English Football Clubs in European Competition
England's Top Four Have Eyes on Champions League Crown
The English game produced the two finalists for last season's Champions League final in Moscow when Manchester United won the title of European football champions for the third time in 20-years, defeating London rivals Chelsea in a penalty shoot out.
The prospect of the English Premier League once again producing both finalists is very much on the cards with half of this season's Champions League quarter- finalists coming from England.
English Semi-final Spot
At least one English side is guaranteed a place in the semi finals as Liverpool and Chelsea meet in the quarter-final showdowns in April. This is becoming an annual event for both sides as they have met each other in the competition during the previous four seasons.
Chelsea were top dogs last term beating the Merseysiders at the semi-final stage. But it is Liverpool who have the better pedigree in the competition, having won the Champions League, and its previous incarnation the European Cup, no fewer than five times.
Holders Manchester United, who under manager Sir Alex Ferguson won the competition in 1999 and 2008, face Portuguese giants FC Porto over two legs, while Arsenal, Champions League runners up in 2006, host Spanish side Villareal at their Emirates Stadium home in the first leg of the tie.
The one tie not involving English clubs is the meeting of Bayern Munich of Germany and Catalan giants Barcelona. This pairing would have made an excellent final as either side are capable of taking the trophy back across the English channel.
English Premier League Top Four
England's four quarter-finalists in the Champions League - Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal currently lead the English Premier League. They will surely continue to make an impact in European competition thanks to the wealth generated in Europe as well as in domestic competition.
The English Premier League, since its formation in 1992, has made the top clubs immensely wealthy. The Champions League, capitalizing on the vast interest in European Competition has also contributed to that wealth with millions being poured into their coffers.
That wealth has enabled England's “big four” to plunder the planet for the top players. That is shown in the current English Premier League table with Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal all occupying top spots and virtually guaranteeing qualification for the world's top club competition next term.
In the meantime, the big question is whether England can once again produce both finalists for the end-of-season big clash in Rome.
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