Headline: Premier League Sees Improved Competitiveness in Recent Season
The Premier League showcased an increased level of competition last season, reportedly more intense than it has been for years. While the 65-point chasm between champions Arsenal and last-placed Wolves mirrored the average for a 38-game season (63 points), a significant shift occurred in the mid-table standings.
Since the league’s reduction to 20 teams in the 1995-96 season, the gap between the top four and the bottom three had been steadily widening. This trend resulted in the more prominent clubs capitalizing on their European successes and the financial benefits of finishing higher in the league.
However, last season marked a turning point, with the gap between the wealthier clubs and their less affluent counterparts shrinking from 44 points in 2024-25 to just 26 points—the smallest margin seen in 23 years, since it stood at 25 points in the 2002-03 season.
Opportunities for European qualification appeared more accessible than in recent years. Aston Villa, despite earning one point less than their previous seventh-place finish, secured Champions League qualification by moving up two places in the table. Liverpool also made a notable entry into the Champions League as they finished fifth, although their points total of 60 was the lowest recorded for a side in that position in 19 years—enough to place them only ninth the season prior.
Bournemouth and Sunderland exemplified the shift in competitive dynamics by qualifying for European competitions for the first time ever and for the first time in over fifty years, respectively. Additionally, teams in the bottom half concluded the season with more points than in previous years, suggesting a reevaluation of their performance is necessary.
Everton may have expressed disappointment over their 13th-place finish, yet it marked the highest points total recorded for that position since the turn of the millennium. Similarly, the points accumulated by the teams finishing below Everton set a Premier League record, with West Ham facing relegation despite achieving the highest points total for an 18th-placed side since the 2010-11 season.
In total, 13 out of 20 teams finished the season with between 40 and 60 points, the highest count in a Premier League campaign since 2003-04. The reasons behind the increased competitiveness—whether due to improved performances from traditionally ‘lesser’ teams or a decline among the top clubs—remain unclear.
Notably, the savvy tactics of clubs like Brighton, Brentford, and Bournemouth, along with the financial resources that allow even those in the lower half to attract top foreign talent, suggest that the ‘lesser’ teams have indeed elevated their standards. Nevertheless, the remarkable success of promoted Sunderland, which finished above 13 teams in their return season, hints at potential vulnerabilities in the league’s overall strength.
Evidence shows that the quartet of clubs—Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle, and Nottingham Forest—that finished in the top seven in 2024-25 amassed 79 points fewer collectively last season. While Nottingham Forest’s regression seemed plausible following their impressive seventh-place finish and Europa League semi-final run, the declines of the others came as unexpected developments.
This season introduces a unique scenario where Bournemouth, Brighton, and Sunderland embark on European campaigns, contrasting with Chelsea, Tottenham, and Newcastle, who will not participate. This raises questions about whether the Premier League will revert to its traditional hierarchy in 2026-27 or if a new era of competitiveness is truly underway.
Competition comes at a cost
On another note, the Premier League has become less competitive at the very bottom of the standings, likely due to the overall intensification of competition. While it’s almost customary for one team to be left behind before the season concludes, it has now become common for two teams to be adrift.
Historically, the second-bottom side in a 38-game season averaged 31 points, indicating a sustained struggle battle for survival. Since 1995-96, only two teams have finished in 19th place with fewer than 30 points. In the past decade, however, seven of the ten who ended in that position have failed to break the barrier.
Recent seasons have seen promoted clubs like Ipswich and Burnley conclude their campaigns with a mere 22 points—the lowest ever recorded for a second-bottom side. Presently, relegation battles primarily focus on which team will fill the final relegation spot, as the other two tend to be already determined, frequently involving newly promoted teams.
Inspired by the survival stories of Sunderland and Leeds, this season sees promoted clubs Coventry City, Ipswich Town, and Hull City hopeful of matching the competitive standards of the Premier League.
Last season, the Premier League was arguably more competitive than it has been for years.
While the 65 points between champions Arsenal and bottom side Wolves was around the average for a 38-game season (63), a real revolution took place in mid-table.
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Since the league was reduced to 20 teams in 1995-96, the gap between the top four and the bottom three – between what has often been the Champions League and the Championship – had been increasing as the seasons went by, with the ‘bigger’ clubs profiting from their European adventures and the extra money they earned by regularly finishing higher in the table.
But last season, the gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ of the Premier League dropped from 44 points in 2024-25 to just 26 points – the smallest distance for 23 years (since 25 points in 2002-03).
The European places were more attainable than they had been for years. Despite taking a point fewer than when they finished seventh the season before, Aston Villa clinched Champions League qualification by finishing two places higher.
While Liverpool took the ‘bonus’ Champions League place by finishing fifth, their points total of 60 was the lowest by a side finishing there for 19 years and would have put them ninth in 2024-25.
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Bournemouth and Sunderland also took full advantage of needing fewer points than normal by qualifying for European competition for the first time ever and for over half a century respectively.
Meanwhile, the teams in the bottom half finished with more points than they had in years, meaning that judging them simply by their position in the table is perhaps a little harsh.
Everton may have been underwhelmed with their 13th-place finish but it was the most points a team in that position had finished with since the Toffees themselves did it at the turn of the millennium.
The points of the four places below them were all the highest they have been in the Premier League for 23 years and West Ham can consider themselves unlucky to have gone down with the highest points total for an 18th-placed side since 2010-11.
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Overall, 13 of the 20 teams finished with between 40 and 60 points last season – the most in a Premier League campaign since 2003-04 (also 13).
Was the Premier League so competitive in 2025-26 because the quality of the ‘lesser’ teams got better or the top teams got worse? It is hard to know for sure.
Given how savvy smaller clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are, the vast amounts of money that enable even bottom-half sides to poach the best talent from abroad and the Premier League’s current dominance of the Europa League and Conference League, it would seem to be the former.
However, the fact that promoted play-off winners Sunderland were able to finish above 13 teams in their first season back suggests the league was maybe not as strong as we think.
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What we do know is that whether because they got worse or their opponents got better, four of the sides that finished in the top seven in 2024-25 – champions Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest – took 79 points fewer between them last season.
While Forest’s decline was perhaps expected given their incredible seventh-place finish in 2024-25 and their journey to the Europa League semi-finals last season, the others were far more surprising.
Sunderland and Leeds smashed the recent run of promoted sides struggling to compete by taking 64 more points than the teams they replaced in the top flight.
As a result, this season will be a bit of an upside-down one in that Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland have European campaigns to navigate while Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle do not.
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Will we therefore see a bounce-back to the more ‘traditional’ order in 2026-27 or are we truly entering a new, fiercely-competitive era of the Premier League?
Competition comes at a cost
However, one place where the Premier League has become less competitive – likely because it has become more fiercely-contested overall – is at the very bottom.
While it is almost expected for one side to be cut adrift long before the end of the season, nowadays two sides are getting left behind.
The average points tally of the second-bottom side in a 38-game season is 31, meaning teams that finish there have usually competed in a relegation battle for most of the season before ultimately falling short.
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After the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams in 1995-96, only two 19th-placed sides failed to reach 30 points in the first 21 seasons. But in the last decade, seven of the 10 sides to finish in that position have failed to do so.
In fact, in the past two seasons promoted sides Ipswich and Burnley have both finished there with just 22 points – the fewest ever taken by a second-bottom side.
Relegation battles are now mostly a fight to see who takes the final spot in the bottom three, with the other two accounted for long before the final day – often by promoted sides.
But inspired by the survival of Sunderland and Leeds, promoted Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will all be hoping they have what it takes to match the competitiveness of the Premier League this season.
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