The balance of power in European football is tilting ever further towards England. When the dust settled on the Champions League league phase, five Premier League clubs had secured top-eight finishes and safe passage into the knockout rounds. A sixth could yet follow, with Newcastle United still alive after finishing 12th and earning a two-legged play-off.

It is a remarkable show of strength. Arsenal topped the entire table, while Liverpool finished third, Tottenham Hotspur fourth, Chelsea sixth and Manchester City eighth. If Newcastle United navigate their play-off, history will be made. Never before have six English teams reached the Champions League last 16 in the same season.

That possibility alone underlines the scale of English dominance. As Thomas Frank put it after Tottenham Hotspur sealed their place, “That is dominant. I think we all said for a few years the Premier League is the best league in the world and this is another sign of it.”

Newcastle’s shot at history

For Newcastle United, the story is still being written. Eddie Howe’s side finished 12th in the league phase, a position that reflects both progress and frustration. A hard-fought 1-1 draw away at defending champions Paris St-Germain kept their European adventure alive and earned them a play-off tie that could open the door to the last 16.

Victory would elevate this season into the club’s modern folklore. It would also complete an unprecedented clean sweep for the Premier League, with six representatives still standing while traditional European heavyweights stumble into the play-offs or exit altogether.

Money talks louder than tradition

The most obvious explanation for this English surge is financial muscle. The Premier League’s economic advantage has grown so large that it now shapes competitions beyond its own borders.

Six Premier League clubs sit inside the top 10 of the Deloitte Football Money League, while half of the top 30 come from England. Broadcast deals have created a revenue stream that dwarfs those of rival leagues, allowing clubs to spend heavily while still absorbing risk.

That power was laid bare last summer, when Premier League clubs spent more than £3bn in the transfer window. The total outlay exceeded the combined spending of Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 clubs. No other domestic competition can match that scale.

The impact is not just about marquee signings. It is about depth. Arsenal are a prime example, having invested significantly to build a squad capable of competing twice a week. The payoff has been clear, with Mikel Arteta’s side topping the Champions League league phase while also leading the Premier League.

As former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock explained, “The biggest single reason that the English clubs have been dominant so far is the financial power of the Premier League. Also, it is about how competitive they have got by fighting it out and being in and around each other. They have pushed each other on.”

Physicality and tempo setting English teams apart

Beyond money, there is a stylistic edge. Premier League football has become relentlessly physical, intense and fast, even by elite standards. That weekly grind appears to be paying dividends on the European stage.

Anthony Gordon believes the contrast in styles has played into English hands. The Newcastle United forward pointed to the more open nature of Champions League matches, arguing that Premier League sides are conditioned for chaos.

“In the Champions League, teams are more open. They all try to play. It is less transitional,” Gordon said. “The Premier League is more physical than I have ever known it to be. It is like a basketball game sometimes, it is so relentless physically.”

He also highlighted tactical differences. “In the Premier League, you see a lot more long throw-ins and set pieces. It has become slower and more set-piece based. In the Champions League, teams come and try to play proper football.”

English teams, hardened by domestic battles, often look comfortable exploiting that openness.

Did English clubs benefit from kinder fixtures?

Any discussion of dominance must also consider the fixture list. Before a ball was kicked, data analysts at Opta ranked every team’s Champions League schedule by difficulty.

The findings suggest English clubs were not entirely unlucky. Arsenal were handed the third-easiest set of fixtures, with Tottenham Hotspur fourth, Liverpool seventh and Chelsea eighth. Manchester City sat 14th in the rankings, while Newcastle United faced one of the toughest paths, ranked 32nd after being drawn against Paris St-Germain.

While fixture difficulty played a role, it does not fully explain why five Premier League sides finished inside the top eight. Plenty of teams with supposedly favourable schedules failed to capitalise.

A shot at record-breaking numbers

There is now a genuine chance that English clubs could rewrite Champions League history. With five teams already through and all avoiding each other in the last 16, the path is open for a record-breaking presence in the quarter-finals.

England has managed four quarter-finalists on three occasions, in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2018-19. Two of those campaigns ended with all-English finals. No other nation has ever placed four teams in the last eight, let alone five or six.

This season could push that ceiling even higher.

The fatigue factor

Yet there is a cautionary note. Dominance in January does not guarantee glory in May. The Premier League remains an unforgiving environment, and the physical toll of domestic competition can erode Champions League ambitions.

Warnock sounded that warning, saying, “I still think it will be very difficult for one of them to go on and win it, just because of how difficult the Premier League is every week. Whether you are fighting for the title or for a place in the top four, it takes its toll.”

Avoiding the play-offs has helped the top eight, but the latter stages will demand rotation, resilience and fortune.

Europe’s old powers under pressure

Elsewhere, the picture is far less rosy. Germany, Spain and Portugal are represented by just one club each in the knockout places, with Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Sporting CP carrying their nations’ hopes.

Several giants face the unpredictability of the play-offs. Real Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid all failed to secure top-eight finishes. Paris St-Germain were particularly disappointing, unable to get the result they needed against Newcastle United.

There have been surprises too. Bodo/Glimt have emerged as the competition’s shock package, beating Atletico Madrid and Manchester City to reach the play-offs. Their run has revived memories of Rosenborg, the last Norwegian side to progress this far back in 1996-97.

A warning shot to the rest of Europe

Whether this season ends in English silverware or not, the message is already clear. The Premier League’s financial strength, tactical adaptability and physical intensity are reshaping the Champions League.

Five teams are already through. A sixth stands on the brink. Europe has been warned.