Premier League power rankings: How do the big six stack up at the September international break?

By Anthony Nolan | 21 Sep 2026 03:05, Last updated: 21 Sep 2026 03:10

The first international break of the season is upon us, and the Premier League's traditional big six will be taking stock of their campaigns so far.

Champions Arsenal kicked off the calendar hoping to defend their title, while rivals Manchester City and Liverpool marked the beginning of new eras with fresh faces in the dugout, and Manchester United looked to build on their third-place finish from last term.

Elsewhere, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were aiming to find stability after a number of tumultuous seasons in the top flight.

Here, Sports Mole provides a power ranking of the Premier League's big six at the September international break, assessing each club's beginning to the 2026-27 campaign.

Tottenham fans suffered through consecutive 17th-place finishes over the two seasons prior to this one, but after seeing a club-record transfer spend of more than £300m in the summer, they were hoping to bounce back in style.

In reality, Spurs are sat at the bottom of the Premier League after five games with just two points to their name, a dire return that has supporters fearing the worst.

Even more concerning is the fact that Roberto De Zerbi's Lilywhites went four matches without scoring in the top flight, only finding the back of the net in their 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa on Saturday.

Man United secured Champions League qualification by finishing third in the Premier League last season, but it would be surprising to see them finish in the top four this time around.

Michael Carrick's side set the tone with a 2-0 beating by promoted club Hull City on matchday one, and have only won one of their five top-flight games this season, losing twice and drawing twice.

To be fair to the Red Devils, they were unfortunately impacted by VAR's questionable decision to allow Erling Haaland's goal to stand in their 1-0 defeat against Man City on September 13, but the lack of intensity in the team has drawn consistent criticism.

Much like Liverpool and Man City, Chelsea are in the early stages of a new era, though manager Xabi Alonso will have his work cut out to make the Blues into serious challengers once again.

The former Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid boss kicked off with an entertaining 3-2 victory over capital rivals Fulham on August 24, and went on to win four of his first five games in charge across all competitions.

However, Chelsea failed to come out on top in any of their last three Premier League outings prior to the international break, losing twice in the process, stagnating in 10th place, and signing off with 12 goals conceded overall - the worst defensive record of any top-flight club so far.

Liverpool parted ways with former boss Arne Slot at the end of last term, following a dire season during which they suffered 20 losses - the most in a single campaign this century for the club.

His successor, Andoni Iraola, started 2026-27 with a few holes in the squad, but the Reds are yet to taste competitive defeat under the ex-Bournemouth coach.

The Merseysiders sit sixth in the table with nine points after five top-flight games, and fans will be optimistic about the future after seeing £125m striker Alexander Isak score four Premier League goals, already bettering his tally of three from 2025-26.

Arsenal missed out on signing a marquee attacker during the transfer window, but came into the season on a high regardless, after ending their 22-year wait for a Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta's side have collected 12 points from a possible 15 so far, winning four times and losing just once in the top flight, and look well-positioned to defend their crown.

That being said, the Gunners were hammered 3-0 by Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, and some of their performances have been cause for concern, though it is early in the season and the Londoners are likely to improve.

After waving goodbye to iconic manager Pep Guardiola at the end of 2025-26, many were expecting Man City to enter a transitional phase, and to struggle while finding their feet under Enzo Maresca.

To make matters more concerning, the Citizens lost Ballon d'Or winner Rodri to Barcelona in the summer, and fans were fearing the worst having seen their team in disarray when the midfielder was sidelined in the past.

However, the Citizens have produced a flawless campaign so far, winning each five of their Premier League games to date, and currently sit at the top of the table.

In fact, Maresca's side have emerged victorious in all seven of their matches since losing 3-0 to Arsenal in the Community Shield, and have shown no signs of slowing down after keeping four clean sheets from their five outings across every competition prior to the international break.

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