"Can we play you every week?" is the rhetorically-phrased terrace chant you'll hear most Saturdays at at least one English football ground. It's a taunt from one set of fans, directed towards the opposing set of supporters whenever the former's side is usually two-or-more goals to the good.
Playing the same team every week would, of course, be complete nonsense, even if for some sides, it would effectively guarantee them three points - which is what the chant asks knowing full well, they can't.
But, what's the longest your team has gone without playing a particular opponent? You've faced them before, but the footballing Gods have conspired to keep you both apart. FourFourTwo have done the requisite digging.
It's 130 years since Arsenal last played this English league opponent
Two cup competitions (Carabao Cup and FA Cup) mean the likelihood of facing a team in another division each season is pretty common, but for some clubs, such as those who've never been relegated from the top flight, they can be chance encounters.
Take Arsenal for example, they've played Crewe Alexandra six times in their history, but each of those came when Queen Victoria sat on the throne. How they've never been drawn against each other in the cups, we'll never know.
🔘 PREMIER LEAGUE
Arsenal
Longest without playing: Woolwich Arsenal 7-0 Crewe Alexandra 1896 Division Two
Aston Villa
Longest without playing: Aston Villa 1-1 Lincoln City 1960 Division Two
AFC Bournemouth
Longest without playing: Newport County 0-1 AFC Bournemouth 1987 Division Three
Brentford
Longest without playing: York City 1-2 Brentford 2002 FA Cup
Brighton & Hove Albion
Longest without playing: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 York City 2001 Division 3
Chelsea
Longest without playing: Stockport County 0-0 Chelsea 1926 Division Two
Coventry City
Longest without playing: Coventry City 0-2 Liverpool 2001 Premier League
Crystal Palace
Longest without playing: Crystal Palace 2-1 Wrexham 1982 Division Two
Everton
Longest without playing: Northampton Town 0-2 Everton 1966 Division One
Fulham
Longest without playing: Fulham 2-0 Newport County 1987 Division Three
Hull City
Longest without playing: Newport County 0-1 Hull City 1985 Division Three
Ipswich Town
Longest without playing: Mansfield 2-3 Ipswich Town 1963 FA Cup
Leeds United
Longest without playing: York City 0-4 Leeds United 1987 League Cup
Liverpool
Longest without playing: Liverpool 2-0 Gillingham 1914 FA Cup
Manchester City
Longest without playing: Manchester City 4-1 Barnet 1994 League Cup
Manchester United
Longest without playing: Doncaster Rovers 0-0 Manchester United 1936 Division Two
Newcastle United
Longest without playing: Newcastle United 2-3 Chesterfield 1947 Division Two
Nottingham Forest
Longest without playing: Nottingham Forest 2-1 Newport County 1951 Division Three (South)
Sunderland
Longest without playing: Wrexham 0-1 Sunderland 1980 Division Two
Tottenham Hotspur
Longest without playing: Chesterfield 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur 1949 Division Two
🔘 CHAMPIONSHIP
Birmingham City
Longest without playing: Newport County 0-3 Birmingham City 1947 Division Two
Blackburn Rovers
Longest without playing: Chesterfield Town 0-1 Blackburn Rovers 1980 Division 3
Bolton Wanderers
Longest without playing: Bolton Wanderers 2-0 York City 2011 FA Cup
Bristol City
Longest without playing: Arsenal 0-0 Bristol City 1980 Division One
Burnley
Longest without playing: Burnley 2-0 Newport County 1988 Division Four
Cardiff City
Longest without playing: York City 3-3 Cardiff City 2001 Division Three
Charlton Athletic
Longest without playing: Charlton Athletic 3-2 York City 1976 Division Two
Derby County
Longest without playing: York City 1-3 Derby County 1986 Division Three
Lincoln City
Longest without playing: Lincoln City 8-1 Bromley 1938 FA Cup
Middlesbrough
Longest without playing: Leyton Orient 2-1 Middlesbrough 1978 FA Cup
Millwall
Longest without playing: Arsenal 0-2 Millwall 1995 FA Cup
Norwich City
Longest without playing: Norwich City 5-1 Mansfield Town 1959 Division Three
Portsmouth
Longest without playing: Huddersfield 4-1 Portsmouth 2001 Division One
Preston North End
Longest without playing: Newport County 3-3 Preston North End 1985 Division Three
Queens Park Rangers
Longest without playing: Queens Park Rangers 3-2 Newport County 1962 FA Cup
Sheffield United
Longest without playing: Sheffield United 2-0 Newport County 1984 Division 3
Southampton
Longest without playing: Barnet 1-4 Southampton 1954 FA Cup
Stoke City
Longest without playing: Stoke City 4-1 Barnet 1993 Autoglass Trophy
Swansea City
Longest without playing: Swansea City 0-0 Grimsby Town 2005 League Two
Watford
Longest without playing: Mansfield Town 0-3 Watford 1979 Division Three
West Bromwich Albion
Longest without playing: York City 0-1 West Bromwich Albion 1976 Division Two
West Ham United
Longest without playing: West Ham United 4-1 Exeter City 1915 Division Three
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Longest without playing: York City 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1986 Division Three
Wrexham
Longest without playing: Wrexham 1-3 Liverpool 1978 League Cup
🔘 LEAGUE ONE
AFC Wimbledon
Longest without playing: AFC Wimbledon 1-2 Liverpool 2015 FA Cup
Barnsley
Longest without playing: Barnsley 0-2 Arsenal 1998 Premier League
Blackpool
Longest without playing: York City 0-2 Blackpool 2004 LDV Vans Trophy
Bradford City
Longest without playing: Bradford City 0-0 Fulham 1994 Division Two
Bromley
Longest without playing: Lincoln City 8-1 Bromley 1938 FA Cup
Burton Albion
Longest without playing: York City 1-1 Burton Albion 2015 League Two
Cambridge United
Longest without playing: Everton 3-0 Cambridge United 1976 FA Cup
Doncaster Rovers
Longest without playing: Doncaster Rovers 0-0 Manchester United 1936 Division Two
Huddersfield Town
Longest without playing: Huddersfield Town 1-0 Newport County 1938 Division Three
Leicester City
Longest without playing: Cambridge United 1-3 Leicester City 1993 Division 1 (Scheduled to play each other again on 1st December 2026)
Leyton Orient
Longest without playing: Leyton Orient 2-1 Liverpool 1963 Division One
Luton Town
Longest without playing: Southampton 1-0 Luton Town 2010 FA Cup
Mansfield Town
Longest without playing: Norwich City 5-1 Mansfield Town 1959 Division Three
Milton Keynes Dons
Longest without playing: Milton Keynes Dons 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur 2006 League Cup
Notts County
Longest without playing: Notts County 1-1 Manchester United 1992 Division One
Oxford United
Longest without playing: Oxford United 0-3 Liverpool 1987 Division One
Peterborough United
Longest without playing: Peterborough United 2-1 Arsenal 1965 FA Cup
Plymouth Argyle
Longest without playing: Plymouth Argyle 1-5 Tottenham Hotspur 1962 FA Cup
Reading
Longest without playing: Barnet 4-1 Reading 2001 LDV Vans Trophy
Sheffield Wednesday
Longest without playing: Newport County 3-2 Sheffield Wednesday 1964 FA Cup
Stevenage
Longest without playing: Stevenage 3-1 Newcastle United 2011 FA Cup
Stockport County
Never played: Stockport County 0-0 Chelsea 1926 Division Two
Wigan Athletic
Longest without playing: Newport County 1-2 Wigan Athletic 1987 Division Three
Wycombe Wanderers
Longest without playing: Wycombe Wanderers 1-2 Liverpool 2001 FA Cup
🔘 LEAGUE TWO
Accrington Stanley
Longest without playing: Watford 0-0 Accrington Stanley 2006 League Cup (Accrington Stanley lost on penalties)
Barnet
Longest without playing: Barnet 1-4 Southampton 1954 FA Cup
Bristol Rovers
Longest without playing: Bristol Rovers 1-1 Manchester United 1975 Division Two
Cheltenham Town
Longest without playing: Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-1 Cheltenham Town 1987 FA Cup
Chesterfield
Longest without playing: Chesterfield 1-5 Arsenal 1937 FA Cup
Colchester United
Longest without playing: Arsenal 4-0 Colchester United 1959 FA Cup
Crawley Town
Longest without playing: Manchester United 1-0 Crawley Town 2011 FA Cup
Crewe Alexandra
Longest without playing: Woolwich Arsenal 7-0 Crewe Alexandra 1896 Division Two
Exeter City
Longest without playing: Chelsea 2-0 Exeter City 1951 FA Cup
Fleetwood Town
Longest without playing: Fleetwood Town 0-0 York City 2014 League Two Play Off Semi Final Second Leg
Gillingham
Longest without playing: Liverpool 2-0 Gillingham 1914 FA Cup
Grimsby Town
Longest without playing: Everton 0-1 Grimsby Town 1984 League Cup
Newport County
Longest without playing: Newport County 0-3 Birmingham City 1947 Division Two
Northampton Town
Longest without playing: Arsenal 1-1 Northampton Town 1965 Division One
Oldham Athletic
Longest without playing: Aston Villa 1-2 Oldham Athletic 1994 Premier League
Port Vale
Longest without playing: Port Vale 0-1 West Ham United 1991 Division Two
Rochdale
Longest without playing: Arsenal 4-2 Rochdale 1920 FA Cup
Rotherham United
Longest without playing: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Rotherham United 1972 FA Cup
Salford City
Longest without playing: Everton 3-0 Salford City 2020 League Cup
Shrewsbury Town
Longest without playing: Newcastle United 2-1 Shrewsbury Town 1987 Simod Cup
Swindon Town
Longest without playing: Liverpool 2-2 Swindon Town 1993 Premier League
Tranmere Rovers
Longest without playing: Arsenal 0-1 Tranmere Rovers 1973 League Cup
Walsall
Longest without playing: Walsall 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur 1969 FA Cup
York City
Longest without playing: York City 3-1 Tottenham Hotspur 1955 FA Cup
