Why PSG Would Win the Premier League If They Were in It

Paris Saint-Germain are into the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals for the fourth consecutive time after a 2-1 win away at Chelsea on Wednesday completed a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Although this is the second time that the French champions have eliminated the Blues, this is the first time that they have done so by winning at both Parc des Princes and Stamford Bridge.

Granted, this season’s Chelsea—despite their obvious improvement under Guus Hiddink—are not of the same calibre as each of the last two incarnations, but winning both legs still demonstrated that PSG have made progress since last term.

Coach Laurent Blanc was delighted by the result and reaching the quarterfinals once again but also told reporters that there is still room for improvement:

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There are a lot of things to take from this match. We showed great control, we played our game and we took our chances. It was a big challenge. I thought it would be tougher than last season. We have qualified here two years in a row and that means we're on the right track. We can always do better. But we played Chelsea and we wore them down. We are very happy because expectation was high. I'm delighted. We matched them all over the park. Picking Adrien Rabiot was practically a choice that was forced on me. We had two injured players (Marco Verratti and Blaise Matuidi). Marco was not available unfortunately, but Adrien had played really well against Real Madrid in the group stage. You have to trust the players who are performing well and Adrien's doing great.

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Manchester City could be next up for Blanc’s men in Europe, and if the pair meet in the quarterfinals, it will give Les Parisiens another chance to test themselves against one of the English Premier League’s best sides.

Considering their current domestic and continental form, PSG should fear nobody in the last eight of this season’s Champions League—even the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

The Spanish and German champions would not be ideal draws, but they will not relish being paired with the Ligue 1 giants as much as the French capital outfit would not appreciate coming up against them.

Of course, it is just fantasy, but a draw against Manchester City—assuming that they finish the job against Dynamo Kiev—and progression past Manuel Pellegrini’s men into the semi-finals would raise an interesting question: Just how well would PSG fare if they played in the Premier League?

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Considering the French giants’ domestic dominance at present and strong showings in Europe, they would arguably be able to win the English top flight as well, because there is no EPL side clearly stronger than Blanc’s men at this moment in time.

Defending champions Chelsea have been disposed of twice in as many seasons now, while Man City are only just about to reach their first quarter-final compared with PSG’s fourth in succession.

Admittedly, Pellegrini's men have faced some tough draws over the past few years—both in the group and latter stages—but Ligue 1's top dogs have done more on the continental stage in a shorter space of time and have superior experience at that stage of the competition.

Comparing both squads, there is a stellar collection of talent on each side. However, PSG's defence has only shipped three goals in the Champions League so far this season, while City have leaked nine already.

That greater defensive solidity gives the French side a clear advantage over this particular potential Premier League title rival, particularly considering how similarly their attacks have fared in Europe this season. PSG have scored 16 to City's 15, but have played one game more so far.

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Aside from the Blues and the Citizens, the biggest challenges that would face Les Parisiens are Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Although those sides possess many excellent players, PSG are arguably stronger than all of them and would be close to the top—if not at the top—almost every season if part of the English system.

Claudio Ranieri's Foxes possess the likes of Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy, Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs have Harry Kane and Dele Alli, while Arsene Wenger's Gunners boast players of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil's calibre.

Louis van Gaal's Red Devils have Anthony Martial and David De Gea, while Brazilian pair Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho play for Jurgen Klopp's Reds.

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However, PSG boast star talent in abundance and there are few squads in Europe—none from the Premier League—that possess the same level of depth as Blanc's group.

The likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Leicester, Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool would all be able to give the French juggernauts a run for their money on their day, but there is no side that posses the same strength of quality depth that PSG have.

The likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani and Lucas Moura would arguably walk into any Premier League starting XI, yet Blanc has a problem fitting all four into the same team.

Quality players like Javier Pastore and Marquinhos are regular bench warmers in Paris as well, something that would not be said if they plied their trade in the Premier League—especially the Brazil international.

Of course, it would take a little bit of time for the French champions to adapt to the physical rigours of the Premier League on a weekly basis, but PSG have the talent and the squad depth to cope with it and they possess the sorts of talent that many English sides envy.

Over the course of a full season, that strength in depth—combined with the star talents that the Ligue 1 leaders possess—would prove difficult for any current Premier League side to prevent from dominating the competition.