While Tottenham Hotspur secured a fourth-place finish in the Champions League, they currently sit at 14th in the Premier League standings.
The Premier League is showcasing its strength on the European stage, with five English teams advancing to the Champions League knockout stages after finishing in the top eight of the league phase.
This number could potentially rise to six if Newcastle United triumphs in their two-legged play-off, a consequence of their 12th-place finish in the league phase, following a 1-1 draw against reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Arsenal claimed the top spot, with Liverpool in third, Tottenham fourth, Chelsea sixth, and Manchester City eighth.
History beckons as Newcastle vies to progress through the play-offs, potentially marking the first instance of six Premier League teams reaching the Champions League knockout rounds.
“That is dominant,” remarked Tottenham manager Thomas Frank.
“For years, we have asserted the Premier League’s status as the world’s premier league, and this is yet another testament to that claim.”
But what underpins the dominance of Premier League teams against their European counterparts?
The most salient factor is the Premier League’s financial prowess, which significantly outstrips that of other leagues.
Six Premier League teams feature in the top 10 of the Deloitte Football Money League, with English clubs accounting for 50% of the top 30.
The Premier League’s substantial broadcast revenues, generated through TV rights, dwarf those of other nations.
Last summer witnessed record-breaking spending by Premier League clubs in the transfer window, surpassing £3 billion.
Illustrating the financial disparity, the total expenditure in the summer window exceeded the combined spending of clubs in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A.
Greater financial resources enable clubs to invest in larger squads, with Arsenal reaping the rewards of significant spending to enhance their squad depth, culminating in a first-place finish in the Champions League league phase and a current top position in the Premier League.
“The primary driver of English clubs’ dominance is the financial strength of the Premier League,” former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport.
“Furthermore, their competitiveness, fostered by constant battles and proximity to one another, has propelled them forward.”
Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon also highlights that the more open style of play in European competitions benefits English teams, while the Premier League is “more physical than I’ve ever known it to be”.
“I think in the Champions League, teams are more open. They all try to play. It’s less transitional,” he added.
“It [the Premier League] is like a basketball game sometimes, it’s so relentless physically. There’s not much control, it’s a running game and sometimes it’s about duels, whoever wins the duels wins the game. Or moments.
“The Champions League is a bit more of an older style of game, more football based. Teams come and try and play proper football.
“In the Premier League, you see a lot more long throw-ins, set pieces – it’s become a lot slower and more set piece based, I would say.”
When is the Champions League play-off draw and how does it work?
Liverpool top English club in Deloitte Money League
Undoubtedly, the advancement of five – and potentially six – Premier League teams to the knockout stages represents a significant achievement.
However, were their paths eased by a more favorable fixture allocation?
Prior to the season’s commencement, Opta, the football data statisticians, analyzed, external each team’s Champions League schedule, ranking them to determine the perceived ease of their respective draws.
Arsenal’s fixtures were deemed the third easiest, followed by Tottenham in fourth, Liverpool in seventh, and Chelsea in eighth.
Manchester City’s schedule was considered the 14th easiest, while Newcastle’s – who faced reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain – ranked 32nd.
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The previous – and only – instance of five Premier League teams reaching the knockout stages was in 2017, featuring Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham.
However, only Liverpool and Manchester City progressed beyond the round of 16, with Liverpool ultimately reaching the final after defeating City in the quarter-finals.
With five Premier League teams finishing in the top eight of this season’s league phase, thus avoiding potential encounters in the round of 16, there is a chance that a record number of English teams will reach the quarter-finals.
The presence of numerous English clubs in the latter stages of the Champions League is not unprecedented, with four teams reaching the quarter-finals in both 2007-08 and 2008-09, as well as 2018-19 – culminating in all-English finals in 2007-08 and 2018-19.
No other nation has ever had four teams in the quarter-finals – a feat that England could surpass this year with as many as six.
However, the demands of competing in both the Premier League and the Champions League take their toll, explaining why many managers were relieved to avoid the additional play-off games.
“I still think it will be very difficult for one of them to go on and win it, just because of how difficult the Premier League is every week – whether you are fighting for the title or for a place in the top four,” Warnock added.
“Clearly the English clubs are in a good position going into the knockout stages, though. Some of the other big clubs that we thought would peak or start to show better form – like Paris St-Germain for example – have not really got going yet.”
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Benfica keeper scores stoppage time goal to seal win over Real Madrid
Alongside the English teams, the other nations represented in the knockout stages are Germany (Bayern Munich), Spain (Barcelona), and Portugal (Sporting CP).
This has resulted in some notable absentees, who must now navigate the play-offs, including Paris Saint-Germain, who failed to secure the victory they needed against Newcastle to guarantee a top-eight spot.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a thrilling and dramatic match with Benfica.
Real were reduced to nine men while a last-second goal by goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin secured a memorable 4-2 win for Jose Mourinho’s side that earned them a play-off spot.
Other prominent teams facing the play-off lottery include Italian sides Juventus and Inter Milan, as well as Germany’s Borussia Dortmund and Spain’s Atletico Madrid, who suffered a shock defeat to Bodo/Glimt on Wednesday.
The Norwegians have emerged as the surprise package of the Champions League, with their victory against Atletico coming just eight days after defeating Manchester City.
These results secured their place in the play-offs, making them the first Norwegian team to progress from the league or group phase in the Champions League since Rosenborg in 1996-97.
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Spurs see off Frankfurt to secure automatic last-16 spot
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Joao Pedro scores superb double to give Chelsea top-eight finish
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Man City avoid play-offs with win against Galatasaray
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Salah scores Liverpool’s third in victory over Qarabag
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Newcastle come from behind to draw with holders PSG
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Arsenal maintain perfect record with narrow win over Kairat
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Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.
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