Matt Maher: Premier League clubs have no excuses for European failings
It wasn’t a good week for English clubs in Europe, to put it mildly.
Of the nine to play, Villa were the only ones to win. Five, meanwhile, suffered defeat, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham all needing to overturn three-goal deficits if they are to avoid being knocked out of the Champions League.
The Premier League is still on course to secure an extra place in next year’s competition thanks to its co-efficient, yet those of us who have for some time been saying it was good as guaranteed are just a little less confident than before.
Above all else, this week’s results were simply a little embarrassing for a league which brands itself as the best in the world and possesses a financial firepower which really should make that the reality.
Recent days have seen the predictable search for answers, with some commentators pointing to fatigue as a likely factor.
