The topic of English football's biggest clubs will always be divisive. 

Manchester United may boast 20 titles to Liverpool's 19, but the two sides' fortunes over the last few yeas couldn't have been starker. 

It's a subject on which fans will ultimately never agree. 

History is, of course, hugely important, but so is current standing. Manchester City's four titles in the last eight years shouldn't be dismissed, yet neither can Arsenal's historic success. 

While there's no way of proving definitively who the biggest teams are, one thing most supporters will agree on is that there are a number of factors that should be taken into account, including a club's silverware count, the size of its fanbase, and its current status. 

As such, The Athletic have compiled a list of the top 40 clubs in the UK, using seven criteria - crowds, global fanbase, major trophies, trophies won in the last 20 years, average league finish, player quality, and commercial revenue. 

Let's take a look at their standings.

1. Manchester United

2. Liverpool

3. Chelsea

4. Arsenal

5. Manchester City

6. Tottenham 

7. Newcastle 

8. Everton (Joint) 

8. Wolves (Joint) 

10. Aston Villa

11. Leicester

12. West Brom

13. Leeds

14. Sunderland

15. West Ham

16. Burnley

17. Sheffield United

18. Blackburn

19. Birmingham

20. Southampton 

21. Middlesbrough 

22. Stoke 

23. Sheffield Wednesday (Joint)

23. Nottingham Forest (Joint)

23. Derby County (Joint)

26. Norwich

27. Huddersfield 

28. Portsmouth

29. Fulham

30. Crystal Palace

31. QPR

32. Cardiff 

33. Brighton

34. Charlton

35. Bristol City 

36. Watford

37. Preston

38. Millwall

39. Coventry

40. Hull 

Who are England's biggest club? 

Manchester United's standing as the biggest club in the land is difficult to argue with. In spite of their post-Ferguson demise, they rank top for trophies won in the last 20 years, commercial revenue, and in both of the measures of their fanbase.

Liverpool are close behind, courtesy of their superior player quality and their average league standings.

The likes of Huddersfield, whose glory days are long behind them, but who were crowned champions three times between 1924-1926, get their fair share of credit. 

Tottenham, on the other hand, are held back by having won just one League Cup since the turn of the millennium, but they do get sufficient respect for their regular attendances of 62,000+, the quality of players like Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and their recent league finishes. 

There have been countless attempts to settle this debate once and for all, but this seems one of the fairest yet. That's not to say fans will finally agree, though...