After another impressive performance by Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and a not so brilliant Chelsea, English Champions Leagues sides are still undefeated against European opposition this year. Now, looking ahead towards an important day in the UEFA Cup, can our other English hopefuls finally succeed in the UEFA Cup and in doing so; make it a European double for English teams this season.

An article written in The Times a couple of months back by partisan Italian journalist Gabrielle Marcotti argued that The English Premiership wasn’t necessarily better than that of our Seria A counter parts.

The argument centred on the premise that Italy, as a footballing nation, was and still are The World Champions and that the calibre of players the Italian clubs were attracting were of equal footing to our Premier League teams. Having glanced at such dribble by a journalist I respect greatly and as an aspiring fellow writer, admired the way his passion flowed through his reasoning – I had to stop and wonder. Is he being serious?

So, Mr Marcotti, for the record: Besides Ac Milan lifting the Champions League trophy in 2003 and 2007, Italian teams have done nothing in Europe. Juventus made the final in 2003 granted, but no other Italian side, bar Ac Milan, has come anywhere close since.  You have to go back to Parma in 1999 when they won the UEFA Cup before an Italian side had even reached the final. In that time, four English teams had contested four consecutive Champions League finals, winning two, including last seasons all English affair between Manchester United and Chelsea while in 2006, Middlesbrough claimed the runners up spot in the UEFA Cup.

Question marks are raised about the dominance of the so called ‘big four’ and the failure of the Premier League to create an equal playing field for other teams in the division. But did Marcotti have a point?

For all the glory and prestige the ‘big four’ has given the Premier League in reference to their Successful Champions League campaigns of recent year, our other teams have not faired so well.

Apart from Middlesbrough’s fantastic run to the UEFA Cup final in 2006, only one English team has won the UEFA Cup in the last twenty years with Liverpool the sole English team in 2001 defeating Spanish side Alaves 5-4 with a golden goal in a thrilling final.

We must also not forget our Scottish neighbours Celtic, who were desperately unlucky not to defeat Jose Mourinho’s Porto side in the 2003 final, going down 3-2 on the night.

Aston Villa, Tottenham, Manchester City and Portsmouth go into their return legs all carrying leads while Everton face a much stiffer second leg examination taking a 2-2 score line to Standard Liege. Now Aston Villa and Manchester City are seen by many in the media as the most capable teams of gate crashing the 'big four' over the next couple of years while Everton achieved this feet three years ago. Tottenham (League Cup Winners) until recently came so close to doing so, pushing Arsenal all the way for fourth spot before falling at the last hurdle. Portsmouth, another team going places, are the FA Cup holders lets not forget.

The English teams playing this evening are the best of the rest in the Premiership. They have fantastic players, good coaches and have invested well over the summer. Martin O’Neill, Mark Hughes, Harry Redknapp and co are great tacticians’ and with the players at their disposal, should go far in this competition.

An all English final is not improbable either and while the ‘big four’ might well hog the limelight, it is these promising and exciting teams that carry the biggest beacon of light for the Premiership. They may finally prove to the rest of Europe that English football has the strongest league in the world, the greatest depth of talent in the world and has the best teams in the world.

Then, and only then, will English football be seen as the benchmark for Europe to follow and allow a certain Mr Marcotti to enjoy his rather delicious and very English humble pie.