The long-established dominance of the Premier League's 'Big Six' – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur – in top league positions is facing increasing scrutiny. While these clubs maintain their financial clout, their on-field performance has seen a shift in recent seasons.
Tottenham Hotspur, for example, have struggled significantly, ending one place above the relegation zone in each of the last two campaigns. They currently sit second bottom with three points after failing to win any of their first six games this season. Manchester United are in 13th spot and Liverpool ninth in the early stages of the current season.
Since the 2021-22 season, Chelsea and Manchester United have finished outside the top six twice, while Tottenham have missed out three times, twice finishing 17th. In the past three years, five of the top six places have been secured by clubs outside the traditional 'Big Six', matching the total from the preceding eight years combined. Clubs like Aston Villa, Brentford, and Brighton have been battling at the top, while Newcastle finished fourth in 2022-23 and fifth two seasons later.