Which club has the longest winning streak against another Premier League side? | OneFootball

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Every Premier League side has a nemesis, a team they just can’t seem to get the better of. Well, unless you are Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.

More often than not, it will take a huge slice of luck to break a team’s winning streak against another club, and that was exactly the case on Sunday afternoon when City travelled to the capital to play Arsenal. Gabriel Martinelli got the only goal of the game, with his effort bouncing off of Nathan Ake before it nestled in the Emirates net.

That strike ended a run of 12 games between Arsenal and City in the league where the former had failed to win. Quite the achievement for the Manchester club, who have typically dominated the fixture. But interestingly, it’s not the longest winning streak in Premier League history. It’s not even City’s longest winning streak against another team.

The team at Opta Analyst have collected the data and taken a look at the 13 longest winning streaks in the top flight since it was rebranded in 1992. It’s a testament to Man City that they have six different entrants on this list. They might even set a new record in a few months…

13 Arsenal vs Manchester City - 11 wins

We have just banged on about these two teams, but we’re going to flip the script now. 20 years ago, it was Arsenal who had City at their mercy, winning 11 in a row against the team in Sky Blue between 1994 and 2005. George Graham got the ball rolling with a 3-0 home win, and the torch was then passed to Arsene Wenger, who carried it superbly for several more seasons. Their run of victories eventually came to an end in January 2005, with Freddie Ljunberg cancelling out an initial goal from Shaun Wright-Phillips. Brutal that it was the son of an Arsenal legend who did the damage that day.

12 Manchester United vs Aston Villa - 11 wins

You would expect Manchester United to dominate this list, given that they dominated English football for so many years under Sir Alex Ferguson. But this is actually only one of two entries for the Red Devils on this list. Their first victory against Aston Villa came in 2003 at Villa Park, with David Beckham getting the only goal of the game despite the hosts having numerous chances to equalise. That would have stopped the Villans from making this list and might have halted the incredible run United went on. There were a couple of 4-0 thrashings after that, with a dull 0-0 draw in November 2008 Villa’s first point against United in over five years.

11 Chelsea vs Sunderland - 11 wins

From one dominant force in the 2000s to another. Chelsea’s first victory in an 11-game streak against the Black Cats came in a 4-0 win in March 2002. That sparked an incredible run of victories against Sunderland, with the northeast club relegated in 2003 before coming back up in 2005/06 to face one of the best teams the modern era has ever seen. Roman Abramovich’s heavy spending brought many stars to west London and few clubs could get the better of Chelsea’s superteam. Sunderland would have to wait until January 2010, shockingly beating the Blues 3-0 to end a run of no wins against them in nearly eight years.

10 Chelsea vs West Brom - 11 wins

Sunderland were not the only team who struggled against Chelsea after the turn of the century, with West Brom not doing any better against the Blues than their current Championship rivals. In fact, their run is arguably even worse, as they failed to beat the Blues in 15 attempts since 1979. However, only 11 of Chelsea's wins came in the Premier League era, with the first a 2-0 victory in October 2002 thanks to goals from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Graeme Le Saux. The Baggies went down that year, along with Sunderland, and when they returned, Chelsea were unstoppable under Jose Mourinho. Nearly a decade would pass before West Brom beat Chelsea in the league again, with Gareth McAuley ending the streak in March 2012 during a 1-0 win.

9 Liverpool vs Wolverhampton Wanderers - 11 wins

The second-most recent steak to end on this list after Arsenal’s victory against Man City. Liverpool triumphed against the Old Gold in January 2011 thanks to goals from Fernando Torres and Raul Mireles, which sparked a run of 11 consecutive league wins. However, there were a few bumps in the road while that streak progressed, with two 2-1 losses in the FA Cup to Wolves in 2017 and then again in 2019. A 2-2 draw in the FA Cup was another time the Reds failed to get the better of the midlands team during their 11-game streak, and although Jurgen Klopp’s side won that replay, their run in the league came to a halt not long after that. A 3-0 thrashing in February 2023 with goals from Craig Dawson, Ruben Neves and an own goal from Joel Matt finally broke their curse in the league.

8 Chelsea vs Crystal Palace - 11 wins

This is Chelsea’s final entry on the list, but we might need to update this one after Boxing Day once the two sides play each other in the league again. The last time Crystal Palace took any points off the Blues was in October 2017, with a goal from Wilfried Zaha and a Cesar Azpilicueta own goal enough for a 2-1 victory. Since then, though, it has been all Chelsea, with 11 straight victories in the league. It might be a wise move to stack up on Chelsea players in FPL ahead of their next fixture after Christmas.

7 Manchester City vs Newcastle - 12 wins

We’re taking things up a notch now, with the next five entries all registering 12 consecutive wins. Impressively, all five belong to Man City too, a testament to just how dominant they have been since they were taken over. This first one involves Newcastle and started in 2009 with a 2-1 victory, thanks to goals from Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips. One or two drubbings followed, including back-to-back 4-0 losses in 2013. The Magpies did manage to get one over City in the League Cup in 2014, but their misery continued in the league until April 2016, when a goal from Vurnon Anita salvaged a 1-1 draw to end their dismal run.

6 Manchester City vs Arsenal - 12 wins

The most recent streak to come to an end, and one that needed a huge slice of luck to break the run. Prior to that victory, though, the last Arsenal league victory against City came back in 2015, a team which still involved Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott. After that, City and Guardiola really did have their number, winning 12 consecutive matches, including one 5-0 thrashing back in August 2021. Some wins for the Gunners in the FA Cup overshadowed City’s dominance to some extent, but they would need a deflected Martinelli effort to finally get back in the winning column against the Manchester outfit in the league.

5 Manchester City vs Watford - 12 wins

City might have dropped the ball on one of their winning streaks in the Premier League, but they could yet break the record, as these next three entries are still ongoing. It most likely won’t happen in a match against Watford, though, with the Hornets currently 20th in the Championship. That’s unfortunate for City, given that they have never lost a game against Watford since the Premier League began. Since two draws in December 2006 and April 2007, they have won every game between the two sides. Their most recent victory ended 5-1 to the Cityzens in April 2022, but there have been 8-0 and 6-0 thrashings in there too. The aggregate score between the two sides? 45-6 in City’s favour. Dominance.

4 Manchester City vs Bournemouth - 12 wins

These next two fixtures are real chances for City to set a new record, though. They have never lost a Premier League game to the Cherries as of yet, and have only dropped points in one tie - a 0-0 draw between the two sides in the old Division 2 back in 1999. In the Premier League, Bournemouth haven’t had a prayer against the current champions, losing their most recent match 4-1. With games against them coming up in November and February next year, there might be a new leader of this ranking soon.

3 Manchester City vs Fulham - 12 wins

If not Bournemouth, though, then maybe Fulham will allow City to break the record. That won’t be done this year, however, with City already playing one match against the Cottagers which ended 5-1 to the home side. That victory was the latest in a long winning streak for City, a run which began in February 2012 when goals from Sergio Aguero and Edin Dzeko, along with an own goal from Chris Baird, crowned them winners. Fulham have not tasted victory in any competition against City since then and haven’t even collected a draw.

2 Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic - 13 wins

Now though, we come to the record holders. Or joint-record holders it should be said, with both teams calling Manchester home. Starting with United, the Red Devils loved a game against Wigan between 2005 and 2011. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side won 13 on the spin against the Latics after their surprise promotion to the top flight, winning four matches 4-0 and then scoring five goals in another three. Wigan would have to wait until April 2012 for their first victory against United, a 1-0 surprise thanks to a Shaun Maloney goal in the 50th minute. It remains their only league victory against United, and given that they find themselves in League One today, you can’t see that changing any time soon.

1 Manchester City vs West Brom - 13 wins

Poor old West Brom… They not only got thrashed by Chelsea all the time but City too. They’re not alone when it comes to either, though. This streak for City began in April 2012 with a 4-0 victory and continued until December 2020 when a 1-1 draw finally ended the Baggies’ poor run. That proved to be one of their 26 points in a season which saw them relegated, but might we see this tie played again if West Brom can mount a promotion charge in the second tier this season? City will surely hope so.