Premier League Title Race - Biggest Points Comebacks

Premier League title race

The Premier League title race is heating up as the season enters its final stretch. With 14 games still to be played, there are plenty of points on offer and the potential for major twists and turns before the 2025/26 champions are crowned.

Arsenal currently lead the way, sitting top of the table with 53 points from 24 matches. Six points behind them are Manchester City on 47 points. While City may have hoped to be closer to the Gunners at this stage, they will remain confident of closing the gap as the season progresses towards May.

Many supporters believe this year’s title race is a three-horse contest, with Aston Villa the third side in the mix. Villa have been one of the season’s surprise packages, particularly after a slow start that saw them fail to score in their opening four matches. They now sit just one point behind City and seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

With 14 games remaining, Arsenal are the clear favourites. However, given their recent history of struggling to see title challenges through to the finish, the question remains: will the Gunners be caught once again?

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Biggest Premier League title race comebacks

With Arsenal firmly in the driving seat of the Premier League title race, we are going to take a look back at some of the biggest Premier League title race comebacks to show how it is truly not over until the trophy is lifted.

Manchester City 2018/19 – 10-point deficit

One of the most iconic managerial rivalries in Premier League history saw Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp go head-to-head in a series of unforgettable title battles. In 2018/19, Liverpool appeared unstoppable, going unbeaten in their first 20 league games and opening up a 10-point lead over Manchester City by late December.

City responded in relentless fashion, winning 18 of their final 19 matches. A crucial 2-1 victory over Liverpool in January 2019 handed the Reds their only league defeat of the season and proved decisive, as City overturned the deficit to clinch the title.

Manchester United 2008/09 – 10-point deficit

On 18 December 2008, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United trailed Rafa Benítez’s Liverpool by 10 points, though they held three games in hand due to their Club World Cup commitments. Upon returning from Japan, United hit top form, winning 11 consecutive league matches.

That run ended with a heavy 4-1 home defeat to Liverpool in March, followed by a 2-0 loss at Fulham that briefly reopened the title race. United recovered to drop just two points in their final nine games. Liverpool won 10 of their last 11 matches but finished on 86 points, four behind United, as Ferguson’s side claimed their 18th league title to draw level with Liverpool’s record.

Manchester United 2002/03 – 10-point deficit

Manchester United made a slow start to the season, winning just two of their opening six Premier League matches. By mid-November 2002, they were 10 points behind Arsenal, and despite having a game in hand, there was little to suggest the gap would be overturned.

United’s form improved dramatically after a 3-1 Boxing Day defeat at Middlesbrough, as they went unbeaten in their final 18 matches. Arsenal still held an eight-point lead as late as March, but a crucial 2-2 draw at Highbury in April shifted momentum. Draws at Bolton and a home defeat to Leeds then allowed Ferguson’s side to take control and reclaim the title by five points.

Manchester United 1996/97 – 10-point deficit

In the 1996/97 season, Manchester United again found themselves playing catch-up by mid-December. On 17 December, they sat sixth in the table, 10 points behind leaders Liverpool, although they did have two games in hand.

United gradually closed the gap, helped by a decisive 3-1 win at Anfield in April, and went on to win the title by seven points, with Newcastle, Arsenal and Liverpool all finishing level on 68 points. Their total of 75 points remains the lowest ever by a Premier League champion.

Manchester United 1995/96 – 12-point deficit

The 1995/96 title race between Newcastle United and Manchester United remains one of the most infamous in Premier League history. A poor run for United between late November and mid-January saw them win just two of nine matches, leaving them 12 points behind Kevin Keegan’s swashbuckling Newcastle side, dubbed the “Entertainers”.

With 15 games remaining, United responded by winning six in a row, including a crucial 1-0 victory at St James’ Park. As the season reached its climax, tensions between the two managers spilled into the public eye, most memorably through Keegan’s famous post-match rant, which became one of the Premier League’s defining moments.

Newcastle ultimately faltered, drawing at Nottingham Forest and finishing on 78 points, four behind United. Ferguson’s side completed a remarkable comeback, while Keegan’s outburst came to symbolise the Magpies’ dramatic late-season collapse.

Manchester United 1992/93 – 12-point deficit

Manchester United won their first league title in 26 years during the inaugural Premier League season, but it was far from straightforward. On 5 December 1992, they trailed Norwich City by 12 points, though a 1-0 win at Carrow Road a week later began the turnaround. Norwich then failed to win any of their next five games, and by mid-January United were top of the table for the first time.

The Red Devils stumbled in March, going four matches without a win, including a 1-0 defeat to Oldham Athletic. They recovered to win their final seven games, finishing ahead of Aston Villa and Norwich to claim the title.

Arsenal 1997/98 – 13-point deficit

In 1997/98, Manchester United became the team to lose a big lead, relinquishing a 13-point advantage over Arsenal at the start of January. United seemed set for a third consecutive league title, but Arsène Wenger’s side had other plans.

The Gunners won 14 of their next 16 matches, including a decisive 1-0 victory at Old Trafford in March, thanks to Marc Overmars. Their late-season surge secured the title with games to spare, finishing one point ahead of United.