Chelsea leads the way... the most notable starts in Premier League history

With the 2026-2027 Premier League season set to kick off on Friday evening, all eyes are on the anticipated start of the competition. Questions are being raised about which teams can send an early message to their rivals, especially given the Premier League's history of impressive starts that have gone down in history . The new season begins on Friday, August 21st, when defending champions Arsenal host Coventry City in the opening match, before the rest of the first round of fixtures are played over Saturday, Sunday, and Monday . Historical statistics reveal the best starts in Premier League history, with Chelsea topping the list after achieving nine consecutive victories at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season under the guidance of Portuguese manager José Mourinho . The Blues began their campaign with wins against Wigan Athletic, followed by Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland, and Charlton Athletic, securing a perfect record in their first six matches and equaling the record for the best start in the competition . Mourinho's team didn't stop there, defeating Aston Villa 2-1 thanks to a brace from Frank Lampard, before thrashing Liverpool 4-1 and then Bolton Wanderers 5-1, achieving nine consecutive victories and the best start in Premier League history . Chelsea's winning streak came to an end in the tenth round after a 1-1 draw with Everton, before suffering their first defeat of the season against Manchester United in November. However, they continued their march towards the title, finishing the season eight points ahead of Sir Alex Ferguson's team . Liverpool, meanwhile, came in second with eight consecutive wins during the 2019-2020 season . Next come Newcastle United in the 1994-95 season, Chelsea in 2009-10, Manchester City in 2016-17, Liverpool in 2018-19, and Manchester City again in 2023-24, each having achieved six consecutive wins at the start of the season . Seven teams have also recorded five consecutive wins at the beginning of different seasons: Arsenal in 2004-05, Chelsea in 2010-11, Manchester United in 2011-12, Manchester City in 2015-16, Chelsea again in 2018-19, Arsenal in 2022-23, and Liverpool in 2025-26 .