For a few decades, proponents of the Premier League have tagged it as the best league in the world. Sure, there were plenty of times when it was clear individual teams—Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich—were stronger than any team in the EPL, but there was always a riposte that the depth of the EPL as a whole was greater. While it was not a completely infallible argument, it certainly had merit.
Yet, one of the central points about the Premier League’s strength was its supposed unpredictability. Broadcasters like Sky Sports constantly churn out lines like “anyone can beat anyone” and “you never know what’s going to happen.” Again, this was technically true: anyone can beat anyone, but that’s hardly something unique to the Premier League. Barcelona is en route to winning La Liga this season, but they have suffered defeats at Camp Nou against Leganes and Las Palmas.
Shocks are normal in soccer predictions
Shock results have happened across every professional league for time immemorial – it just happens, so the Premier League has no monopoly on it. If you look at expert soccer picks for upcoming games in major leagues, there’s always a shock or two on the cards.
Yet, the argument for the Premier League’s unpredictability was undercut when anyone glanced at the league table at the end of the season. The Big 6 Teams – Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, and the two Manchester clubs – had a stranglehold on the Top 4 (and entry to the Champions League) for most of the last 15-20 years. In most seasons over the last decade, it’s just felt like a question of whether the finishing order was in doubt. Yes, there was a miraculous year when Leicester City won the Premier League, but that was very much an outlier.
A merry-go-round of teams beating each other
However, the 2024/25 season seems to have granted the wishes of those who view the Premier League as a product. Sure, one of the Big 6 – Liverpool – will win the title, but that’s about the only thing in the league that has gone as expected. Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are languishing at the bottom of the table, just about avoiding relegation. Man City, winner of six of the last seven Premier League titles, are fighting for their lives to finish in the Top 5. Chelsea has been all over the place, too.
Yet, the most interesting thing is the emergence of teams traditionally stuck in mid-table or fighting relegation – Nottingham Forest, Brighton, Bournemouth, Fulham – now challenging for European places. The results among those clubs have been unpredictable to say the least.
For example, Brighton’s decent unbeaten run was interrupted by a 1-0 home loss to Everton and a 7-0 hammering at the hands of Nottingham Forest. After that, they reeled off four wins on the bounce, including a comprehensive 3-0 win over Chelsea. The week before Nottingham Forest won 7-0 over Brighton, they lost 5-0 to Bournemouth, which, in turn, lost to Brighton.
This merry-go-round of results has kept the league fresh and intriguing as we go down the final stretch. Yes, Liverpool will add another title for the Big Clubs, but that sense of jeopardy is alive and well every matchday. The question is this: the Premier League became the biggest sports product in the world despite its (broadly speaking) predictability. Does that make it better this season?
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