Today, a few English teams have lost their EPL elite status, and they have yet to be able to bounce back.

The Premier League has been held annually since 1992. This domestic league, which has been tipped as the best in the world, has seen changes along the way, from the number of participating teams to the rules and the elite teams. The elite status in the Premier League traditionally belongs to the established clubs, with their consistent performance and position from time to time, plus the silverware in hand.

In the first season of the Premier League, the elite sides were quite different from the current ones, apart from the established teams such as Tottenham, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Meanwhile, Manchester City and Chelsea were not exactly the top teams in the early years of the EPL. They were on the rise later in the 2000s and eventually became the new giant after the takeover by the new wealthier owners. 

Meanwhile, Newcastle United and Aston Villa have been making progress to reclaim their elite status in the English top flight again. The former qualified for the Champions League last season while the latter sealed their berth in UCL next season.

The Magpies were title contenders in the mid-1990s and 2000s, whereas the Villans constantly finished in the top five in the 1990s after their success in winning the Champions League in 1982. 

So, which teams exactly used to be the giants in the past? Check out the enlisted sides below.

Nottingham Forest

The Tricky Trees were once a top team that constantly finished in the top four, especially in the late 1970s and 1980s. Under Brian Clough, they managed to win the league title in 1978 plus back-to-back European Cup titles in 1979 and 1980. They also finished second in the 1978–79 season.

They had a slight decline in the 1980s, when they only sat fourth in 1984, 1988, and 1999. Yet, Brian Clough’s side was able to win the EFL League Cup twice, in 1989 and 1990, and became the FA Cup finalist in 1991. The last time Nottingham Forest finished the strongest was in 1994/95. At that time, Frank Clark’s side finished third in the final standings.

Forest then went to a downfall as they were relegated in 1999. The Tricky Trees just returned to the top flight in 2022 under the former England U17 manager, Steve Cooper, who won the FIFA U17 World Cup in 2017. Unfortunately, Forest has yet to see its glory days again. In the past two seasons, Morgan Gibbs-White and Co. have been busier avoiding relegation than in the title race. Their current boss, Nuno Santo, must improve the team’s form to regain elite status and raise the demand for Nottingham Forest tickets next season. 

Leeds United

The Whites were one of the elite sides in the early years of the Premier League. They were the last league winners in the English top flight before the EPL was introduced in 1992. 

Leeds United were able to finish in the top five at that time. Anthony Yeboah and Co. did it in the 1994–95 season, before the era of young guns with Harry Kewell, Lee Bowyer, and Ian Harte began in the late 1990s and early 2000s. They managed to finish fifth in 1998 and 2002, fourth in 1999 and 2001, and sit third in 2000. David O’Leary’s men were also able to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in the same year. Their downfall emerged in the mid-2000s due to the financial crisis and relegation. 

Leeds did not return to the Premier League until 2020. Under the experienced manager, Marcelo Bielsa, the Whites gained their promotion and started off well in the 2020–21 campaign. Unfortunately, they lost their place in the top flight again in 2023. Patrick Bamford and Co. had a chance to bounce back this season but failed after suffering a narrow 1-0 loss to Southampton last weekend in the Championship promotion playoff. 

Blackburn Rovers

The Rovers were one of the Premier League elites in the 1990s. They just got promoted in 1992 and soon became the title contender for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. They finished third in the EPL’s inaugural season, then runner-up in 1993/94, before finally lifting the trophy in 1994/95 by toppling the Red Devils. They relied on local talents at that time, such as Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton, Tim Sherwood, Graeme Le Saux, the goalie Tim Flowers, and the Scottish skipper Colin Hendry. Thanks to Kenny Dalglish’s experience and leadership when he was at the helm of the club.

Unfortunately, their decline began when the legendary Liverpool player left Ewood Park in 1996. Blackburn still managed to finish fifth under Roy Hodgson in 1998, then sat sixth on the table in 2002, and clinched the EFL League Cup title when Graeme Souness was in charge. The last season they finished strong was in 2006. The former Manchester United striker, Mark Hughes, led them to sit sixth again in the final standings before they went down to the Championship in 2011. Blackburn has yet to return to the Premier League ever since. 

Leicester City

The Foxes are the last team to have just lost their brief elite status. They were on the rise when Riyad Mahrez and Co snatched the Premier League title in the 2015/16 campaign, the season that was dubbed the ‘silly season’ by their big team rivals. 

Claudio Ranieri did shape the team and lead to glory, but he was unable to reach the same heights in the following season. It was the Welsh boss, Brendan Rodgers, who slowly revitalised their confidence and potential to compete in the top five. During his spell, Rodgers guided them to finish fifth in 2020 and 2021, plus winning their first FA Cup in the same year, before eventually declining and finishing eighth in 2022. Leicester even fell into the second tier in 2023. 

Luckily, they have optimised the opportunity to make an instant return this year. Under the former Pep Guardiola’s assistant, Enzo Maresca guided Jamie Vardy and Co. to win the championship title and bounce back into the top tier next season.