EPL: Fallacy and Reality of The Best League in The World

Odulaja Adetayo 

 The performance of English Premier League teams in this season's UEFA Champions League in weeks gone by has come under heavy but critical lensing due to the result they all churned out in the first leg of round 16 ties of the competition. While Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal all fell in an identical 2-0 scoreline, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea were forced to face-saving 1-1 draw in Turkey. 

The Four English sides could only manage to record an embarrassing one goal in over 21600seconds of football. A figure which is ridiculously worst compared to the Bundesliga (4 teams, 2wins, 2 loses, 7goals in 21600secs) , Laliga (3teams, 3wins, 9goals in 16200sec), French Ligue1 (1team,1win,4goals in 5400secs), Greek League (1team,1win,2goals in 5400secs). Others include Turkish League (1team,1draw,1goal in 5400secs), Russian League (1team, 1loss, 2goals in 5400secs), Serie A with no win and no goal in 5400secs of football. 

 

PHOTO: Tiwtter/@PremierLeague

But we've seen over the last few weeks with a lot of the English teams struggling that these teams have fallen behind the top teams in Europe, and United in particular The Four English sides could only manage to record an embarrassing one goal in over 21600seconds of football. 

Using results from a single round of a competition to judge various parameters of a league might be unfair but there has been the build-up of mediocre performance for a league with such lofty standards. The EPL is arguably the best league in terms of media leverage, Popularity, Organization and a testimony to genuine packaging and branding but in terms of quality of play and players, these teams have fallen behind the top teams in Europe. 

Afterward, Manchester United legend-turned-pundit Roy Keane blasted United and the Premier League as a whole, on the heels of all three of the league's sides losing that have competed so far. According to Keane. "I think we've been brainwashed by the [idea that] the Premier League is the best league in the world. Nonsense."The fact that many of the Premier League’s best players are leaving the league is also a pointer. It’s not just Bale and Ronaldo, it’s also Fabregas, Xabi Alonso, Mascherano, Robben, Pique, Pogba,Tevez and more. The best football isn’t in the Premier League. Neither is the best atmosphere. The Bundesliga averages almost 11,000 fans per game more than the Premier League does, and atmosphere the league’s biggest club’s grounds – Anfield excluded.

 Do You Agree that the EPL is not the Best League in The World?