Even when it is noted as one of the most successful – if not THE most successful – football leagues in the world, Barclays Premier League is not without criticism. We all know how most critiques are always talking about the Big Four dominance. The Big Four we are talking about here are Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea. Are the top four teams really dominating this league?
In order to answer this question, let’s take a quick look at the history of Premier League. When the league was first formed in 1992-93 season, Manchester United won the season with Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal finishing in 6th, 10th, and 11th places respectively.
Manchester United also won the next season (1993-94), this time with Arsenal tailing closely in 4th place while Liverpool and Chelsea finished 8th and 14th.
The 1994-95 season is rather unique. This is the only season – yes, I seriously mean the ONLY one season – during which none of the top four teams finished first. Manchester United was in 2nd place, Liverpool finished 4th, while Arsenal and Chelsea finished the season in 11th and 12th place.
Other than the 1994-95 season, either one of the top four teams won the league trophy. Manchester United is the only team that consistently finishes in the top 4 every single time, winning a total of 11 Premier League trophies.
Whether these top four teams really dominate the Premier League is entirely up to you to decide. Historical facts, however, do state that these four very strong teams are leading the Premier League.