• Chelsea hold the record for the fewest goals conceded in a Premier League season

• The 2008-09 season saw three teams finish with under 30 goals conceded

• Read below for the 10 campaigns with the fewest goals conceded

---

We are perhaps as fans too enamoured by goal-scoring and too little enamoured by the art of keeping them out.

This of course is understandable, what with goals being the very currency of our excitement. It is a ball nestling in a net that we most fondly recall when we revisit a match. The strike. The micro-second of tension. The flailing arm of a goalkeeper. The eruption of pure joy.  

Check out our BTTS tips on the biggest upcoming football fixtures!

The magical moment was our reward for paying the entrance fee.

So it is that every August we run the rule over the top scorer Premier League odds and back Erling Haaland to bag a ridiculous amount, and marvel at Mo Salah for his prolificacy.

Best Defensive Seasons In Premier League History:

• Chelsea, 2004-05, 15 goals
• Arsenal, 1998-99, 17 goals
• Chelsea, 2005-06, 22 goals
• Manchester United, 2007-08, 22 goals
• Liverpool, 2018-19, 22 goals
• Manchester City, 2018-19, 23 goals
• Chelsea, 2008-09, 24 goals
• Manchester United, 2008-09, 24 goals
• Chelsea, 2006-07, 24 goals
• Liverpool, 2005-06, 25 goals

We hold a special place in our hearts for those who don’t score often but when they do they’re usually spectacular. 

Yet there is also a lot to be said about a brilliantly constructed defence. Their assembly. How each component makes it greater than the sum of its parts.

How two centre-backs, two full-backs and a goalie, via well-drilled organisation, can nullify the most lethal hit-men on a weekly basis all season long. 

These outstanding back-lines – the meanest in modern times – warrant our unreserved admiration. But we should also love them a bit too. 

Liverpool, 2005-06, 25 goals 

Liverpool were on the fringes of the title race in 2005-06, coming off their heroic Champions League win in Istanbul. Rafa Benitez’s football brought success, including the 2005-06 FA Cup, but it was rarely pretty.

The Anfield outfit scored 15 goals fewer than Chelsea and Manchester United in 2005-06, and only two players scored more than 13 goals in the campaign.

Sami Hyypia and Jamie Carragher were the bedrock of the defence, protected by Xabi Alonso and Mohamed Sissoko.

Chelsea, 2006-07, 24 goals 

Having won the league twice-over in Jose Mourinho’s first two seasons in charge, the Blues refused to stand still and went decidedly big in the summer, bringing in Michael Ballack, Salomon Kalou, Andriy Shevchenko and Ashley Cole. 

Crucially and pertinently though, the defensive triangle of Petr Cech in nets, and John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho ahead of him remained untouched.

Which largely explains how Chelsea again managed to concede the fewest amount of goals in the top-flight in what was otherwise a frustrating campaign.

Adapting to their overhaul, Mourinho’s men only lost three times but drew too often, resulting in Manchester United ultimately pipping them to the league crown.  

Manchester United, 2008-09, 24 goals

Winners of a third consecutive league title and Champions League finalists once again, Manchester United won the 2008-09 Premier League by four points.

The defence was less settled than previous seasons, with Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra both missing chunks of the campaign to injury.

The leadership of Nemanja Vidic and Edwin van der Sar was particularly important amid line-up changes, as the Serbian centre-back and Dutch goalkeeper each started 33 league contests.

Chelsea, 2008-09, 24 goals

The Blues have often shunned convention to good effect, winning the Champions League in 2012 with an interim manager, and elsewhere winning leagues amidst chaos. 

Here is another, more niche, example of a club that rarely makes sense, and rarely cares about doing so.

With Mourinho now gone, and Chelsea presided over by three different managers across the whole campaign, a new-look defence saw Alex and Jose Bosingwa join its ranks.

Perhaps this partly explains why the West London giants lost five games in 2009-09, all to top six rivals. Add in eight draws and they were never mentioned loudest in the football bet tips, eventually finishing third.

Yet despite these relative failures, a reimagined back-line was breached every 142 minutes, the seventh best return on record. 

Manchester City, 2018-19, 23 goals

After immortalising themselves as ‘Centurions’ the season before, racking up a momentous 100 points, Pep Guardiola’s formidable creation discovered new heights of excellence in 2018-19, driven to near perfection by a relentless and equally brilliant Liverpool. 

Just 23 goals were conceded along the away and though this was the sixth best defensive season in Premier League history, it still wasn’t the fewest goals conceded that term.

We really are talking here about two very special teams. 

Aymeric Laporte, Kyle Walker and Ederson were the constants in defence while elsewhere a more fluid approach allowed Fernandinho to switch roles for weeks at a time, dropping back to partner Laporte.

To put City’s dominance – and defensive fortitude – into context, they were behind this season for a mere 122 minutes.

Liverpool, 2018-19, 22 goals

Missing out in a remarkably tight and tense title race by a single point, Liverpool went toe-to-toe with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City juggernaut, conceding 0.5 goals per game all season.

Virgil van Dijk and Alisson played every league match. Andrew Robertson missed just two.

Van Dijk’s performances saw him named PFA Players’ Player of the Year, and he finished a narrow second to Lionel Messi in the 2019 Ballon d’Or.

Manchester United, 2007-08, 22 goals

A reasonable argument can be made that the late 2000s saw Sir Alex Ferguson’s United at their absolute peak and subsequently a Premier League and Champions League double was attained, each success forged on a centre-back pairing that has gone down in legend. 

Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand were as solid as it comes in 2007-08, and with the magnificent Edwin van der Sar in his prime between the sticks was it any wonder that only five sides managed to score more than a single goal past them all season?

The success of the defence allowed the Red Devils’ array of attacking talent to flourish and Cristiano Ronaldo announced himself as one of the best players in the world, as they pipped Chelsea to the league title.

Chelsea, 2005-06, 22 goals 

The second of Chelsea’s back-to-back titles wasn’t as lock-tight defensively as the first, but it still places as the third best defensive season in Premier League history.

Led by one of the best defenders in the Premier League in John Terry, the Blues were impenetrable for most of 2005-06 and with Frank Lampard reaching double figures from midfield, and Joe Cole conjuring up party-pieces off the left, the Blues strolled to another title with games to spare. 

Arsenal, 1998-99, 17 goals 

It’s strange to think that the second-best defensive season in Premier League history came from a team which finished runners-up.

Manchester United won the treble in 1998-99, of course, but Arsenal secured their own place in the Premier League records book courtesy of a miserly rearguard that feels atypical of an Arsene Wenger side.

A tally of 12 draws held the Gunners back but the 17 goals conceded was still a remarkable feat, and credit must duly go to their all-English collective of David Seaman, Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Martin Keown.

Chelsea, 2004-05, 15 goals 

Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea set plenty of Premier League records and conceding just 15 goals through a 38-match season is perhaps the most impressive of the lot. It’s telling that no other great champion in the 21st century have come within seven goals of the meagre tally.

It was a parsimony built on a foundation of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho at its heart, in front of Petr Cech who seemed for all the world like he was unbeatable.

Claude Makelele sat in a screening midfield role, while Paulo Ferreira and William Gallas did the majority of the full-back duties.

This was very much a team effort, though, with the Blues having a commitment to defence that has rarely been seen in the Premier League.

---

*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

• The modern-day Championship was formed in 2004

• Billy Sharp is the most prolific goal scorer in Championship history with 130 goals

• Find out the five players who have scored more Championship goals than anyone else below

---

It is blatantly stating the obvious but goals win football matches! And they are particularly important in our EFL Championship which offers a massive financial carrot via promotion to the Premier League.

Before I outline the most prolific Championship strikers of all-time, let’s take a quick look at the top scorers in 2025/26:

• 19 - Joel Piroe, Leeds

• 18 - Borja Sainz, Norwich

• 18 - Josh Brownhill, Burnley

• 15 - Josh Sargent, Norwich

• 13 - Tommy Conway, Middlesbrough

• 13 - Josh Windass, Sheffield Wednesday

Moving on to analyse the situation historically, these are the top five goal scorers since the Championship was rebranded in 2004….

Seasons as Championship Top Scorer

Since 2004, only two players have finished as Championship top scorer on multiple occasions. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake achieved the feat in consecutive seasons in 2007-08 and 2008-09, scoring 48 goals across the two campaigns.

Ebanks-Blake spent the first half of 2007-08 with Plymouth Argyle before joining Wolves, where he scored 51 goals in 101 Championship appearances across two-and-a-half seasons.

Aleksandar Mitrovic joined Ebanks-Blake with two seasons as top goal scorer in 2021-22. Mitrovic shared the goal-scoring lead with Ollie Watkins in 2019-20, with the pair tied on 26 apiece.

After one season in the Premier League, Fulham dropped back down to the Championship in 2021, and Mitrovic finished as top scorer for the second time in three seasons with 43 goals in 44 outings. 

Most Goals In A Championship Season

Aleksandar Mitrovic’s dominant 2021-22 season was the most prolific in Championship history, shattering previous records. 

Glenn Murray’s 30 goals for Crystal Palace in 2012-13 were the record until 2020-21, when he was overtaken by Ivan Toney, who netted 31 for Brentford.

Mitrovic blew both of those seasons out the water in 2021-22, netting 43 goals as Fulham topped the table.

The Serbian international has been a dominant force whenever he has featured in Championship odds. Over 126 second tier appearances, the former Newcastle striker has netted a whopping 96 goals. 

Highest Scorers in Championship History

5th) Chris Martin - 114 goals

Norwich City, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Fulham, Reading, Hull City, Bristol City and Queens Park Rangers.

Martin is no longer a Championship player, but he's still banging in the goals in the Football League.

After receiving Player of the Month in League One a couple of seasons ago, Martin said: “I am confident I can continue to contribute so I don’t even think about my age! I hope to keep finding the back of the net when chances come my way. I just aim to score in every single match I play.”

4th) Ross McCormack - 120 goals

Cardiff City, Leeds United, Fulham, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

McCormack is currently playing his trade for Doncaster City FC in the Central Midlands Alliance League at the 11th level of English football. 

Reflecting on his fruitful past spell gracing the second tier, McCormack said: “Playing in the Championship, you had no breathing space to recover from games.

“Even if you hit a hat-trick for your team on a Saturday, you just couldn’t let it sink in because you went into training on the Sunday and then immediately had another match to face in midweek. But I enjoyed it all.”

3rd) David Nugent - 121 goals

Preston North End, Portsmouth, Leicester City, Middlesbrough and Derby County.

Nugent retired after a brief loan spell with Tranmere Rovers in 2021. 

He made his solitary England appearance whilst featuring in Championship predictions back in March 2007. Going on as a 79th minute substitute away to Andorra, Nugent scored in the final seconds.

He recalls: “It was a totally crazy international experience for me. I was at Preston at the time I got the call-up and no one expected it.

“Scoring for your country is top of the list for things you can do in football. I shot home merely a yard out and it was only against Andorra but no one can take that away from me. It was one of my childhood dreams which came true.”

2nd) Jordan Rhodes - 123 goals

Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town, Blackburn Rovers, Middlesbrough, Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City.

Rhodes hasn't played in the Championship for several years. He last appeared for Mansfield Town on loan in 2025. 

1st) Billy Sharp - 130 goals

Sheffield United, Doncaster Rovers, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Reading and Leeds United.

Nearing the end of his career, Sharp is no longer playing in the Championship. The veteran has an unrivalled record in the second tier, however, and remains top of the goal scoring charts. 

---

*Credit for all photos in this article belongs to Alamy*

With a simple scoring system and limited set of rules, darts is one of the easiest sports to follow.

You don’t need to be a tungsten expert to get involved with darts betting and a packed schedule of tournaments can keep punters entertained.

The PDC World Championship is the darts competition that everyone wants to win.

As of 2024, the prize fund stands at a colossal £2.5 million, with £500,000 going to the winning player. Winning the World Championship is the dream for every aspiring darts player.

Best Darts Tournaments For Prize Money:

1. PDC World Championship - £2.5 million

2. Premier League Darts - £1 million

3. World Matchplay - £800,000

4. Grand Slam Of Darts - £650,000

5. World Grand Prix - £600,000

6. European Championship - £600,000

7. UK Open - £600,000

8. Players Championship - £500,000

9. World Cup Of Darts - £450,000

10. World Series Of Darts - £300,000

Some of the greatest players of all-time have flourished at these tournaments.

Take Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor for example – he had won an incredible 16 PDC World Championship titles when he retired following the 2018 event.

Without further ado, it is time to take a look at the top 10 darts tournaments for prize money.

Follow the latest darts betting news, tips and odds with 888sport and be sure to keep an eye on the darts tournaments schedule throughout the year.

---

*Credit for the main photo belongs to Alamy*

Our cricket expert @SamRCox_ tackles the Sachin Tendulkar vs Virat Kohli debate. Who deserves to be recognised as India's greatest batsman?

---

Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli are two of the greatest batters of all-time.

There are similarities in their paths to stardom, both breaking onto the international scene at a young age, both delivering some marquee knocks against the world’s best attacks.

Tendulkar has been the yardstick for Indian batters, just as Sunil Gavaskar was before. Kohli, though, is a player and personality of a different era.

Weighing up Tendulkar vs Kohli is a debate which will run on for decades. Like with Stokes vs Botham, Messi vs Maradona or LeBron vs Jordan, there are objective and subjective elements.

Comparing two eras is never easy, even for those with a lifetime of experience betting on cricket. 

A raw statistical comparison is perhaps the cleanest way to identify their strengths and weaknesses, but that misses out their overall impact and the quality of opposition. Each faced different challenges throughout their careers which cannot always be quantified. 

The demeanours of the Little Master and King Kohli are in stark contrast. Their place in the history books is remarkably similar, however, and they are almost equally adored by the hundreds of millions of cricket fans in India.

Kohli has conquered all three formats. International T20 cricket came a bit late for Tendulkar, but he was similarly skilled in adapting his game as the colour of the ball changed.

Other than longevity (and that gap is closing), there is little to choose between the numerical records of Kohli and Tendulkar.

Kohli vs Tendulkar Stats

Virat Kohli’s Test average has slipped a fair way below 50 after a subpar few years.

As of March 2025, Kohli averages just 46.85 in Tests, but he’s climbed to 19th in all-time Test runs, and has a place in the top 10 in his sights if he plays into his late thirties.

Tendulkar is the all-time leading Test run scorer having played 200 matches and batting a grand total of 329 times. His average is a few runs superior to Kohli at 53.78.

Only Adam Voges, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis have bettered Tendulkar’s average of retired players to play in the 21st century.

While Kohli’s returns in recent online betting matches have seen a clear decline, he still has a better career average than many greats of the game, including Michael Clarke and Graeme Smith.

Of course, given the favourable conditions batting in India, direct comparison of averages with other players isn’t entirely fair.

Where Kohli looked on a Tendulkar-esque Test trajectory not so long ago, he has slipped to over four runs shy of the Little Master. Tendulkar has the edge here, though it is very possible Kohli closes the gap in the coming years.

Kohli has the advantage in white-ball cricket, however. His ODI strike rate is seven runs per 100 balls better than Tendulkar’s. And yes, scoring rates have increased considerably since Tendulkar retired, but that is a sizeable difference. 

Only two players have a better ODI average than Kohli’s 57.88. Tendulkar’s 44.83 is still impressive, but only one of the players ahead of Kohli has played more than 48 One-Day Internationals. 

The pure numbers also do not take into account the sheer number of match-winning knocks Kohli has played in white-ball cricket. He is a genius in run chases.

It’s only fair to take Kohli’s T20 prowess into account here, too. Aside from his various IPL records, he’s also owner of the third-best batting average in international T20 cricket.

Tendulkar ultimately played just a few IPL seasons in his twilight years. Averaging just under 33 is a solid return, but he is far short of Kohli’s 41.43 in domestic T20 cricket.

Kohli also had a considerable lead in strike rate, up at 134.20 compared to Tendulkar’s 121.08.

Captaincy Impact

Tendulkar captained India just 16 times in Test cricket, winning only four matches. He captained 73 ODIs, winning just 23. It is not even a competition with Kohli in this department.

Kohli is India’s most successful Test captain with 40 wins in 68 matches. His winning percentage is the highest of any Indian skipper to lead the team in more than six Tests.

That trend continues in ODI cricket with 60 wins from 95 matches. He also won 30 of 50 T20is and led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL.

Obviously, a captain’s record is predominantly about the talent around them. India were far less competitive when Tendulkar was in charge, while Kohli benefited from a deep pool of international-calibre players. 

It also shouldn’t be ignored that Kohli is a natural, fiery leader. Tendulkar is a reserved, quieter character. Kohli is a battler, a thoroughbred competitor. 

Tendulkar is adored partly because of his gentle nature. Kohli was made for captaincy; Tendulkar was not. How much this matters in the Tendulkar vs Kohli argument will depend on your mindset, but it is at least a factor to consider. 

On top of being the star batter in three formats alongside IPL commitments and all that comes with being a mega-celebrity in India, Kohli was the driving force of the national team.

His attitude changed the Indian team for the better, making an irrepressible force in T20s, ODIs and Tests. The impact of Kohli the captain is hard to overstate.

How India play cricket has changed, perhaps for good, and their standing among the world’s best teams improved greatly during Kohli’s reign.

Yes, other factors are at play, but just as Allan Border transformed Australia, Kohli has played a seismic role in cementing India’s standing. 

Being a leader and captain for so long obviously takes its toll – it asks so much of a player to do that in multiple formats, particularly with the force of personality that Kohli brought to the role.

Tendulkar vs Kohli Verdict

The packed nature of the cricket calendar for three-format players will probably mean Kohli does not match Tendulkar’s longevity.

Kohli is only just over halfway to Tendulkar’s Test run tally and two-thirds of the way to his ODI mark. The statistics are going to look different comparing players from these eras, such is the role of T20 cricket in the modern calendar.

This isn’t just about aggregate stats, though. Kohli and Tendulkar overlapped, yet they are cricketers from different eras. Kohli has seen the highest T20 scores climb and climb.

The skills modern players possess are remarkable – even technically superb, generally orthodox players like Kohli are playing shots that were not even invented during Tendulkar’s career.

Tendulkar probably could have adapted to the current game if his career came a decade later.

Yet, Kohli and many modern players have had to meet demands that simply did not exist 15 or 20 years ago. That’s before we even consider his influence and workload as a captain.

Kohli will not match Tendulkar’s level of adoration in India, but he’s far closer to the Little Master than most would have imagined when he debuted in international cricket in 2008.

It will take a remarkable final few years of Kohli’s career for him to match Tendulkar in the record books.

In all likelihood, Kohli will not put up the same run totals as Tendulkar, but if he regains his best form for another three or four years, there will be a compelling case to put Kohli at least level with Tendulkar, particularly if India enjoy further team success.

Check All Live Betting Odds Here!

---

*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*