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Since its inception all the way back in 1992, the Premier League has cemented its place as the top league in European and World football.
It's the place where the best players come to test themselves against the best. It's the place with the toughest competition to win the title. Throughout its history, there have been many acclaimed winning teams, although Manchester United have accounted for a huge 13 of the titles, more than all the other clubs combined.
That achievement is a testament to manager Sir Alex Ferguson's win ethic and fierce ability to influence those around him, including his players, coaching staff and even the media and fans; to win the Premier League is one of the hardest things in football and he made it look easy.
Over 38 games, many sides start out promisingly before faltering towards the end: think of Kevin Keegan's infamous meltdown on live TV as his Newcastle team felt the pressure of Manchester United creeping up from second place.
While a manager is of the utmost importance, his starting 11 has to be strong all over the pitch and the players need to have a tight bond and understanding if they're to triumph by the end of the season. This slideshow will count down the 5 best winners of the Premier League in the 21st century so far.
#5 Manchester City (2011/2012)
The first of City's 2 wins as it stands, their triumph culminated in the best finish to a league season in Premier League history. Everyone knows the story by now: with just a few minutes left to play and the score against Queens Park Rangers tied at 2-2, Mario Balotelli slid a tight through ball in the box to Sergio Aguero who managed to smash the ball into the net to win the game and the title. Manchester United were devastated, City absolutely jubilant.
The nouveau-riche club had been building to this moment for a few seasons now and manager Roberto Mancini had finally delivered what the club's owners had demanded. In truth, the race should not have been anywhere as close as that.
On paper, City's team far outstripped any of their nearest rivals. Their strike force was unbelievable: Sergio Aguero became an instant hero to the fans in his first season at the club, not only scoring that famous goal but grabbing an extra 28 to go with it; Edin Dzeko played mostly from the substitute's bench but he became an important impact player, contributing his small part; Mario Balotelli was the joker in the pack but his unquestionable ability and charisma made him a fans favorite.
Even Carlos Tevez, City's main striker at the start of the season had a faltering campaign, sulking for large portions of it, but it didn't matter such was the wealth of Mancini's attackers.
What was key to their win was the spine of the team, which was extremely solid. Joe Hart had emerged as England's best keeper and was responsible for some outstanding displays. Yaya Toure was a burst of energy and power in the center midfield. It was Vincent Kompany, the team captain at centre-back, who really led the club to the title, with his calmness in defence and leadership abilities so vital. He even climbed highest to score a header to beat Manchester United 1-0 in April that would prove to be so important to their league win.
City were inconsistent, certainly, but on their best day, when all the players were at their highest level, they were too good for any other side in the league that season.
#4 Leicester (2015/2016)
The incredible story of Leicester City's remarkable triumph goes without saying: the whole footballing world were amazed by their stunning league triumph against all the odds. They might not have had the best starting 11 or the best points total but they definitely deserve a place in this list.
Put simply, their win was a matter of all the right ingredients coming together at the right time to create a surprising recipe for success. Manager Claudio Ranieri had earned a reputation as being somewhat of a 'nearly man' in football: he had come 2nd in Serie A a few times and he had only won domestic cup competitions during his career. His appointment at Leicester was met with apprehension as a result.
The team had barely avoided relegation the previous season and Ranieri kept most of the starting 11 from that campaign, meaning expectations were extremely low. What happened next is testament to the power of trust in people. With the pressure off and the chance to gel as a team and prove themselves, Leicester went on a stunning unbeaten run.
Players who had struggled before suddenly looked transformed. Wes Morgan and Robert Huth in defence acted like a brick wall to opposition attackers with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel imitating his famous dad Peter behind them. N'Golo Kante became the find of the season, plucked from obscurity in French football, a hive of non-stop activity and tackling in the midfield.
It was attackers Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy who emerged as the main reason for their amazing triumph: the Algerian winger played like a man possessed, tearing defences apart all on his own at times, but he also combined incredibly well with Vardy up front.
The Englishman had played non-league football only 4 seasons prior but swiftly proved he belonged at this level, scoring an astounding 24 goals in 36 league appearances. His pace and acceleration were just too much for most defences and it seemed like he couldn't miss the target for stretches of the campaign.
The team grew into most neutrals favorite team, naturally because of the narrative, but also because they were a true footballing throwback. Ranieri lined them up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation, with a tight and solid defence, wingers who liked to get crosses into the box, and a front pairing of Vardy and Shinji Okazaki who combined effectively like the greats of yesteryear.
They ground out a lot of results by tight margins, never battering another side, but that didn't matter. It says it all about Leicester's win that season that many say it will be highly unlikely that we'll see a similar story again.
#3 Manchester United (2007/2008)
Sir Alex Ferguson built so many great sides in his time at Old Trafford but his 2007/2008 version may just be his best ever. This triumph would be the second of 3 league wins in a row for the club but it was the best season by far. They added the Champions League trophy to their league one, beating Chelsea after a penalty shootout.
Cristiano Ronaldo was the undisputed star man of the team: after an outstanding 2006/2007 season, he somehow managed to outperform himself this time round, scoring 31 goals, an amazing tally for a left winger. This was the season where he truly announced himself as one of the 3 best players in world football. His dribbling ability, free-kick taking, link-up play and finishing were a joy to watch for fans.
Ronaldo also formed 1 part of one of the best attacking trios in recent history, with Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez bullying and outfoxing defences with him. The rest of the team had no weak links either, and even lesser-heralded members like right back Wes Brown and centre midfielder Michael Carrick performed admirably well.
Ferguson could also claim to boast perhaps the finest Premier League centre-back pairing ever in Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. They represented such a great balance: Ferdinand the silky ball-playing defender, Vidic the rugged, fierce physical threat. Often, they were too much for opposition strikers to face.
It says so much about this side that many say they're better than Ferguson's other classic Manchester United side, his 1998/1999 treble-winning team with of David Beckham, Andy Cole, and Roy Keane; in 2007/2008 they were just that good.
#2 Chelsea (2004/2005)
Jose Mourinho arrived in English football from Portugal in 2004 claiming to be 'The Special One'. By the end of the season, few doubted his words. Chelsea were a club who had been on the up for a few seasons by this point but new owner Roman Abramovich came in and his money transformed them completely.
Mourinho didn't splash money on needless, extravagant transfers though, spending wisely on what the team really needed. Powerful forward Didier Drogba was purchased from Marseille and would lead the line effectively during the campaign.
From his previous team Porto, Mourinho brought with him defenders Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira, who would be almost ever-present in their debut seasons. Perhaps his finest transfer was unknown goalkeeper Petr Cech, who went on to become one of the Premier League's greatest ever players in his position. Chelsea were simply unstoppable that season.
To this day, they hold the record points total, an incredible 95 points. They conceded only 15 goals, boasting one of the best defences in footballing history, backed by the captain and leader John Terry.
Mourinho set his side out to be compact and strong in defence but also made them devastate on the counter-attack: using the speed of wingers Damien Duff and Arjen Robben, they caught out many teams with their skill and ferocity on the break. Mourinho had lived up to his reputation and in the process created one of the strongest sides in Premier League history.
#1 Arsenal (2003/2004)
An obvious choice for number one, Arsenal's finest ever campaign ended with them unbeaten, earning the moniker 'The Invincibles'. Many in the media thought that Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side could repeat the feat this season but it wasn't to be after their 4-0 hammering by Liverpool last week; that should tell one all they need to know about the impressiveness of Arsenals achievement.
Arsene Wenger had built a beautiful and formidable side in his first 8 years in London and this league win was the icing on the cake. There were no weaknesses to the side whatsoever. Sol Campbell and Martin Keown led from defense, Gilberto Silva was a calming presence in front of them in the midfield.
It was the flair players who ultimately defined the team's season though: the combination of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp perhaps has no equal in Premier League history, with the speed and trickery of the Frenchman perfectly balanced by Bergkamp's coolness and vision. They combined for an amazing 34 goals that season, mostly laid on by the Dutch master to his striker partner.
Arsenal faced many tough challenges during their campaign, obviously, and it looked like their unbeaten run would be ruined numerous times, but they always managed to get at least a draw.
Unbeaten seasons would happen all the time if they were easy, as opposition fans like to claim in retaliation, but they happen so rarely in football that they just have to be commended and praised when they do happen. Arsene Wenger and his men will be immortals forever to Arsenal fans and neutrals alike.
