My Football Facts ⇒ Articles
The Premier League is being branded as ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ in 2023-24 and has long been considered the pick of domestic divisions across the world.
Manchester City’s recent run of success would, to those not paying attention, suggest that the English top-flight is not all that competitive as one team has been allowed to dominate.
That could not be further from the truth, with there plenty of title hopefuls to be found and a list of teams that harbour ambitions of securing European qualification that extends from top to somewhere not all that far from the bottom.
Exclusive
The fabled ‘big six’ are being forced to accept new members into their exclusive club, with Newcastle the latest side to have gatecrashed that party.
Many more are knocking on the door, with bet on sports markets from Cambridge to Calgary finding it increasingly difficult to predict who will finish inside the top six or seven places across any given campaign. The usual suspects will always be there or thereabouts, but they no longer have things entirely their own way.
When it comes to the loftiest of perches on the Premier League ladder, only 11 teams from England have strutted their stuff on a Champions League stage. They are: Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Leicester City.
The Gunners of north London are back among the continental elite in 2023-24 for the first time in six years, while the Magpies from Tyneside have brought a 20-year absence from the Champions League to a close.
Newcastle have shown what is possible with the right mix of money and competent management, with any number of domestic rivals now hoping to follow in their footsteps.
West Ham have come close before and are looking to build on their Europa Conference League triumph from last season, while Brighton continue to impress despite being forced to part with prized assets on a regular basis.
Then there is Aston Villa – a club that won the European Cup back in 1982. They have fallen a long way since then, but are very much on the rise at present. There is a sense in and around the West Midlands that ultimate targets should be set as high as possible.
Former Villans striker Darren Bent has said: “I think when you look at their recruitment and what they’re doing with Unai Emery, I’m not saying they’re going to win the league because I don’t think they will but I think they’ll be a lot closer to Europe. Maybe even push it for long spells, the Champions League.”
Task
Given the strength of those who have kept that path blocked for 30 years, with only a select few allowed to pass, breaking into the top four will be no easy task. It can be done, though, as the playing field continues to be levelled on and off the field – with it no longer a case of haves versus have nots.
Seasoned campaigners – especially those with the deepest of pockets – will always be competitive, but when it comes to Premier League and Champions League quests, there is always a place for rookies.
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