All four Premier League clubs have made it into the Champions League quarter finals for the first time since 2008.
Chelsea and Arsenal progressed in the Europa League on Thursday to make it six English clubs in the European quarter finals for the second time ever and the first since 1970/71.
Only La Liga, in 2015/16, has ever had six teams in the quarter finals of the two European competitions, though that was with three in the Europa League.
The 2007/08 campaign saw an all-English Champions League final. Manchester United were runners-up in 2009 and 2011 and Chelsea won the competition (albeit as underdogs) in 2012.
No English team made the quarters in 2012/13. Only two made the last eight in 2013/14, with Chelsea the only English representative in the semis. They were knocked out convincingly by Atletico Madrid.
The 2014/15 season was the same as 2012/13 as Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal were knocked out in the last 16.
City were the only English club in the last eight in 2015/16 and made it all the way to the last eight. A 1-0 aggregate defeat to eventual winners Real Madrid ended their dreams.
Only one Premier League side featured in the quarters the following season too. This time it was Leicester City, who were edged out by Atletico Madrid.
That brings us to last season, perhaps the renaissance of the Premier League in Europe’s top competition.
Manchester City and Liverpool faced each other in a remarkable quarter final bout with Liverpool going all the way to the final before losing a dramatic match to Real Madrid.
Of course, only so much can be read into a knockout competition. Fortune plays a huge part; from the way the balls are picked, through refereeing decisions, badly timed injuries and the general fine margins that can decide knockout ties.
Picking the last eight as an arbitrary cut off for judging the ‘strength’ of a league is questionable. In this case, though, it is an indication of the Premier League’s best learning on and off the field.
And yes, it has been aided by a bit of luck, from Manchester United’s Parisian comeback to City facing Schalke in the last 16.
Coaching is at its best level in nearly a decade. Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino are three of the best in the world. Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery are very good, even if their reputations are slightly inferior to the aforementioned trio.
Manchester United’s situation is a bit different. Ole Gunner Solskjaer is a long way from Guardiola or Klopp, but United have almost unmatched spending power.
Despite Jose Mourinho’s crude expectation management, they belong at Europe’s top table and have a squad that reflects that.
Wealth has been crucial. The television deal puts Premier League clubs at a significant advantage over their European competitors. United and City have benefited most clearly, but all of the top six and beyond can outbid the vast majority of European teams.
Simply being the richest isn’t enough, however. We’ve seen a lot of terrible spending from the Premier League’s ‘finest’.
Having immense spending power is only a benefit if it is used properly and clubs have started to recruit better, even if it’s still often inefficient and far from perfect.
Liverpool’s recruitment has rebuilt them from upper-mid-table sleeping giant to one of Europe’s scariest opponents. The Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita figures get the attention, but it’s the foundations they built that transformed the club.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane arrived as individuals with good reputations. Underrated, perhaps, when they signed, they have formed a fearsome triumvirate.
Some credit goes to Klopp, some goes to the players, but plenty must go to the people who identified them as both attainable and suitable targets.
The amount spent at City means the success of their signings is easier to overlook. Guardiola has constructed the best squad in the world with players that fit exactly how he wants to play.
The squad is going to be very good with the hundreds of millions City have spent. Making it fit the style you want to play with depth at every position is a different task.
Tottenham’s spending, or lack of, has been a point of mockery. Pochettino’s mastery has brought more out of the squad than was reasonable to expect.
The recruitment, though, has still been good, avoiding the crippling big contracts and ludicrous fees that can hurt a club with their revenue.
United, Chelsea and Arsenal have made their fair share of mistakes. Amongst that, there are smart buys, like Diogo Dalot, Matteo Guendouzi and Antonio Rudiger.
Arsenal and Chelsea are in a period of transition, and they have as yet avoided the slump towards mid-table that others suffered in similar circumstances.
Sarri and Emery are keeping their teams competitive on the European stage. Chelsea (aided by a favourable draw) are Europa League favourites at 7/4. Arsenal, despite facing Napoli in the quarters, are third-favourites for the competition at 17/4.
888sport offers 7/10 on an English club to win the Champions League.
The role of fortune cannot be underestimated in six teams making European quarter finals this season.
Atletico and Juventus were drawn together in the last 16, Real Madrid fell to Ajax and Manchester United needed the rub of the green to see off PSG.
Bayern Munich are not the force they have been for most of this decade. Tottenham faced Borussia Dortmund as they hit a difficult run of form.
Four teams in the last eight does not guarantee the Premier League will dominate for decades. In the same way, having no teams in the quarters was not confirmation the league was terrible.
It is a reflection of improvement rather than a statement of dominance. Luck and riches play their role, but this season’s European progress is just reward for clubs being run well on and off the pitch.
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
