Premier League: Why the Big Six may be coming under pressure
The Big Six lose ground
For years, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur were regarded as the Premier League’s leading group. Leicester City’s title win in 2015-16 briefly disrupted that pattern, but the six clubs occupied the leading positions again in each of the next three seasons.
From 2010-11 to 2018-19, the group finished in the top six five times, in the top seven twice and in the top eight once. In only one of the six seasons since have all six finished in the top six; Aston Villa, Newcastle and Brighton have each been among those places during that period.
Recent struggles and uncertainty
This season is still at an early stage, but Manchester United are 13th and Liverpool are ninth. Since 2021-22, Chelsea and Manchester United have each finished outside the top six twice, while Tottenham have done so three times, including two 17th-place finishes.
Manchester City, the league’s dominant side over the past decade, are also facing uncertainty after being found guilty of breaching financial rules over nine years. Since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, Manchester United have struggled to match their earlier success.
How Brighton compete
Other clubs have narrowed the financial gap, helping to loosen the traditional group’s hold on the top places. Brighton rose from 11th in 2021-22 to fourth the following season, then finished fifth two seasons later. The club has bought promising players for low fees and sold them on for much larger sums.
Brighton sporting director Mike Cave told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast that recruitment was built over a long period. He said it helps the club identify talent around the world efficiently and move quickly in a competitive transfer market.
The top group keeps changing
The Premier League’s leading group has shifted over time. Manchester United and Arsenal formed a ‘Big Two’ in the late 1990s and early 2000s; Chelsea and Liverpool later joined them in a ‘Big Four’. The ‘Big Six’ label developed as the familiar group took shape in the following years.
Arsenal’s experience under Mikel Arteta, appointed in 2019, shows how patience can pay off: the club ended a 22-year wait for a Premier League title last season. The traditional six may still produce the league winner, but they no longer have an exclusive hold on the top six places.
Key points
- Only one of the six seasons since Leicester’s 2015-16 title saw all the Big Six finish in the top six.
- Brighton rose from 11th to fourth, then fifth, across the seasons described.
- Tottenham have missed the top six three times since 2021-22, twice finishing 17th.
- The Premier League’s leading group has evolved from a Big Two to a Big Four and then a Big Six.