Why Are Spurs Still Considered Part of the Big Six?

For many years, the Premier League had what was known as the ‘Big Four’, this being Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. However, the early 2010s witnessed the emergence of the ‘Big Six’ label, with Manchester City and Tottenham joining the party.

It was a very fitting term for a time, but Tottenham’s decline in league performances in recent years, plus the rise of teams like Newcastle and Aston Villa, has led some fans to question the concept. This article explores why Spurs are still considered part of the Big Six and whether they deserve their place among this unofficial club for the Premier League elite.

Factors That Make a Big Six Club

To assess why Tottenham are still considered part of the Big Six, it is important to understand what factors contribute to featuring among the group. Although not all equally weighted, they are: finances, fan base size, league position, and trophies. Let us look at these and see how Tottenham compare to the other Big Six clubs, as well as often-cited challengers, Newcastle and Aston Villa.

Financial Power

First up, we have financial strength, and in this area, the idea of a Big Six remains extremely clear-cut. The existing elite bring in the most revenue and do so on a consistent basis. The 2024/25 figures show how the Big Six earn far more than any other English side, and this is far from a one-off. Pick almost any year across the last decade, and you would again see this clear divide, even if the top six themselves change order.

There is an even larger gulf when comparing estimated club worth. Even though they are only estimated (produced by The Athletic), they show an enormous gap between the Big Six and the rest. So, when it comes to financial strength, Tottenham’s inclusion in the Big Six is fully justified.

Size of the Fan Base

The size of a club is not only measured by the amount of money it makes, but by the number of fans it has. Although the two are connected, the correlation is not perfect, so it is worth having a look at fan sizes specifically. Unfortunately, it is not the easiest thing to measure accurately, but there are some options that help give us a decent idea of a club’s support.

One of the best options is simply to look at social media following. People generally follow clubs that they like and support, and while there will be some exceptions & bot accounts, it is still useful to look at.

Once again, there is an enormous gap between the Big Six and the rest in terms of online following. The Big Six have been very active in growing their global fan bases through overseas pre-season tours, which regularly sell out. Their ability to sign the best players from certain countries also helps increase their appeal in those areas. Some examples include Mo Salah (Egypt), Son Heung-min (South Korea) and Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast). So, in this area, Tottenham again deserve their Big Six status.

Even when focusing purely on the domestic fan base, Tottenham consistently attract over 60,000 fans and usually only trail Manchester United and West Ham in terms of home attendance. Of course, this is not a fair fight as most teams do not have such a large stadium, but it still adds to their Big Six credentials to draw in such large crowds regularly.

League Position

We have talked about fans and revenue, but the Big Six club is a coin that relates to on-field performance, too. After all, we are comparing football clubs here, not commercial enterprises. Logic dictates that a Big Six club ought to be finishing in the top six places in the Premier League. This is one area that Spurs have struggled a little of late, but not so much so that they deserve to have their Big Six status revoked.

*Data from six seasons since Villa were promoted back to the Premier League

**Data from eight seasons since Newcastle were promoted back to the Premier League

Labels like the ‘Big Six’ have little value and would only confuse fans if they are changing every couple of years, so this is why we have looked at performances from the last decade. Despite Tottenham’s dismal effort in the 2024/25 campaign, they have still performed far better than Villa and Newcastle over the past decade, and only slightly worse than fellow Big Six members Man United and Chelsea.

It is wrong to think Spurs should be ousted because they finished a lowly 17th place in 2024/25. Their slump would need to continue for several years because there is no strong case for them to be removed from the group. Similarly, Villa and Newcastle will need to secure far more top-six finishes before there is any consideration of the group expanding to accommodate them.

Silverware

The final area to examine is silverware. In this one area, there is less of a clear case for Tottenham’s Big Six involvement. They are the only big six club without a Premier League title, they have never won the Champions League, and their last FA Cup win was back in 1991.

Despite this, recent success ultimately carries more weight, and when looking at recent times, Spurs still have more to celebrate than either Villa or Newcastle. Since the turn of the century, the Londoners have one League Cup and one Europa League to their name. Newcastle have merely one League Cup (one that ended a 56-year trophy drought), meanwhile, Villa haven’t won a major trophy since 1996.

Do Spurs Justify Their Big 6 Status?

By almost all measures, Tottenham still belong in the Big Six, and their place should not be considered under immediate threat. Their more limited silverware, particularly in recent years, is one area they trail the other members, but their average league finish, fan base size and finances mean the Big Six label is still relevant. As things stand, there is not a strong argument for Villa or Newcastle to join the club, but successive top-six finishes over the next few years could change this.