Premier League: 5 Clubs That Could Break the Dominance of the Top 6

When you think of the Premier League title race, there are six clubs that come to mind almost immediately: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Arsenal.

Not only do they have the highest squad values in the league, they have also consistently proven to be able to maintain at the top of England's highest tier for the best part of a decade.

While the dominant fashion in which Manchester City charged to their third Premier League title was somewhat surprising, the expectations of many were met, as all six of the aforementioned clubs have found themselves challenging for the Champions League spots for the majority of the season.

As the rift between the top six and the rest of the league appears to grow larger by the minute, we take a look at five teams who have the potential of closing the gap to the Premier League's big boys.

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#5 Southampton FC

Redmond, Romeu, and Tadic are at the heart of an underperforming Saints side.

Admittedly, the Saints desperately have to avoid relegation if the club's future is to remain bright. However, Southampton have an array of talent at their disposal and a fresh start to the new season is what this team truly need.

Southampton's downfall this season has been surprising as they appeared to become a regular feature in the Premier League, especially considering their strong cup displays in the past two years.

Falling short in last season's League Cup final against Manchester United, they made a deep run in the FA Cup this year, losing to Chelsea in the semi-final of a cup campaign that gave the club a welcome distraction from the dismal league performances.

If Southampton avoid the drop, they could once again become a force to be reckoned with in the English top flight and could pose a threat to the top six.

However, having to face the champions Manchester City on the last day of the season, the pressure is on the Saints to get a hugely important result at Everton before facing off with Swansea in a match that could prove to be the final nail in the coffin for either of the two clubs.

#4 Newcastle United

Rafael Benitez is worshiped by the Newcastle crowd.

Newcastle United are somewhat different from most of the teams on this list, they have already been at the top, but have failed to replicate their success of the '90s. Additionally, they have a manager who, just like the club, has been at the top of the game before and wishes to return there.

The Magpies have been the typical yo-yo club of recent times; struggling for stability in the top flight whilst absolutely dominating the second tier after being relegated twice in the past 10 years.

However, Rafael Benitez could be the man to finally restore the club's former glory. The Spaniard has a proven track record not only internationally, with Real Madrid and Inter Milan, but also in England, most notably leading Liverpool to a Champions League title in 2004/05.

It remains to be seen how far the club can go in the midst of takeover talks between current owner Mike Ashley and potential investor Amanda Staveley. Should the transition work smoothly, a breath of fresh air could be just what the club needs to face greater challenges.

#3 Leicester City

Riyad Mahrez must stay if Leicester are to challenge the top six again

Leicester's window of opportunity seems to be slowly but surely closing. While Jamie Vardy will turn 32 next winter, the constant speculation over the future of Riyad Mahrez is what is truly worrying for the club.

The Algerian winger has been outstanding for Leicester and there is no question that he is their main man. Should he leave the club, the former champions will face a tough task in trying to compensate their loss, as it is difficult to find a player who impacts the game the way he does outside of the top six.

However, should the Foxes be able to hang on to their star winger or replace him adequately with the money from the transfer, Leicester could remain a dangerous team that can beat anyone on their day.

Their dangerous counter-attacking style of play can catch any team by surprise and their title-winning season two years ago showed that you can never write them off.

#2 Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves celebrating their Championship title

Adding a freshly promoted team this high up on the list may seem optimistic, but Wolves are different from the likes of Brighton and Huddersfield. Since their Chinese owners took over in 2016, the only way this club is going is up.

However, Wolverhampton's relation to 'super-agent' Jorge Mendes has been scrutinised on several occasions. Despite being cleared of breaking any rules regarding third-party involvement following an EFL investigation into their link-up with Jorge Mendes, the agent's influence at the club remains unclear and could spell trouble in the top flight.

In spite of their fantastic run in the Championship, Wolves' standout performance came against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup, where they forced the Premier League champions into a penalty shootout after a goalless draw at the Etihad.

Wolves have already prepared for the top flight, signing Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota from Porto and Atletico Madrid respectively. More high-profile transfers are certainly on the horizon with the added attraction of being able to offer Premier League football.

After several short spells in England's elite division, it looks like the Wanderers could finally make a long-term impact on the Premier League landscape.

#1 Everton FC

Cenk Tosun is hitting his stride at the Merseyside club

No real surprises here, considering the amount of star power at this club, but the start of the season was extremely worrying for the Toffees. Furthermore, the question has to be raised, whether Sam Allardyce is the right man to guide this club back to European football.

Everton have comfortably manoeuvered their way out of the relegation zone and are at least showing hints of what might be to come. The amount of money they spent this season also means that the expectations will remain extremely high at the Merseyside club and rightfully so.

This team should never have been struggling the way it did under Ronald Koeman at the beginning of the season. A clean slate at the beginning of the 2018/19 season will be welcomed not just by the management and the fans but mostly by the players, who will have the chance to redeem themselves.

Everton are primed to be the main challenger of the top 6 next season and looking at their experienced and high-quality squad, there is no reason why they shouldn't be confident about it.