Football League Top 4 finishes

Football League Top 4 finishers (Division 1 1889-1992, Premier League 1993-2020)

Seasons are recorded only by the year that the season ended, and therefore the year the actual top 4 finish was achieved. For example Aston Villa last had a top 4 finish in the season 1995-6, which is shown here as 1996. A span of years on this list therefore covers a span of the same number of seasons. For example Newcastle United's last run of top 4 finishes was in the two seasons 2001-2 and 2002-3, which are therefore shown on this list as 2002-03. A run preceded by a * is actual shorter than it appears due to the League being suspended during the World Wars (for reference the 1915-16 to 1918-19 seasons were never organised due to WWI, 1939-40 was suspended after 3 match weekends due to the outbreak of WWII, and 1940-1 to 1945-6 were never organised due to WWII) .
 

01. Preston North End 1889-93, 1895, 1897, 1906, 1938, 1953, 1957-58,
02. Aston Villa 1889, 1892-97, 1899-1900, 1903, 1905, 1908, 1910-11, 1913-14, 1929-31, 1933, 1977, 1981, 1990, 1993, 1996,
03. Wolverhampton Wanderers 1889-91, 1898, 1900, *1938-47, 1950, 1953-56, 1958-61, 1971,
04. Blackburn Rovers 1889-90, 1893-94, 1902, 1909-10, 1912, 1914-15, 1993-95,
05. Everton 1890-91, 1893, 1895-96, 1898, 1902, 1904-05, 1907, 1909, 1911-12, 1915, 1928, 1932, 1939, 1962-65, 1969-70, 1975, 1978-79,1985-88, 2005,
06. Notts County 1890-91, 1901,
07. Sunderland 1892-95, 1898, 1900-03, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1923-24, 1926-27, 1929, 1935-36, 1950, 1955,
08. Bolton Wanderers 1892, 1896, 1912, 1921, 1924-25, 1927, 1959,
09. Derby County 1893-94, 1896, 1928, 1930, 1934, 1936-37, 1948-49, 1970, 1972, 1974-76,
10. Sheffield United 1897-98, 1900, 1903, 1907,
11. Liverpool 1899, 1901, 1906, 1910, 1920-23, 1925, 1947, 1964, 1966, 1968-69, 1972-80, 1982-91, 1995-98, 2000-02, 2004, 2006-09, 2014, 2017-?
12. Burnley 1899, *1915-22, 1948, 1960-63, 1966,
13. Nottingham Forest 1901, 1967, 1978-79, 1984, 1988-89, 1995,
14. Newcastle United 1902, 1904-10, 1912, 1923, 1927, 1949, 1951, 1994, 1996-97, 2002-03,
15. Sheffield Wednesday 1903-04, 1906, 1913, 1929-33, 1935, 1961, 1992,
16. Manchester City 1904-05, 1908, 1921, 1930, 1935, 1937, 1956, 1968, 1972, 1977, 2011-?
17. Bristol City 1907,
18. Manchester United 1908, 1911, 1913, 1947-52, 1954, 1956-57, 1959, 1964-68, 1976, 1980, 1982-86, 1988, 1992-2013, 2015, 2018, 2020-21
19. Middlesbrough 1914, 1939,
20. Oldham Athletic 1914-15, 
21. West Bromwich Albion 1920, 1925, 1933, 1953-54, 1958, 1960, 1979, 1981,
22. Chelsea 1920, 1955, 1965, 1970, 1998-99, 2003-2011, 2013-15, 2017, 2019-?
23. Tottenham Hostpur 1922, 1934, 1951-52, 1957-58, 1960-64, 1967, 1971, 1982-83, 1985, 1987, 1990, 2010, 2012, 2016-2019, 2022-
24. Cardiff City 1922, 1924,
25. Huddersfield Town 1923-28, 1932, 1934, 1936, 1954,
26. Arsenal 1926, 1931-35, 1937-38, 1948, 1952-53, 1959, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1978, 1980-81, 1987, 1989-92, 1994, 1996-2016,
27. Bury 1926,
28. Leicester City 1928-29, 1963, 2016,
29. Portsmouth 1931, 1949-50, 1952, 1955,
30. Stoke City 1936, 1947,
31. Charlton Athletic 1937-39,
32. Blackpool 1951, 1956-57,
33. Ipswich Town 1962, 1973-75, 1977, 1980-82,
34. Leeds United 1965-74, 1991-92, 1999-01,
35. Queens Park Rangers 1976,
36. Watford 1983,
37. Southampton 1984,
38. West Ham United 1986,
39. Norwich City 1989, 1993,
40. Crystal Palace 1991,

Clubs ranked by most consective top 4 finishes
01. Manchester United 22 to 2013
02. Arsenal 21 to 2016
03. Manchester City 12 to 2022+
04.=Leeds United 10 to 1974
04.=Liverpool 10 to 1991
06. Chelsea 09 to 2011
07. Newcastle United 07 to 1910
08.=Aston Villa 06 to 1897
08.=Huddersfield Town 06 to 1928
10.=Preston North End 05 to 1893
10.=Tottenham Hotspur 05 to 1964
12.=Sunderland 04 to 1895 and to 1903
12.=Burnley 04 to 1922* and to 1963
12.=Sheffield Wednesday 04 to 1933
12.=Wolverhampton Wanderers 04 to 1956 and to 1961
12.=Everton 04 to 1965 and to 1988
17.=Charlton Athletic 03 to 1939
17.=Ipswich Town 03 to 1975 and to 1982
17.=Derby County 03 to 1976
17.=Blackburn Rovers 03 to 1995
21.=Oldham Athletic 02 to 1915
21.=Middlesbrough 02 to 1939
23.=[7 more clubs] 01

Clubs ranked by total number of top 4 finishes
01.=Manchester United 52
01.=Liverpool 52
03. Arsenal 45
04. Everton 31
05.=Aston Villa 25
05.=Tottenham Hotspur 25
07.=Manchester City 23
07.=Chelsea 23
09. Sunderland 21
10. Newcastle United 18
11. Wolverhampton Wanderers 17
12.=Derby County 15
12.=Leeds United 15
14. Blackburn Rovers 13
15.=Preston North End 12
15.=Sheffield Wednesday 12
17.=Huddersfield Town 10
17.=Burnley 10
19. West Bromwich Albion 09
20.=Bolton Wanderers 08
20.=Ipswich Town 08
20.=Nottingham Forest 08
23.=Sheffield United 05
23.=Portsmouth 05
25. Leicester City 04
26.=Notts Co 03
26.=Charlton Athletic 03
26.=Blackpool 03
29.=Oldham Athletic 02
29.=Cardiff City 02
29.=Middlesbrough 02
29.=Stoke City 02
29.=Norwich City 02
34.=[7 more clubs] 01

Consecutive Top 4 finish records through time
1st 01 season run = 1889 Preston NE/Aston Villa/Wolverhampton Wanderers/Blackburn Rovers
1st 02 season run = 1890 Preston NE/Wolverhampton Wanderers/Blackburn Rovers
1st 03 season run = 1891 Preston NE/Wolverhampton Wanderers
1st 04 season run = 1892 Preston NE
1st 05 season run = 1893 Preston NE
1st 06 season run = 1897 Aston Villa
1st 07 season run = 1910 Newcastle United
1st 08 season run = 1972 Leeds United
1st 09 season run = 1973 Leeds United
1st 10 season run = 1974 Leeds United
1st 11 season run = 2002 Manchester United
1st 12 season run = 2003 Manchester United
1st 13 season run = 2004 Manchester United
1st 14 season run = 2005 Manchester United
1st 15 season run = 2006 Manchester United
1st 16 season run = 2007 Manchester United
1st 17 season run = 2008 Manchester United
1st 18 season run = 2009 Manchester United
1st 19 season run = 2010 Manchester United
1st 20 season run = 2011 Manchester United
1st 21 season run = 2012 Manchester United
1st 22 season run = 2013 Manchester United

Manchester United's record breaking run was finally brought to a halt in 2014, after 22 consecutive top 4 finishes. Arsenal managed their 21st consecutive top 4 finish in 2016, but were unable to make it to a record equalling 22nd in 2017.