We have 4 English teams in the finals of the two top competitions. Feeling smug? The press are having a field day about the power of the premiership.
We were very very very close to having only one English team in these Finals.
Liverpool. Could easily have been Barcelona. they were favourites after 3-0 up. Could easily have been the Spanish team instead.
Spurs. Literally last kick of the match to go through. Ajax was 3-0 up and playing at home with 35 minutes remaining and were favourites at that point. Their striker missed 2 golden chances in that 2nd half. Unexpected but could clearly have been a Dutch team as a finalist.
Chelsea: result in the balance until the pens. Were behind in the shootout to Frankfurt until the Germans missed their 2 pens. Chelsea could easily have missed out until the last few kicks.
Arsenal: comfortable passage.
So on another day, with the toss of a coin it could easily have been 1 Dutch team, 1 Spanish team, 1 English and 1 German team in those finals.
Shows how in football we are talking about extremely fine margins. The 4 English teams going into the finals not necessarily a sign of domination. 3 non- English teams could deem themselves unlucky not to be in the finals. Superiority no; more like determination to play to the final whistle as well as some luck for them (and bad luck for their opponents).
don't forget spurs were lucky just to be in knockouts.
don't forget we were lucky to get out of knockouts as well.
like... ok the two Europa clubs have never been in doubt truthfully right up to when Chelsea tried to **** it right up.


