Liverpool's Premier League record: Best finish, trophy record & historic league titles

The Reds' previous campaigns to win the title have ultimately ended in tears, but could this year be different? Liverpool have emerged as an early-season favourite to lift the Premier League title following an extended winning run that lasted into the New Year as rivals Manchester City succumbed to three defeats in five fixtures in December. Jurgen Klopp's side have been title favourites before on a number of occasions, though they have never had their season end in the fairy-tale glory of ultimately being crowned Premier League champions. Goal takes a look at Liverpool's history in the Premier League, when they last lifted the league and what happened during their last title-challenging campaigns. What is Liverpool's best Premier League finish? Liverpool's most successful finish in the Premier League has been in second, with the Reds last coming as runners-up in the 2013-14 season under Brendan Rodgers as they finished just two points behind eventual champions Manchester City. The Anfield side launched an unprecedented title challenge that season in a campaign that saw them score a blistering 101 goals and only lose six times – the same numebr as Man City – but were ultimately undone by their leaky defence (having conceded 50 goals in total compared to Man City's 37, Chelsea's 27 and Arsenal's 41) as well as losing to a Jose Mourinho-led Chelsea both home and away. It was a season that saw Luis Suarez emerge as one of the world's – if not the world's – greatest strikers as he finished the year as the Premier League top-scorer with 31 goals, though left for Barcelona later that summer. It was also, however, the last opportunity for Steven Gerrard to lift a Premier League title as a Liverpool player after the ex-Reds captain moved to MLS side LA Galaxy the following season. Luis Suarez Steven Gerrard Liverpool Sunderland EPL 03262014 Prior to the 2013-14 season, Liverpool also came deliriously close to lifting the Premier League title under Rafael Benitez in 2008-09. Also featuring a standout performance by Gerrard alongside key players in Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres, Liverpool finished four points behind rivals Manchester United despite beating them (who were managed by Sir Alex Ferguson at the time) both on home turf and at Old Trafford. The Achilles' heel for the Reds that season came in one too many draws and stalemates (11) despite losing just twice – and scoring more goals than any other team (77). Liverpool have pointedly tended to self-combust having mounted a title challenge, finishing in seventh place the season after they finished as runners-up in 2008-09 (which led to Benitez being sacked) and then a sixth-placed finish in 2015, with Rodgers moved on a few months later. When was the last time Liverpool won the league? Kenny Dalglish Liverpool 1990 The last time Liverpool won the league was at the end of the 1989-90 season, when they clinched their 18th title under Kenny Dalglish when the English top-flight was known as Division One. The Reds have notably never won the Premier League title, with the Premiership that we know now formed in 1992 after the top 22 clubs split away from the Football League. They have won the top-flight title 18 times, a record that was surpassed by rivals Manchester United in the 2010-11 season when the Red Devils clinched their 19th Premier League title. Eleven of their top-flight wins came during their illustrious period of the 1970s and 1980s led by legendary managers Bob Paisley and Bill Shankly, who also guided the Merseysiders to seven trophies in Europe. Are Liverpool the most decorated English side in history? Whether or not Liverpool are the most successful side in English history is still something of a topic of a debate, particularly when concerning Manchester United supporters. The Red Devils have claimed more league wins (20) to Liverpool (18), though the Reds are the only English team to have won the Champions League on five occasions, with their last victory arriving in 2005 against AC Milan in Istanbul. Man Utd, comparatively, have won the Champions League three times. The Mancunians have lifted the FA Cup 12 times to Liverpool's seven, though the Anfield side have won the League Cup a record eight times.