Overachievers/underachievers: 2011-2012 EPL

 After compiling a cumulative Premiership table over the past twenty years, one comment suggested an alternative method of comparing lasting football league performance.  It suggested comparing club-by-club seasonal performance against their average league position (ALP).  As history only provides a certain precedent, the we can also use multiple time periods: say, five, ten or twenty years. This also serves as a reference point for season 2011-12: did your team outperform, meet or fail to live up to expectation?

The following table lists the 2011-12 Premier League clubs by final league position and compares it with their average league position over both 20 years and five years.  Performance arrows suggest how well the club's past season achievements compare to their recent and mid-term history.

Club (by league position)	ALP 1993-2012		ALP 2008-2012
Manchester City	16.7	˄	5.6	˄
Manchester United	1.6	˅	1.4	-
Arsenal	3.6	˄	3.4	-
Tottenham Hotspur	9.9	˄	6.4	˄
Newcastle United	9.0	˄	13.6	˄
Chelsea	5.1	˅	2.8	˅
Everton	10.9	˄	6.4	˅
Liverpool	4.6	˅	5.4	˅
Fulham	31.7	˄	10.6	˄
West Bromwich Albion	26.9	˄	16.8	˄
Swansea City	58.5	˄	26.8	˄˄
Norwich City	27.6	˄	31.6	˄˄
Sunderland	20.3	˄	13.4	˄
Stoke City	32.4	˄	14.4	-
Wigan Athletic	42.0	˄	14.4	˅
Aston Villa	8.8	˅	8.6	˅
Queens Park Rangers	30.8	˄	27.2	˄
Bolton Wanderers	19	˄	15	˅
Blackburn Rovers	11.7	˅	13.2	˅
Wolverhampton Wanderers	26.3	˄	20	-

*Some context: the only club to even approach Manchester United's 20-year form is Bayern Munich, who in the two decades to 2012 boasted an ALP of 1.9.  They also won three fewer league titles (9) than the Red Devils (12).  During the same period, Barcelona won 9 Liga titles with an ALP of 2.15; rivals Real Madrid won 7 titles with ALP 2.35 while A.C. Milan managed only 5 titles and ALP 3.4.  Love or hate them, their consistency is admirable.*

The Twenty-year Premier League table

The following is the cumulative Premier League table dating back to the inception of the Premier League in 1992-93.  Although I'm among the first to admit that English football hardly began with that league's debut season, the twenty year mark create an anniversary feeling, allowing reminiscences and us to compile this table.

Movers this year include Manchester City, who climbed from eleventh to fifth, and Wolves, whose inept displays after Mick McCarthy's dismissal left them at the bottom of the table.  Two consecutive strong seasons from West Brom has finally allowed them to climb from the bottom to their current position.  Click here to view last year's table.

Team	Years	Title	Range	Top 4	Top 10	Relegations	Pts	Avg	Avg GD
Man Utd	20	12	1 to 3	20	20	0	1663	83.15	44.05
Arsenal	20	3	1 to 12	17	19	0	1449	72.45	31.85
Chelsea	20	3	1 to 14	11	16	0	1402	70.1	26.95
Blackburn	18	1	1 to 19	3	11	2	969	53.83	1.28
Man City	15	1	1 to 18	2	8	2	783	52.2	2.33
Liverpool	20	0	2 to 8	15	20	0	1314	65.7	25.05
Leeds United	12	0	3 to 19	3	7	1	692	57.67	5.67
Newcastle	18	0	2 to 18	2	9	1	1017	56.5	6.83
Aston Villa	20	0	2 to 18	2	15	0	1091	54.55	3.15
Tottenham	20	0	4 to 15	2	14	0	1086	54.3	2.25
Everton	20	0	4 to 17	1	8	0	1033	51.65	0.1
QPR	5	0	5 to 19	0	3	1	250	50	-6.2
Norwich City	5	0	3 to 20	0	1	2	248	49.6	-13.2
Sheffield Wed.	8	0	7 to 19	0	3	1	392	49	-6.88
West Ham	16	0	5 to 20	0	8	2	764	47.75	-9.81
Derby County	7	0	8 to 20	0	2	2	274	46.6	-21.29
Fulham	11	0	7 to 17	0	4	0	511	46.45	-3.6
Stoke City	4	0	11 to 14	0	0	0	183	45.75	-12.5
Coventry City	9	0	11 to 19	0	0	1	409	45.44	-11.44
Southampton	13	0	8 to 20	0	3	1	587	45.15	-10
Charlton Athl.	8	0	7 to 19	0	2	2	361	45.13	-12.5
Ipswich Town	5	0	5 to 22	0	1	2	224	44.8	-18.6
Bolton	13	0	6 to 20	0	4	2	575	44.23	-13.08
Sheffield Utd	3	0	14 to 20	0	0	2	132	44	-13.33
Sunderland	10	0	7 to 20	0	3	3	440	44	-17.2
Middlesbrough	14	0	7 to 21	0	2	3	611	43.64	-8.57
Birmingham	7	0	9 to 19	0	2	3	301	43	-12.43
Leicester City	8	0	8 to 21	0	4	3	342	42.75	-12.75
Wigan	7	0	10 to 17	0	1	0	295	42.14	-20
Nottm Forest	5	0	3 to 22	1	2	3	199	39.8	-11.6
Crystal Palace	4	0	18 to 21	0	0	4	159	39.75	-18.75
Portsmouth	7	0	8 to 20	0	2	1	293	36.63	-12.57
West Brom	6	0	10 to 20	0	1	3	216	36	-21.83
Wolves	4	0	15 to 20	0	0	2	136	34	-30.75

Table is arranged by order of:

1. Premiership Titles

2. Top Four Berths minus Relegations to zero (ie. can't go negative); clean relegation sheet outweighs more Top 4s and more Relegations.

3. Average Points

4. Average Goal Difference

Complete English Premier League Table, 1993-2011

Yes, we know, we're stat-heads and have no life. At least, that's what it feels like at times! But the pointy-heads at Balanced Sports have spent the past several hours slaving over an increasingly hot lap-top to bring you THE COMPLETE ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE since 1993!

Manchester United sits atop with twelve titles, but who sits behind them? Arsenal? Chelsea? Palace? The Battersea Home for Lost Dogs third XI ... click across to find out. (It's too big to post here).

The Ten-Year Premiership Table

We've been working hard and mindlessly to bring you special stats pages on Balanced Sports. You can find out all about which players contribute most to their team scoring, how the English Premiership ladder would look over a decade, rather than a season, or how each EPL Goalkeeper performed last year compared to his peers.

Our newest addition is the 2002-11 Cumulative EPL Table. Take a peek to see how your club fared.

Enjoy!