Soccer is a fickle sport. It is a game of probability but never a guarantee. Here, giants fall and underdogs rise in the blink of an eye, giving teams hope that a turnaround is only 90 minutes away.
In this list below, we will celebrate the unpredictability of the sport we all love, checking out the five most recent instances of top Premier League clubs losing four or more matches in a row in all competitions. Let’s begin!
#5 Manchester United: December 2015
The 2015-16 season was a disappointing one for Manchester United, as they not only failed to win without a trophy but also finished outside the top four in the Premier League. To top it off, they went on a brutal four-game losing run between December 8, 2015, and December 26, 2015, marking their worst string of results in this century.
Manchester United suffered their first setback in the UEFA Champions League, losing 3-2 against Group-Stage rivals Wolfsburg away from home. The following three came in the Premier League. They lost 2-1 to Bournemouth, 2-1 to Norwich City, and, finally, 2-0 to Stoke City. Man Utd put an end to their losing streak with a goalless draw with Chelsea on December 28, 2015.
#4 Arsenal: March 2018
Arsenal went through a four-game losing spree in the second half of the 2017-18 season. The Gunners lost one UEFA Europa League encounter, one EFL Cup clash, and two Premier League matches between February 22, 2018, and March 4, 2018.
Arsenal’s downfall kicked off with a 2-1 defeat to Ostersund in the second leg of the Europa League play-offs. However, since Arsenal had won 3-0 in the first leg, the defeat did not hurt their progress. The next one, which arrived in the EFL Cup final, was brutal, as Manchester City beat them 3-0, forcing them to settle for the runners-up medal. The final two losses arrived in the Premier League against Manchester City (3-0) and Brighton & Hove Albion (2-1).
Arsenal ended their losing streak with a 2-0 win over AC Milan in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16.
#3 Chelsea: May 2023
The 2022-23 season was a disastrous one for Chelsea. The Blues underwent two managerial swaps throughout the campaign — Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Frank Lampard — in search of improvement, but it was not on the cards.
Between April 8, 2023, and May 2, 2023, Chelsea lost a whopping six matches on the bounce in all competitions. It began with a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League. Then came a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion (Premier League) sandwiched between two 2-0 defeats against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. Chelsea lost their last two games against English rivals Brentford (2-0) and Arsenal (3-1).
Needless to say, Chelsea ended the season without a trophy, finishing in 12th place in the Premier League rankings.
#2 Tottenham Hotspur: May 2024
One of the ‘Big Six’ in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur had a disappointing end to the 2023-24 season. They lost five of their last seven games in the Premier League, with four of those defeats coming in a row between April 13 and May 5, 2024.
Tottenham’s dreadful spell began with a 4-0 thrashing away at Newcastle United. Then, they slipped to a 3-2 defeat against Arsenal in the final North London Derby of the season. The last two defeats came against Chelsea and Liverpool, with them losing 4-2 and 2-0, respectively. Spurs’ losing streak ended on May 11, 2024, as they claimed a 2-1 win over Burnley.
#1 Manchester City: November 2024
Premier League holders Manchester City is arguably the best team on the planet. The Cityzens have a world-class coach in Pep Guardiola, the best striker in the world in Erling Haaland, and a bench better than most first teams. They have also been obliterating the competition in the Premier League, having won the championship a record four times in a row.
However, even the best teams tend to slip, and unfortunately for City, they are currently going through that dreaded rough patch. Manchester City have not won a match since October 26, losing four games in three competitions since. They lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup Round of 16, 2-1 to Bournemouth in the Premier League, 4-1 to Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League, and, finally, 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League.
It will be interesting to see if they can return to winning ways when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the English top flight on November 23.
