Best Performing Clubs in 2025: Q4 Results
By: AT
Image Credit: David Bayliss
With the fourth and final quarter (Q4) of 2025 complete, we look at the three best performing clubs from October 1 to December 31, 2025. This article is the final part of a four-part series that includes brief analyses of the three best performing clubs from Europe’s top five leagues throughout the year.
The analysis portion notes the clubs’ records and accomplishments during that period, notably standout matches and winning streaks, and exploits in such knockout-style competitions as domestic cup competitions and continental competitions.
This quarter’s three clubs do not include any of our three candidates from our previous articles, including the following three clubs presented in the Q3 article:
Premier League (EPL) club Crystal Palace, which kicked off the 2025-26 season with a laudable transfer policy, a strong start to the EPL campaign and winning the 2025 FA Community Shield title;
EPL club Sunderland AFC, which revamped their squad during the transfer window after achieving promotion from the EFL Championship (second division) and had a darting start to the 2025-26 EPL campaign; and
Ligue 1 club RC Strasbourg, which had a strong start to the 2025-26 Ligue 1 campaign, as well as clinching a berth to and maintaining an outstanding run in the UEFA Conference League, their first appearance in a continental competition.
Without further ado, let us delve into the first of the top-three performers in Q4 2025. These three clubs have ended 2025 on a strong note and each aim to carry their emphatic form into 2026.
🏴 Aston Villa (wins, draws and losses in competitive matches from October 1 to December 29, 2025): 15-0-2
Despite beginning the 2025-26 season winless after five matches and sitting in the relegation zone (18th place) of the 2025-26 EPL league table, Aston Villa have been one of the best clubs since the start of October, winning an astounding 15 out of 17 matches in all competitions. After 18 matches, The Villains rank third, trailing second-place Manchester City and league-leaders Arsenal FC by two and three points, respectively. Villa also boast a seven-point lead ahead of fourth-place Chelsea FC, which they recently defeated on their turf by a 2-1 score. That victory extended Villa’s current winning streak to 11 matches, a first since 1914!
Throughout these 17 matches, 12 were EPL matches and the five others were UEFA Europa League (UEL) matches. In those 11 league matches, Villa won all but one, losing solely 2-0 away against Liverpool FC. In addition to their recent victory against Chelsea, the 11 victories include triumphs over such “big-six” clubs as Arsenal (2-1, home), Manchester City (1-0, home) and Tottenham Hotspur (2-1 away).
In UEL, The Villains earned four victories, defeating such opponents as Eredivisie club Feyenoord (2-0, away), Israeli Premier League club Hapoel Tel Aviv (2-0, home), as well as Swiss Super League clubs BSC Young Boys (2-1, home) and FC Basel (2-1, away). (On September 25, Villa won their opening UEL match at home by a 1-0 score against Serie A club Bologna FC, bringing their number of 2025-26 UEL victories to five.) The Villains’ sole UEL loss occurred against Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles, losing 2-1 away. As a result, Villa are tied for first place in the 2025-26 UEL league stage with Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais and Danish Superliga club FC Midtjylland.
Their surge in form stems from strong performances across every position, from goalkeeping heroics by Emiliano Martínez to sound defending by the backline led by Ezri Konza and Pau Torres, to outstanding and efficient attacking by such forwards as Donyell Malen and Morgan Rodgers. Since Villa’s 2-0 UEL away victory against Feyenoord on October 2, Rodgers produced seven goals and four assists in all competitions, leading all Villa players in goal contributions both during that period and overall. Since October, Malen ranks second in goal contributions for the club, producing seven goals and one assist. Moreover, midfielder Emiliano Buendía produced four goals and two assists, ranking third in goal contributions for the club.
Since October 1, Aston Villa have been one of the best defensive teams, conceding only 19 goals in the 12 EPL matches and three goals in the five UEL matches. As a result, Villa rank fourth in goals conceded in the EPL and joint-second in UEL. Conversely, in that same period, Villa have scored 25 goals in EPL and eight goals in UEL. The Villains rank sixth in goals scored in EPL and joint-fourth in UEL.
🇫🇷 RC Lens: 10-0-1
Despite not competing in any European continental club competitions this season, Ligue 1 club RC Lens are now in contention to return to such a competition for the 2026-27 season, particularly due to their stellar performances throughout the last three months. Since October, Les Sang et Or (blood and gold) have won 10 out of their last 11 matches, nine of which occurred in league action. The other victory came on December 19 in their Coupe de France round of 64 match against Championnat National 2 (French fourth division) club SC Feignies, winning at home by a 3-1 score. Prior to that cup match, Lens concluded 2025 league action with a six-match winning streak.
Among their 10 league matches during the October—December 2025 period, Lens defeated third-place Marseille (2-1, home), seventh-place RC Strasborug (1-0, home) and ninth-place AS Monaco (4-1, away). Interestingly, their sole loss came against newly promoted and last-place FC Metz, losing away by a 2-0 score. As a result, after 16 matches played, Lens find themselves in first place in the 2025-26 Ligue 1 table, one point ahead of defending four-time league winners Paris Saint-Germain, and five points ahead of Marseille and fourth-place LOSC Lille.
While the Lens’s goalscoring ranks within the highest quartile of Ligue 1 clubs, their defence is the primary reason that they rank first heading into 2026. Throughout the 16 league matches in 2025-26, the northern French club conceded a league-best 13 goals, six of which were conceded in this three-month period.
Much of the credit for these few goals allowed goes to a disciplined five-man midfield (including left- and right-wing-backs Matthieu Udol and Ruben Aguilar, as per their 3-5-2 formation), a strong three-man backline generally comprising defenders Samson Baidoo, newly-integrated Ismaëlo Ganiou and Malang Sarr, and 21-year-old goalkeeper Robin Rissier, who is having an excellent season as the club’s breakout starting goalkeeper.
Offensively, former PSG forward and academy graduate Odsonne Édouard, Ligue 1 journeyman Wesley Saïd, and former Marseille star forward and French international Florian Thauvin lead the charge. Édouard leads Lens players with seven Ligue 1 goals in 13 matches, while also having produced two assists — all of which occurred since October 1. Also since then, Saïd and Thauvin produced four goals, and three goals and two assists, respectively.
Moreover, despite a defensive approach to playing, defender Udol and midfielder Adrien Thomasson have also played crucial support roles in energizing the offence. Both players lead the club with five and four assists, respectively — all of which were produced since October.
🇩🇪 Bayern Munich: 13-2-1
Among the big-name European clubs, Bayern Munich stand out as a top performer, winning 13 out of 16 matches in all competitions throughout Q4 2025, losing only one match in the process. Eight of those 13 victories occurred in the Bundesliga, which included routs against such renowned Bundesliga clubs as Borussia Mönchengladbach (3-0, away), third-place Bayer Leverkusen (3-0, home), SC Freiburg (6-2, home) and VfB Stuttgart (5-0, away). Moreover, on October 18, Bayern rose to the occasion in Der Klassiker — Germany’s most-coveted derby — defeating second-place Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Allianz Arena.
As a result, after 15 league matches, Bayern are undefeated and lead Bundesliga in 2025-26 with 41 points, boasting an 11-point lead over Dortmund. Before settling for a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin on October 11, Bayern experienced a 17-match winning streak in all European competitions, which began at the penultimate match of the 2024-25 season.
Bayern’s five other wins during the October—December 2025 period occurred in DfB-Pokal (German cup) and UCL, earning two and three victories, respectively. In domestic cup action, Bayern’s victories came in the second round against league rivals FC Köln (4-1, away) and in the round of 16 against Union Berlin (3-2, away).
As well, Bayern’s three UCL victories occurred against Belgian Pro League's Club Brugge (4-0, home), defending UCL winners PSG (2-1, away - PSG's sole home loss of the season in all competitions) and Primeira Liga club Sporting CP (3-1, home). However, Bayern’s sole defeat of the season across all competitions came on UCL matchday 5, when they suffered a 3-1 away loss to Arsenal. That loss ended the Bavarian club’s 25-match unbeaten run in all European competitions, which began with a 2-2 Der Klassiker draw on April 12. After six UCL matches, Bayern rank second in the 2025-26 UCL league stage table, trailing Arsenal by three points.
While Bayern boast a star-studded squad with world-class talent in every position, it is their offence that has stood out thus far. In 25 matches across all competitions (the three competitions plus one DfL-Supercup match, a 6-0 victory RB Leipzig), Bayern have scored a staggering 89 goals. They lead Bundesliga in scoring (55), while ranking second in UCL (18), trailing PSG by one goal.
Most of Bayern's scoring falls on their four main forwards (strikers and wingers): Luis Díaz, Serge Gnabry, Harry Kane and Michael Olise. Kane is the leading scorer for the club in UCL (5), and among all players in DfB-Pokal (5) and Bundesliga (19). In league action, Kane’s scoring tally of 19 goals is 11 more than second-place Díaz (Olise has scored seven league goals in 2025-26). The Englishman scored 13 of those goals since the beginning of October. The three other star forwards rank from second to fourth in goals and assists in Bundesliga among Bayern players; they have also been productive in DfB-Pokal and UCL.
