Liverpool's 5 Greatest Ever Premier League Seasons

4. 2005/06 (Final Position: 3rd)

Having won the 2004/05 Champions League, much was expected of Liverpool as they looked to improve on the disappointing fifth-place Premier League finish of that same season. In fairness, they lost focus in the league because of their European exploits, with Benitez often playing second-string teams towards the end of the campaign. The highly-rated Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina was bought from Villarreal, while Peter Crouch made a fairly surprising move from Southampton. With Steven Gerrard in his prime, Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia superb at the back and Xabi Alonso a huge influence in midfield, the Reds had a formidable look about them. Four draws in their opening five league games was a very disappointing start, however, and although they were unbeaten and condeded just two goals during that time, improvements were needed. A 4-1 home defeat to eventual champions Chelsea in their following game was disastrous, while defeat at Fulham a few matches later meant Liverpool had won just twice in eight games. From that point, however, things picked up. The Reds rattled off a sensational run of 10 league wins in a row, in which they scored 21 goals and conceded just once. Gerrard's form, in particular, was scintillating- it would eventually see him win the prestigious PFA Player of the Year award at the end of the season- and as a team they looked unstoppable. Although a minor blip in the early part of 2006 saw their progress halted somewhat, Liverpool lost just one of their last 14 games. It ensured an impressive third-place finish, behind United and Chelsea, but their total of 82 points could easily have won the title in seasons gone by. They also won the FA Cup, as a Gerrard-inspired Reds overcame West Ham on penalties following a 3-3 draw at the Millennium Stadium. Strongest Starting XI: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Riise; Garcia, Alonso, Gerrard (c), Kewell; Crouch, Cisse