When were England’s Premier League 'Big Six' clubs last relegated from the top flight?
Manchester City were relegated from England’s top flight in 2001, the most recent relegation among the Premier League’s so-called 'Big Six'.
Membership of the Premier League carries substantial financial and competitive benefits, and relegation from the top division is therefore a serious setback both on and off the pitch. This article reviews the most recent occasions each of the Big Six clubs dropped out of England’s top tier.
Manchester City finished 18th in the season they were relegated, ending the campaign eight points adrift of safety; their fate was confirmed by a 2-1 defeat to Ipswich Town on the final matchweek of that season. The report notes that this followed a period that included two seasons in the third division after successive promotion campaigns.
Chelsea’s more recent history of stability contrasts with earlier vulnerability: they were demoted from Division One in 1975 and 1977, and their last relegation from the top division occurred in 1988, which was their third demotion from the highest tier within a 14-season span. The article adds that Chelsea’s consistent top-half finishes began in the mid-1990s and that Roman Abramovich’s 2003 takeover transformed the club’s standing.
Tottenham Hotspur were relegated under manager Keith Burkinshaw in 1977, a demotion that lasted a single season as they secured immediate promotion the following campaign; the club has remained in the top division since that return. The piece also records an earlier relegation in 1935, after which Spurs spent several decades in the second division until winning Division Two in 1950 and achieving promotion.
Arsenal’s last drop from the top tier occurred in 1913 when they finished 20th; the club has maintained an uninterrupted presence in the top division for more than a century and is identified as the longest-serving team in England’s highest tier.
Liverpool’s final relegation is listed as 1954 following a seven-year decline after their 1947 championship; they spent eight years in Division Two, finishing third on four occasions, and returned to the top flight in 1962 after winning the second tier. Manchester United were last relegated in 1974 after finishing 21st in the First Division, having been 18th the previous season; they won Division Two the next year to regain top-flight status.
Manchester City remain the most recent of the current Premier League Big Six to have been relegated, with their 2001 drop from the top flight the latest such occurrence among these clubs.
