Aston Villa have been outrageously good in the Premier League top six head-to-head table of 2023-24

Nestor Watach • 19 May 2024

Aston Villa had an astonishingly good record against their fellow top six sides in the Premier League in 2023-24, which bodes well for their prospects against the European elite in the Champions League next season.

It’s worth questioning whether the traditional ‘big six’ still has relevance in 2023-24.

There was a time in which the same six clubs tended to occupy the top six spots in the table, but things have changed in recent times – last term Newcastle qualified for the Champions League ahead of Liverpool, and this season Eddie Howe’s Magpies have finished ahead of Manchester United.

However, both of those sides have finished seventh and eighth respectively this season, with Villa punching well above their weight to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League at the expense of more traditional powerhouses like Chelsea, who ended up sixth.

Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing Arsenal are unbeaten against the traditional ‘big six’ this season, but they have suffered home and away defeats to fourth-placed Villa – the latter of which, 2-0 at the Emirates, proved particularly costly when it came to their title hopes.

Still, the Gunners have an otherwise excellent record against this season’s top six, having taken 16 points from their 10 outings against Manchester City, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa.

But it’s Aston Villa who boast the best record in the top-six head-to-head mini league this season.

Unai Emery has turned Villa back into a proper outfit, with their credentials underlined by their back-to-back hard-fought 1-0 victories over Arsenal and Manchester City earlier in the season, before going on to complete a double over the Gunners with a counter-attacking masterclass at the Emirates.

Manchester City’s record isn’t far off, with defeats to Arsenal and Villa this season. Pep Guardiola’s champions have struggled for wins against the top sides this season, with draws home and away against Liverpool and Chelsea, one point taken from Arsenal, four from Tottenham and three from Villa.

Tottenham had some eye-catching results under Ange Postecoglou, but he’ll be targeting improvement against the Premier League’s top sides – all of whom Spurs lost to – next season.

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Here’s how the full top six head-to-head table breaks down.