most notably the now infamous 5000/1 odds of the side winning the league, the squad made up of mostly bargain buys, cast-offs and supposed has-beens managed to defy all logic and reason to win the 2015/16 title, the first league title in the club's history, and in the eyes of many, a victory for passion and teamwork over money and power in football.

[[ToughActToFollow Their 2016/17 season wasn't quite so successful]], with the worst title defence in over half a century, to the point that Ranieri was sacked in February 2017 (which led to a pretty big backlash pretty much everywhere owing to his [[NiceGuy popularity]]).

Tragedy struck the club early in the 2018/19 season, when a helicopter carrying [[BenevolentBoss widely beloved]] owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha crashed, killing everyone aboard and leading to mass mourning from everyone in the league. 364 days later, Leicester won NINE-nil AT Southampton, en route to a season challenging Manchester City for second place behind a rampaging Liverpool, ahead of Big Six teams Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United. Ultimately, they fell short of their lofty performance, finishing 5th. However, in 2020/21, they seemed to be back in form, spending 242 consecutive days in the Top 4 and they won the FA Cup.

Unfortunately, a string of bad results saw them slip out of the Top Four, and then in the final game, they let a 2-1 lead against Tottenham slip, sealing them at 5th place for the second year running. Have followed this up by falling back into the midtable in 2021/22 and have started the 2022/23 season in utter shambles, sitting dead bottom with just a single point in 7 games. They since found a way out of the relegation zone, but after months of just hanging in, Brendan Rodgers was sacked following a late collapse against Crystal Palace. Dean Smith, formerly of Villa and Norwich, was subsequently brought in for the remainder of the season, but things did not sufficiently improve and, despite a valiant 2-1 win over West Ham on the final day, it was not enough to prevent them becoming the second former Premier League champions to be relegated after Blackburn Rovers. The 2023/24 season offers some hope of return at the first time of asking, however, being top of the pile in the Championship after 36 games.

2023/24 has shaped into the tightest race in recent history, thanks to a resilient Arsenal looking to build on their previous title challenge, a revitalised Spurs under Ange Postecoglu, and a Liverpool side reborn after successfully replacing their entire midfield, while Aston Villa stealthily built a Top 4 challenge of their own. The old rule of thumb is that after 10 games, the table starts to take shape, and at the time of writing, after 31 games and going into mid-pril and the run-in, there are three teams within ''one point'' of each other at the top: Arsenal and Liverpool on top with 71, with Arsenal leading on goal difference, and City in 3rd on 70. [[EnsembleDarkhorse Aston Villa]] managed to keep pace for a while, but following a defeat to dogged pursuers Tottenham, they have fallen nine points back of the leaders, with Spurs having an additional game in hand to pip them for 4th, only to lose to Fulham in the very next outing, squandering their advantage. Manchester United, meanwhile, drifted down into mid-table with Chelsea and managed to be magnificently inconsistent, but put together a belated winning run that (before Fulham derailed it) took them up to 47 and at least nominally into competition for the 4th Champions League spot.