Here is a compelling stat: One. That's the number of goals scored by English teams in the first leg of the Champions League knockout rounds.
Want to hear another compelling stat? Zero. That's the number of wins accumulated by all four English sides in the UCL's first knockout match of 2013-14.
Another foreboding stat: those two statistics were identical in 2012-13 when only two English sides managed to land spots in the knockout rounds. What happened to those two sides? They were eliminated in the first round.
Things do not look much better for the fate of English soccer in the UCL this season. Chelsea's 1-1 draw provided the only consolation for English soccer on the world stage. And even then it only emphasized England's powerlessness in the biggest competition of the year. Afterall, Chelsea was supposed to be one of seven teams that won the first leg away from home. But alas, the team joined Manchester United as one of two sides that failed to pick up wins as the away side.
So what is going on? Why is the "top league in the world" struggling against "top competition?" Arsenal and Manchester City have excuses; they faced Bayern Munich and Barcelona, arguably the two greatest teams in the world. But what were United and Chelsea's excuses? Olympiacos and Galatasaray were home but hardly considered heavyweight teams. What went wrong?
Arsenal
The Gunners were unfortunate to draw Bayern Munich and were also unfortunate that their German talisman Mesut Ozil failed on an essential penalty. Imagine how different things would be if he had converted the spot kick. But Arsenal slowly imploded as the game went on. In fact one would have to give them credit for what was ultimately a valiant effort with 10 men on the pitch for most of the game. Of the four English sides, Arsenal has the least blame to shoulder as their task was paramount to begin with and they avoided a complete blunder despite the odds.
Manchester City
The Citizens put up a decent battle against Barcelona and were actually level through 45. But a penalty coupled with a red card ultimately put the team out of its depth and left it vulnerable against a team that monopolized possession. Barcelona was still there for the taking—their defense is not great anymore—but City looked uncomfortable defending for more of the game and eventually gave away the killer goal in the final moments.
Chelsea
For 45 minutes it looked like the Blues were in control. A 1-0 scoreline seemed unfair but the team was unable to capitalize when it mattered most. The second 45 minutes were almost as bad as Manchester United's performance the night before. The English side looked disorganized and vulnerable. The late goal was actually quite surprising and seemingly came out of the blue (pun intended). The lack of speed in the face of a team full of speed ultimately undid Chelsea.
Manchester United
Is there anything to add that hasn't already been said? One word to describe United's struggles: Passionless. That about sums it up.
Observations of these teams show that English soccer lacks the intensity of other countries. Spain and Bayern Munich are filled with clinical passing that has an internal intensity and concentration level of its own. Borussia Dortmund is a fast-paced team that can outrun any opposing side; Munich also has this when called upon. Even AC Milan showcased some creative flair against Atletico Madrid. Olympiacos played with terrific pressure and stumped United's lost midfielders.
In comparison, the English sides look undefined. Arsenal played a fast game early on against Munich but slowly let the gas off the pedal and lost control of the game. City also looked lost against Barcelona's passing game; it clearly learned no lessons from Bayern Munich's display last year. "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times" for Chelsea; the first half filled with speed and creative passing, the second half filled with missed assignments and sluggishness. Manchester United simply lacked any sense of identity or even interest throughout its affair.
Is English soccer on the decline?