The Gap Between the Premier League's Elite, Also-Rans Has Never Been Greater
The Premier League has always been famed as a division where any side can beat another. The sense that on any given weekend a giant-killing may occur made England's top flight must-watch television, and the most popular sporting league in the world.
To a sense, that still holds true. But this season, more than any other, there's a sense that the days of the David's knocking down the Goliaths of England are beginning to dwindle.
Consider this: At the time of writing, only one of the Premier League's top five clubs - Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal - have lost a match to a club lower than fifth (Spurs lost 2-1 to Watford back in September). That's not to say that won't change, since there have only been 11 matchdays in the new season. After all, Bournemouth surprisingly sit in sixth - ahead of Manchester United in seventh and just three points behind Arsenal.
But one must admit - this is very much starting to look like the exception.
When Leicester won the league back in 2016, football fans everywhere rejoiced. Not just for the incredible story of a plucky underdog defying the odds to win England's biggest footballing prize, but for the sense that such a triumph was possible for any club in the land, regardless of their stadium size, sponsorship deals or financial backing.
Sadly, those dreams appear to be fading.
England's giants have wielded their financial footprint to cement their position in the Premier League and stop the possibility of any upstarts getting a sniff of the top four. The six highest transfers this summer were split between City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool. It makes sense that the biggest clubs would attract the best players, and the difference in quality is starting to show on the pitch. Even a club like Fulham, who spent £105.3m in the summer, currently find themselves in the relegation zone because they couldn't attract real game-changers to their side.
The top five clubs have a combined 125 goals to their name - that's a little over 40 percent of the 311 goals that have been scored in the Premier League so far. Three of those sides haven't lost a single match, and four of them have won more matches than the bottom five's current point totals.
True, there's more money in the Premier League than ever. And sides like Bournemouth and Watford do give hope that there will one day be a glorious shake-up to the final standings. But when that day will come is looking less and less clear.
Yet that is why we tune in to watch every match - in the hope that on any given weekend, something magical might happen.
