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English clubs seem to be taking control in Europe as, for the second occasion in this campaign's premier European tournament, five teams from the English top division secured victories in a single round of games.

Arsenal, The Reds, Manchester City, Newcastle and Spurs each triumphed in their games this matchday, with the first four of those sides now occupying the leading positions - the spots they need to be in to qualify automatically for the knockouts.

Only Chelsea failed to take all three points as they were forced into a unexpected 2-2 draw by Qarabag on midweek, but they are still well positioned at the midpoint of the group stage as they reside in 12th.

Before this season the elite European competition had not witnessed five teams from a single nation all win in a single round of matches. Now teams from the English league have achieved this on two occasions.

"In five years' time we will view this era of the coming half-decade as the supremacy of England, I don't see it any other way," Spanish football journalist the analyst commented.

"Bayern are doing really, really well, and they can challenge that dominance. PSG will have their moments, I think Barcelona and Los Blancos are lagging behind, but there is no other competition."

Therefore after this dominant start, are English teams the frontrunners to claim the European Cup? And how likely is a fourth-ever final between English clubs?

The Reasons English Teams Are Doing So Well

Arsenal are hoping to claim European glory for the first occasion and, while it is still early days, they have made a very promising start.

Themselves, the German giants and Inter Milan are the sole teams with a flawless performance so far in the league phase, sharing the lead with 12 points from a possible 12.

In addition to not conceding in all their matches so far they have also netted eleven times - a scoring record only surpassed by Bayern Munich, Paris St-Germain (both 14), Borussia Dortmund (13) and Barcelona (12).

Collectively, Premier League clubs are outperforming those from different nations, securing 17 victories of their 24 matches, netting 56 goals - 14 more than any other leagues - and allowing only 17, a statistic only improved upon by teams from France, who have three clubs in the competition compared to six from England.

Therefore what explains English teams are doing so well?

A significant factor is the financial muscle they are able to flex compared to teams from the rest of Europe, enabling them to invest heavily on transfer fees and salaries to secure the best talent.

Broadcasting deals have generated enormous broadcast revenues for English clubs, with the revenue from that stream far exceeding those of different leagues.

This summer, English top-flight teams spent record amounts in the player market as spending surpassed £3bn.

To highlight just how much economic strength English teams have over other continental leagues, the total spent this season was greater than was spent by German, Spanish, Ligue 1 and Serie A clubs combined.

Greater resources means clubs can build larger rosters, with Arsenal reaping the rewards of heavy investment this summer to enhance their squad depth as they lead the way in the domestic league and share first place of the Champions League table.

"Obviously in a elimination tournament anything can happen but in terms of money, player quality, coaching, infrastructure and even the talent in the offices, English football are the dominant force of the continent," Balague added.

"This isn't stated this possibly with the envy of Spanish football in general, it is just a observation of what is occurring."

Could a Record Number of English Clubs Advance?

This is the first Champions League season to include six teams from a single country and a record will be set if all six of the English representatives go through.

In the 2017 season, The Blues, The Reds, Manchester City, United and Tottenham all progressed, making England the first country to have five teams in the knockouts of the competition.

Yet just two of those sides - Liverpool and the Manchester outfit - got beyond the last 16, while the Liverpool went reached the showpiece after eliminating City in the quarter-finals.

In the final, Liverpool were beaten by the Spanish giants.

Based on Opta's predictions, the Gunners have a 99.8% chance of progressing to the elimination phase, with City on high likelihood and the Reds on 95.5%.

However, the forecasting system is a slightly more cautious over the automatic progress of the remaining trio with the Magpies on a solid chance, Chelsea on a good probability and Spurs on a reasonable likelihood.

"I'd say at the present time it is significant what English teams are achieving, but it doesn't matter what goes on at the moment because we saw what occurred last year, when the Reds were dominating and finished top of the initial phase - and then they were suddenly knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain who had been poor up until then," ex-Reds player Stephen Warnock stated.

"Therefore I can't determine at the moment, unless you get eliminated, what effect it is going to have and it does not mean the English teams are going to get through the knockout stages because it hinges on the draw, and how you are prepared in the decisive phases."

Which Other Teams Are Performing Strongly?

The German champions, spearheaded by the high-performing Harry Kane, boast a flawless start so far in the league phase.

No club has netted more often than their fourteen strikes so far - with the striker contributing five of those - while they have allowed only a trio.

Presently mostly the usual suspects occupying the leading positions - the ranks sides need to end up in to secure direct entry for the knockouts - with Inter Milan, Paris St-Germain 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 held Chelsea to a draw on Wednesday and presently have seven points from four matches, putting them well on the way to securing at least a play-off spot.

What Will Likely Be Required to Reach Knockouts?

Using the previous campaign - the inaugural to employ the league phase format - as a barometer for what is needed to finish in the top eight, then approximately sixteen points from the eight games should be adequate.

This implies clubs are probably need to secure victories in five of their eight fixtures, which this season's English teams are on course to achieve.

There exists a greater margin to secure a play-off place, which goes to the sides who finish between ninth and 24th.

Last season, Club Brugge obtained the final qualifying spot, only securing victories in three of their eight matches on their way to a total of 11 points.

Who Has the Highest Probability of Winning the Title?

It is still early days but Arsenal's excellent beginning has them considered the most likely to win the tournament and win the competition.

Opta predictions give them a 23.4% chance of lifting the European Cup, while Manchester City are predicted to be the second most-likely English team to reach the final at a solid chance. Liverpool are third in line from England with 11.3%.

However ex-Toffees player Leon Osman believes the real examination of the Premier League teams' capabilities will arrive in the elimination phase.

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