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Is Arsene Wenger right? How many points do you need for Premier League title glory?

Leicester City v Everton - Premier League
Image: Is Arsene Wenger right when he spoke about the number of points it takes to win the Premier League?

After Arsene Wenger said it would take 'between 82 and 86 points' to win the Premier League, we analyse the title-winning tallies of previous seasons.

The Arsenal boss was speaking at the club's AGM, and also reflected on how the title race already has indicators even after nine games of the 38 played.

"We have a competitive team in a competitive league," Wenger said. "If you look well after nine games, the first trend is set, as they have 20 points. So the champion will have 82-86 points. Every game is a fight in this league.

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"In every game you have to be absolutely at your best to win. For everyone else it is exactly the same, you have to be really focused on details, at a top, top level for every game. Every detail can make a difference to get you points."

Looking at the stats from the history of the Premier League, Wenger is not far off the mark. Six of the 24 previous winners fall into this bracket and 86 is the average number of points a team needs to win the title.

Premier League winners' points tally

Season Team Points after 9 games Overall points
1992/93 Man Utd 17 84
1993/94 Man Utd 22 92
1994/95 Blackburn 18 89
1995/96 Man Utd 20 82
1996/97 Man Utd 19 75
1997/98 Arsenal 19 78
1998/99 Man Utd 18 79
1999/00 Man Utd 21 91
2000/01 Man Utd 18 80
2001/02 Arsenal 23 90
2002/03 Man Utd 17 83
2003/04 Arsenal 23 90
2004/05 Chelsea 20 95
2005/06 Chelsea 27 91
2006/07 Man Utd 22 89
2007/08 Man Utd 20 87
2008/09 Man Utd 18 90
2009/10 Chelsea 21 86
2010/11 Man Utd 17 80
2011/12 Man City 25 89
2012/13 Man Utd 21 89
2013/14 Man City 16 86
2014/15 Chelsea 23 87
2015/16 Leicester 16 81

The highest tally that has won the trophy came from Chelsea in the 2004/05 campaign where they amassed a huge 95 points, surpassing the previous record set by Manchester United in the 1993/94 season (92) - although that season was played over 42 matches.

United also have the lowest ever points tally for a league win, doing so with 75 points in the 1996/97 campaign with Wenger's Arsenal not far ahead in the following campaign (78). 

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Frank Lampard, Jose Mourhino, John Terry and Paulo Ferreira hold the trophy after receiving the Premier League trophy for Chelsea in 2005
Image: Chelsea won the title in the 2004/05 season with the most points in the Premier League's history

The Frenchman also calls it correctly with the number of points after nine games.

Premier League winners have had between 16 and 27 points at this stage in the season and the average for the eventual winners is 20 points - the number of points Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool currently have at the top of the table.

Leicester only had 16 points after nine fixtures last term while Man City also had the same amount at this stage of their 2014/15 win. 

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In contrast, City had 25 points from nine games when they won the title in 2011/12 but the record belongs to Chelsea who had a perfect 27 points after nine matches of the 2005/06 season. 

Arsenal's worst starts to a Premier League season came in 1992/93 and 1994/95 when they had just 11 points from nine matches and ended in 10th and 12th place respectively during those 42-game seasons.

Since then, they have never ended a season outside the top five, but their highest totals after nine games did not come in title-winning seasons.

They have twice had 25 points at this stage of the season and finished second in 2004/05 and third in the 2007/08 campaign. 

Arsenal's Premier League points

Season Points after 9 games Final position
1992/93 11 10
1993/94 19 4
1994/95 11 12
1995/96 18 5
1996/97 20 3
1997/98 19 1
1998/99 14 2
1999/00 19 2
2000/01 18 2
2001/02 18 1
2002/03 23 2
2003/04 23 1
2004/05 25 2
2005/06 16 4
2006/07 18 4
2007/08 25 3
2008/09 19 4
2009/10 19 3
2010/11 17 4
2011/12 13 3
2012/13 15 4
2013/14 22 4
2014/15 14 3
2015/16 19 2

Read Martin Tyler's stats column every week for more analysis and statistical answers from the Premier League.

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