The Impact of European Football on Premier League Teams

The Impact of European Football on Premier League Teams

The Impact of European Football on Premier League Teams

As European competition resumes this week, nearly half of the Premier League clubs are set to participate in continental football this season. However, the question remains: will this enhance or hinder their Premier League performances?

A record nine English clubs are slated to compete in European tournaments for the 2025-26 season: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham will participate in the Champions League; Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest will compete in the Europa League; and Crystal Palace will take part in the Conference League.

Meanwhile, clubs not involved in European competitions may take advantage of a less demanding fixture schedule and enjoy more rest between matches.

When Leicester City stunned the football world by winning the Premier League in the 2015-16 season, they played only 43 matches across all competitions, free from European distractions.

If an English club were to triumph in Europe this season, they would face a minimum of 55 matches—38 in the Premier League, at least two domestic cup games, and either 15 or 17 European matches, depending on whether they advance to the knockout stage.

This raises an important question for teams: would they prefer to remain fresh and perform well in the league, or endure a challenging schedule filled with midweek games and international travel, all in pursuit of additional silverware?

Former England defender Matt Upson, who played in the Champions League with Arsenal and the Europa League with Stoke City, expressed his preference: "As a player, I preferred to play. While the workload from now until Christmas is likely on the heavier side, not having European football is not enough for clubs these days. There is a tipping point where too many games can become detrimental, but that’s why squads are so large—to allow teams in Europe to rest players."

Upson believes that players would always opt for the opportunity to compete for more trophies rather than miss out on major tournaments. He noted, "As a player, I enjoyed staying in rhythm, and playing twice a week was ideal. It kept me fit and sharp, especially at this stage of the season when players are still finding their form. There’s nothing like matches to get you to the level you want."

Leicester City is one of only two teams to have won the Premier League without having European football earlier in the same season, with Chelsea achieving the same feat the following year. However, four of the first six Premier League winners—Manchester United (1992-93, 1995-96), Blackburn (1994-95), and Arsenal (1997-98)—also faced minimal European distractions, as they participated in only two continental matches before exiting in the opening round of the UEFA Cup.

Since the regular qualification of four English clubs for the Champions League began in the 2001-02 season, nine teams have secured a top-four Premier League finish in a season without European football, with Newcastle being the most recent in the 2022-23 season.

Conversely, three clubs—Manchester United (1998-99, 2007-08) and Manchester City (2022-23)—have managed to win both the Premier League and Champions League in the same season. Liverpool remains the only team to win the old European Cup and the English championship in the same year, achieving this in both 1976-77 and 1983-84.

This season's demanding schedule promises to be exhausting for some clubs. Crystal Palace has already played seven competitive matches, including the Community Shield and two qualifiers for the Conference League, and they could reach 29 games in all competitions by Christmas. In contrast, Bournemouth, Leeds, Manchester United, Sunderland, and West Ham are expected to have played only 18 matches by December 25, having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup and without European commitments.

Upson remarked, "For a team like Manchester United, the longer breaks between games could benefit their players. However, it largely depends on the atmosphere at the training ground, which I suspect isn't the best at the moment. Spending extended periods at the training facility while dealing with challenges on the pitch can be mentally taxing, as you wait to rectify issues the following weekend."

Tottenham and Manchester United both prioritized European success on their path to the 2025 Europa League final, with Spurs finishing 17th in the Premier League and United just two places above them. Despite claiming their first European title since 1984, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou was dismissed after the club narrowly avoided relegation.

These examples highlight that clubs chasing European glory have often suffered in their league campaigns. In the 2018-19 season, Burnley played six Europa League qualifying matches by the end of August but failed to reach the group stage, finishing 15th in the Premier League—eight places lower than the previous season. Similarly, Newcastle's journey from the playoff round to the Europa League quarter-finals in 2012-13 contributed to their disappointing 16th-place finish, 11 spots lower than the year prior.

Two teams have been relegated from the Premier League in seasons when they participated in the main phase of a European competition: Blackburn Rovers in 1998-99 and Ipswich Town in 2001-02, both of whom played in the UEFA Cup.

For some clubs, a season without European football will feel unusual. Manchester United's last season without European commitments was in 2014-15, marking only their second such season since the 1990s. Following their second-round Carabao Cup loss to League Two's Grimsby Town, United must reach the FA Cup final to avoid their lowest total of matches in a single season during the Premier League era.

Highlights of every Champions League match will be available from 22:00 BST on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. A Champions League Match of the Day will also air on BBC One on Wednesday from 22:40 to 00:00.

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