The English Premier League to some fans is the best league in the world. I have seen a lot of arguments mostly between fans of the Spanish La Liga and Premiership fans. The English League in my opinion is the most entertaining and I think it’s also safe to use the word most competitive league in Europe.
It is a league where there is much interest in a game between 2 teams from the bottom half of the table as well as endless drama with upsets lined up from the first day to the last. I’m not implying such situations don’t occur in the other leagues but it is a rarity.
It might be argued that in other leagues, the top teams are too strong for the others but when the top teams in England were really strong, we still had such upsets. The Spanish clubs have been the better team over the years in Europe going home with the continent’s biggest prize, the UEFA Champions League 5 times in recent years. In contrast, the English teams have been poor since 2009.
They enjoyed huge successes on the continent between 2006 and 2009. This peaked when 3 English teams squared up in the semi finals of the Champions League in back to back years. Over the years, they have produced some of the biggest names in the game too. Some have departed the league in search of glory e.g. Mascherano, Suarez, Modric, Ronaldo, Bale e.t.c. This is a key factor in the decline of the famed league.
Furethermore, another factor for this decline is the problem each individual club in the English League faces. Arsenal have had a manager satisfied with making the numbers and qualification for the Champions League and almost always exiting at the round of 16.
This is because they always end up having to play against a top European team and can’t match up simply because of the poor manner in which the club is being run. Also, Manchester United since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson haven’t been able to match previous performances.
On the bright side, these clubs have realised their errors and are mending the leaks. The recent influx of top managers e.g. Jurgen Klopp, Antonio Conte, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola bodes well for the league. The managers have all hit the ground running regarding transfers in a bid to turn their respective teams around.
Liverpool signed Sadio Mane from Liverpool B Southampton. Manchester United captured Eric Bailly, Henrik Mikhitaryan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba. Chelsea have matched their counterparts, signing Ngolo Kante, Michy Batshuayi, with more to arrive in West London.
Manchester City have also spent, even more than Manchester United. Ilkay Gundogan, Nolito, Leroy Sane, Gabriel Jesus, and John Stones have all been acquired for Pep Guardiola. Arsenal also did some business early with the signing of Granit Xhaka, Asano Takuno and Rob Holding.
With the convergence of some of the best players in the world and some of the best tacticians available, perhaps it is totally safe to say that the English teams are on the verge of becoming a major Force in Europe Again.
Article By: Adisa Adedotun
