The 5 biggest Premier League upsets in history

The Premier League has built its global reputation on unpredictability. For every expected result, there’s a shock waiting around the corner, a reminder that no badge, no budget, and no dynasty is immune to chaos.

Some upsets fade with time. Others become landmarks, permanently etched into Premier League folklore.

Here are the five biggest and most unforgettable Premier League upsets ever recorded, ranked from stunning…to downright unbelievable.

5 – Burnley 1–0 Manchester United (2009)

Burnley’s return to the top flight after 33 years couldn’t have been scripted better. Facing Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering Manchester United, few gave the newly promoted Clarets a chance. But Turf Moor had other ideas.

Robbie Blake’s sensational 19th-minute volley sent the stadium into delirium, and when Michael Carrick’s penalty was saved moments before half-time, belief turned into destiny.

Burnley defended with everything they had, and United, the three-time consecutive champions, simply couldn’t break them down.

It was a seismic shock early in the season, and a reminder that Turf Moor would become a fortress no giant could take lightly.

4 – Manchester City 2–5 Leicester City (2020)

As per Goal.com, Pep Guardiola had never conceded five goals in a league match in his entire managerial career, until this day.

Despite Manchester City taking an early lead at the Etihad and looking set for routine dominance, something shocking happened. Leicester tore the script to pieces.

Jamie Vardy scored a hat-trick, including two ice-cold penalties, as City’s defence crumbled in shocking fashion.

The 5–2 result wasn’t just an upset, it was a tactical dismantling of one of the world’s most dominant sides. For a Guardiola team to be exposed so ruthlessly at home made this a Premier League moment that still defies belief.

3 – Leicester City 5–3 Manchester United (2014)

Manchester United arrived with a new manager, Louis van Gaal, and new superstars Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao. After going 3–1 up, it looked like a procession.

Instead, it became humiliation.

Newly promoted Leicester scored four goals in the final 22 minutes, a whirlwind that introduced Jamie Vardy to the Premier League with his first-ever goal. The Foxes overturned a two-goal deficit to win 5–3, leaving United stunned and the football world in disbelief.

2 – Watford 3–0 Liverpool (2020)

Liverpool were marching toward history:

44-game unbeaten run

18 consecutive Premier League wins

Champions-elect after 30 years of waiting

And then Watford, fighting relegation, smashed them.

An explosive performance led by Ismaila Sarr’s brace dismantled Liverpool’s rhythm and destroyed their hopes of becoming Invincibles. The unbeaten run died in spectacular fashion, and the league was reminded why no team, no matter how dominant, is untouchable.

1 – Aston Villa 7–2 Liverpool (2020)

Liverpool, fresh off lifting the Premier League title, travelled to Villa Park expecting to cruise.

Instead, they suffered one of the most staggering defeats in English top-flight history. Aston Villa sliced through Liverpool’s high line repeatedly, with Ollie Watkins scoring a first-half hat-trick as part of a jaw-dropping onslaught.

The reigning champions conceded seven goals, something no title-holder had done in 67 years. Villa, who had narrowly avoided relegation the previous season, produced a performance that remains the Premier League’s most surreal upset.