In recent times, the top spots in PL has been occupied by Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Spurs, Arsenal and Manchester United. They have been dubbed as the “Big Six” and they currently hold the sway over European spots. All these six clubs are rich, both in terms of history and money. They also have a global fan base and hence it is almost impossible to curb their dominance. In this article, five teams capable of breaking into Premier League’s big six.
#5 Aston Villa
Villa stunned world football last season when they scored 7 goals against Liverpool. After 24 years in the Premier League, Villa were relegated to the Championship in 2016. The Midlands club has been on the rise ever since the NSWE group bought a stake in July 2018. After three years in the second division, Villa found their way back into the Premier League under Dean Smith.
They barely survived in their first season in the Premier League but started performing to their potential in the 2020/21 season. Villa have ambitious owners who are capable of injecting cash into the club. Another advantage is the fact that they are the biggest club in Birmingham, the second largest city in England.
#4 West Ham United
Throughout it’s history, West Ham’s achievements have been overshadowed by that of their neighbors Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs. West Ham were a solid mid-table team until Moyes completely transformed them last season. They finished sixth last season and were in contention for a UCL spot for the most part. But on-field performance alone will not help them break into the Premier League’s big six.
They have a decent leadership team and their stadium is a thing of grandeur and beauty. But to level up they need solid investment in the summer consistently for atleast the next three seasons.
#3 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Owned by three reputed Chinese businessmen, Wolves have become a team loathed by the top clubs in recent seasons. After winning the Championship in 2018, Wolves finished 7th in two consecutive PL seasons. Under Nuno Espirito Santo, they played diligent, walls-t0-the-back brand of football and reaped the rewards. In 2021, they only managed a 13th place finish and the management departed ways with Nuno.
They hired Bruno Lage this season and they are now back in contention for European spots. Wolves’ biggest strength has been agent Jorge Mendes. He has brought a lot of Portuguese talent to Wolves and almost all of them have been a success in one way or another.
#2 Newcastle United
During Mike Ashley’s reign at Newcastle, the club was renowned for a sluggish brand of football and an extremely frustrated fanbase. But Saudi Arabia’s takeover and the hiring of Eddie Howe as manager has given renewed hope for fans and players alike. They were lingering in the relegation zone when Howe took over but since then they have lost only five games.
Even though Newcastle possess seemingly endless fortune, they will not be able to spend it all in a single transfer window. The reason being the strict FFP rules and hence they have to carefully plan their ascension up the Premier League ladder.
#1 Leicester City
Leicester City stunned the Premier League’s big six in 2016 to win the PL title. Their win will forever be one of the greatest achievements in all of sports but it was strictly a one-off event. After 2016, Leicester endured disappointment in the next few seasons until the arrival of Brendan Rodgers in February 2019. Under him, Leicester were in contention for an UCL spot in the 19/20 and 20/21 seasons. They narrowly missed a UCL spot in both the seasons and ended up finishing fifth. Leicester have the best scouts in the country and an outstanding training facility which gives them an edge over the other clubs in the list.
