After Manchester United won the FA Cup with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Wembley, they moved one step closer to Liverpool’s haul of overall trophies. The Red Devils’ record-equaling 12th FA Cup (now level with Arsenal) is the 40th trophy they have won since the club was formed.
Liverpool still lead the way with 41 trophies which include 5 European Cup/Champions League trophies – the most by any English side. They could have made it 42 if they had defeated Sevilla to win the Europa League – a trophy they have won thrice before when it was earlier called the UEFA Cup.
The two clubs have been arch-rivals for decades with the Anfield side dominating the 1970s and 1980s before Sir Alex Ferguson took over at Old Trafford and brought in an era of success that eventually saw him retire having taken United to their 20th league title – two more than Liverpool – an achievement the former United boss holds dear to his heart.
The Reds have never won the league after the Premier League was formed in 1992 while Ferguson’s side has won it 13 times. His 26-year reign saw United average more than one trophy a year and his achievements saw United unveil a statue of the Scottish boss and name a stand at Old Trafford after him.
“My greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their f***ing perch. And you can print that.” – Sir Alex Ferguson
However, the North West derby rivals are far ahead of their other Premier League rivals. Arsenal are in third place and they have 29 trophies which include 13 league titles. The Gunners first started winning trophies in the 1930s when Herbert Chapman revolutionized the north London club on and off the pitch; for which a statue of the esteemed manager now stands outside Emirates Stadium.
While trophies were few and far between, it wasn’t until Arsene Wenger arrived that they became a force to reckon with again. Wenger has won three league titles and six FA Cups with the Gunners, even going an entire league season unbeaten in 2003/04 – an achievement that saw them dubbed as the Invincibles.
| Rank | Club | League | FA Cup | League Cup | European Cup | Other European Cups | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 18 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 41 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 20 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 40 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 13 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 29 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 5 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 21 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 7 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 20 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | 2 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
| 7 | Everton | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 |
| 8 | Manchester City | 4 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 9 | Newcastle United | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 |
| 10 | Blackburn Rovers | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Note: Community Shields and Super Cups have not been counted. Data courtesy of Sporting Intelligence.
