Death of the "Big Four": Liverpool's Latest Defeat Signals End of an Era

Liverpool’s ninth defeat of the season at Wigan was the final nail in the coffin of not only their domestic season, but also the so-called "Big Four."

This season has been a nightmare for the Merseysiders with problems both on and off the field, with increasing pressure for both the owners and the manager to go.

Last night Rafa Benitez had no excuses and couldn’t hide his disappointment as his side continue to struggle to live up to the Spaniard’s promise they would finish fourth and grab the last Champions League place.

For Wigan, it was a famous victory, their first ever over Liverpool, and their second this season against a "Big Four" side after beating Chelsea 3-1 back in September.

But results like this have been a growing trend this season, with the likes of Aston Villa, Spurs, Everton, Fulham, Manchester City, and Birmingham all picking up points against the so-called elite of the Premier League.

Chelsea have lost five games already this season, more than in either of their title-winning campaigns, whilst United and Arsenal have both lost six, more than Villa and Man City below them.

This chasing pack of six clubs has closed the gap this year, and now to such an extent that they’ve claimed one of them, Benitez’s Liverpool, for themselves as part of that group.

It’s probably fair to say that Fulham and Birmingham aren’t part of the pack chasing fourth, but it's safe to say trips to Craven Cottage and St Andrew’s are no longer the foregone conclusion they used to be.

The top of the Premier League now has a distinctive split" a title-chasing "Big Three" followed by a "Gang of Five" that battle it out for the final Champions League spot.

Just to add to the pressure, we then have the likes of Fulham and Birmingham, who have aspirations of breaking into these groups.

Anyone who has criticised the Premier League for being predictable at the top end needs to take another look at the table. Arsenal can still win the title, and Everton could still finish fourth. Even if both these clubs are two and three places off their targets respectively, enough points have been dropped by all the top clubs to leave this league as unpredictable as ever.

The race for the final Champions League spot will be a fascinating story between now and May. Manchester City’s stunning win at Stamford Bridge last week highlighted the ability of the chasing back to hurt the big boys, and now Roberto Mancini’s side will look to move above Spurs into fourth if they win their game in hand.

Both Villa and Everton have games in hand on Liverpool, and if Birmingham in ninth were to win their two in hand, they would be just two points behind Benitez’s side.

There is a very real possibility that Liverpool could finish seventh this season following the defeat at Wigan, and what could that mean for the future of the club in terms of both keeping and bringing players to the club?

Jamie Carragher, a die-hard Liverpool man, has already said he would have no issue with leaving the club he’s supported all his life in order to find European football. If Carragher’s thinking this way, what are the mercenaries of Dirk Kuyt, Fernando Torres, and Javier Mascherano likely to do?

This season could shape the layout of the Premier League for years to come, and right now Liverpool are the biggest losers, as the Europe-hungry clubs behind them sink their teeth into the wounded beast from Merseyside.

The death of the "Big Four" is clearly not a bad thing.

All this, plus a three-way title race, a close fight at the bottom, and the first Premier League side in administration defying the creditors and making it to Wembley. Forget the World Cup—I don’t want this season to end!