Winning a title is a massive achievement, and there’s no way to rain on Chelsea’s victory parade (unless it does indeed actually rain on their open topped bus, which is possible, as this is England.) Chelsea fans will of course be thrilled with their trophy, and rightly so – they have absolutely earned it— but for the rest of us, it’s worrying to see one team win the league without being made to break a nervous sweat by their competitors.
The Premier League is supposed to be one of the world’s most illustrious leagues, but yet there was only one team who ever looked likely to win. Competition breeds excellence – and without competition, how can progress be made? English teams did not do overly well in Europe this year – at one point a nation’s hopes rested on Everton for crying out loud – and this may be due to the fact that there wasn’t enough drive and ambition in the domestic league this year.
If English teams are going to be taken seriously in Europe, they absolutely must operate in a tough competitive environment at home – and this year, they didn’t. Chelsea are deserved champions of the Premier League, and I congratulate them on their efforts—but next year, I’m fully expecting to see some ambition from the rest of the herd.