Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who won 13 Premier League titles, once said that “attack wins you matches, defense wins you titles.” This has been proven time and time again over the years across different tournaments in football.
The Premier League is no exception and has seen some tremendous defensive performances over the years. Some teams have also set records with their defensive performances over the years and we’ll take a look at five best defensive records in the Premier League.
5. Chelsea – 2005-06 season
Chelsea conceded just 22 goals in the 2005-06 season under Jose Mourinho. The team which already boasted John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Frank Lampard, and Claude Makelele added Michael Essien in the summer.
It worked wonders as they secured the Premier League title that season on the back of a defensive masterclass. They kept 20 clean sheets and accumulated 91 points.
4. Liverpool – 2018-19 season
Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp were mostly known for their heavy metal football and attacking prowess. However, they showed immense defensive solidity in the 2018-19 season but were unable to win the Premier League title.
The Reds had signed Virgil van Dijk in January that year and brought in Alisson Becker and Fabinho in the summer. They played a massive role as Liverpool conceded just 22 goals and kept 21 clean sheets. They had conceded just one goal less than champions Manchester City and lost the title by one point.
3. Manchester United: 2007–08 season
Another side who conceded just 22 goals in one Premier League season were the iconic Manchester United side from the 2007-08 season. The likes of Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown in front of Edwin van der Sar helped them keep 21 clean sheets and win the title.
They had the likes of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo up front and won the UEFA Champions League that season as well.
2. Arsenal – 1998-99 season
The 1998-99 season was a season of defensive solidity but failed opportunities for Arsenal. They kept a massive 21 clean sheets and conceded just 17 goals in the Premier League, with the likes of Martin Keown, David Seaman and Tony Adams. However, they scored just 59 goals and lost the league to Manchester United by one point.
They also lost in the FA Cup semi-finals against the Red Devils that season.
1. Chelsea – 2004-05 season
With the conclusion of the top five defensive records in the Premier League, Chelsea conceded just 15 goals in the entire 2004-05 Premier League season! It is a record that still holds and appears highly unlikely to be broken. Across Europe’s top five leagues, AC Milan are the only other side to have conceded just 15 goals back in the 1993-94 season.
It was Jose Mourinho’s first season at the club and he signed William Carvalho and Petr Cech became the first-choice goalkeeper. They conceded just 15 goals and kept a Premier League record 25 clean sheets. They also lost just one game en route to winning the title.
Also Read: