Putting together an unbeaten streak at the beginning of a Premier League season is no easy task. Given that there is rarely an easy match in the English top-flight, even the best sides slip up sooner rather than later. However, every now and then, a team manages to go on a run that makes fans start wondering, “How long can they keep this up?”. From flying starts to record-breaking streaks, let us look at the longest unbeaten starts to a Premier League season and where the teams responsible ended up by the end of the season.
Liverpool (2018/19) – 20 Matches
Here we have the longest unbeaten start to a Premier League season that has not ended up in a title victory. Liverpool spent the first 20 league matches of the 2018/19 campaign without tasting defeat. The 20th match saw the Merseysiders hammer Arsenal 5-1, a result that gave them a nine-point lead over league rivals Man City (although the Cityzens had one game in hand).
It was at this stage that Liverpool reached a huge turning point in the season, an away fixture versus Man City. This true six-pointer was a clash of fine margins as City defender John Stones scrambled the ball off the line when only 1.2cm of it was not in the goal. The home site held on to secure a vital 2-1 win, reigniting the title race in the process. Liverpool did not lose another match that season, but four draws following the City defeat, including a goalless affair to local rivals Everton, saw them finish one point behind Pep Guardiola’s men.
Final position: 2nd
Manchester City (2017/18) – 22 Matches
Although Manchester City may have only recorded the fourth-best start to the Premier League season during the 2017/18 season, they set several other records. The pick of the bunch was finishing the season with 100 points, becoming the first team in the competition’s history to reach a century. Widely considered to be one of the greatest teams of the Premier League era, few have had more of a chance of matching Arsenal’s invincible season than the so-called ‘Centurions’.
With 20 victories and 2 draws from their opening 22 league matches, an unbeaten season looked a firm possibility, but a visit to Anfield put an emphatic end to the hopes. Finding themselves 4-1 down, City did manage to pull two goals back late on, but there was not enough time left to grab an all-important equaliser. The only other league defeat this season came at home to neighbours Man United, preventing them from celebrating the title in front of their local rivals.
Final position: 1st
Manchester United (2010/11) – 24 Matches
After missing out on the title in the 2009/10 season by a mere point, Man United seemed absolutely set on revenge following the summer break. Their focused pursuit of silverware saw them manage a 24-match unbeaten streak to begin the campaign. In the process, they matched a club record league unbeaten run of 29 matches, having gone the final five matches of the previous season without defeat.
Not to take anything away from the Red Devils, as 24 matches unbeaten to start the season is an exceptional feat, but they did avoid most of the trickiest fixtures during this time. The away fixtures against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal all came after this period, and they lost against all three. Although it was Wolves, in gameweek 25, that inflicted a first defeat upon United. It was a valuable three points for the Midlanders too, as they only narrowly avoided relegation.
Final position: 1st
Liverpool (2019/20) – 27 Matches
For a club that had not won the Premier League before, doing it in such style was quite the achievement. Jürgen Klopp’s side were a true force to be reckoned with for the opening 27 matches of this campaign. Often, long unbeaten runs feature a lot of draws, but Liverpool settled for a single point on just one occasion in this time. With a record of 26 victories and one draw, the Reds had basically wrapped the title up by February.
Naturally, by this point, there was much discussion about whether they could go the entire season unbeaten. It was at this point though that they suffered an extremely unexpected defeat. Travelling away to relegation candidates Watford, the Merseysiders lost 3-0. The result was a fair reflection on the game too, as the hosts dominated proceedings and limited Liverpool to just one shot on target.
Final position: 1st
Arsenal (2003/04) – 38 Matches
Arsène Wenger’s ‘Invincibles’ didn’t just start the season unbeaten; they stayed that way for all 38 games. It remains the greatest streak in Premier League history and one of the most iconic achievements in all of English football. Standing as the ultimate benchmark for any team, it could well be a very long time before any club is able to match this record, or even come close to it.
It should come as no surprise that a team going the full season unbeaten ended up topping the table. The Gunners secured 90 points in total and had the added benefit of not handing three points to title rivals Chelsea or Manchester United. Impressively, there were relatively few scares during their long unbeaten streak. The only major slice of luck they received came when away at Old Trafford as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s missed 91st-minute penalty kept the scoreline goalless.
Final position: 1st
Are Unbeaten Starts Becoming Easier or Harder?
Including the 2025/26 season, there have been 34 editions of the Premier League. In the first 17 seasons, 10 of them saw the longest unbeaten start reach 10+ matches (59%). In the 17 seasons since, there have also been 10 instances of a club hitting a 10+ unbeaten start, so no difference whatsoever. The only noticeable trend you can spot is that the number of short-lived runs is now more common. Up to the 2008/09 season, the shortest unbeaten streak per season stood at eight matches.
Since 2009, however, we have seen several instances where no club has managed to go the first eight matches unbeaten. Examples include Chelsea (6) in 2009/10, Everton (6) in 2013/14, Leicester (6) in 2015/16, Everton (5) in 2020/21 and Crystal Palace (6) in 2025/26. Could this suggest the Premier League is becoming a little more competitive?
Unbeaten Starts No Guarantee of Success
As Liverpool discovered in 2018/19, a strong, undefeated start to the campaign does not always set a team up for a title win. There have been several instances of teams enjoying quite lengthy unbeaten streaks, only to miss out on the title, sometimes by some distance. Here are examples of teams who failed to win the league despite stringing together an initial unbeaten run of at least 12 matches.
| Season | Team | Start of Season Winning Streak | Finishing Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995/96 | Nottingham Forest | 12 Games | 9th |
| 1998/99 | Aston Villa | 12 Games | 6th |
| 2002/03 | Liverpool | 12 Games | 5th |
| 2007/08 | Arsenal | 15 Games | 3rd |
| 2007/08 | Liverpool | 14 Games | 4th |
| 2012/13 | Man City | 15 Games | 2nd |
| 2016/17 | Tottenham | 12 Games | 2nd |
| 2018/19 | Liverpool | 20 Games | 2nd |