I fully expect that this article will not be popular North of the Watford Gap, but then I’ve never been one to care about what anyone else thinks about Arsenal nor anything that I write about us. What I am saying is simply a fact – it is harder for Arsenal (and likewise other London clubs) to win the Title than it is for a team from any other part of the country and here’s why!
When you look at the teams that each club plays against in a season, currently 19 in the English Premier League, They can be split into three different distinct categories:
- Local rivals
- The Big Six
- Others
Categories 1 and 2 are not mutually exclusive, but are widely accepted as providing harder matches – Tier 1 games if you like.
Now consider this. There are currently seven London clubs in the EPL with three of those part of the Big Six whereas in the North West there are four local clubs three of which make the remaining members of the Big Six. So doing some maths that would not test a Year six pupil, it is clear that whilst Liverpool and Manchester City will only have play 12 tier 1 matches over the course of this season, Arsenal and Chelsea have 18 games of that level. This point can be further illustrated by the fact that our trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday after is the second of three consecutive League matches against other London teams. Whatever way you look at this season and most others, Arsenal and Chelsea both have to play 50% more matches than their North West rivals against teams who have a bit more skin in the game.
Now for those of you who like me are a bit of an anorak here are a few EPL related stats for you that illustrate my point further!
- Since its inception 51 clubs have played at least one season in the EPL
- Ten of those clubs are defined as London clubs (19.6%)
- There have been 33 completed top flight seasons since the first in 1992/93
- In eight of those seasons a London club has been Champions (24.2%)
- The 33 titles have been shared amongst 24 clubs
- Only two of those clubs have been from the Capital (8.3%)
These numbers speak for themselves and if you also bear in mind that at least three of Chelsea’s five titles were effectively bought during the first five years of the Abramovich era, the numbers would be even more clear and obvious!
Images courtesy of Reuters/Action Images