City exit leaves English giants in Champions League cold

LONDON (Reuters) - Manchester City were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona on Wednesday to leave the English Premier League without a representative in the last eight of Europe's elite club competition for the second time in three years.

As three Spanish sides, two French and one each from Germany, Italy and Portugal awaited the last-eight draw on Friday, England's much-loved and cash-washed top flight will have no direct interest in the latter stages of the tournament.

Chelsea were the last English winners in 2012, Manchester United triumphed in 2008 and reached the final in 2009 and 2011 while Chelsea made the last four 12 months ago before losing to Atletico Madrid.

French sides proved to be the nemesis for Chelsea and Arsenal this season.

Premier League leaders Chelsea battled to a 1-1 draw in their last-16 first-leg game at Paris St Germain but were stunned when 10-man PSG fought back to draw 2-2 and progress on away goals.

Arsenal would have been delighted to draw Monaco in the last 16 but imploded in a 3-1 defeat in the first leg in London, a spirited 2-0 victory in the Principality proving insufficient to stop the Ligue 1 team advancing on away goals.

At least Chelsea and Arsenal survived the group stage.

Liverpool, Premier League runners-up behind Manchester City last season, failed to get to the knockout stages, finishing third in a group behind Real Madrid and Swiss champions Basel.

All of which left Everton as the only English side left in European competition this season.

They take a 2-1 lead to Dynamo Kiev in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 clash on Thursday.

But however far Roberto Martinez's team go in the second-tier competition, it has been a chastening season for the Premier League abroad.

(Reporting by Ed Osmond; editing by Toby Davis)