Some teams in England’s top flight have been accustomed to racking up trophies year in year out, while some enjoy mild success, but ultimately it comes few and far between. And then there’s the rest: those that long for another cup final day out with friends and family to see their beloved side battle it out for what’s most important in the football echo chamber. Trophies.
West Ham United defied the norm and ended their extensive wait for silverware in 2023 by picking up the Europa Conference League, while Newcastle did the same when they lifted the Carabao Cup in 2025. Winning trophies is the simplest measure of success for any football team. It’s a date that will remain part of a club’s history for as long as they live. But when was the last time each Premier League club won a major honour?
Please note that Brentford, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham are omitted, seeing as they have not been fortunate enough to get their hands on a major honour, while the Super Cup, Club World Cup and Community Shield are not considered to be major trophies.
15Southampton – 1 May 1976
Trophy: FA Cup
Southampton have had several golden generations since their last major honour, including the early 2010s, when Mauricio Pochettino’s young squad boasted the talents of Adam Lallana, Virgil van Dijk, Victor Wanyama and the like. They also reached the 2017 League Cup final only to narrowly miss out on glory via a 3-2 defeat to Man United.
You’ll have to go back to a time when Paul McCartney had just started his solo career and a muscular action figure called ‘Stretch Armstrong’ was the most popular toy to find the last time the Saints were able to win something. This was in 1976, when an 83rd-minute goal from local lad Bobby Stokes helped Southampton on their way to an FA Cup win over Tommy Docherty’s Man United team.
14Wolverhampton Wanderers – 15 March 1980
Trophy: League Cup
Wolves entered the affair as the underdogs, considering they were facing the reigning League Cup winners and European champions, Nottingham Forest. Level on points in the league, however, the Old Gold knew the win was there for the taking and so, courtesy of a 67th-minute Andy Gray finish past the legendary Peter Shilton, they ran out 1–0 victors.
Their most recent win before 1980 came six years earlier in the same competition, but they have had little to no luck emulating the success since. It’s been a long wait for Wolves fans, and they haven’t been in a final for quite some time despite having made themselves Premier League regulars over the past decade since promotion from the Championship in 2018.
13Ipswich Town – 20 May 1981
Trophy: UEFA Cup
Longtime fans will remember a time when Ipswich Town were far more than a lower-league side simply grateful to be back in the spotlight after two decades away. In the early 80s, they were a force to be reckoned with, finishing runners-up in the old First Division in consecutive seasons (1980-81 and 1981-82) and claiming European silverware.
Now known as the Europa League, the Tractor Boys lifted the trophy after a dramatic two-legged battle in Amsterdam, edging past Dutch side AZ Alkmaar with a 5-4 aggregate win. Ipswich also secured the First Division title in 1961-62 and lifted the FA Cup in 1978, but their last major triumph came in an era when Adam and the Ants topped the singles charts with “Stand & Deliver.”
12Nottingham Forest – 29 April 1990
Trophy: League Cup
On the 30th anniversary of the League Cup, Nottingham Forest and Oldham went toe-to-toe in what would be the former’s most recent major trophy win. Forest’s Des Walker was awarded the Man of the Match gong but had Nigel Jemson to thank for scoring the only goal of the game.
Let’s not forget that just a decade prior, Forest were crowned European champions two times on the bounce and became a dominant force in doing so. Since then, that has not been the case. Long gone are the days of Brian Clough’s European heroes of the late 1970s and early 1980s. The historic club are doing everything they can to rise to prominence in the game once more, however, and under Nuno Espirito Santo, every Saturday night feels like a 70s revival night on the banks of the River Trent.
11Everton – 20 May 1995
Trophy: FA Cup
The Merseyside outfit have been a staple part of the Premier League since its inception in 1992, having not been relegated in that period. That being said, their last major triumph came almost 30 years ago, as Everton lifted the FA Cup in 1995.
It was none other than Manchester United that fell at the feet of the Toffees on that day as Paul Rideout’s headed goal secured the win. As expected, their opponents dominated the rest of the final, though not to avail. Chelsea defeated Everton in the final of the same competition in 2009, and this is the closest the club have come to getting their hands on a trophy during their three-decade-long drought.
10Aston Villa – 24 March 1996
Trophy: League Cup
Having won the trophy just two years prior, Leeds United were no match for the high-flying Aston Villa side, who won 3-0. A dominant first-half display saw Villa enter the break 1-0 to the good, but goals from Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke in the second stage of the game tied up a sweet victory. Equalling Liverpool’s record set in the competition, this occasion marked Villa’s fifth success in the League Cup.
Now employing a serial winner in European competition in Unai Emery, there is a chance Villa Park could welcome a trophy sooner rather than later. There is a real feel-good factor back at the club, and the Villans now aim to earn regular Champions League football and juggle their domestic contributions.
9Tottenham Hotspur – 24 February 2008
Trophy: League Cup
There’s a longstanding running joke among football fans that Tottenham Hotspur are immune to winning trophies. Their last major honour victory came back in 2008 as they defeated London rivals Chelsea 2-1 in the League Cup final.
Didier Drogba smashed in a free-kick to take the lead in the 39th minute, but Tottenham’s persistence paid off. Goals from Spurs duo Dimitar Berbatov and Jonathan Woodgate, who was awarded Man of the Match, fired them into the lead. A fresh era under Ange Postecoglou is now well underway in north London, and he will certainly be gunning for some sort of silverware during his managerial tenure, and even though hope is low at the minute, the Greek-Australian has insisted that he always wins silverware in his second year at a new club.
8Arsenal – 1 August 2020
Trophy: FA Cup
Officially known as the Heads-Up FA Cup final, capital club foes Arsenal and Chelsea played behind closed doors (due to COVID-19) to figure out who would be taking the fabled trophy home with them. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was at the double as Christian Pulisic’s early goal was cancelled out in a 2-1 Arsenal success.
Growing frustrated as the game ran away from them, Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic picked up his second yellow card of the day to receive his marching orders from Anthony Taylor. Until very recently, Arsenal were the most decorated club in the long history of the FA Cup, having lifted the iconic trophy 14 times.
7Leicester City – 15 May 2021
Trophy: FA Cup
It’s a shame that the tragic death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha came with the demise of Leicester City. The Foxes were, for a while, the only team outside the traditional ‘big six’ capable of pushing for silverware, as proven by their historic Premier League triumph in the 2016/17 season, where odds stood at just 500/1.
Now having had their 2024/25 relegation confirmed, their last major honour came in 2021 when Youri Tielemans’ thunderous strike (to avoid using a number of expletives) was the difference between Brendan Rodgers’ side and Chelsea in the FA Cup final. Nowadays, sadly, Leicester City look like a shell of their glorious selves.
6Chelsea – 29 May 2021
Trophy: Champions League
The west London-based side were able to halt Manchester City in their tracks as Pep Guardiola looked to bring home Champions League glory to Manchester for the first time in their history. Not on Thomas Tuchel’s watch.
Now at Arsenal, Kai Havertz opened and closed the scoring three minutes shy of the interval. City were the obvious favourites going into the game but came out dumbfounded at the loss. This marked the Blues’ second success in the Champions League, but was the last trophy to date for the success-hungry club. Chelsea have reached several cup finals since their famous victory against City, but have fallen just short.
a new three-year contract with Liverpool until June 2027.