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The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League (EFL). Seasons typically run from August to May with each team playing 38 matches (playing all 19 other teams both home and away). Most games are played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.

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At the close of the 1990–1991 season, a proposal was tabled for the establishment of a new league that would bring more money into the game overall. The Founder Members Agreement, signed on 17 July 1991 by the game's top-flight clubs, established the basic principles for setting up the FA Premier League. The newly formed top division was to have commercial independence from The Football Association and the Football League, giving the FA Premier League licence to negotiate its own broadcast and sponsorship agreements. The argument given at the time was that the extra income would allow English clubs to compete with teams across Europe. Although Dyke played a significant role in the creation of the Premier League, he and ITV (of which LWT was part) lost out in the bidding for broadcast rights: BSkyB won with a bid of £304 million over five years, with the BBC awarded the highlights package broadcast on Match of the Day.

The First Division clubs resigned en masse from the Football League in 1992, and on 27 May that year the FA Premier League was formed as a limited company, working out of an office at the Football Association's then headquarters in Lancaster Gate.

This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions; the Premier League would operate with a single division and the Football League with three. There was no change in competition format; the same number of teams competed in the top flight, and promotion and relegation between the Premier League and the new First Division remained the same as the old First and Second Divisions with three teams relegated from the league and three promoted.

The league held its first season in 1992–93. It was composed of 22 clubs for that season (reduced to 20 in the 1995–96 season). The first Premier League goal was scored by Brian Deane of Sheffield United in a 2–1 win against Manchester United. Luton Town, Notts County, and West Ham United were the three teams relegated from the old First Division at the end of the 1991–92 season, and did not take part in the inaugural Premier League season.

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Fifty clubs have played in the Premier League from its inception in 1992, up to and including the 2022–23 season.
Forty-eight are based in England and two (Cardiff City and Swansea City) are located in Wales; they play in the English football league system for practical and historical reasons.

Preston North End are the only former top-flight First Division champions who have never played in the Premier League, and are among a group of fifteen clubs, thirteen of which are active, that have played in the old First Division but not in the Premier League. By contrast, Barnsley, Bournemouth, Hull City, Reading, Swindon Town, and Wigan Athletic never played in the old First Division before being promoted to the Premier League.

Twelve of the 22 founder members of the Premier League are competing in the 2022–23 season. Six (Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur) have contested every season of the Premier League. The remaining six (Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Southampton) were also founder members, though each team has been relegated at least once in the past.

Two clubs, Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, are not founding members of the Premier League, but have not been relegated since making their debuts in the Premier League via promotion in 2021 and 2017, respectively.

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The Premier League maintains two trophies – the genuine trophy (held by the reigning champions) and a spare replica. Two trophies are held for the purpose of making the award within minutes of the title being secured, in the event that on the final day of the season two clubs are still within reach of winning the League. In the rare event that more than two clubs are vying for the title on the final day of the season, a replica won by a previous club is used.

The current Premier League trophy was created by Royal Jewellers Garrard & Co/Asprey of London and was designed in house at Garrard & Co by Trevor Brown and Paul Marsden. It consists of a trophy with a golden crown and a malachite plinth base. The plinth weighs 33 pounds (15 kg) and the trophy weighs 22 pounds (10.0 kg). The trophy and plinth are 76 cm tall, 43 cm wide and 25 cm deep.

Its main body is solid sterling silver and silver gilt, while its plinth is made of malachite, a semi-precious stone. The plinth has a silver band around its circumference, upon which the names of the title-winning clubs are listed. The green of the malachite represents the green field of play. The design of the trophy is based on the heraldry of Three Lions that is associated with English football. Two of the lions are found above the handles on either side of the trophy – the third is symbolised by the captain of the title-winning team as he raises the trophy, and its gold crown, above his head at the end of the season. The ribbons that drape the handles are presented in the team colours of the league champions that year.

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Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham are considered the 'big six' in the Premier League. So why are these particular clubs known as the 'big six'?

The reason is simple: it is because they are the most consistently successful teams in the division. Not only that, but they boast the biggest stadiums, broadest fanbases and, as a result, the healthiest bank accounts.

It should be noted that the 'big six' is a relatively modern designation and it is very much an informal title.

From the 2010s on, the top six teams in the Premier League at the end of each season tended to be made up of the aforementioned clubs, with the same teams generally vying for continental qualification.

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1. Manchester United have won the Premier League the most times.

They have won the Premier League 13 times. The other teams to have won the Premier League are: Manchester City (6), Chelsea (5), Arsenal (3), Blackburn Rovers (1), Leicester City (1) and Liverpool (1).

2. Alan Shearer has scored the most Premier League goals.

Shearer scored 260 goals in the Premier League. Wayne Rooney scored the second most with 208 goals.

3. The gold trophy.

After Arsenal became the only team to finish a 38-match season unbeaten, the Premier League commissioned a unique gold trophy to commemorate the achievement.