The widening gap between the top and bottom of the Premier League shows no signs of narrowing any time soon, according to a national sports journalist.
Many feel that teams at the bottom of the table are struggling to keep up, making it less competitive and creating a huge gap between the bottom half and top six.
And Joel Bland, a freelance sports journalist for the likes of the Times, TNT and Bauer Media, thinks most of these competitive issues can be traced to club finances.
He told Mersey Sport Live: “The most prominent reason for the gap, is the financial disparities that smaller clubs have to deal with. Factors like TV revenue, ticket sales, kit sales and sponsorship revenue.”
It seems that teams not in the mix for honours are having to fight harder then ever and this leaves fans asking if the gap will ever be closed.
“Its a difficult situation,” Bland said.
“There are restrictions in place, such as financial fair play and profit and sustainability rules, that don’t allow teams like Newcastle to reach, but consequently it creates a secondary gap between Manchester City and the rest, reducing the competitiveness of the league.”
The total points tally for teams in the top three since 2019, suggests that things are getting more competitive at the top.
Over the past five seasons, the gap between the top four and the rest of the Premier League has become wider than ever. It seems as if this is the toughest it has ever been for bottom half teams to challenge in the Premier League.
The number of points teams in the relegation zone have collected has decreased in the past five seasons compared to the five seasons before that, meaning it is getting less competitive further down the table.
Lower teams have also scored fewer goals and conceded more.
Looking towards the top of the table, just last season in the Premier League to break into the top three a team needed to get over an average 82 points.
More than 20 years ago over 80 points would either be guarantee a team a top two finish or even a league title.
Last season also saw the three promoted teams go straight back down.
Bland also thinks, along with many fans, that the same will happen this season.
He said: “My predicted bottom three for this season will be Ipswich in 18th, Leicester in 19th and Southampton in 20th.”
The total points needed to get into the top three is currently rising each season. Of course, the league title race has become more predictable because of Manchester City’s dominance. They have won the past four titles – and eight in total.
But they aren’t the main reason teams lower down the table are starting to have less chance of fighting in the Premier League.
The top six clubs are worth a staggering amount of money and are global brands all over the world. Smaller teams are having to compete with these elite clubs.
This season’s three promoted teams total worth is:
Southampton: £273 million
Leicester City: £263 million
Ipswich Town: £161 million
The Premier League Opta Analyst predicted the upcoming Premier League season. If the predictions are correct, there will again be a big gap between the top clubs and the bottom and for a second season in a row, all three promoted teams will be relegated.
