Lol bigapple... No, just no.
Anyone saying any league is more competitive than BPL doesn't know anything. Even nPower Championship is a more entertaining league than most overseas leagues. Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 are all a joke. Can't speak for Bundesliga/MLS/Liga do Brasil as I don't watch those really.
English sides have been playing worse than their European counterparts lately because all the top English teams are going through rebuilding periods.
Chelsea won CL last year, even while being clearly a lesser team than Barca/Real/Bayern etc. So talking about English teams getting knocked out really doesn't mean anything. All the teams in CL are good teams and could beat any other team on their day. That team from Cyprus or w/e did a great job against Real Madrid even.
Chelsea are dealing with replacing long term players such as Drogba, Anelka, Lampard, Terry. First year in EPL for Hazard, Oscar etc.
Arsenal also rebuilding, they will be constant rebuild until they can win something and keep their top players. Still a great attacking team.
Man City are a new team still developing into a top club, just because they won 1 title they haven't had enough time at the top for all chemistry issues to be sorted.
Manchester United would easily have beaten Real this year if not for Nani red card. Also going through rebuild process of replacing Giggs, Scholes, Ferdinand and Evra.
Barca and Real however have 99% of players in the prime of their careers, only Carvalho and Puyol are players who have been/are being replaced. They should be the top teams in Europe and they are but not by much.