Skip to main content
FourFourTwo FourFourTwo FOOTBALL NEWS, FEATURES, QUIZZES
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of 대한민국
대한민국
flag of Türkiye
Türkiye
  • Soccer Cleat Buying Guides
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Video
  • Features
  • Quizzes
  • Clubs
  • More
    • Interviews
    • The Magazine Archive
    • Subscribe
    • Lists
    • How to watch
    • About
Trending
  • WATCH the UCL
  • Transfers
  • Interviews
  • Messi
  • Ronaldo
  • EPL

Recommended reading

Manchester United have spent a whopping 32 season in England's top flight
Quiz Quiz! Can you name every Premier League club in order from most successful to least?
Newcastle's Cheik Tiote celebrates his equaliser against Arsenal in February 2011, when the Magpies came back from 4-0 down to seal a 4-4 draw at St. James' Park.
Quiz Quiz! Can you name the Newcastle line-up from their 4-4 epic with Arsenal in 2011?
Leeds United celebrate after winning the EFL Championship in 2024/25
Lists Ranked! The 10 best Championship teams EVER, by points total
Anthony Elanga of Nottingham Forest fends off Lucas Digne of Aston Villa during the Premier League match at the City Ground in Nottingham, England on 14 December, 2024.
Premier League What every Premier League team has to play for on the last game of the season
Marc Guehi lifts the FA Cup after Crystal Palace's win over Manchester City in the final in May 2025.
Lists Biggest FA Cup final shocks
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, May 2025
Analysis Manchester City v Bournemouth preview: Facts and stats ahead of big Premier League clash
Jules Breach
Stories JULES BREACH: No one expected Kevin De Bruyne to become the legend he became: but he was always more than just numbers
  1. Features

Revealed! Which Premier League teams are best at coming from behind?

By Greg Lea published 15 December 2017

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Bouncing back

Bouncing back

It’s often said that the truest test of a team’s overall quality is how they react after falling behind. Using data from Bwin from the last 10 Premier League seasons, this slideshow reveals which current top-flight clubs are most successful at mounting comebacks after letting in the game’s opening goal.

The teams are ranked on the percentage of possible points won after conceding first, which helps us determine who is most adept at turning negative situations into positive ones.

Page 1 of 21
Page 1 of 21
20. Huddersfield (0%)

20. Huddersfield (0%)

Huddersfield have enjoyed a promising start to their first top-flight campaign in 45 years, but one area where David Wagner will know they can improve is their reaction to going a goal behind.

Indeed, the Terriers have conceded first in seven matches so far in 2017/18, but they’re yet to gain a single point from such situations. Interestingly, it wasn’t a particular problem in the Championship in Town’s promotion season, when they won three games after going 1-0 down.

Page 2 of 21
Page 2 of 21
19. Brighton (8.3%)

19. Brighton (8.3%)

The 2017/18 season is Brighton’s first in the top flight in the 10-year period covered here, and they’re still awaiting their first Premier League victory after letting in the game’s first goal.

That’s something Chris Hughton’s men have done eight times this term, but the only thing Albion have to show for it is draws with Stoke and Southampton. Mounting more comebacks could be the difference between survival and relegation for the south coast side.

Page 3 of 21
Page 3 of 21
18. Burnley (8.7%)

18. Burnley (8.7%)

Of teams who have spent at least a full season in the Premier League over the last decade, Burnley have the worst record when it comes to picking up points after conceding first. The Clarets have lost 79% of the games in which their opponents have opened the scoring, gaining just 19 points from a possible 219.

Sean Dyche’s men achieved a creditable 1-1 draw against Tottenham in August 2017 after Dele Alli broke the deadlock, while they also required an equaliser to draw 1-1 with West Ham the following month.

Page 4 of 21
Page 4 of 21
17. Watford (12.9%)

17. Watford (12.9%)

Watford have tended to struggle after going behind in the Premier League, accumulating just 19 of a possible 147 points in games where they’ve conceded first.

Eight of those points came under Walter Mazzarri in 2016/17, while the Hornets collected seven when Quique Sanchez Flores was in charge in 2015/16. Marco Silva, meanwhile, has guided the club to a draw with West Brom and victory over Arsenal after falling behind.

Page 5 of 21
Page 5 of 21
16. Bournemouth (13.2%)

16. Bournemouth (13.2%)

Bournemouth have conceded the first goal 43 times during their Premier League existence, with Eddie Howe’s side managing to recover 17 points in that time.

The Cherries bounced back from 1-0 down to beat Crystal Palace in 2015/16, before repeating the trick in a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Liverpool the following campaign. They also defeated West Ham after letting in the first goal that same season, before doing the same against Brighton in September 2017.

Page 6 of 21
Page 6 of 21
15. Newcastle (13.4%)

15. Newcastle (13.4%)

Newcastle have endured two Championship campaigns over the last 10 years, but there’s still a large sample size to work from. Indeed, the Magpies have faced a 1-0 deficit in 167 top-flight matches in the time covered here, with 67 points rescued from a possible 501.

The north-east outfit were responsible for one of the Premier League’s greatest ever comebacks, when Arsenal threw away a 4-0 lead at St James’ Park in February 2011. The current campaign has proved more of a struggle, with Newcastle taking only one point from games in which they’ve lost the opening goal.

Page 7 of 21
Page 7 of 21
14. Swansea (14.7%)

14. Swansea (14.7%)

Conceding the first goal has been fatal for Swansea in their first 17 matches of 2017/18, with Paul Clement’s side having failed to register a single point in any of the games they’ve fallen behind.

The Swans' overall record during their present seven-season stay in the Premier League is also one of the poorest once recently promoted Huddersfield and Brighton are discounted: the Welshmen have collected 56 points from a possible 381 when their opponents have established a one-goal advantage.

Page 8 of 21
Page 8 of 21
13. West Brom (15.3%)

13. West Brom (15.3%)

West Brom have leaked the opening goal 177 times in the last 10 years, with 15.3% of 531 possible points recovered during that time.

Part of the reason for the Baggies’ general struggles in 2017/18 is their inability to bounce back after conceding first, with West Brom yet to pick up a point after falling behind. Even when they finished 10th under Roy Hodgson in 2011/12, the West Midlanders only avoided defeat four times in matches where their opponents took the lead.

Page 9 of 21
Page 9 of 21
12. West Ham (15.4%)

12. West Ham (15.4%)

The Hammers have only recovered from conceding the first goal once in 2017/18, drawing 1-1 with Leicester at the London Stadium in November. Not that being able to bounce back is necessarily conducive to a positive season: West Ham avoided defeat six times after falling behind in 2010/11, but even that wasn’t enough to prevent them from suffering relegation with a game to spare.

In the last 10 years, the east London outfit have accumulated 81 from a possible 525 points in matches where their opponents have broken the deadlock.

Page 10 of 21
Page 10 of 21
11. Stoke (15.7%)

11. Stoke (15.7%)

Stoke have been the epitome of a mid-table Premier League side over the last few years, and halfway up the standings is exactly where they find themselves in this ranking after picking up 82 points from the 174 games they’ve gone 1-0 down in.

An example of the Potters’ fighting spirit came in a 2-1 triumph over Swansea in December 2017, when goals from Xherdan Shaqiri and Mame Biram Diouf cancelled out Wilfried Bony’s early effort against his former club.

Page 11 of 21
Page 11 of 21
10. Crystal Palace (16.5%)

10. Crystal Palace (16.5%)

Crystal Palace have conceded the first goal in 101 matches since their promotion back to the Premier League in 2012/13. The south London side have gone on to lose the majority of those encounters, but salvaging 50 points from a possible 303 is enough for them to sneak into the top 10 of this list.

Their most memorable comeback came against Liverpool in 2013/14, a 3-3 draw which put a significant dent in the Reds’ title hopes. This season, Palace have bounced back from conceding first to defeat Stoke and Watford.

Page 12 of 21
Page 12 of 21
9. Southampton (17.3%)

9. Southampton (17.3%)

With 44 collected from a possible 255, Southampton have a 17.3% success rate in gathering points after going behind. Saints recovered from falling 1-0 down on five occasions under Mauricio Pochettino in 2013/14, including when Dani Osvaldo’s strike earned them a point against future champions Manchester City.

Southampton have only bounced back once so far in 2017/18, with Manolo Gabbiadini’s brace earning them a 2-2 draw against a Newcastle side who broke the deadlock.

Page 13 of 21
Page 13 of 21
8. Leicester (18.8%)

8. Leicester (18.8%)

Leicester relied heavily on scoring the first goal in the second half of their triumphant 2015/16 season; once Claudio Ranieri’s side edged ahead, they could play their natural game of sitting deep and counter-attacking at pace knowing their opponents would be forced to come onto them.

In the first half of the campaign, though, they staged two memorable comebacks after going 1-0 down, turning deficits into defeats of Aston Villa and West Brom. In the entire period covered, the Foxes have earned 35 points out of a possible 186.

Page 14 of 21
Page 14 of 21
7. Everton (24%)

7. Everton (24%)

Everton may have been dominated for the majority of December’s Merseyside derby, but a Wayne Rooney penalty earned them a draw against Liverpool after going 1-0 down. That was the 119th point they have collected from a possible 495 following the concession of the first goal, with November’s come-from-behind victory over Watford another example of their ability to bounce back.

One of their most successful seasons in recovering a one-goal deficit came in 2009/10, when the Toffees hit back eight times after falling behind in 16 games.

Page 15 of 21
Page 15 of 21
6. Man City (26.7%)

6. Man City (26.7%)

Manchester City are threatening to run away with the Premier League title this season, but even they aren’t perfect: as far as the big six clubs are concerned, the Sky Blues struggle most when it comes to converting a losing position into a winning one.

Despite winning the league twice in the last 10 years, City have lost 58% of matches in which they’ve conceded first. Pep Guardiola’s side have shown greater resilience in 2017/18, though, coming from 1-0 down to beat Bournemouth, Huddersfield and West Ham.

Page 16 of 21
Page 16 of 21
5. Liverpool (27.3%)

5. Liverpool (27.3%)

In the last 10 years, the Reds have earned 100 points from the 122 encounters in which they’ve let in the first goal.

In terms of 2017/18, Liverpool are yet to win a game after conceding the first goal, although they did salvage draws against both Watford and Burnley. Last season was more successful, as Jurgen Klopp’s men triumphed over Arsenal, Swansea, Stoke (twice) and Burnley despite going 1-0 down.

Page 17 of 21
Page 17 of 21
4. Tottenham (30.1%)

4. Tottenham (30.1%)

The derogatory term ‘Spursy’ refers to Tottenham’s perceived lack of resilience and mental strength, but the north Londoners’ percentage of points won after conceding the first goal is among the highest in the Premier League.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side earned 17 points after their opponents drew first blood in 2016/17, including victories over West Ham, Burnley, Southampton and Swansea. So far in 2017/18, meanwhile, Spurs have overturned one-goal deficits to draw against West Brom and Watford.

Page 18 of 21
Page 18 of 21
3. Man United (31.9%)

3. Man United (31.9%)

United rank third in the Premier League for bouncing back from conceding the first goal, taking 110 points from a possible 345 in the last decade. The Red Devils beat Newcastle after going 1-0 down in November 2017, but they were unable to repeat the feat against Huddersfield, Chelsea and Manchester City.

United’s 5-3 victory over Tottenham in 2001 is one of the Premier League’s most famous comebacks, but they also beat the same opposition after falling behind in the 10-year period covered – a 5-2 win at Old Trafford in 2009.

Page 19 of 21
Page 19 of 21
2. Arsenal (35.7%)

2. Arsenal (35.7%)

Along with the first-placed team in this list, Arsenal are the only side who have lost fewer than the half the games they conceded in first. The Gunners have won 26% of such matches in the last 10 years, including a Robin van Persie-inspired 2-1 victory over Chelsea in November 2008.

More recently, Arsene Wenger’s men recovered from a goal down to overcome Swansea in October 2017, before salvaging a 1-1 draw at Southampton with a late leveller two months later. In total, the north Londoners have taken 137 out of a possible 384 points after falling 1-0 behind.

Page 20 of 21
Page 20 of 21
1. Chelsea (39.3%)

1. Chelsea (39.3%)

It’s official: Chelsea are the Premier League’s comeback kings. The Blues have picked up 132 out of a possible 336 points after conceding the game’s first goal, while equally impressive is the fact they have won 33% of the matches in which they’ve fallen behind.

Antonio Conte’s charges fought back to earn a draw against Liverpool in November, but they have been unable to take anything from meetings with Burnley, Manchester City, Crystal Palace and West Ham after seeing their backline breached first in 2017/18.

Page 21 of 21
Page 21 of 21
TOPICS
Premier League Arsenal Manchester City Manchester United Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur Everton Burnley Leicester City Watford Crystal Palace Swansea City Newcastle United Brighton and Hove Albion Huddersfield Town West Bromwich Albion West Ham United Southampton Stoke City
Greg Lea
Greg Lea
Social Links Navigation

Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).

Read more
Manchester United have spent a whopping 32 season in England's top flight
Quiz! Can you name every Premier League club in order from most successful to least?
Newcastle's Cheik Tiote celebrates his equaliser against Arsenal in February 2011, when the Magpies came back from 4-0 down to seal a 4-4 draw at St. James' Park.
Quiz! Can you name the Newcastle line-up from their 4-4 epic with Arsenal in 2011?
Leeds United celebrate after winning the EFL Championship in 2024/25
Ranked! The 10 best Championship teams EVER, by points total
Anthony Elanga of Nottingham Forest fends off Lucas Digne of Aston Villa during the Premier League match at the City Ground in Nottingham, England on 14 December, 2024.
What every Premier League team has to play for on the last game of the season
Marc Guehi lifts the FA Cup after Crystal Palace's win over Manchester City in the final in May 2025.
Biggest FA Cup final shocks
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, May 2025
Manchester City v Bournemouth preview: Facts and stats ahead of big Premier League clash
Latest in Lists
Neymar in action for PSG
The 100 most expensive football transfers of all time
Ranked! The 10 best strikers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best strikers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best left wingers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best left-wingers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best right wingers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best right-wingers in the world
Ranked! The 10 best attacking midfielders in the world
Ranked! The 10 best attacking midfielders in the world
Ranked! The 10 best defensive midfielders in the world
Ranked! The 10 best defensive midfielders in the world
Latest in Features
Friday Football Quiz
Friday Football Quiz, episode 68: Can you get 20 correct answers?
Wayne Rooney reacts after scoring for England against Switzerland at Euro 2004.
Quiz! Can you name every England player to have been to three or more tournaments?
Leah Williamson and Millie Bright of England lift the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Trophy after their sides victory in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final match between England and Germany at Wembley Stadium on July 31, 2022 in London, England.
Women's Euro 2025: Official broadcasters
Premier League winter break
When is the Premier League winter break in 2025/26?
Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) and Aston Villa's Spanish head coach Unai Emery (R) watch from the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park in Birmingham, central England on February 18, 2023.
Premier League fixtures difficulty REVEALED: Arsenal have tough start, with Aston Villa handed a favourable first six matches
Salomon Rondon of CF Pachuca poses for a portrait during the official FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Portrait Session on June 14, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
'This tournament means a lot to me. As a footballer, the opportunity to be part of it, at 35 years old, is massive. I’m really happy' Salomon Rondon tells FourFourTwo why the Club World Cup means so much more for Pachuca
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is looking over his shoulder at the Emirates
    1
    Arsenal reach agreement reached to sign Martin Odegaard successor: report
  2. 2
    Liverpool report: Bayer Leverkusen to break transfer record in unprecedented deal
  3. 3
    Premier League issues statement after Manchester City found to have frequently ‘breached’ rule
  4. 4
    Manchester United transfer confirmed to join with five-year deal: report
  5. 5
    Liverpool reach 'full agreement' for third signing - with Marc Guehi move coming next: report

FourFourTwo is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About FourFourTwo
  • Advertise with us
  • Worldwide
  • How to pitch to FourFourTwo

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...