Sky Sports have compiled the 'Ultimate' League table based on teams’ average season-ending positions over the last 50 years.
Only teams that have appeared in the top four English leagues for at least 15 seasons since 1964/65 have been included – although any ventures into non-league are also reflected.
Liverpool emerged top of the 90-team pile after recording a remarkable average finishing position of 3.3 over the past half-century. Rivals Manchester United and Arsenal complete the top three.
According to the average positions, Dean Smith's Walsall sit in 56th position with an average position of 57.8 (out of 90), whilst Steve Cotterill’s fellow Sky Bet League 1 side Bristol City, who sealed promotion to the Championship last week, belong in England’s second tier as they are 37th in the Ultimate League.
Clubs that have appeared in England’s top four tiers for 15 seasons or more since 1964/65 but were not included in the average league due to diminished status or dissolution include Chester City, Darlington, Hereford United, Newport County, Aldershot, Scarborough and Halifax Town.
1 Liverpool (avg position: 3.3)
2 Manchester United (4.9)
3 Arsenal (5.4)
4 Everton (8.8)
5 Tottenham Hotspur (9)
6 Chelsea (11)
7 Aston Villa (14.5)
8 Manchester City (14.6)
9 Newcastle United (14.6)
10 West Ham United (15.2)
11 Leeds United (16.4)
12 Southampton (17.9)
13 Nottingham Forest (20)
14 Ipswich Town (21.2)
15 Coventry City (22.2)
16 West Bromwich Albion (22.4)
17 Sunderland (22.5)
18 Leicester City (22.5)
19 Norwich City (22.9)
20 Derby County (23.3)
21 Middlesbrough (23.6)
22 Queens Park Rangers (25)
23 Blackburn Rovers (25.1)
24 Stoke (25.4)
25 Birmingham (26.1)
26 Wolverhampton Wanderers (26.5)
27 Crystal Palace (28.2)
28 Sheffield Wednesday (29)
29 Sheffield United (30)
30 Bolton Wanderers (32.1)
31 Charlton Athletic (32.2)
32 Fulham (35.7)
33 Watford (36.8)
34 Portsmouth (37.3)
35 Millwall (39.7)
36 Burnley (39.9)
37 Bristol City (41.7)
38 Luton Town (45.3)
39 Oldham Athletic (46.5)
40 Huddersfield Town (47.1)
41 Cardiff City (47.5)
42 Hull City (47.7)
43 Blackpool (47.7)
44 Reading (47.9)
45 Barnsley (47.9)
46 Brighton & Hove Albion (48)
47 Preston North End (48.1)
48 Swindon Town (49.9)
49 Notts County (53.3)
50 Plymouth Argyle (53.4)
51 MK Dons (Wimbledon) (53.5)
52 Oxford United (54.8)
53 Bristol Rovers (56.4)
54 Rotherham United (57.3)
55 Swansea Town (57.4)
56 Walsall (57.8)
57 Tranmere Rovers (58.4)
58 Carlisle United (58.7)
59 Leyton Orient (59.3)
60 Bradford City (59.5)
61 Grimsby (59.62)
62 Bournemouth (59.8)
63 Gillingham (60.4)
64 Brentford (61.3)
65 Port Vale (61.4)
66 Wigan Athletic (61.7)
67 Shrewsbury Town (61.8)
68 Bury (64.2)
69 Southend United (64.9)
70 Peterborough United (65.2)
71 Chesterfield Town (67.2)
72 Colchester United (67.5)
73 Crewe Alexandra (69.4)
74 Wrexham (69.9)
75 Doncaster Rovers (72.3)
76 Northampton Town (72.3)
77 Scunthorpe United (72.5)
78 Mansfield Town (73)
79 Stockport County (73.1)
80 Cambridge United (75.6)
81 Exeter City (77)
82 Hartlepool United (77.1)
83 York City (77.1)
84 Lincoln City (78.5)
85 Torquay United (78.9)
86 Rochdale (79.5)
87 Wycombe Wanderers (87.7)
88 Macclesfield Town (94.7)
89 Barnet (95.9)
90 Cheltenham Town (101.4)