Between them, according to figures compiled by the data provider Opta Sports, the Premier League’s top two account for 17.9 percent of all the points won in England’s top flight this season. By almost any metric one can conjure, there has been a fundamental, pronounced shift in the nature of the Premier League, one that stretches beyond Manchester City and Liverpool’s current campaigns. Last year, Manchester City managed 18 in a row. Between 2004 and 2014, Opta recorded 26 matches in which one team had at least 70 percent of the possession. Behind City and Liverpool, the remaining four members of the Big Six are tussling for qualification for the Champions League.

Source: International New York Times April 26, 2019 14:03 UTC