The Premier League is flexing its muscles in Europe as five English teams finished in the top eight of the Champions League to reach the knockouts.
That could become six in the last 16 if Newcastle win their two-legged play-off after they finished 12th in the league phase following a 1-1 draw at defending champions PSG on Wednesday.
Arsenal finished in first place with Liverpool third, Tottenham fourth, Chelsea sixth and Manchester City finishing eighth.
History could be made if Newcastle progress through the play-offs as never before have there been six Premier League teams in the Champions League knockouts.
“That is dominant,” said Spurs boss Thomas Frank.
“I think we all said for a few years the Premier League is the best league in the world and I think this is another sign of it.”
So why have Premier League sides been so dominant against Europe’s elite?
The most obvious starting point is the financial power of the Premier League, which significantly outweighs other leagues.
Six Premier League sides sit inside the top 10 of the Deloitte Football Money League, while 50% of the top 30 come from the English top flight.
TV rights have generated enormous broadcast revenues for Premier League sides, with the income from that source dwarfing those of other countries.
Last summer, Premier League clubs outlaid more than ever before in the transfer window as spending surpassed £3bn.
To highlight just how much financial power Premier League clubs have over elsewhere in Europe, the total spent in the summer window was more than was spent by Bundesliga, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A clubs combined.
More money means clubs can invest in bigger squads, with Arsenal seeing the benefits of spending big to increase their strength in depth as they finished first in the league phase of the Champions League and sit top of the Premier League.
“The biggest single reason that the English clubs have been dominant so far is the financial power of the Premier League,” former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport.
“Also, it is about how competitive they have got by fighting it out and being in and around each other – they have pushed each other on.”
Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon also says a more open style of play in Europe has benefited English teams, while the Premier League is “more physical than I’ve ever known it to be”.
“I think in the Champions League, teams are more open. They all try to play. It’s less transitional,” he added.
“It [the Premier League] is like a basketball game sometimes, it’s so relentless physically. There’s not much control, it’s a running game and sometimes it’s about duels, whoever wins the duels wins the game. Or moments.
“The Champions League is a bit more of an older style of game, more football based. Teams come and try and play proper football.
“In the Premier League, you see a lot more long throw-ins, set pieces – it’s become a lot slower and more set piece based, I would say.”
