London’s Three Most Successful Football Clubs

If there is one thing that Londoners love more than talking about the weather, standing in an orderly queue, or enjoying a cold beer in one of the city’s many public houses, it is football, or soccer, depending on where you are in the world. Many Londoners live and breathe “the beautiful game,” with more than a dozen professional teams dotted around the capital and seven competing in the English Premier League, the British game’s elite competition.

Teams based in London have enjoyed more than their fair share of success over the years. London teams have 21 English Championships, a staggering 35 FA Cups, the EFL Cup on 12 occasions and eight Community Shields since the formation of the Premier League in 1992. The three most prominent teams in London, based on success, honours, and fanbase, are Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur. Keep reading to find out more about this trio of historic football clubs.

Arsenal

Arsenal, known by their nickname “The Gunners,” was formed in 1886, making them one of the oldest English football teams. Arsenal has won 13 league titles, 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, and 16 Community Shields, in addition to two European trophies, making them the third-most successful team in English football. The Gunners last won the Premier League during the 2003-04 season but are one of the favourites to win this season’s competition with the best online gambling sites, thanks to an impressive start to the campaign.

The team plays its home fixtures at the 60,704-capacity Emirates Stadium, which you will briefly see if you head to London King’s Cross station by train. Arsenal moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006 after calling Highbury home for the 93 prior years. Arsenal was already an immensely popular team even before the recent All or Nothing: Arsenal documentary aired on Amazon Prime Video in August 2022.

Chelsea

Chelsea FC, affectionately known as “The Blues” by the club’s loyal supporters, was formed 117 years ago in March 1905 and has played at its Stamford Bridge home since day one. The nearest London Underground station is Fulham Broadway, in a highly affluent area of London.

Chelsea is the only London club to have won all three major European competitions twice. Domestically, Chelsea has lifted the league title six times, the FA Cup trophy eight times, the League Cup on five occasions, and the Community Shield four times.

The Blues won their first league title in 1954-55 and waited another 50 years before finishing in first place again. The Stamford Bridge club were one of the most-feared teams in the 2000s and early 2010s. They won the Premier League five times between 2004 and 2017 thanks partly to massive financial investment from their then-owner, billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Chelsea has not won a domestic trophy since the 2017-18 season, although they did become the UEFA Champions League winners for the second time in 2020-21.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur, or Spurs as they are often abbreviated, are based in North London and play their games at the recently built Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Spurs has a fierce rivalry with Arsenal; their fixtures are known are the North London Derby.

Formed in September 1882 as Hotspur F.C., Spurs won at least one major trophy in each of the six decades between the 1950s and 2000s. However, they last won the English league title in 1960-61, and their last trophy came in the 2007-08 season when they lifted the League Cup.

Since the 2010-11 season, Spurs has not finished lower than sixth in the Premier League and has finished third twice and second once. Often, Tottenham starts the season well, or goes on a long unbeaten stretch during the middle of the campaign, only to fall apart at the business end of the season. Other teams that do this are known as being “Spursy”.