Why do English clubs dominate the Champions League?

The Premier League is demonstrating its dominance in Europe with five English teams finishing among the top 8 in the Champions League, earning direct spots in the knockout rounds.

At the end of the group stage, Arsenal topped their group, Liverpool finished third, Tottenham fourth, Chelsea sixth, and Man City eighth. If Newcastle wins the playoff, they will make history. Never before have six Premier League teams participated in the Champions League knockout stage at the same time.

“This is domination,”said Tottenham’s coach, Thomas Frank. “I think over the past few years everyone has said the Premier League is the best league in the world and this is further proof.”.

The first thing that sets the Premier League apart from the rest is its financial power. Six Premier League clubs are ranked in the top 10 of the Deloitte Football Money League, and half of the top 30 come from the English Premier League.

Broadcasting rights generate massive revenue, far exceeding most other countries. This past summer, Premier League clubs spent more than ever before in the transfer market, with total expenditure surpassing £3 billion.

To put the gap into perspective, the total Premier League summer transfer spending exceeded the combined spending of Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Serie A clubs.

More money allows teams to build deeper and higher quality squads. Arsenal is a prime example: they invested heavily to strengthen squad depth, finishing top of their Champions League group and currently leading the Premier League.

“The biggest reason English clubs dominate so far is the financial power of the Premier League,”former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport. “Also, the intense competition – they constantly face each other, pushing one another forward.”

The only previous time five Premier League teams advanced past the knockout stage was in 2017, when Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Man United, and Tottenham all progressed. However, only Liverpool and Man City moved beyond the round of 16. Liverpool even reached the final after eliminating Man City in the quarterfinals.

This season, having five Premier League teams in the top 8 of the league phase helps them avoid early clashes in the round of 16, opening the door for a record number of English teams in the quarterfinals. It’s not new for many English clubs to go deep in the Champions League: four teams reached the quarterfinals in 2007/08, 2008/09, and 2018/19 seasons, with all-English finals in 2007/08 and 2018/19.

Still, the intensity of the Premier League combined with the Champions League always drains players physically. This is why many coaches are relieved to avoid two additional playoff matches.

“I still think it’s very tough for a team to win the title, simply because the Premier League is brutal every week – whether you’re fighting for the title or a top four spot,”Warnock added. “But clearly, English clubs are in a strong position heading into the knockout stage. Some ‘big names’ we expected to shine, like PSG, haven’t really found their rhythm yet.”