'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Manchester City (2017-18)
Manchester City came close to winning the Champions League last season but narrowly lost out to Chelsea in the final. They were heavy favorites to win it after a brilliant domestic campaign. But it was their 2017-18 team which would go down as one of the best to not win the Champions League.
Manchester City swept everyone aside in the Premier League that season, and managed to win the league by a whopping 19 points. They were also the first-team to break the 100-point barrier in the league. Pep Guardiola's side also outscored everyone in Europe's top-five leagues, except PSG, while conceding only 27 goals, a defensive record only bettered by Juventus (24) and Atletico Madrid (22).
But they drew Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals and could simply not get past the Reds. An imperious City side were absolutely dismantled in the first-leg at Anfield as Liverpool won 3-0. They were again beaten 2-1 in the return leg and were knocked out of the Champions League.
Real Madrid went on to win the Champions League that season by beating Liverpool in the final. But Pep Guardiola would still regret not being able to get his hands on the trophy with his record-breaking side.
#2 Chelsea (2004-05)
Jose Mourinho made an immediate and significant impact after arriving at Chelsea. He managed to win the Premier League in his first season in England, setting numerous records along the way. Chelsea's 95-point haul was the highest ever for a single season at the time. Chelsea also set the record for the fewest goals conceded (15), the most wins (29), most away wins (15), and most clean sheets (25) in a single campaign.
But despite setting so many records, Mourinho could not take Chelsea towards the Champions league title as he did with Porto the previous season.
Chelsea started brilliantly in Europe as they managed to top a group featuring PSG, CSKA Moscow and Mourinho's former side Porto. They lost just once on the final day when the top spot was already secured.
They faced a tough draw in the last 16 against Ronaldinho's Barcelona but managed to beat the La Liga giants 5-4 on aggregate after a classic 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge. Bayern Munich fell next as Chelsea beat them in a 6-5 thriller. But Chelsea were knocked out in the semi-finals against Liverpool thanks to a 'ghost goal' from Luis Garcia which gave the Reds a 1-0 aggregate win.
#1 Arsenal (2003-04)
The Invincibles have gone down in Premier League history thanks to their extraordinary unbeaten run in the 2003-04 campaign. Thierry Henry-led Arsenal managed to brush aside all competition in England.
But Arsenal could not have the same success in the Champions League. Arsenal had the worst possible start to their Champions League campaign as they fell to a 3-0 defeat to Inter Milan at Highbury in the group stage opener.
This was followed by a draw at Lokomotiv Moscow and an away defeat to Dynamo Kiev. Arsenal's qualification hopes were hanging by a thread. But three wins in their next three group games, including a brilliant 5-1 win at Inter, ensured Arsenal's passage into the knockout stages as group winners.
Arsenal faced Celta Vigo in the last 16 and eased past them with a 5-2 aggregate win to set up a quarter-final against Chelsea. The Gunners managed to secure a 1-1 away draw in the first leg to put them in pole=position and extend their unbeaten run over their London rivals to 17 games.
But Arsenal's streak was broken at the worst possible time as Arsene Wenger's side lost 2-1 at Highbury in the second-leg, having led 1-0 at the break.
Wenger's eternal rival Jose Mourinho eventually went on to win the Champions League that season with Porto. In hindsight, Wenger could have stopped Mourinho's meteoric rise before it even began. History would have been so different if Arsenal had won the Champions League back then.
