Chapter 698: The Dominance of the Premier League
With Manchester United securing their spot in the Champions League quarterfinals, all eight teams for this season's quarterfinals are now confirmed. The Premier League emerges as the biggest winner, with all four of its participating teams—Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool—advancing to the final eight, occupying half of the quarterfinal slots.
This marks a comprehensive resurgence of the Premier League. In recent seasons, English teams have faced slumps, with some years seeing no Premier League teams in the final eight.
There was a time when the Premier League was indisputably the world's top league. It was commonplace for three or even four English teams to reach the Champions League quarterfinals.
2006–07 Season: Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool made it to the final eight, with Arsenal falling in the Round of 16. Three English teams advanced to the semifinals, creating the famous "Three Lions vs. Milan" scenario. Unfortunately, it was AC Milan who had the last laugh.2007–08 Season: A more remarkable situation unfolded when all four English teams—Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool—reached the quarterfinals. Arsenal lost to Liverpool in an all-English clash, leading to three English teams in the semifinals. Ultimately, Manchester United and Chelsea faced each other in the final, where United triumphed on a rainy night in Moscow to reclaim European glory after nine years. Cristiano Ronaldo's exceptional performance earned him both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards, marking the dawn of the Ronaldo-Messi rivalry.2008–09 Season: The same four teams once again reached the quarterfinals. This time, Liverpool was eliminated in an English derby. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal advanced to the semifinals. However, in the final, Manchester United's historic 25-match unbeaten run in the Champions League was ended by Barcelona, signaling the decline of the Premier League's golden era.
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In the following decade, Premier League teams faced a downturn. By the 2012–13 season, the league lost its title as the "best league" to La Liga and even briefly fell behind the Bundesliga to third place.
However, the tide began to turn in the 2016–17 season when Manchester United won the Europa League. Premier League teams' performances in European competitions steadily improved, with the league reclaiming second place in UEFA rankings during the 2017–18 season.
This season, English teams have had a resounding breakthrough in Europe: all four Champions League participants reached the quarterfinals. In the Europa League, aside from Burnley, which was eliminated in the qualifying rounds, Chelsea and Arsenal also advanced to the quarterfinals.
This means that in UEFA's two-tiered European competitions, 6 of the 16 quarterfinal spots belong to Premier League clubs, with the "Big Six" all reaching this stage.
Moreover, their qualification was decisive:
Manchester United: The reigning Premier League champions won all six group stage matches and dominated Schalke 04 in the Round of 16 with an 11–2 aggregate victory.Manchester City: Despite being overshadowed by United domestically, City excelled in Europe, finishing second in a group featuring Juventus and Valencia. They then eliminated Paris Saint-Germain with back-to-back wins in the Round of 16.Tottenham Hotspur: In a "Group of Death" with Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Wolves, Spurs edged out Inter to secure second place. They proceeded to the quarterfinals by defeating Borussia Dortmund 4–0 on aggregate without conceding a single goal.Liverpool: Facing a tough group, Liverpool advanced to the knockouts by outscoring Napoli on goal difference. In the Round of 16, they dismantled Bayern Munich, drawing 0–0 at home and winning 3–1 away.Chelsea and Arsenal: Both teams dominated their Europa League groups, going unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw. Arsenal defeated BATE Borisov and Rennes, while Chelsea eliminated Malmö and Dynamo Kyiv, cruising to the quarterfinals.
The Premier League's dominance in Europe this season is undeniable!
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Champions League Quarterfinal Draw
On March 15, 2019, at 12:00 CET, the draw for the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals took place at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
This year's draw eliminated the restriction of country-based separation and determined the upper and lower brackets, allowing fans to predict potential semifinal and final matchups.
Inter Milan treble-winning legend Júlio César served as the draw ambassador.
The results of the draw:
Liverpool vs. PortoTottenham Hotspur vs. Manchester City (an all-English clash)Manchester United vs. BarcelonaAjax vs. Juventus
The first legs are scheduled for April 10 and 11, with the second legs on April 17 and 18. The semifinals will be held in early May, with the final set for June 2.
Bracket Analysis:
In the upper bracket, Manchester United faces Barcelona, with the winner set to meet either Juventus or Ajax in the semifinals.The lower bracket features Liverpool against Porto and Tottenham facing Manchester City.
Reactions to the Draw
The Guardian dubbed Bruno and Manchester United's title defense "a thorny path," noting that Bruno must first conquer Messi and then face Ronaldo to reach the final. Their final opponent could be either Liverpool or Manchester City, two of Europe's strongest teams.
In the eyes of the British press, the three strongest teams in Europe this season are Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool.
Their domestic dominance bolsters this claim:
Manchester United: Over the past three seasons, United has achieved extraordinary success, winning 15 trophies, including a historic 69-match unbeaten run in the league and a 21-match unbeaten streak in the Champions League. They've amassed 79 points in 30 Premier League matches this season and remain perfect in the Champions League.Manchester City: Already winners of the League Cup, City has 72 points from 30 league games and has been strong in Europe with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses in 8 matches.Liverpool: With 73 points from 30 league matches and an impressive Round of 16 victory over Bayern Munich, Liverpool continues to demonstrate its strength both domestically and in Europe.
In any league, having one team perform at such an extraordinary level is already a success. But the Premier League currently boasts three such teams simultaneously. Who can deny the league's strength?
Moreover, the Premier League also features the impressive trio of Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Arsenal from London.
It's safe to say that the Premier League's "Big Six" this season outshines even Serie A's legendary "Seven Sisters" during their prime.
While the UEFA coefficient rankings show La Liga still ahead of the Premier League due to English teams' underwhelming performances in past seasons, every football expert knows that the Premier League has already reclaimed the title of the best league in the world!
After all, UEFA's coefficient rankings are based on the past five seasons of European performances.
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In reality, over the past two seasons, the Premier League's UEFA coefficient has been far ahead of other leagues.
2017–2018 Season: The two Manchester clubs reached the Champions League semifinals, with Manchester United winning the title. Arsenal and Liverpool also advanced to the Europa League semifinals. This earned Premier League teams a total of 20.857 UEFA points—1.143 points higher than La Liga, showcasing a clear advantage.2018–2019 Season: So far, Premier League teams have already accumulated 19.571 points and are on track to surpass last season's total. Meanwhile, La Liga has only earned 18.333 points, with just one team in the Champions League quarterfinals and two in the Europa League semifinals. This means the Premier League's lead will likely be even greater this season.
Bruno knows that the next few seasons will mark a golden era for the Premier League. Soon, the league will erase La Liga's lead in UEFA's coefficient rankings. During the pandemic, the Premier League will decisively reverse the standings, reclaiming its position as the top league and gradually widening the gap.
As for La Liga, its decline is inevitable. With Cristiano Ronaldo already gone from Real Madrid and Messi set to depart in a few years, La Liga will not only lose its title as the top league but may even fall behind Serie A.
Of course, these changes will unfold gradually over the coming seasons. For now, La Liga, with Messi still present, barely maintains the strength to compete with the Premier League.
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Bruno didn't dwell too much on these matters, as he and Manchester United had to focus on their next game—a weekend FA Cup quarterfinal away against Wolves.
This is no easy opponent. Newly promoted Wolves have been the Premier League's dark horse this season, sitting seventh in the table after 30 rounds, just behind the "Big Six."
In the FA Cup quarterfinals, Wolves are ranked only behind the Manchester clubs. The other five remaining teams are Watford, Brighton, Crystal Palace, and Championship sides Swansea and Millwall.
Drawing Wolves in this stage of the competition was already terrible luck for Manchester United. By comparison, Manchester City got a much easier draw with Swansea, currently 13th in the Championship.
As expected, Manchester United's match at Molineux Stadium proved extremely tough.
In this game, Bruno didn't start. Mourinho's plan was to rest him, provided things went smoothly. After all, Bruno had upcoming European Championship qualifiers with Portugal and would face another grueling schedule with Manchester United after the international break.
United controlled the game early on, while Wolves defended deep to compress space. The first half saw both sides create chances but fail to score, ending in a 0–0 stalemate.
At halftime, neither team made changes.
In the 70th minute, Wolves broke the deadlock. João Moutinho forced his way past three defenders on the left and crossed. Raúl Jiménez, under pressure from Chris Smalling, couldn't shoot, but Mata failed to clear the ball. Jiménez turned and fired from 14 yards out, sending the ball into the bottom left corner.
Six minutes later, Wolves doubled their lead. Neves set up Diogo Jota on a counterattack. Jota tricked Luke Shaw and slotted the ball into the near corner from 12 yards, making it 2–0.
Conceding two goals in six minutes left Manchester United in a desperate situation.
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Though United had won the FA Cup for three consecutive years, Mourinho still valued this historic competition and rarely gave up on it, especially now that only three games stood between them and the title.
As Wolves celebrated their second goal, Mourinho made a decisive triple substitution, sending on Bruno, Harry Kane, and Jesse Lingard for Mata, Scott McTominay, and Marcus Rashford.
Having used all three substitutions, it was clear Mourinho was going all in.
Since the 2016–17 season, FA Cup quarterfinals no longer go to replays. If tied at full-time, the game moves to extra time, and if still tied, a penalty shootout follows.
Mourinho's plan was to equalize within the remaining 15 minutes and push for extra time.
Of course, an outright comeback within regulation time would be ideal, but against a strong Wolves side, scoring three goals in 15 minutes seemed almost impossible. The realistic goal was to reach extra time and secure the win there.
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Mourinho gave Bruno a simple directive: run, find space, and create chances.
Bruno immediately made an impact, driving down the left flank on his first touch. However, his cross into the box was cleared by Wolves defender Willy Boly.
Three minutes later, Bruno received a pass from Ander Herrera, suddenly accelerated, and cut inside. Rashford, sensing the play, dropped back, drawing Boly out of position. Bruno then threaded a diagonal pass into the space behind. Riyad Mahrez made a sharp run, controlled the ball, and scored seamlessly.
1–2!
In the 81st minute, Bruno assisted Mahrez to pull one back for Manchester United.
In the 95th minute, Bruno split the defense with a central pass to Luke Shaw, who crossed from the left. Rashford turned and fired into the bottom right corner from 10 yards, leveling the score at 2–2.
The game went into extra time.
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Wolves fought tenaciously at home, hoping to force a penalty shootout. But in the 109th minute, Bruno broke through the Wolves defense with a series of dribbles and scored the decisive goal.
3–2!
Manchester United had completed a stunning comeback!
(END CHAPTER)
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