Manchester City Dominate Decade As Championship Race Intensifies

The English football landscape is nothing short of dramatic, with the Premier League and EFL Championship both providing their fair share of storylines, heartbreaks, and unexpected twists over the past decade. As of January 24, 2026, fans and pundits alike are reflecting on the wild ride that has defined the Premier League since the start of the 2016-17 campaign, while keeping a keen eye on the intensifying race for promotion in this season’s EFL Championship.

Let’s wind the clock back to 2016—a year that still feels surreal for many football fans. Leicester City, against all odds, hoisted the Premier League trophy in one of the most remarkable sporting achievements of modern times. Andrea Bocelli serenaded the King Power Stadium, and the Foxes etched their name into football folklore. Fast-forward a decade, and the Premier League has largely reverted to type, with traditional powerhouses reasserting their dominance and Leicester now battling in the Championship’s midtable, having endured two relegations and two stints outside the top tier since their miraculous title win.

A recent review of the Premier League table over the past ten seasons paints a picture of both chaos and order. While the league can feel unpredictable from year to year, a broader lens reveals a certain inevitability: over time, the cream rises to the top. Nine clubs have been ever-present in the top flight during this period—the so-called ‘big six’ (Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham), plus Crystal Palace, Everton, and West Ham. The ‘big six’ remain comfortably ahead of the chasing pack, with Tottenham in sixth place boasting over a hundred more points than Everton in seventh across the decade.

Manchester City’s dominance under Pep Guardiola is impossible to ignore. Arriving in the summer of 2016, Guardiola’s first campaign was a rare misfire—third place and no trophies. Since then, however, City have embarked on an era of unprecedented success, capturing six league titles in seven years and amassing a mammoth points haul. Their tally is over 200 points clear of their city rivals Manchester United, a staggering gap that speaks volumes about sustained excellence.

Liverpool, under Jurgen Klopp, have been City’s fiercest rivals, finishing second in this ten-year table but still miles ahead of third-placed Arsenal. Klopp’s side has consistently challenged for the title, with both teams regularly posting 90+ point seasons. Arsenal, meanwhile, have undergone a transformation of their own. A decade ago, Arsene Wenger was still at the helm, but the Gunners were stuck outside the top four and often trailing their North London neighbors, Tottenham. The arrival of Mikel Arteta has sparked a renaissance, and Arsenal now find themselves entrenched in the league’s top two for a fourth consecutive season.

Everton’s seventh-place standing may surprise some, given their recent flirtations with relegation. Yet, their consistent presence in the Premier League—bolstered by four top-half finishes between 2016 and 2021—has kept them ahead of clubs like Newcastle United and Aston Villa. The Magpies and Villans, now pushing for European qualification, are only eighth and thirteenth respectively in the decade-long ranking, a reflection of time spent in the Championship and less successful eras under managers like Steve Bruce and Steven Gerrard.

At the other end of the spectrum, several clubs have made fleeting appearances in the Premier League over the past ten years. Cardiff City, Hull City, Middlesbrough, Luton, and Ipswich have all enjoyed single-season stints in the top flight, leaving only a faint impression before slipping back into the lower leagues. This churn underscores just how difficult it is to establish oneself in England’s elite division.

As the Premier League’s established order holds firm, the EFL Championship is buzzing with its own drama. The 2025-26 season is well past its halfway point, and the battle for promotion is heating up. Coventry City are making headlines as they edge closer to ending a 39-year major trophy drought—their last coming in the 1987 FA Cup—and returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2001. After years of financial hardship and uncertainty, Frank Lampard’s side has found its groove, with USMNT striker Haji Wright leading the charge and outscoring the competition.

Middlesbrough are also in an automatic promotion spot, sitting on 52 points with a healthy goal difference. But it’s not just about the top two. Ipswich Town, Hull City, Millwall, and Preston North End are all in the playoff mix, while clubs like Watford, Stoke City, and Derby County lurk just outside, ready to pounce if momentum shifts.

Perhaps the most captivating story in the Championship is Wrexham. Only a few short years ago, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s club were playing non-league football. Now, after three consecutive promotions, they’re in the thick of both the automatic promotion and playoff races, sitting on 41 points. Former Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore is spearheading their attack and is a genuine contender for the Golden Boot. The prospect of a fourth straight promotion has fans dreaming and neutrals watching in disbelief.

Recently relegated sides Ipswich Town and Leicester City are also among the dozen teams jostling for a return to the top flight. Leicester’s journey is particularly poignant; from Premier League champions to Championship hopefuls in a decade, their story is a reminder of football’s ever-changing fortunes. Southampton, another club to have dropped from the Premier League last season, is struggling to regain its footing after making a managerial change just 13 games into the current campaign.

The Championship’s current promotion standings are as follows: Coventry City lead with 58 points and a +30 goal difference, Middlesbrough are second with 52 points and +13, while Ipswich Town, Hull City, Millwall, and Preston North End occupy the playoff places. The race is tight, with several teams in the 40-point range—Watford, Stoke City, Wrexham, Derby County, Bristol City, and Queens Park Rangers—all within striking distance of the playoffs.

With the Premier League’s established giants continuing to dominate and the Championship serving up a compelling promotion battle, English football remains as unpredictable and enthralling as ever. The next few months promise even more twists—will Coventry finally end their long wait? Can Wrexham pull off a fairytale rise? And which teams will cement their place among the elite?

One thing’s for sure: whether it’s the relentless march of Manchester City at the top or the scrappy underdogs fighting for their shot at glory, the beautiful game never fails to deliver drama, hope, and the occasional miracle.