The top 10 teams that did not win the Premier League

Although there is no unworthy champion of the Premier League, many teams are on the verge of tasting the glory of high flying to fall to the last test.

Showcasing end-of-season slippage (both figurative and literal), management crises and a few sudden dips – here are the best teams not to win the Premier League …

Arsenal 1998/99

Arsene Wenger nearly made double consecutive in 1999, but Manchester United denied both fronts. With Marc Overmars and Nicolas Anelka, Wenger strengthened his ranks with the addition of Freddie Ljungberg, Nelson Vivas and, in January, Nwankwo Kanu.

And although Ryan Giggs' double in the FA Cup semifinal ended their double-hop, Arsenal held the league title in his hands although he was tied with United with two games to play. .

But then came a disastrous 1-0 defeat to Leeds that paralyzed their campaign, made even more frustrating by the loss of points United against Blackburn a day later. The Gunners then prayed for Tottenham to take something from Old Trafford on the last day, but Les Ferdinand's first goal was rendered useless by David Beckham's and Andy Cole's response strikes.

Newcastle, 1995/96

Kevin Keegan's Entertainers had a 12-point lead in mid-January 1996, although they played one more game than their rivals Manchester United. With Keith Gillespie, Les Ferdinand and David Ginola, who propelled the Magpies to 20 wins in the first 27 games, the title seems imminent.

But the old adage that the attack is the best form of defense turned out to be the defeat of Newcastle – mainly because defenders like Philippe Albert have spent too much time attacking and not enough, well, to defend themselves .

A 1-0 defeat of Manchester United early March had reduced the gap to four points. It was after a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest in their next game when Keegan let slip his famous "love it" campaign.

At that time, it was a question of when, not if, they would be overwhelmed. The defeats against Arsenal, Liverpool and Blackburn – in four games – have allowed them to score four points behind a resurging Red Devils, led by the return of Eric Cantona after his suspension of eight months for his practice of karate. .

Liverpool, 2008/09

If the dynamic duo of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard scored Liverpool team Rafa Benitez in 2008/09, the truth is that the Reds had class all over the field. Pepe Reina was an excellent goaltender, Jamie Carragher staged the defense, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano patrolled the central midfielder, while players like Yossi Benayoun and Dirk Kuyt also made significant offensive contributions. At Christmas, they were in the lead, having lost only once.

They would also suffer another defeat in the league, but a series of dark results in January and February left them 10 points behind the summit. Rafa Benitez had led his infamous and infamous debut on the psychological "facts" Ferguson at the start of the new year, and despite a 4-1 win over United at Old Trafford late in the campaign, his rivals kept the game in check. advantage and won the league with a game to spare.

Norwich, 1992/93

The Norfolk team had won just 11 games in the 1991/92 season, finishing three points ahead of the jump zone, but inexplicably advanced from the front in the opening season of the Premier League.

Experienced professionals such as Mark Robins and emerging talents such as Ruel Fox and Chris Sutton combined, have earned Norwich famous wins back to Arsenal and Chelsea early in the campaign.

The Canaries were heading for Christmas, having established an eight-point lead at the top in early December. Despite an uneven form, Norwich was able to move up early in the beginning of February. They were still second in six games, but a 3-1 home defeat by rivals Manchester United cut their wings and a run-of-the-mill series of results left Mike Walker's team 10 points behind. of the end.

Despite the disappointment, Norwich has secured a credible third place to secure UEFA Cup football. And then came Jeremy Goss to Munich …

Manchester United, 2011/12

Although United's fans will have fond memories of the collapse of Newcastle that allowed their team to win the title in 1996, the truth is that the biggest capitulation of the Premier League came from Old Trafford.

United had set an eight-point lead on Manchester City's second-place finish with only six games left in 2012, but a loss to relegated Wigan, tied to a 4-4 draw by Wayne Rooney. 4 with Everton, in which United had dug the gap 3-1, meant that City could win the win in the Manchester derby.

A Vincent Kompany header duly delivered the necessary 1-0 win and Roberto Mancini's team was back on the track. Yaya Touré 's double sank Newcastle in the penultimate game, giving rise to a final clash against QPR which turned out to be far more entertaining than it should have been. ;be.