Not having this discourse that the Premier League’s physical and mental exertions mean conservative football has to be a given when we’ve actually experienced the opposite. The style is absolutely a choice.
Manchester City and Liverpool were involved in the most exacting, no-margin-for-error title races but still played ridiculously good football. Pochettino’s Tottenham were a marvel too.
The 2018-19 Champions League was one for the ages:
Tottenham 4-4 Man City quarter-final
The Spurs 3-3 Ajax semi
CORNER TAKEN QUICKLY in the most insane comeback
What about the intensity of that LFC-MCFC quarter-final in 2017-18? And Liverpool beating Roma SEVEN! - SIX! in the semis.
2021-22: Chelsea 4-5 Real Madrid, Benfica 4-6 Liverpool, City 5-6 Real Madrid
The list goes on.
For so long it was held against both PSG and Bayern that they wilted when it mattered in the Champions League because their domestic seasons were a walkover. They didn’t have tough games to prime them. We can’t pick and choose narratives when it suits.