The 8 Premier League Runners-Up Who Accumulated the Most Points
They say nobody remembers second place, but that surely won't apply to this season.
Whoever finish second in the Premier League this season, whether it's Liverpool or Manchester City, will go down as the most unlucky side in league history, given their points tallies are both more than good enough to win the title. However, only one can win, and the other will join this list.
Here are the eight runners-up with the most points in Premier League history.
Blackburn Rovers - 84 Points (1993/94)
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So this is a bit of a cheat. Back in the 1993/94 season, teams played 42 games instead of the 38 we have today. But, with that in mind, Blackburn Rovers managed to rack up 84 points on their way to finishing second.
A young Alan Shearer struck a superb 31 league goals to fire Blackburn level with Manchester United at the top of the table in early April, although a poor run of form saw them eventually fall well behind.
United went on to win the league with 92 points, and Blackburn were left licking their wounds.
Liverpool - 84 Points (2013/14)
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Liverpool matched Blackburn's tally 20 years later, but they managed to do so in just 38 games.
Just like they have done this year, Liverpool went head to head with City at the top of the table, and the prolific trio of Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling combined to bring them within weeks of glory.
Unfortunately a shock defeat to Chelsea (insert 'slip' jokes here) was followed by an even more painful 3-3 draw with Crystal Palace, and their title hopes vanished, as City went on to win the title with 86 points.
Chelsea - 85 Points (2007/08)
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The 2007/08 season was a disappointing one for Chelsea, as they finished as runners-up in the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup and Community Shield.
They finished with a total of 85 points in the league, largely thanks to the goals of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. However, their form was not enough to save the jobs of either Jose Mourinho or replacement Avram Grant.
The Blues slumped to a 1-1 draw with Bolton Wanderers on the final day of the season to end their hopes of glory, and United went on to claim the title with 87 points.
Manchester United - 85 Points (2009/10)
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After matching Liverpool's record of 18 league titles in the previous season, the Red Devils were looking to make the record all their own, but they came up short.
A 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in early April ultimately decided the title race, and United followed that up with a 0-0 draw with Blackburn that gave Chelsea all the momentum they needed to go on and seal the deal.
The Blues racked up 86 points to take the title back to Stamford Bridge, and United's wait for their record-breaking title would have to go on a little longer.
Liverpool - 86 Points (2008/09)
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Liverpool's form in cup competitions throughout the 2008/09 season was underwhelming, so the focus quickly turned to trying to win their first league title since the Premier League was formed in 1992. More importantly, they were trying to stop United from equalling their record. But, as we know, they failed.
Liverpool did everything to win the league, and they were top heading into the new year. However, a miserable run of form which saw them win just twice in seven games dented their hopes of winning the title.
United eventually finished four points clear with 90, and Liverpool lost their bragging rights.
Tottenham Hotspur - 86 Points (2016/17)
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Tottenham Hotspur were excellent throughout the 2016/17 season. Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen were all on fire, scoring goals for fun, but it was not enough.
Antonio Conte's Chelsea were just that bit more excellent, and Spurs' frustrating 1-0 defeat to cross-town rivals West Ham United with three games to go left them with too much to do to steal the crown.
The Blues tallied up 93 points, and their 30 victories ensured there was little drama to the title race.
Manchester United - 88 Points (1994/95)
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Again, a slight cheat here, as the Red Devils had 42 games to pick up their tally of 88 points in the 1994/95 season.
History could have been so different, as United had the chance to win the league title on the final day of the season. Eventual champions Blackburn lost to Liverpool, meaning United just had to beat West Ham and they would win the league. But they drew 1-1.
Blackburn took the title with 89, and United went into meltdown, selling Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and top scorer Andrei Kanchelskis to try and rebound next year. To be fair to them, it worked.
Manchester United - 89 Points (2011/12)
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No 42-game rubbish here, the United side of 2011/12 picked up a stunning 89 points in 38 games, and it somehow was not enough to win the league title.
The Red Devils were level with City on the final day of the season, and their 1-0 win over Sunderland looked to have won them the title as the Citizens were trailing to Queens Park Rangers. One "AGUEROOOOOOOOOOOOO!" later, and it was game over for United.
City fought back to a 3-2 win, which saw them win the league on goal difference, in what has to be one of the most dramatic moments in league history.
