Maybe many PL teams struggle in the Premier League week after week, but the performances of English clubs in the Champions League this season show one clear fact: it is harder to play a Premier League match against Bournemouth or Sunderland than to play a Champions League game.
Why is the Premier League harder to play than the Champions League?
The English league has developed so much this season that teams coming from England are ready for everything. Premier League teams go through many very difficult moments during matches, and they need to adapt. When they adapt to certain tactics or ways of play, they know how to play against similar tactics in the next fixtures.
However, in the long term, this creates teams that are much more tactically prepared. Teams improve and become ready to break low and double blocks, because they face them every week in the Premier League.
It is harder to play in the Premier League than in the Champions League. Also, teams in the Champions League do not defend even close to how teams defend in the Premier League. Clubs in the Champions League play more open football and do not sit deep like many extremely defensive teams in England. Teams are under huge pressure to find solutions, and because of that, they know how to react to situations on the pitch.
English clubs dominate Champions League:
This is the reason why English clubs are dominant in the Champions League. Qualification among the top eight was achieved by Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester City, while Newcastle are the only English team playing the playoff.
Arsenal:
Arsenal were very dominant in the group stage of the Champions League. They are quality now, but it will not be easy for them at all in the Champions League this season. Wins against Inter and Bayern were wins, but they do not say much. Arsenal are first this season, but they have never been at the top of the league or the Champions League before, and they do not know how to stay there. This is visible: Arteta has never been there, the team has never been there, and many Arsenal players have never been there. That is normal — you cannot know how to stay on top if you have never been on top. This is a growing phase, and learning what it takes to stay at the top once you reach it.
Liverpool:
Liverpool has a similar Champions League finish with a lot of points they collected over the season. They will not be the main favourites like they were last season. The Liverpool goal this season is the Champions League.
Manchester City:
Manchester City are a team that strengthened a lot, and their main goal is to win the Champions League. The loss against Bodø/Glimt woke the team up, and they fully deserved to finish among the top eight teams in the Champions League.
Tottenham:
Tottenham have been brilliant this season in the Champions League, and it is clear that just like last season, the priority was the Europa League; this season, the priority is the Champions League. Tottenham did not qualify through the league but by winning the Europa League, which allowed them to play in the Champions League this season.
Both Postecoglou and Frank struggled in the league, but both were excellent in Europe.
Chelsea:
Chelsea’s return to the Champions League is a big success. Chelsea managed to beat Pafos and Napoli and secure qualification. The team was led by two coaches this season. Chelsea will be very important in this year’s Champions League knockout stage and will be very hard to beat.
Winning the Club World Cup last summer shows they are strong in knockout competitions, just like winning the Conference League, where they walked to the title.
Newcastle:
Newcastle had a good start. They are a very unpredictable team with solid results, but they cannot keep suffering heavy defeats in the Premier League. The team lacks stability and can lose to anyone. Still, this is a good position for them, and they will play the playoffs.
They are playing great in the Champions League, have passed further and have deserved this position.
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