It’s Official! West Ham United is a Top 8 Club

Whilst Sky may harp on about The Big 6, the Premier League actually has an official definition of The Top 6 and also The Top 8.

In the invitation to tender for the rights to the domestic broadcasting of the Premier League’s 2019-22 seasons, that document contains details on the scheduling of what are called ‘Top 6 Club Matches’ and ‘Top 8 Club Matches’. Defined as games between clubs with the “highest average finishing positions in the Premier League competition over the three seasons immediately preceding that season”. Those rights have carried over for the 2022-25 seasons.

There should not be more than one Top 6 Club Match scheduled to be played as part of different weekend fixture programmes during that season. Also no Top 6 Club Match shall be scheduled for the final fixture programme of each season, Boxing Day and for the forthcoming season, the last weekend in November before the break for the World Cup.

The specification also says that not less than one Top 8 Club Match shall be scheduled to be played as part of each fixture programme during that season. This means that there needs to be a Top 8 Club match on those weekends when there is no Top 6 Club match scheduled, including the last weekend. That means that West Ham or Arsenal will be playing another Top 8 Club on those dates when there is no Top 6 Club Match scheduled.

Cumulative league position last 3 seasons
Manchester City	4
Liverpool	6
Chelsea	11
Manchester United	11
Tottenham Hotspur	17
Leicester City	18
Arsenal	22
West Ham United	29
Wolverhampton Wanderers	30
Newcastle United	35
Everton	38
Crystal Palace	40
Brighton	40
Southampton	41
Aston Villa	42

Last season’s Top 6 included Leicester who replaced Arsenal as they will again for the forthcoming season. Hence on the 28th August 2021, there was both Liverpool vs Chelsea and Manchester City vs Arsenal playing and on New Year’s Day / 2nd January the reverse fixtures happened.

Could we be a Top 6 Club?

Given our decent performance over the last 2 seasons - if in the forthcoming season we finish above both Arsenal and Leicester then we would become a Top 6 Club (assuming Newcastle or Wolves don’t finish 10+ places above us).

Cumulative league position last 2 seasons
Manchester City	2
Liverpool	5
Chelsea	7
Manchester United	8
Tottenham Hotspur	11
Arsenal	13
Leicester City	13
West Ham United	13
Newcastle United	23
Wolverhampton Wanderers	23
Aston Villa	25
Brighton	25
Crystal Palace	26
Everton	26
Leeds United	26
Southampton	30