Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United Return to Champions League Together for First Time Since 2009

Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester United will all compete in the Champions League during the 2026-27 season. This marks the first time since the 2008-09 campaign that these three clubs have simultaneously qualified for the European competition. The reunion follows a period where the teams frequently finished outside the top four, with some seasons seeing them drop to eighth place or even 15th place in the Premier League table.

Manchester City has faced criticism regarding its financial standing relative to these rivals. The club's chief executive, Ferran Soriano, has referred to a "Premier League conspiracy theory" involving a group he calls the Red Cartel. Supporters of City argue that this alliance of clubs plays in red to prevent teams with sovereign wealth backing from reaching the top of the league. A City supporter described the situation as a conspiracy to keep clubs like Manchester City out of the top table.

The narrative gained traction after Manchester City was found to have breached 114 Premier League rules over a nine-season period. The club used contracts that inflated its revenue by more than $1 billion. Under manager Pep Guardiola, City achieved a four-year run of domestic dominance, including a 100-point season and winning all three domestic trophies. These achievements were previously unmatched by any English side.

Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has voiced dissatisfaction with the current financial rules. He stated that the regulations are not doing the job they are supposed to do. Cole argued that the financial settlement is locking out ambitious clubs in a manner similar to how his former team operated before Roman Abramovich purchased it. He believes the system favors established powers over newer investors.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire suggests the Premier League is acting as a Super League. He noted that the gap in revenue between the richest and mid-table clubs has narrowed significantly since the 2008-09 season. In 2008, the seventh-richest English club earned less than one-third of the revenue generated by the wealthiest team. By the 2024-25 season, the richest club, Liverpool, earned €836.1 million, while the seventh-richest, Aston Villa, earned €450.2 million.

This shift in financial parity has allowed clubs like Bournemouth, Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Brighton to break into the top six in recent years. These teams have utilized European qualification to secure lucrative transfer deals. For example, Bournemouth signed Junior Kroupi and Antonio Silva, while newly promoted Ipswich Town signed Bundesliga champion Exequiel Palacios.

Maguire pointed to past initiatives as evidence of coordinated action by the red-shirted clubs. In October 2020, owners of Liverpool and Manchester United proposed Project Big Picture, which offered lower leagues $325 million and a 25% cut of future TV deals in exchange for a shrinking calendar and special voting rights for nine clubs. Shortly after, owners from these same clubs were involved in the European Super League proposal, which included Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham.

Maguire clarified that these groups are not a traditional cartel because they allow others to participate, but rather an interest group with common goals. He predicted they will continue to seek greater influence, particularly regarding the Club World Cup. A joint venture with European Football Clubs is expected to expand the competition in 2029 to include more teams per country, potentially benefiting clubs with strong global media appeal.