“Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ Expands to ‘Big Seven’ as Newcastle Joins Elite Ranks”
Sky has officially rebranded the Premier League’s ‘big six’ as the ‘big seven’ for the upcoming season, adding Newcastle to the historic group of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. This change follows Newcastle’s fourth-place finish in the 2022-23 season and their seventh-place finish last season.
Interestingly, Aston Villa, which finished seventh in the 2022-23 season and fourth last season, earning a Champions League spot for the first time, is excluded from the ‘big seven’. Instead, Villa is grouped with clubs like West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion, which have also recently placed in the top seven.
Villa’s head coach, Unai Emery, has dismissed the ‘big six’ concept, noting that only one of the last five Premier League seasons saw all six traditional clubs finish in the top six. He suggests that the league is now a competition of the top seven, eight, or even ten clubs, with many teams capable of aiming for those positions, including Aston Villa.
As the new season approaches, Newcastle aims to re-enter the top six, while Villa seeks to maintain their upward trajectory under Emery and continue competing in Europe for the second consecutive season.