And what is goal difference anyway?
Firstly, I’d like to say that I wouldn’t have worded the question like that! But when I was looking for ideas for a blog post, that was one of the exact questions people were asking—so who am I to argue?
At the risk of teaching granny to suck eggs, let's define what goal difference is and when it becomes a deciding factor in Premier League rankings.
What is goal difference?
Goal difference is defined as the number of goals scored in all Premier League matches minus the number of goals conceded. Simple, really!
Why does goal difference matter?
It acts as one of the key tiebreakers if clubs finish with the same number of points. Their position in the Premier League is determined by goal difference, followed by further deciding factors:
- The number of goals scored.
- The head-to-head points between the teams.
- The team with the most away goals in the head-to-head matches.
- Finally, the player with the most Instagram followers!
One of the points above might not be 100% true, and might be fake news!
Notable Worst Goal Difference Records
- Which teams have worst ever goal differences? Top 5 (or worst 5???)
- Which teams have the largest goal difference for each season?
- Which teams have the conceded the most goals in a single match?
Which Teams Have the Worst Ever Goal Differences? (Top 5 or Worst 5?)
Derby County "achieved" the worst goal difference in Premier League history with -69 in the 2007/08 season. This unfortunate record was matched by Sheffield United in the 2023/24 season, also with -69.
List of Shame: The Worst 5 Goal Differences in Premier League History
It's worth noting that only Ipswich Town are currently in the Premier League, I wonder why? hmmmm...
| Name | Year | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield United | 2023 | -69 |
| Derby County | 2007 | -69 |
| Norwich City | 2021 | -61 |
| Ipswich Town | 1994 | -57 |
| Huddersfield Town | 2018 | -54 |
Which Teams Had the Worst Goal Difference Each Season?
Each season prodcuces a team with the greatest goal difference, the chart below shows that information from the start of my records 1993/1994 season. You may notice that the season 2003/2004 there are two records, where we have both Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers both with -39. We then have the same again in the 2012/2013 season, with Reading and Queens Park Rangers with -30.
Each season produces a team with the worst goal difference. The chart below shows the worst goal difference for every season since 1993/94.
It’s OK, We Have a Chart!
Mouse over the graph to see the tooltip with the team and season details.
You might notice that in 2003/04, two teams—Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers both finished with -39. The same thing happened in 2012/13, with Reading and Queens Park Rangers both finishing on -30.
If You Don’t Like Graphs, Here’s a Table Instead...
| Season | Name | Goal Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Swindon Town | -53 |
| 1994 | Ipswich Town | -57 |
| 1995 | Bolton Wanderers | -32 |
| 1996 | Nottingham Forest | -28 |
| 1997 | Barnsley | -45 |
| 1998 | Nottingham Forest | -34 |
| 1999 | Watford | -42 |
| 2000 | Bradford City | -40 |
| 2001 | Leicester City | -34 |
| 2002 | Sunderland | -44 |
| 2003 | Leeds United | -39 |
| 2003 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | -39 |
| 2004 | Norwich City | -35 |
| 2005 | Sunderland | -43 |
| 2006 | Watford | -30 |
| 2007 | Derby County | -69 |
| 2008 | West Bromwich Albion | -31 |
| 2009 | Wigan Athletic | -42 |
| 2010 | West Ham United | -27 |
| 2011 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | -42 |
| 2012 | Reading | -30 |
| 2012 | Queens Park Rangers | -30 |
| 2013 | Fulham | -45 |
| 2014 | Queens Park Rangers | -31 |
| 2015 | Aston Villa | -49 |
| 2016 | Hull City | -43 |
| 2017 | Stoke City | -33 |
| 2018 | Huddersfield Town | -54 |
| 2019 | Norwich City | -49 |
| 2020 | Sheffield United | -43 |
| 2021 | Norwich City | -61 |
| 2022 | Southampton | -37 |
| 2023 | Sheffield United | -69 |
| 2024 | Southampton | -46 |
(You might notice a few repeat offenders—no need to name names!)
Which Teams Have Conceded the Most Goals in a Single Match?
The magic number is 9.
- Ipswich Town conceded 9 goals when Manchester United beat them 9-0 at Old Trafford (4 March 1995).
- Southampton suffered the same fate, losing 9-0 to Manchester United (2 February 2021).
- Liverpool thrashed Bournemouth 9-0 at Anfield (27 August 2022).
- The worst home defeat came when Southampton lost 0-9 to Leicester City (25 October 2019).
Time for Another Table!
| Home Team | Away Team | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | Ipswich Town | 9-0 | 4 March 1995 |
| Manchester United | Southampton | 9-0 | 2 Feb 2021 |
| Liverpool | Bournemouth | 9-0 | 27 Aug 2022 |
| Southampton | Leicester City | 0-9 | 25 Oct 2019 |
Want to relive the horror?
(Looks away now of you are a Cherries fan. Yes both of you!)
Watch this highlights video on YouTube, showing Bournemouth conceding 9 goals in their 9-0 loss against Liverpool (27 August 2022).
Final Thoughts
Some teams just can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to goal difference. Whether it's a historically bad season or a record-breaking thrashing in a single match, these stats tell the story of some of the Premier League's toughest campaigns.
Let’s hope your team never makes it onto this list!
As per usual I won't express my opinion on the matter, you have the stats so the rest is up for debate in the Facebook group.