The Top Flight
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English clubs starving for European relevance

By Matthew Bowers

CARDIFF, WALES - MAY 29: A general view of the Principality Stadium which will be renamed the 'National Stadium of Wales' for the Champions League final on May 29, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. Preparations are underway for the UEFA Champions League final which will be held on June 3 at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff. Extra security measures have been put in place in the city centre. The terror threat level has been reduced from critical to severe following a terrorist attack in which 22 people were killed at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)
CARDIFF, WALES - MAY 29: A general view of the Principality Stadium which will be renamed the 'National Stadium of Wales' for the Champions League final on May 29, 2017 in Cardiff, Wales. Preparations are underway for the UEFA Champions League final which will be held on June 3 at the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff. Extra security measures have been put in place in the city centre. The terror threat level has been reduced from critical to severe following a terrorist attack in which 22 people were killed at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester. (Photo by Matthew Horwood/Getty Images) /
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It’s been 5 years since a Premier League side held the European title, and with 5 clubs competing for Champions League glory next term, the conditions are ripe for the title to return to England.

It is the perfect scenario: Cardiff, the capital of Wales and landmark of British culture and history. Chelsea, the most dominant English side this term by miles going head to head with Real Madrid, the current European kings. Surely, the staunch organization of Conte’s men will give Cristiano Ronaldo and company a headache this Saturday in the 2016-2017 UEFA Champions League Final. The London club will be looking for glory as underdogs in this match.

Except Chelsea is not the team who will be challenging Real Madrid for the title on Saturday. That would be the Italian powerhouse Juventus. In fact, Chelsea did not even qualify for the Champions League this term. Some would argue this is one of the reasons the club from west London were so successful this campaign.

Last seasons Premier League champions Leicester City were the only English club to make it to the quarterfinal stage of the contest this year. The Foxes had an abysmal follow-up campaign this season before Claudio Ranieri was sacked, turning it around afterwards to finish12th in the table. The Foxes’ European campaign this term was intriguing, but in all fairness the side never posed any real threat to the other clubs who made it to the quarterfinals.

However, this article is not intended to bash the shocking absence of Premier League teams from the tournament in recent years. Lest we forget that an English club made it to the final in 7 of 8 seasons between 2004 and 2012. Fittingly, Chelsea are the most recent Premier League representatives. The thrilling match against Bayern in 2012 might be the best Champions League final since.

Manchester City are the only club to even reach the semifinals in the last 5 seasons after a strong performance in the 2015-16 tournament. The Citizens and their crosstown rivals Manchester United both qualified for Champions League football next season. The Manchester clubs’ respective coaches are the only Premier League managers with highly respectable Champions League resumes.

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Despite the elite nature of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, neither of the Manchester clubs are my pick to be the next English champions of Europe. With City’s aging core, the club is planning a $300 million overhaul this summer. United were able to sneak into the Champions League through the back door, defeating Ajax to win the Europa League last Wednesday in Sweden. Despite this potentially job-saving moment for Mourinho, the Red Devils finished a disappointing 6th in the table.

Tottenham and Liverpool are especially interesting candidates to become the next heir to the throne. The Spurs are a young and immensely talented side and have the two best English footballers on their squad. Dele Alli has had a massive breakout season, and Harry Kane won the Golden Boot again this season. The north London club are akin to Ajax and Monaco, with their success due to youthful talent and energy.

Liverpool are arguably the most balanced side, and have a young elite core of attackers in Phillipe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and of course Premier League Goal of the Year winner Emre Can. Mark Ogden of ESPN writes:

"The Reds are young, they score goals and also have experience in key positions. Defensively, Liverpool give opponents chances, but they will be a team to watch next season if they progress through the playoffs. ESPNFC"

Although the Merseyside giants are a formidable squad and will definitely be competitive in the next few seasons, Chelsea are the only club that stands a real chance to dominate Europe in forthcoming years.

Antonio Conte switched the formation from a 4-1-4-1 to a 3-4-3 in the second half of a 3-0 loss to Arsenal last fall. The new manager utilized traditional Italian structure and his highly diverse international squad to create a nightmare for other Premier League teams in 2016-17.  Since that moment, Chelsea dominated England. Finishing with 93 points and setting a new Premier League wins record, Chelsea was arguably the best side in all of Europe for a few months this term.

The deadly 3-4-3 formation employed by the Italian maestro complimented the Chelsea players perfectly. With Alonso and Victor Moses playing as attacking wingbacks, Cahill and Luiz held down the back line with the help of Cesar Azpilcueta. The unstoppable Belgian sensation Eden Hazard helped service Diego Costa and score goals himself. Fabregas and newly signed N’golo Kante paired for the best midfield combination in the league.

Next: Manchester United win the Europa League

With 5 highly talented and elite caliber Premier League teams in the race for European glory next season, the Blues from Stamford Bridge are the only group with a legitimate shot to compete with perennial European juggernauts in 2018.

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