If you were asked, “What was the best Premier League team ever?” - there are a number of options to debate.
Is it the Manchester City side of 2017/18? After all, they amassed the most points in a single season with 100.
Or is it the Liverpool side of 2019/2020, who amassed just one point less than City’s record haul, but wrapped up the league season in record time and with seven games to spare?
There is only one team that has gone undefeated in an entire Premier League season and that was Arsenal’s “Invincibles” of 2003/2004, so perhaps it’s them?
There’s a case for to be made for Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea team of 2004/2005, who kept a record 25 clean sheets and conceded a record low 15 goals. They also secured a then-record 29 league victories to finish on 95 points.
A nod should also be given to the Manchester United side of 1998/1999. They won the league with a much lower points total than the sides mentioned above but did so whilst also winning the FA Cup and Champions League and were the best team on the planet at the time. So many questions, so many factors and undoubtedly so many opinions.
But if you were asked “What was the worst Premier League team ever?” – the answer is Derby County’s 2007/2008 side - and every football fan both knows and accepts that.
That season the Rams broke a whole host of records, including the lowest points total since the 3 points for a win system was introduced (11) and the worst goal difference ever (-69).
"They remain the only team to have been relegated from the EPL in March and just the second in the post-war era.
Cast your mind back to Gameweek nine of that season and the relegation writing already on the wall for Derby. They had just five points, had scored just five goals and conceded a whopping 23. They had won a game though - a 1-0 win versus Newcastle.
For the last 14 years it has been inconceivable that a team would ever come along and be as bad as that Derby County side, until the Norwich side of 2021/2022 came along and said “Hold my beer!”.
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Now, in Gameweek nine of this season and following their 7-0 drubbing by Chelsea, Norwich remain winless and have amassed just two points. They have only managed to score two goals and like Derby, have conceded 23.
With a quarter of the season gone, should they continue at this rate, they would finish their campaign with just eight points, eight goals and a goal difference of -89; which would shatter every unwanted record the 2007/2008 Derby County team infamously set.
And in that lies Norwich’s season. That is all they have. Relegation is guaranteed, but they just have to be better than the Derby side of 2007/2008 to avoid being lumbered with the accolade of being the worst team ever.
“Who is the second worst team ever?” I hear you ask. I wouldn’t have had a clue. Apparently, statistically, it’s the Sunderland side of 2005/2006 - and that’s what should motivate Norwich now, the chance to have this nightmare season forgotten as opposed to renowned.
