Matt Maher: More than ever before this feels like the end of the Premier League 'Big Six'
Does the Premier League “Big Six” still exist?
It’s certainly a question which feels up for debate more than at any other point for the past 15 years.
For some, the answer is clear.
“There is no top six in English football anymore,” Villa’s director of football operations, Damian Vidagany, told a packed room at the club’s end of season awards on Wednesday night.
On Friday afternoon, Unai Emery took the opposite view. Asked if qualifying for the Champions League for a second season would finally put his team on his own oft-repeated list of bigger contenders (Emery always includes Newcastle along with the familiar six), the Villa boss did not miss a beat before answering.
“Tottenham and Manchester United are both teams always when we are starting (the season) are contenders in front of us,” he replied.
Emery’s argument is the greater resources of the Big Six plus the Magpies makes them bigger favourites to challenge for Champions League football than Villa.
He’s not wrong on the numbers. In terms of revenue, it is those who continue to dwarf the rest.
On the pitch, however, it feels a different story. This will be the third straight season Villa have finished in front of Tottenham and the second in a row they have been in front of United. The gap to both could be 30 points, a scenario simply incomprehensible prior to Emery walking through the doors of Villa Park two-and-a-half years ago.
It is testament, of course, to the Spaniard’s sterling work but also says much about the on-field decline of their rivals.
United’s borderline farcical Premier League season is beginning to look less a blip and more an indication of a potentially serious spiral. Ruben Amorim has already acknowledged it will not be a quick fix.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have the trophy, the Champions League yet still much uncertainty over the future. Ange Postecoglou’s claim he had sacrificed their Premier League form in pursuit of Europa League glory felt rather convenient and only the kind of thing a winner could say.
Villa and Newcastle, meanwhile, have both finished inside the top seven in each of the last three seasons. They’ve been more consistent than United, Spurs and Chelsea over that period.
The more that happens, the more the Big Six will exist in name only.
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.