Premier League Teams in London

The city of London is host to some of the biggest football teams in the world, and a couple of them play in the English Premier League.

There are 17 professional clubs in London currently, with seven of them plying their trade in the top-flight at the moment, and here’s everything you need to know about the Premier League teams in London.

Premier League Teams in London

ARSENAL

Nickname(s): The Gunners

Year Founded: 1886

Location: North London

Stadium: Emirates Stadium

Owner: Stan Kroenke

No. of First Division titles: 10

No. of Premier League titles: 3

Highest Premier League finish: 1st

Notable/Famous Managers:

• Arsene Wenger
• George Graham
• Mikel Arteta
• Unai Emery

Notable/Famous Players:

• Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
• Alexis Sanchez
• Ashley Cole
• Cesc Fabregas
• David O’Leary
• David Seaman
• Dennis Bergkamp
• Edu
• Emmanuel Eboue
• Emmanuel Petit
• Freddie Ljungberg
• Gilberto Silva
• Hector Bellerin
• Ian Wright
• Jens Lehmann
• Kolo Toure
• Laurent Koscielny
• Lauren
• Marc Overmars
• Mesut Ozil
• Mikel Arteta
• Nwankwo Kanu
• Olivier Giroud
• Patrick Vieira
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
• Per Mertesacker
• Petr Cech
• Ray Parlour
• Robert Pires
• Robin van Persie
• Samir Nasri
• Santi Cazorla
• Sol Campbell
• Sylvain Wiltord
• Theo Walcott
• Thierry Henry
• Tony Adams
• William Gallas

Arsenal started as Dial Square Football Club before getting renamed Royal Arsenal in January 1887. They turned professional in 1891, becoming known as Woolwich Arsenal in 1893 before finally settling for their current name in 1913. Arsenal were the first football team from London to turn pro, the first football team from London to win the Football League First Division (1930-31), the first football team from London to win the Premier League (1997-98) and also the first football team from the city to reach the final of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League (2005-06).

The Gunners are the third-most successful club in English football but are the most successful club in London, with 46 trophies to their name.

As of 2023, Arsenal are the only London club to have gone an entire League season unbeaten (2003-04), and Preston North End (1888-89) are the only other English team to have achieved such an outstanding feat.

While every other club in the city are their rivals as a result of sharing the same geographical location with them, Tottenham Hotspur are Arsenal’s main rivals, with the North London derby one of the fiercest in the world.

They are one of six English clubs and three London clubs who have never been relegated from the Premier League since its creation in 1992.

Arsenal have not won a league title since 2004 but have finished as runners-up thrice and will hope to land their 14th title sooner rather than later.

They currently boast the record of producing the Premier League’s youngest player in history after Ethan Nwaneri came on as a substitute against Brentford in September 2022 aged 15 years and 181 days.

BRENTFORD

Nickname(s): The Bees

Year Founded: 1889

Location: West London

Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium

Owner: Matthew Benham

No. of First Division titles: 0

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: 9th (2022-23)

Notable/Famous Managers:

• Harry Curtis
• Dean Smith
• Mark Warburton
• Thomas Frank

Notable/Famous Players:

• Gary Roberts
• Idris Hopkins
• Ivan Toney
• Joe James
• Kevin O’Connor
• Lloyd Owusu
• Malky MacDonald
• Neal Maupay
• Ollie Watkins
• Said Benrahma
• Terry Evans

The Bees returned to the first division of English for the first time since 1947 in 2021 and did not become a professional outfit until 1899, a decade after they were formed. Brentford have Fulham and Queens Park Rangers as their major rivals and will hope to remain in the Premier League for as long as they can.

They have impressed in their first-ever two campaigns in the current format of the English top-flight and have shown no signs of slowing down.

Brentford were dealt a huge blow in May 2023 after their striker Ivan Toney (whose 68 goals in 124 games had gotten them promoted and kept them up in the big time for two seasons) was banned from football for eight months after he was found guilty of 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.

The Bees will fancy their chances of staying up in 2023-24 without Toney, but it could prove very tricky given his importance over the last three seasons.

CHELSEA

Nicknames:

The Blues

The Pensioners

Year Founded: 1905

Location: West London

Stadium: Stamford Bridge

Owners:

1. Behdad Eghbali
2. Todd Boehly
3. Mark Walter
4. Hansjorg Wyss
5. Jonathan Goldstein
6. Jose E Feliciano

No. of First Division titles: 1

No. of Premier League titles: 5

Highest Premier League finish: 1st

Notable/Famous Managers:

• Antonio Conte
• Avram Grant
• Carlo Ancelotti
• Claudio Ranieri
• Frank Lampard
• Gianluca Vialli
• Glenn Hoddle
• Graham Potter
• Guus Hiddink
• Jose Mourinho
• Luiz Felipe Scolari
• Mauricio Pochettino
• Maurizio Sarri
• Rafael Benitez
• Roberto Di Matteo
• Thomas Tuchel

Notable/Famous Players:

• Arjen Robben
• Ashley Cole
• Branislav Ivanovic
• Carlo Cudicini
• Cesar Azpilicueta
• Claude Makelele
• David Luiz
• Didier Drogba
• Diego Costa
• Eidur Gudjohnsen
• Eden Hazard
• Frank Lampard
• Gary Cahill
• Gianfranco Zola
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
• Joe Cole
• John Obi Mikel
• John Terry
• Marcel Desailly
• Mason Mount
• Michael Ballack
• Michael Essien
• N’Golo Kante
• Pat Nevin
• Peter Cech
• Ray Wilkins
• Salomon Kalou
• Tony Dorigo
• Willian

Chelsea are the most successful Premier league team in London. Chelsea first won the Premier League in Jose Mourinho back in the 04/05 season, and have won the league 5 times in total. The Blues are the only London club to have won the UEFA Champions League, securing the titles in 2012 and 2021.

As a result, they are also the only London club to have participated in the FIFA Club World Cup, winning it in 2021.

Chelsea are the second-most successful club in the city having won 34 trophies and the fourth-most successful club in English football. They see Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur as their main rivals, and the arrival of their former owner Roman Abramovich in 2003 changed their fortunes.

Chelsea were financially equipped to splash the cash on top players and stars after the Russian oligarch took over and have maintained their spending spree to date. American Todd Boehly took over the club in a $3bn deal in 2022, and has been funding transfers like there’s no tomorrow since becoming the owner of the club.

The Blues hold the record for most money spent on a single player in British football after recruiting Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for £106.8 million in January 2023.

They are one of six English clubs and three London clubs who have never been relegated from the Premier League since its creation in 1992, but they finished with their least tally (44 points) in 2022-23.

CRYSTAL PALACE

Nicknames:

The Eagles

The Glaziers

Year Founded: 1861

Location: South London

Stadium: Selhurst Park

Owners:

Steve Parish

Josh Harris

David Blitzer

John Textor

No. of First Division titles: 0

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: 10th (2014-15)

Notable/Famous Managers:

• Alan Pardew
• Edmund Goodman
• Neil Warnock
• Patrick Vieira
• Roy Hodgson
• Steve Coppell
• Terry Venables

Notable/Famous Players:

• Andrew Johnson
• Andros Townsend
• Andy Gray
• Attilio Lombardo
• Chris Coleman
• Christian Benteke
• Clinton Morrison
• Dave Swindlehurst
• Dougie Freedman
• Gareth Southgate
• Geoff Thomas
• Hayden Mullins
• Ian Wright
• James McArthur
• Jason Puncheon
• Jeffrey Schlupp
• Jim Cannon
• Joel Ward
• John Salako
• Jordan Ayew
• Julian Speroni
• Kenny Sansom
• Luka Milivojevic
• Mark Bright
• Mile Jedinak
• Nigel Martyn
• Paul Hinshelwood
• Phil Barber
• Shaun Derry
• Simon Rodger
• Steve Kember
• Yannick Bolasie
• Wayne Hennessey
• Wilfried Zaha

Palace only have two trophies under their belt, the Championship league titles in 1979 and 1994, coming close to winning the FA Cup in 1990 and 2016 but losing both finals to Manchester United.

While they share rivalries with fellow South London clubs Millwall and Charlton Athletic, the Eagles have a long-standing and fierce rivalry with South Coast club Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Eagles have been regulars in the Premier League since 2013-14 after spending the eight previous seasons in the Championship, and they will look to start pushing for a regular place in the top seven.

FULHAM

Nickname(s): The Cottagers

Year Founded: 1879

Location: West London

Stadium: Craven Cottage

Owner(s): Shahid Khan

No. of First Division titles: 0

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: 7th (2008-09)

Notable/Famous Managers:

• Claudio Ranieri
• Kevin Keegan
• Marco Silva
• Mark Hughes
• Ray Wilkins
• Roy Hodgson
• Scott Parker

Notable/Famous Players:

• Bobby Moore
• Bobby Zamora
• Brede Hangeland
• Brian McBride
• Chris Coleman
• Clint Dempsey
• Damien Duff
• Danny Murphy
• Dimitar Berbatov
• Edwin van der Sar
• Gordon Davies
• Jim Stannard
• Johnny Haynes
• Louis Saha
• Marcus Bettinelli
• Ross McCormack
• Ryan Sessegnon
• Scott Parker
• Steed Malbranque
• Tom Cairney
• Zat Knight

Fulham are London’s oldest club still playing professionally and have mostly shuffled between the Premier League and Championship in recent seasons.

They boast three Championship titles and the defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup as their only major trophies.

Fulham spent 13 seasons in the Premier League before suffering their first relegation from the division in 2014, and they will hope to go on a longer run and establish themselves as regulars in the top-flight.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Nicknames:

Spurs

The Lilywhites

Year Founded: 1882

Location: North London

Stadium: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Owner(s): Joe Lewis

No. of First Division titles: 2

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: 2nd (2016-17)

Notable/Famous Managers:

• Andre Villas-Boas
• Antonio Conte
• Harry Redknapp
• Jose Mourinho
• Martin Jol
• Mauricio Pochettino
• Terry Venables
• Tim Sherwood

Notable/Famous Players:

• Ben Davies
• Benoit Assou-Ekotto
• Christian Eriksen
• Danny Rose
• Darren Bent
• David Ginola
• Dele Alli
• Dimitar Berbatov
• Emmanuel Adebayor
• Eric Dier
• Erik Lamela
• Gareth Bale
• Garth Crooks
• Gary Lineker
• Glenn Hoddle
• Graham Roberts
• Harry Kane
• Harry Winks
• Hugo Lloris
• Jan Vertonghen
• Jermaine Jenas
• Jurgen Klinsmann
• Kyle Walker
• Ledley King
• Les Ferdinand
• Lucas Moura
• Luka Modric
• Mido
• Mousa Dembele
• Moussa Sissoko
• Paul Gascoigne
• Paul Robinson
• Peter Crouch
• Ray Clemence
• Ryan Mason
• Son Heung-min
• Teddy Sheringham
• Tim Sherwood
• Toby Alderweireld
• Tom Huddlestone

Spurs became the first British club to win a European trophy after winning the Cup Winners Cup in 1963.

They have won 26 trophies and are the third-most successful in London, but their last piece of silverware was in 2008.

The club began as Hotspur Football Club before adopting their current name two years later in 1884 and turning professional in 1895.

Tottenham became the only non-League club to win the FA Cup since the formation of the Football League in 1888 following the feat in 1901. They became the first club in the 20th century to win the League and FA Cup in the same season (1960-61) and were the inaugural winners of the UEFA Cup in 1972, becoming the first British club to win two different major European trophies.

Spurs also won at least one major trophy in each of the six decades from the 1950s to 2000s, an achievement only matched by Manchester United, and their fans are hoping for the return of those glory days.

The Lilywhites have come close to winning silverware of recent, losing the final of the League Cup in 2015 and 2021, the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2019 and missing out on the Premier League title by seven points in 2017.

Tottenham are one of six English clubs and three London clubs who have never been relegated from the Premier League since its formation in 1992.

They have been the butt of rival fans’ jokes having failed to win the Premier League despite boasting some of the best players and managers in recent years.

WEST HAM UNITED

Nicknames:

The Irons

The Hammers

Year Founded: 1895

Location: East London

Stadium: London Stadium

Owners:

• David Sullivan
• Daniel Kretinsky
• Estate of David Gold
• Albert ‘Tripp’ Smith

No. of First Division titles: 0

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: 5th (1998-99)

Notable/Famous Managers:

• Alan Curbishley
• Alan Pardew
• Billy Bonds
• Charlie Paynter
• David Moyes
• Gianfranco Zola
• Harry Redknapp
• John Lyall
• Manuel Pellegrini
• Ron Greenwood
• Sam Allardyce
• Slaven Bilic
• Syd King
• Ted Fenton

Notable/Famous Players:

• Aaron Cresswell
• Alan Devonshire
• Alvin Martin
• Andy Carroll
• Angelo Ogbonna
• Anton Ferdinand
• Arthur Masuaku
• Billy Bonds
• Bobby Moore
• Bobby Zamora
• Cheikhou Kouyate
• Declan Rice
• Dylan Tombides
• Frank Lampard, Sr.
• Frank McAvennie
• Geoff Hurst
• Harry Redknapp
• Jarrod Bowen
• Jermain Defoe
• Joe Cole
• Julian Dicks
• Kevin Nolan
• Lukasz Fabianski
• Manuel Lanzini
• Martin Peters
• Mark Noble
• Michael Carrick
• Michail Antonio
• Pablo Fornals
• Paolo Di Canio
• Phil Parkes
• Ray Stewart
• Rio Ferdinand
• Slaven Bilic
• Tony Cottee
• Trevor Brooking
• Trevor Sinclair
• Winston Reid

The Hammers are the fourth-most successful club in London having won nine trophies, with the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League being their latest piece of silverware.

They were initially known as Thames Ironworks upon their formation, adopting the current name five years later.

West Ham are one of eight clubs that have never fallen below the second tier of English football, spending 65 of 97 league seasons in the top-flight.

They were last relegated in 2011 and have managed to hold on to their top-flight status since despite a couple of close shaves with relegation in recent seasons.

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM LONDON

MILLWALL

Nicknames: The Lions

Year Founded: 1885

Location: South London

Stadium: The Den

Owner(s): John Berylson

No. of First Division titles: 0

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: Nil

QUEENS PARK RANGERS

Nicknames:

• The Hoops
• The Rs
• The Rangers
• The Super Hoops
• QPR

Year Founded: 1882

Location: West London

Stadium: Loftus Road

Owners:

• Total Soccer Growth
• Tune Group
• Lakshmi Mittal

No. of First Division titles: 0

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: 17th (2011-12)

WATFORD

Nicknames:

• The Hornets
• Yellow Army
• The ‘Orns

Year Founded: 1881

Location: Hertfordshire

Stadium: Vicarage Road

Owner(s): Gino Pozzo

No. of First Division titles: 0

No. of Premier League titles: 0

Highest Premier League finish: 11th (2018-19)