Soccer is big business these days, and nowhere is this more so than in the Premier League, the top division in England. Running since 1992, the competition has rapidly fought off the challenges posed by the other major leagues in Spain, Italy and Germany to become the undisputed king of the beautiful game. Today, the world’s best players and managers are flocking to English shores to get in on the action, and the league is currently the most-watched in the world. But with such an intense spotlight on the league, there are a few facts and figures that may just surprise you if you are new to it. Read on to find out more!

1. Liverpool: First-Time Winners

Although Liverpool is undoubtedly one of the biggest and best-supported teams in the world, it may come as a surprise to you that it had never won the English Premier League since its inception until 2020. This is not to say that Liverpool had not been English champions (it has 19 titles), but the 18 times it had come out on top previously had all come before the Premier League era. 

2. Foreign Players

If you have watched any Premier League football, one of the first things that you will probably have noticed is the sheer number of foreigners who ply their trade in England’s top division. In fact, in the 2019/2020 season, the Premier League had the highest proportion of foreign players of the “Big Five” European leagues, with only 37 percent of them eligible to play for the English national team. 

3. Manchester United Hold the Transfer Record

Given the massive amount of revenue brought in by Manchester United every year, it is no surprise to hear that the club currently holds the record for the three most expensive transfers in Paul Pogba ($108 million), Harry Maguire ($99 million) and Romelu Lukaku ($97 million). Unfortunately for the club’s American owners, none of these transfers can really be said to have been a success as of yet, with Lukaku no longer at the club, Pogba out of the team, and Maguire yet to justify his price tag. 

4. Invincibles

The only team to have ever completed a Premier League campaign without a defeat to its name is Arsenal. Needless to say, the Arsenal crop of 2003-2004 has gone down in folklore, gaining the moniker of the “Invincibles”. It is safe to say that fans of other clubs are sick of hearing about this team by now!

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