For years the Premier League had a defined 'Big Six' — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur — but that dominance may be ending.
Leicester City's 2015-16 title win seemed a one-off as the 'Big Six' locked down the top positions for the next three seasons, with the smallest gap between seventh and sixth being eight points. Between 2010-11 and 2018-19 they filled those leading spots five times.
But things changed after that. In only one of the six seasons since have they all finished in the top six, with Aston Villa, Newcastle and Brighton taking those places at various points. Tottenham have struggled badly, finishing one place above the relegation zone in each of the past two campaigns and currently sitting second bottom on three points after failing to win any of their first six games. This season Manchester United are 13th and Liverpool ninth.
Since 2021-22, Chelsea and United have finished out of the top six twice, while Spurs have missed out three times — twice finishing 17th. Five of the top six places in the past three years have gone to clubs outside the traditional six, matching the total from the previous eight years combined.
A key reason for the shift is other clubs closing the financial gap. Newcastle rose from 11th in 2021-22 to fourth the next season after a £305m takeover by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. Brighton have used data and smart recruitment, exemplified by signing Moises Caicedo for £4m in 2021 and selling him to Chelsea for £115m — a British record at the time.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing