A popular social media meme has given Brighton, Bournemouth and Brentford a shared identity as the Premier League’s ‘Bermuda Triangle’ — a trio of clubs where points against the traditional Big Six are said to vanish. The traditional Big Six are Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham, and recent results have given the tongue-in-cheek theory fresh fuel.
On Friday night, Brentford beat Chelsea 3-0. Less than 24 hours later, Brighton outclassed champions Arsenal by the same scoreline, a victory that could arguably have been more emphatic had David Raya not produced a couple of smart saves. Bournemouth, meanwhile, pushed Liverpool all the way before falling to a gritty 1-0 defeat, with Alisson forced into a brilliant recovery stop to deny the Cherries an early opener.
Those performances help explain why the idea has taken hold. But the data supports it only to a point. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Brighton have been the best-performing non-traditional Big Six side against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Spurs, taking 42 points from 26 games — an average of 1.62 points per match. Bournemouth are not far behind, collecting 35 points from 26 matches, or 1.35 points per game.
Brentford, however, have taken 22 points from 26 matches, averaging 0.85 points per game. Newcastle (1.46), Nottingham Forest (1.46) and Aston Villa (1.38) have all matched or outperformed the Bees against the traditional Big Six over the same period. In other words, the clubs most commonly grouped together by the meme have produced very different levels of success against elite opposition.
Opta data suggests Brighton are the main reason the theory has gained such traction. Since Fabian Hurzeler took charge, only Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn have recorded a better points-per-game return against the traditional Big Six among managers of non-Big-Six clubs with at least 10 matches. According to Opta, Brighton’s record against the traditional Big Six is one of the best any non-Big-Six club has produced in the Premier League era. If there is a Premier League Bermuda Triangle, Brighton sit firmly at its centre.
Bournemouth provide strong support. They have consistently taken points off the Premier League’s heavyweights. Brentford’s overall record is less convincing, although a series of eye-catching victories under Thomas Frank and now Keith Andrews have helped cement their reputation as a difficult opponent for elite clubs. The start to this season has helped: their Chelsea success was added to by an opening day 3-0 rout of Spurs.
The popularity of the Bermuda Triangle idea may say as much about perception as results. When it comes to recruitment and spending, Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford operate in a different world to the Premier League’s biggest clubs. They cannot simply outspend Arsenal, Liverpool or Manchester City. That makes their victories more memorable, and upsets tend to linger longer in the memory because they fit a familiar story: well-run clubs outperforming opponents with significantly greater resources.
The meme is not entirely without foundation, although the evidence is considerably stronger for Brighton and Bournemouth than it is for Brentford. But the numbers do not support a three-club phenomenon quite as clearly as social media might suggest. The evidence points less to a triangle and more to one standout club, with Bournemouth providing strong support and Brentford helping to supply some of the moments that keep the theory alive.