The Premier League is Europe’s Dominant Force Once Again

After seeing Spain dominate Europe for a good chunk of this decade, it seems the pendulum has swung in the Premier League’s favour, with English clubs dominating this years European competitions.

One of the greatest feats in football history is Real Madrid’s ridiculous three-peat of Champions League triumphs between 2016 and 2018.

If you add their 2014 victory to that as well, then it truly becomes even more remarkable and downright mind-boggling. The one Champions League they didn’t win in that 5 year span was won by their arch-rivals Barcelona, who are of course another Spanish side. Add to that the 3 consecutive Europa League triumphs that Unai Emery achieved at Sevilla, and you could certainly say that Spanish clubs have created somewhat of a European dynasty over the last 6 years or so.

Now, it seems that Premier League clubs are now stealing the limelight from La Liga ones, as 4 English clubs have qualified for the 2 European finals this year – the first time in history that all 4 finalists come from the same nation. Spurs and Liverpool will battle it out to become European champions, while Chelsea and Arsenal play for the Europa League title.

It seems that the intense, vertical brand of football that these clubs play is aiding their cause, as English clubs are currently setting the tone all over Europe with their style of play based on covering as much ground as possible and overloading wide areas. While Manchester City have fallen short of their goals in the Champions League on a perennial basis, they’re still one of the best teams on the planet and will likely put up a heavy challenge for a European crown sooner rather than later.

All of the top 6 clubs have had some big results this season against strong  foreign opposition – even the ones who are in a period of rebuild.

Liverpool and Spurs on the other hand, probably play the most intense, high-octane football in all of Europe, and it’s no coincidence that they are the finalists for football’s top club prize this year.

Even the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, who are both in an underwhelming period of their clubs history, have had some big wins in Europe this year, with the Gunners demolishing both Napoli and Valencia in stunning fashion, and the Red Devils beating both Juventus and PSG in the Champions League.

Chelsea may not play the same intense brand of football as some of their rivals, but they have the Premier League’s best player in Eden Hazard, and that has certainly gotten them far.

It seems that we might just be seeing the infinity gauntlet of European power fall back into the Premier League’s hands, after a bit of a hiatus. They were certainly the prime football league in the 2000’s, but have been upstaged by La Liga clubs recently. With Real Madrid and Barcelona both struggling to find their identity at the moment, and the likes of Bayern, PSG, and Juventus continuously tripping over their own feet, English clubs have snuck in and taken a strangle-hold on European football again.

For the first time since 2012, the winner of the Champions League is guaranteed to be an English team – the last and only other time this happened was when Chelsea and Manchester United played in the final just over a decade ago. Arsenal and Chelsea will play for Europa League glory on May 29th, while Spurs and Liverpool will go head-to-head for the greatest trophy in club football just 3 days after that, on June 1st.