What is the Premier League points record? Can Manchester City break it this season?
Manchester City and Liverpool have been head and shoulders above the rest as they battle at a distance for the 2021-22 Premier League crown.
The race isn’t over yet, with seven matches remaining in the season. Liverpool is one point behind Manchester City, which is attempting to win its fourth league title in the last five seasons.
These two teams haven’t dropped many points all season. Man City have taken 74 of a possible 93 points (19 points dropped), while Liverpool have dropped just one extra point.
With 21 points still left on the table this season it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one or both of the sides win out, as unlikely as that might seem. Liverpool won 10 straight and Manchester City won 12 consecutive matches earlier this season.
A close to perfect run-in would make for some heady point totals. Below we look at the greater historical context to see where Man City and Liverpool would fit into that conversation.
Premier League Table (updated as of Sun., April 10)
Place | Team | Points | Games | Goals | Goal Diff. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Manchester City | 74 | 31 | 72 | +52 |
2. | Liverpool | 73 | 31 | 79 | +57 |
3. | Chelsea | 62 | 30 | 64 | +41 |
MORE: Current Premier League standings, table & races
What is the all-time Premier League points record?
The Premier League record for points in a 38-match season is 100, which was accomplished by Pep Guardiola’s Man City just four seasons ago in one of the greatest domestic campaigns in English history.
That 2017-18 season, Man City failed to win just six of its 38 matches, losing just once. The club pieced together a 15-match winning streak, which also remains the English top-flight consecutive wins record.
City also set the Premier League single-season goals scored and goal differential records that same season, with 106 goals scored and a +79 goal differential.
Sergio Aguero lit up the scoresheet, scoring 21 Premier League goals that season, finishing third in the Golden Boot race behind Mo Salah and Harry Kane. He had plenty of help, with Raheem Sterling bagging 18 goals and Gabriel Jesus scoring 13 more.
MORE: Updated favorites for Premier League promotion & relegation
Most points in a Premier League season
Here’s the updated list of teams with the most points in a Premier League season since the English top-flight was relaunched in 1992-1993. Only five clubs have ever achieved 90 points or more with Chelsea and Manchester United doing it three times each.
Both Liverpool and Manchester City could have another entry on this list if they have as successful a run-in as their fans hope to.
Rank | Team | Points (W-L-D) | Season |
1. | Manchester City | 100 (32W-2L-4D) | 2017-2018 |
2. | Liverpool | 99 (32W-3L-3D) | 2019-2020 |
3. | Manchester City | 98 (32W-4L-2D) | 2018-2019 |
4. | Liverpool | 97 (30W-1L-7D) | 2018-2019 |
5. | Chelsea | 95 (29W-1L-8D) | 2004-2005 |
6. | Manchester United | 92 (27W-4L-11D) | 1993-1994 |
7. | Chelsea | 93 (30W-5L-3D) | 2016-2017 |
8. | Manchester United | 91 (28W-3L-7D) | 1999-2000 |
Chelsea | 91 (29W-5L-4D) | 2005-2006 | |
10. | Arsenal | 90 (26W-0L-12D) | 2003-2004 |
Manchester United | 90 (28W-4L-6D) | 2008-2009 |
Can the Premier League points record be broken this year?
Manchester City can reach a maximum 95 points and Liverpool 94 points if they stay perfect and both win out. That would place them both in the bottom half of the Top 10 all-time table above.
However, the single-season goals record and goal difference record are definitely still on the table:
Goals Scored: Man City’s 106-goal record is within potential reach of Liverpool. With 79 goals scored, the Reds would need to score 28 goals in their final seven matches to set a new mark. That would be a clip of four goals per game, which wouldn’t be a reach for Jurgen Klopp’s high-octane attack.
Goal Difference: If Liverpool score as many goals as noted above, the +79 goal difference record will definitely be in the mix. Liverpool are currently at +57 and would need to make up +23 in their remaining seven matches to set a new mark. That would mean regularly winning matches by a difference of three and four goals to even come close.