Premier League Top Four: Points Required
Premier League top 4 history showcases the best of the best in one of the most competitive elite tiers of football in the world. Since 2001/02, the top four have been granted passage to the hallowed halls of the UEFA Champions League. Even if now there’s the chance to get through in fifth or via the cup competitions, managers will still take great pride in a top-four finish. So, what does it take to get there?
Premier League Top Four Points Totals
From the 2014/15 season to the conclusion of the 2023/24 season, teams have needed between 66 and 76 points to get into the top four. These are the points tallies from those campaigns:
- 66 points – 2015/16, 2019/20
- 67 points – 2020/21
- 68 points – 2023/24
- 70 points – 2014/15
- 71 points – 2018/19, 2021/22, 2022/23
- 75 points – 2017/18
- 76 points – 2016/17
Within this decade-long sample, the average points for top 4 Premier League places come in at 70.1 points. So, to get into the top bracket in the modern league, teams need to aim for at least 70 points more often than not.
Total Premier League Top 4 Points History
In the 32 years since the naming of the division, the average points for top 4 Premier League finishes clocks in at 69.19 points. It’s important to note the steep rise since we stepped out of the 2010s, though. From 1992/93 to 1999/00, the average points needed for the top four was 68.0, and the same goes for 2000/01 to 2009/10.
We flip into 2010/11 through to 2019/20, and the bar gets raised significantly. In that decade, the average points for top 4 Premier League places hit 71.3 points. Over the last four seasons, the average points for top 4 Premier League spots has been 69.25 points.
Who Finished Top 4 in the Premier League in 2023/24?
The 2023/24 campaign finished with Manchester City as the champions with 91 points. Arsenal were a close second on 89 points, followed by Liverpool with 82 in third, and Aston Villa breaking in with 68 points. At 68 points, this made the bar for entry slightly lower than the total average points for top 4 Premier League finish of 69.19 points.
Which Teams Have Finished in the Top Four the Most?
Looking at the last ten seasons, only Manchester City have achieved a top-four finish in every single one. Next in line is Chelsea. The Blues won two of the first three titles of the last decade of Premier League action, bookending Leicester City’s incredible rise to defy the 5000/1 odds in the outright betting.
Stewarded by Jürgen Klopp since October 2015, one of the best teams in Premier League top 4 history returned to Champions League contention in 2016/17 and then only missed a top four spot in 2022/23. That season, the cash infusion from Newcastle United’s Saudi takeover proved incredibly influential.
Premier League Top Four History
| Year | Title Winner | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place | |:-------:|:-------:|:---------:|:----------:| | 2023/24 | Manchester City (91) | Arsenal (89) | Liverpool (82) | Aston Villa (68) | | 2022/23 | Manchester City (89) | Arsenal (84) | Manchester United (75) | Newcastle United (71) | | 2021/22 | Manchester City (93) | Liverpool (92) | Chelsea (74) | Tottenham Hotspur (71) | | 2020/21 | Manchester City (86 | Manchester United (74) | Liverpool (69) | Chelsea (67) | | 2019/20 | Liverpool (99) | Manchester City (81) | Manchester United (66) | Chelsea (66) | | 2018/19 | Manchester City (98) | Liverpool (97) | Chelsea (72) | Tottenham Hotspur (71) | | 2017/18 | Manchester City (100) | Manchester United (81) | Tottenham Hotspur (77) | Liverpool (75) | | 2016/17 | Chelsea (93) | Tottenham Hotspur (86) | Manchester City (78) | Liverpool (76) | | 2015/16 | Leicester City (81) | Arsenal (71) | Tottenham Hotspur (70) | Manchester City (66) | | 2014/15 | Chelsea (87) | Manchester City (79) | Arsenal (75) | Manchester United (70) |
Which Team has the Most Top 4 Finishes in Premier League History?
The team with the most tallies in Premier League top 4 history is Manchester United. From the inaugural season to the end of the 2023/24 campaign (32 seasons), the Red Devils have finished in the top four 26 times. The first time United dropped out of the top four was when the club handed the reins to David Moyes (2013/14) and they’ve only returned five times in the 11 seasons since.