#2 Can the Premier League make its mark again?
While the last English side to win the Champions League was Chelsea in 2011/12, it could be argued that 2007/08 was the high water mark for the Premier League in the competition. After all, that was the season that saw Manchester United defeat Chelsea in the final, while Liverpool also made the semis before being knocked out by Chelsea.
Since then though, English teams have struggled to make their mark on the tournament. Since Chelsea’s win in 2012 in particular, only two Premier League sides have gotten past the quarter-final stage – Chelsea in 2013/14 and Manchester City in 2015/16. Last season saw only Leicester make it into the last eight in fact.
2017/18 though could be different. Five Premier League sides – Chelsea, Tottenham, Man City, Man United and Liverpool (assuming they qualify for the group stage) – will be gunning for Europe’s biggest trophy and given the riches that adorn the league these days, surely at least one of those sides will be aiming to make the semi-finals at the very least.
If that isn’t the case and we see another disappointing Champions League campaign for the Premier League sides, it’d be a damning verdict on English football’s place in Europe in general. Premier League money may be able to buy great players, but this season should show if it can buy European success too.
