“City have made the PL uncompetitive”. Myth & reality

[Prestwich_Blue]

I hear pundits and other fans constantly saying that the PL is becoming boring and uncompetitive due to our success so I checked the figures to see if it was. Very interesting results.

This season, after 13 games, the top 4 clubs are separated by 7 points. Here are the same figures for other seasons:
2017/18. 12 points
2016/17. 3 points
2015/16. 2 points
2014/15. 11 points
2013/14. 7 points
2012/13. 5 points
2011/12. 9 points
2010/11. 6 points
2009/10. 8 points
2008/09. 9 points
2007/08. 8 points
2006/07. 11 points
2005/06. 8 points
2004/05. 10 points
2003/04. 11 points
2003/03. 7 points
2001/02. 6 points
2000/01. 7 points

So there have only been 5 seasons this century (out of 19) where the gap between the top 4 has been less than it is currently after the equivalent number of games. And there have been double that number where it’s been higher. Out of those 10 that have seen a bigger gap, we’ve won the title twice and one of those was on goal difference. The average gap is about 7.8 points so this season isn’t even above average.

 

[gordondaviesmoustache]

What about the gap between first and seventh?

 

[aguero93:20]

I think the problem some have is how few points the top 5 are dropping against the rest of the league (less than 10 so far I think), but it's pointless to blame that on City.

 

[blue b4 the moon]

Twisted as being a poor league these days as well.

Sour grapes are very very sour.

 

[woolleyback blue]

Isn't it strange that when the rags were the only ones with money and were hoovering up title after title and the rest of the old top 4 were also untouchable by the lesser teams that there was no mention made of the league being uncompetetive.

 

[BringBackSwales]

What about the gap between first and seventh?

What have Bournemouth got to do with it?

 

[vmsuhail]

I think the problem some have is how few points the top 5 are dropping against the rest of the league (less than 10 so far I think), but it's pointless to blame that on City.

Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham have had their best start to a season. Yet, it is only City that made the league uncompetitive. How about Liverpool who brought in 250m players in 2018 and have 33 points from a possible 39 ?

 

[domalino]

3 teams made it 1/3 of the way through the season unbeaten. No one outside the top6 has beaten a club inside the top 6. At it's heart the league is not competitive in the "anyone can beat anyone" way it was a few years ago.

Guardiola has raised the level of what's considered excellence in this league. If Liverpool, Chelsea etc trying to match that makes the league uncompetitive then it's really an indictment of how things were before. How much the big clubs were pissing about beforehand and how the smaller clubs have not caught up.

 

[aguero93:20]

Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham have had their best start to a season. Yet, it is only City that made the league uncompetitive. How about Liverpool who brought in 250m players in 2018 and have 33 points from a possible 39 ?

I wouldn't blame any of the top 5 mate, the increased TV money has made things like gate receipts, commercial income and CL money the least decisive they've ever been in terms of spending power. The rest of the league need to get their act together and improve on recruitment.
I mean ffs Atletico Madrid have less money than most of the PL teams, but they have no problem competing both on the domestic and European stage.

 

[Fame Monster]

If Chelsea, City and Leicester hadn’t successfully invested, the league would be one of the most boring ones in the world and the broadcasting rights would be worth an awful lot less. That’s without mentioning the aesthetic value that City have provided, probably playing the most beautiful football the league has ever seen with probably the league’s greatest ever team.