"Big Four" dominance (2000s)

Season	Ars	Che	Liv	Man Utd
1999–2000	2	5	4	1
2000–01	2	6	3	1
2001–02	1	6	2	3
2002–03	2	4	5	1
2003–04	1	2	4	3
2004–05	2	1	5	3
2005–06	4	1	3	2
2006–07	4	2	3	1
2007–08	3	2	4	1
2008–09	4	3	2	1
2009–10	3	1	7	2
Top four finishes	11	8	8	11
out of 11
This table incidates the results of the 'Big Four' during the 2000s.

One significant feature of the Premier League in the mid-2000s was the dominance of the so-called "Big Four" clubs: Arsenal,Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. During this decade, and particularly from 2002 to 2009, they dominated the top four spots, which came with UEFA Champions League qualification, taking all top four places in 5 out of 6 seasons from 2003–04 to 2008–09 inclusive. In May 2008, Kevin Keegan stated that "Big Four" dominance threatened the division, "This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world." Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said in defence: "There are a lot of different tussles that go on in the Premier League depending on whether you're at the top, in the middle or at the bottom that make it interesting."

The years following 2009 marked a shift in the structure of the "Big Four" with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City both breaking into the top four. In the 2009–10 season, Tottenham finished fourth and became the first team to break the top four since Everton in 2005.Criticism of the gap between an elite group of "super clubs" and the majority of the Premier League has continued, nevertheless, due to their increasing ability to spend more than the other Premier League clubs. Manchester City won the title in the 2011–12 season, becoming the first club outside of the "Big Four" to win since 1994–95. That season also saw two of the Big Four (Chelsea and Liverpool) finish outside of the top four places for the first time since 1994-95.