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English clubs appear to be bossing things in European competitions as, for the second time in this campaign's premier European tournament, five sides from the Premier League secured victories in a single round of games.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle and Spurs all won their games this matchday, with the initial quartet of those clubs now sitting inside the top eight - the spots they need to be in to secure direct entry for the knockouts.

Only Chelsea did not secure all maximum points as they were forced into a unexpected 2-2 tie by the Azerbaijani side on Wednesday, but they are still well positioned at the midpoint of the group stage as they reside in twelfth place.

Prior to this campaign the elite European competition had never seen five clubs from a single nation all win in a single round of fixtures. Now teams from England have achieved this on two occasions.

"Five years from now we will view this period of the next five years as the supremacy of England, I can't perceive it differently," Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague commented.

"Bayern Munich are doing really, really well, and they can disrupt that. PSG will have their moments, I think Barcelona and Real Madrid are trailing, but there is no other competition."

Therefore after this dominant start, are Premier League clubs favourite to claim the Champions League? And how likely is a fourth-ever final between English clubs?

The Reasons Premier League Sides Are Doing So Well

The North London club are aiming to win the Champions League for the first time and, while it is only the beginning, they have made a very promising beginning.

Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan are the sole teams with a perfect record so far in the league phase, sharing the lead with 12 points from a available 12.

As well as not conceding in each of their four games so far they have also netted eleven times - a goal tally only surpassed by Bayern Munich, PSG (both 14), Borussia Dortmund (13) and Barcelona (12).

As a group, English teams are outperforming those from different nations, winning 17 of their 24 matches, netting 56 goals - 14 more than any others - and allowing only 17, a record only improved upon by teams from France, who have three clubs in the competition compared to six from England.

So why English teams are doing so well?

A major reason is the financial muscle they are can wield compared to teams from the other European leagues, enabling them to invest heavily on player acquisitions and wages to attract the top players.

Broadcasting deals have produced massive broadcast revenues for Premier League sides, with the income from that source dwarfing those of different leagues.

During the last transfer window, English top-flight teams outlaid more than ever before in the transfer window as spending surpassed £3bn.

To highlight just how much economic strength English teams have over elsewhere in Europe, the total spent this year was more than was spent by German, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Italian clubs collectively.

More money means clubs can invest in bigger squads, with the Gunners reaping the rewards of heavy investment this transfer window to increase their strength in depth as they top the table in the Premier League and share first place of the Champions League table.

"Clearly in a knockout competition surprises occur but in terms of money, player quality, coaching, facilities and even the administrative expertise, England are the dominant force of Europe," Balague continued.

"I am not saying this possibly with the jealousy of La Liga in general, it is just a observation of what is occurring."

Could a Record Number of Premier League Teams Advance?

This is the first Champions League season to feature six clubs from one nation and history will be made if all six of the English participants progress.

Back in 2017, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, United and Tottenham each advanced, making England the pioneering nation to have five teams in the last 16 of the tournament.

Yet just two of those sides - the Merseyside club and Manchester City - got beyond the last 16, while the Reds went reached the showpiece after knocking City out in the quarter-finals.

In the final, Liverpool were defeated by Real Madrid.

According to Opta's predictions, Arsenal have a 99.8% chance of advancing to the knockouts, with City on high likelihood and Liverpool on 95.5%.

However, the predictions model is a slightly more cautious over the automatic progress of the other three sides with the Magpies on 82%, Chelsea on a good probability and Tottenham on 72%.

"I'd say at the moment it is significant what Premier League clubs are doing, but it isn't crucial what goes on at the moment because we observed what occurred last year, when the Reds were leading and finished top of the initial phase - and then they were suddenly knocked out by PSG who had been poor up until then," former Liverpool midfielder the analyst remarked.

"So I just don't see at the present, unless you get eliminated, what impact it is going to have and it doesn't guarantee the English teams are going to get through the later rounds because it all depends on the fixture luck, and how you are prepared later in the competition."

Which Other Teams Are Performing Strongly?

The German champions, spearheaded by the in-form the England captain, boast a perfect record so far in the group stage.

No team has scored more than their fourteen strikes so far - with the striker accounting for a handful - while they have allowed only three.

It is currently primarily the traditional powers occupying the leading positions - the positions teams need to finish to qualify automatically for the elimination rounds - with Inter Milan, PSG and Real Madrid accompanying the Bavarians and the four English sides in those positions.

Azerbaijani side Qarabag are demonstrating that money isn't everything after they tied with Chelsea on Wednesday and currently have seven points from four games, putting them on track to sealing at least a play-off spot.

What Is Probably Be Required to Advance?

Using the previous campaign - the inaugural to utilise the new structure - as a barometer for what is needed to finish in the automatic qualification spots, then approximately 16 points from the eight matches should be adequate.

It means clubs are likely going to secure victories in five of their eight games, which the current campaign's Premier League sides are on track to achieve.

There is a greater margin to secure a play-off place, which goes to the sides who end up between ninth and twenty-fourth.

In the previous campaign, the Belgian side secured the last play-off place, only securing victories in three of their eight matches on their way to a total of eleven points.

Who Has the Best Chance of Going All the Way?

It is still early days but the Gunners' superb start has them rated as the prime candidate to win the tournament and claim the trophy.

Opta predictions give them a 23.4% chance of winning the Champions League, while City are predicted to be the next probable Premier League side to make the showpiece at a solid chance. The Merseysiders are third favourites from the English contingent with a reasonable likelihood.

But ex-Toffees player the pundit believes the real examination of the Premier League teams' capabilities will arrive in the knockouts.

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