English Premier League clubs have always provided stiff opposition in European club competition. The Champions League (formerly European Cup) has a history of English winners but the UEFA Cup, now the Europa League, has also provided an often lengthy European campaign option for the English top flight.

This year, seasoned European competitors Liverpool have reached the quarter final stage perhaps slightly surprisingly joined by Fulham. The English duo joins pairs from Spain and Germany alongside Portuguese legends Benfica and Standard Liege from Belgium in the last eight. Liverpool recovered from a 1-0 reverse in France to beat Lille 3-0 at Anfield to progress. Fulham did it in a slightly more spectacular way, turning over a first leg 1-3 deficit to dramatically beat Italian giants Juventus 4-1 at Craven Cottage to go through 5-4 on aggregate. However, it could easily have been much, much better for the EPL teams.

Liverpool’s Merseyside neighbours Everton saw their run end in disappointment after a 2-1 home against Sporting was made immaterial by a 3-0 loss in Portugal. Aston Villa failed to make it through the play-off stage but this was a comparatively minor blip in the overall progress of English Premier League teams in the competition.

The change of structure for UEFA’s second tier club competition into the Europa League has undoubtedly raised the stature of the trophy. Whilst the UEFA Champions League remains the golden goose in terms of television and prize money, the competition opens up to the so-called less fashionable English Premier League clubs the chance not only to play in European competition but also to progress. Portsmouth and Bolton have both played in recent UEFA Cups whilst Middlesbrough reached the final as recent as 2006.

So, perhaps eyebrows should not be raised too high when considering Fulham’s position. Liverpool have a European record that stands up against anyone whilst the Cottagers are very much still taking small strokes in the bigger pond. Yet two decades after the end of the ban on English clubs in European competition following the tragedy at Heysel, English Premier League clubs are once again looking to dominate in Europe.......and it isn’t only in the Champions League.