Breaking the mould

The cartel at the top of the English Premier League must be breached.

In the past five campaigns, only once have the high-society club of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool been penetrated. The league's summit has proved an elusive destination indeed.

Out of the nearest challenges to the alliance, Everton – having infiltrated the group by displacing Liverpool in 2004/05 – perhaps embody the biggest threat to the league's big guns. David Moyes, the manager to orchestrate Champions League qualification three years ago, has been slowly assembling a dangerous outfit at Goodison Park and led his side to a fifth place finish last term. The gap to fourth, however, was still a chasmic 11 points.

Everton have been quiet in the transfer market, but Moyes is a shrewd operator and has a nucleus of talented players at his disposal. Consistency is key to their chances of breaking into the top four, yet the Scotsman is expected to tweak his line-up slightly with a few signings before the season begins.

A year after the Toffees had ousted their Merseyside rivals from a Champions League spot, another team with an abundance of potential attempted to mirror their achievements. Tottenham, with Martin Jol in charge, spent the final five months of the 2005/06 season occupying fourth place, only to lose their position – and the lining of their stomachs – on the final day of the season. This time it was Arsenal, Spurs' old foe, who prospered.

After spending heavily last summer, many predicted Tottenham would capitalise on seemingly bleak times at the Emirates Stadium only for Arsenal to defy their critics and mount a title challenge from the outset. Spurs, hit by injuries to key players, found themselves in the bottom three and Jol out of a job.

Juande Ramos, his successor, has had his first preseason to drill his troops, but with Dimitar Berbatov expected to follow Robbie Keane out of the club, the former Sevilla boss will be without his first-choice strikeforce. That has dampened the belief Spurs can gatecrash the leading pack this year.

Aston Villa are another who could ram-raid the 'Big Four'. Martin O'Neill will want to build on last season's sixth place finish and must realise that captain Gareth Barry is key to those designs. Villa have a good blend of experience and energy, a point exemplified by the presence of Martin Lauren and John Carew alongside the exciting duo of Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The Midlands club strive for a Champions League spot this year but, having recorded just two wins against the 'Big Four' in the past five seasons – Tottenahm share the same sorry statistic – they will know the stranglehold at the Premier's peak is only getting tighter.