Why Are Premier League Clubs Dominating the Champions League?
The league phase of the 2025/26 Champions League is over, and it finished in fantastically exciting style. The final Gameweek brought thrills and spills as teams battled it out for a top-eight finish or a play-off spot. When the dust settled at the end of the night, Arsenal remained at the top of the table with a 100% record. Notably, four other Premier League teams also finished in the top eight, thus qualifying for the Round of 16. Meanwhile, the sixth English side, Newcastle, narrowly missed out but made the play-offs after a fine draw at PSG.
Current champions Paris Saint-Germain had to settle for the play-offs. As did European giants Real Madrid, Inter Milan, and Juventus. The likes of Napoli, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Villarreal didn’t even finish in the top 24 and are therefore eliminated. So the question is, why are English clubs doing so well in the Champions League this season?
English Sides Enjoying the New Champions League Format
The new league phase format of the Champions League only began in the 2024/25 season. Inevitably, any changes to tournament formats will draw criticism. However, fans have largely welcomed the new league phase as a positive development. And that especially goes for fans of the English sides who have apparently thrived. Last season, three of the four English sides involved in the CL finished in the top eight. This time around, the Premier League had six clubs in the competition, and all but one (Newcastle) ended up in the top eight.
The standings at the end of the league phase looked like this:
| Position | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 8 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 24 |
| 2 | Bayern Munich | 7 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 21 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 6 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 4 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 17 |
| 5 | Barcelona | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 16 |
| 6 | Chelsea | 5 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 16 |
| 7 | Sporting CP | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 16 |
| 8 | Manchester City | 5 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 16 |
| 9 | Real Madrid | 5 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 15 |
| 10 | Inter Milan | 5 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 15 |
| 11 | Paris Saint-Germain | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 14 |
| 12 | Newcastle United | 4 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 14 |
Arsenal have been performing well all season, domestically and on the continent. As such, it’s not a great surprise they’ve finished at the top of the pile. However, Liverpool and Tottenham (in particular) have been far from brilliant in the Premier League. And yet they have both finished in the top eight in what is supposedly the most competitive club competition on the planet.
Premier League Clubs Gaining Momentum in European Competitions
Spanish clubs have won more Champions League titles than those of any other nation. Including the old European Cup that the CL replaced, Spanish sides have won it 20 times. That compares to 15 triumphs for English sides, with Italian clubs next (12 wins), followed by German sides (eight wins). If we consider recent history, however, English clubs have won three of the last seven Champions League titles. Spanish clubs have won the same number, with one French side and one German side also winning. Six Premier League clubs have featured in CL finals between 2018/19 and 2024/25, including two all-English finals.
In the lesser European competition, English clubs have also been performing well. It was an all-English final in the Europa League last term. Two of the Premier League’s poorest performers from last season, Tottenham and Manchester United, battled it out in Bilbao. Spurs won the Europa League (and hence qualified for this season’s Champions League), despite finishing in 17th position in the EPL. English sides have also won two of the four Europa Conference League tournaments. West Ham beat Fiorentina in 2022/23, and Chelsea beat Spain’s Real Betis last season.
Is the Premier League the Toughest League in Europe?
The UEFA Club Coefficient ranks clubs based on their performances in the three European competitions over the last five years. In the most recent UEFA club rankings (end of January 2026), there are no English sides in the top three. Real Madrid are top, followed by Bayern Munich, then Inter Milan. However, three English sides have made it into the top 10: Liverpool (4th), Man City (5th), Arsenal (8th). England is also represented by three more clubs, Chelsea, Tottenham and Man United, in the top 20. As you can see from the table below, this compares very well to other nations.
| Nation | Top-20 Ranked Sides |
|---|---|
| England | 6 |
| Germany | 4 |
| Spain | 3 |
| Italy | 3 |
| Portugal | 2 |
One of the reasons English clubs have been doing so well in Europe is that the competition in the Premier League is fierce. Significantly, some major leagues in Europe are dominated by two or perhaps three sides. For instance, in Spain, either Real Madrid or Barcelona have won almost 70% of La Liga titles. Real have won 38.3% and Barca have won 29.8%. In Germany, meanwhile, Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga 34 times, while no other side has made it to double figures.
Although there are periods of relative dominance in the Premier League, the sands are constantly shifting. At present, almost any side in England’s top flight can beat any other side on a given day. And this means the top sides must strive to maintain the highest standards or risk losing ground on their title rivals. The Premier League sides have, in recent years at least, seemingly been able to transfer their domestic intensity to their Champions League encounters.
Premier League Sides Outperform Rivals from Europe’s Other Big Leagues
Some of the standout results achieved by English sides in this season’s Champions League include:
- Liverpool 3-2 Atlético Madrid
- Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid
- Newcastle United 3-0 Benfica
- Eintracht Frankfurt 1-5 Liverpool
- Manchester City 4-1 Borussia Dortmund
- Liverpool 1-0 Real Madrid
- Chelsea 3-0 Barcelona
- Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich
- Inter Milan 0-1 Liverpool
- Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City
- Inter Milan 1-3 Arsenal
- Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Borussia Dortmund
- Napoli 2-3 Chelsea
Conversely, there were one or two slip-ups from English clubs too, notably Man City’s loss at Bodø/Glimt. However, time and again, Premier League sides got the better of sides from Europe’s other major leagues. And time and again, sides like Liverpool or Spurs, who were struggling badly on the home front, were able to get positive results in the Champions League.
It is not a coincidence, perhaps, that 50% of the top 30 and six of the top 10 clubs in the Deloitte Football Money League are from the Premier League. The Deloitte Football Money League assesses the finances of the football clubs that generate the most revenue. Having said that, none of the top four clubs is English. Real Madrid lead the way, followed by Barcelona, Bayern Munich and PSG. However, of those, only Bayern and perhaps Barca have performed consistently well in the CL so far this term.
Will English Clubs Dominate the Knockout Phase Too?
In conclusion, there’s no doubt that Premier League clubs have performed brilliantly in the league phase of the competition. After that, however, can they kick on and dominate the Round of 16 too? The bookmakers are in two minds, seemingly. After their 100% record in the CL so far, Arsenal are the favourites to go all the way. However, they are followed in the odds by Bayern Munich, current champions PSG, and Barcelona. Man City and Liverpool aren’t far behind them, though. Of course, as with every season, a lot will depend on the draw. But after the successful league phase, the fans of all the English sides will certainly fancy their chances of going all the way this season.
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