Playing for 90
Fansided

30 Greatest Teams in Premier League History

By Benjamin Taylor

Who will lift this trophy in May and join these 30 teams among the greatest ever to compete in the English Premier League? (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Who will lift this trophy in May and join these 30 teams among the greatest ever to compete in the English Premier League? (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
27 of 31
Next

5. Manchester United, 2007-08

MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 30: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Barclays FA Premier League match between Manchester United and Portsmouth at Old Trafford on January 30, 2008 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM – JANUARY 30: Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Barclays FA Premier League match between Manchester United and Portsmouth at Old Trafford on January 30, 2008 in Manchester, England. (Photo by John Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images) /

Starting XI: E. van der Sar (GK); W. Brown, N. Vidic, R. Ferdinand, P. Evra; C. Ronaldo, M. Carrick, P. Scholes, R. Giggs; C. Tevez, W. Rooney.

The Premier League was at its absolute peak in 2007-08. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United made up three of that season’s four Champions League semifinalists, setting up an all-English final. Arsenal had also made the quarterfinals and, despite having lost Thierry Henry in the summer, were a force in the Premier League. And yet, Manchester United completed a Premier League and Champions League double, seeing off their domestic rivals and the European might of Barcelona along the way.

This team had everything: Van der Sar, Giggs and Scholes were the old heads – though still at the top of their game; the back four were in the prime of their careers, and were settled as a unit; and the front three of Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney – all under 24 – brought youth and energy to the side. Ronaldo, just 22 at the beginning of the season but already United’s key player, was absolutely on fire. His 31 league goals represented an extraordinary feat for a non-striker, and his individual brilliance took some of the pressure off Tevez and Rooney ahead of him. This attacking fluidity led to a whopping 80 goals scored in the league alone. But the equally phenomenal defensive solidity meant they also conceded just 22.

The following was again a success – another league title and a second consecutive Champions League final. But the likes of Scholes and Giggs were on the decline, and Ronaldo’s departure in the summer of 2009 was backbreaking. 2007-08 remains the finest Manchester United team of the 21st century.

Next: No. 4

Home/Premier League