We are closing in on the end of the 2025/26 English Premier League season, and even with just a few games to go, it is not entirely clear who will be lifting the trophy. Although many pundits have bemoaned the fact that the football in England’s top tier has not been scintillating at times, surely we can agree that it has been more competitive?
Cautious tactics, fatigue, and injuries have all played their part in changing the look of an average EPL game, but there seems to be more teams in with a chance of doing well these days. There is a whole list of offshore sportsbooks willing to take bets on who will end up victorious, and even the list of potential champions could be said to be growing.
Even with more competition, the race for the title usually ends up being between just two clubs, however. Does that mean that the league is not as competitive as some in other countries? Or do we need to look at the whole division for an idea of how competitive English football really is?
The Title Race
After Liverpool broke Manchester City’s stranglehold on the EPL title last season, finishing ten points clear of second-placed Arsenal, we have returned to a real battle again this year. While the reigning champions have largely disappointed, Arsenal and Manchester City have duelled for months in order to determine the best team in the country.
Those two left the rest of the league behind long ago, although there has been intense competition for the remaining Champions League places, as well as for the berths in both of the Europa and Conference Leagues. The relegation battle has been just as close, breaking with the tradition of the last few seasons where the bottom three were decided long before the end of the campaign.
EPL Domination
Paris Saint-Germain might be the current champions of Europe, but the French top tier is not considered a competitive league, or even highly rated by most. That is because of PSG’s domination. But can the same be said for the EPL? Well, there have been more title winners over the last decade, even with City’s success, and more teams realistically challenging at the top.
Like all leagues around the world, the EPL has always had its biggest clubs challenging for the title. In recent decades, we have had the 2000s battle between Manchester United and Arsenal carried on by the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Chelsea. The EPL seems to go through phases of which clubs are in the ascendency, keeping the idea of competition alive.
Chasing Pack
Where the EPL differs from some of the other big leagues in Europe is that there is an ever-growing chasing pack, ensuring that the biggest clubs continue to nervously look over their shoulders. Where the likes of Aston Villa, Brighton, Bournemouth, and even Nottingham Forest have not been expected to win the league, they have all beaten the top teams in recent seasons.
This growing chasing pack has created a second tier of EPL sides that are considered to be some of the best in Europe. It has meant that the battle for European club competition places has been intense, with a number of different clubs fishing in the top six or seven every year.
European Money
The EPL is considered to be the most competitive in the world, not because it is necessary the best – or the most enjoyable to watch – but because of the money the clubs bring in. That wealth enables even those further down the EPL table to afford to sign the kind of talent that even the big teams of Italy and Germany cannot afford.
The high level of competition has been reflected in the success of English clubs in the Europa and Conference Leagues. EPL teams are routinely considered the favourites to win those trophies each season, and repeated triumphs only bring in more money to keep the success circle going.
Next Season in the EPL
So, if the EPL is the most competitive league in the world, is it difficult to predict what will happen in the 2026/27 season? It depends on exactly what you are looking to predict. As far as the league title goes, it is probably going to be another race between Arsenal and Manchester City. Neither of them might be as dominant as they have been in recent years, but they are still a class above the rest.
That chasing pack is where the increased competition comes, however. Liverpool will be wanting to bounce back into contention, while Manchester United have steadily improved this year after seasons of chaos at Old Trafford. Chelsea should really be a regular Champions League contender as well, but the way that club is run restricts its chances of consistent success.
Aston Villa has probably transformed into a big six club now, but any other team above the relegation zone could realistically hope to do well. There are solid, smaller clubs, like Brentford and Brighton, overachievers, like Forest and Sunderland, and other wealthy clubs, like Newcastle, who will be hoping to make their own run at a Champions League place next season, too,
The football might not always be pretty, but there is definitely more competition in the EPL these days. Money has played a huge part in that, as has the variety of teams gaining valuable European experience (and cash) each season. The EPL champion might still be relatively easy to predict, but the rest of the league is more competitive than ever.