I fully expect that this article will not be popular North of the Watford Gap, but then I’ve never been one to care about what anyone else thinks about Arsenal nor anything that I write about us. What I am saying is simply a fact – it is harder for Arsenal (and likewise other London clubs) to win the Title than it is for a team from any other part of the country and here’s why!
When you look at the teams that each club plays against in a season, currently 19 in the English Premier League, They can be split into three different distinct categories:
1. Local rivals
2. The Big Six
3. Others
Categories 1 and 2 are not being mutually exclusive, but are widely accepted as providing harder matches.
Now for those of you who like me are a bit of an anorak here are a few EPL related stats for you that illustrate my point further!
* Since its inception 51 clubs have played at least one season in the EPL
* Ten of those clubs are defined as London clubs (19.6%)
* There have been 33 completed top flight seasons since the first in 1992/93
* In eight of those seasons a London club has been Champions (24.2%)
* The 33 titles have been shared amongst 24 clubs
* Only two of those clubs have been from the Capital (8.3%)
These numbers speak for themselves and if you also bear in mind that at least three of Chelsea’s five titles were effectively bought during the first five years of the Abramovich era, the numbers would be even more clear and obvious!
Images courtesy of Reuters/Action Images