Soccer Teams

EPL Brief History

The English Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues globally, and it has been around for quite some time.

After the rebrand in the early 1990s, we’ve seen shifts in the dominating teams, making the league even more competitive. We have teams from lower divisions trying to break into the EPL.

It’s one thing to make it to the top, but it is another to stay there. Only a few teams have tried and succeeded in staying out of the drop zone.

Every season, the three new teams from the championship shoot for the magic 40 points to stay in the EPL. Taking 40 points from 38 games might look easy on paper, but it is harder with the level of competitiveness. 

Understanding Premier League Team Stats

The EPL consists of 20 teams, and each one plays 38 games throughout a single season. Out of the 38, they play 19 at home and travel across the country for the remaining 19.

The league starts in August and ends in May, and the team with the most points wins the league. However, if two or more teams have equal points at the end of the season, the winner is selected by the following metrics:

• Goals Difference (goals scored – goals against/conceded)
• Goals Scored
• Goals Against
• Head-to-Head
• Number of matches won

Over the years, EPL teams have been categorized into different sectors, and below is the breakdown of the teams. 

The Big Six

After we had a dissolution of the traditional top four with the entry of two top teams disrupting the balance of the regular teams we see represent the EPL in the UEFA Champions League, we had the Big Six. The traditional top four were Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool. 

But now we have Manchester City and Tottenham in the group. Therefore, they are now the big six.

• Leicester
• West Ham
• Everton
• Wolverhampton Wanderers
• Sheffield United

Enter the top six positions, the big six still maintain dominance for the past decade and more. 

Top Four

The Top Four is reserved for the league winners and the other three that will represent the league in the following season’s UCL tournament.

Although we have the Big Six teams, the top four teams vary each season. We’ve seen when teams outside the Big Six make it into the top four spots to secure the UCL qualification spot. 

Aside from the top four, the 5th, 6th, and 7th positions make it into the lower divisions of the UEFA competitions, including the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League. 

Mid Table

The Mid Table teams are the ones that have solidified their positions above the drop zone. However, they are not quite fit for the top spots.

In some cases, we’ve seen a few mid-table teams enter the top four spots. But in most cases, the best of the lot ends up in the 7th position and makes it to the UECL. 

Drop Zone

The Drop Zone is where teams try to avoid by all means necessary as it is the gateway to fall into the lower divisions.

This zone is for the bottom three teams after a full season. Therefore, teams in the 18th, 19th, and 20th positions get relegated to the Championship to make room for the newcomers. Over the years, teams with 40 points generally avoid the zone and stay up for another season.