By: AT
Image Credit: Waldemar Brandt
For football supporters, mid-November marks two important things: the November international break and the quarter-mark of the club football season.
The quarter-mark of a season gives us a better idea as to which clubs will have a successful or a dreadful season. That said, however, the season could go either way for clubs that have produced inconsistent results until this juncture.
For instance, from the Premier League’s (EPL’s) inaugural season in 1992-93 to 2025-26, 15 out of 34 league leaders after 10 matchdays had eventually won the league title. Last season, Arsenal led with 25 points (out of a possible 30) after 10 matches and ultimately won their first EPL title since The Invincibles’ run in 2003-04. Could Arsenal, which lead the 2026-27 EPL table with 27 points after 10 matches, repeat and become the 16th league leader to win the title?
Conversely, from 2015-16 to 2025-26, newly promoted clubs that possess eight to 10 points and rank within the bottom three positions of the EPL table after 10 matches have a 20% chance of surviving relegation and competing in the EPL the following season. That percentage decreases to 8% if they have one to seven points. With these probabilities, Manchester United, Crystal Palace and Sunderland AFC — all of which currently rank from 18th to 20th — all have a 20% chance of playing in the EFL Championship next season (imagine that!).
As indicated in the title, this article is the first of four quarterly reports for the 2026-27 season. Throughout the season, these reports will track the best-performing clubs, the strongest attacks and defences — based on goals scored and goals conceded, respectively — and the fair-play scores across Europe’s top five leagues: Bundesliga, EPL, LaLIga, Ligue 1 and Serie A. We also share our thoughts on the most impressive and disappointing collective performances of the quarter.
Bundesliga
Matchdays complete: 9
Most points: Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund (21 each)
Most goals scored: Bayern Munich (29)
Least goals scored: FC Schalke (5)
Most goals conceded: Borussia Mönchgladbach (25)
Least goals conceded: Borussia Dortmund (7)
Best fair-play score (lowest number): RB Leipzig (8)
Worst fair-place score (highest number): Borussia Mönchgladbach (30)
With the exception of 2023-24, Bayern Munich have won every Bundesliga title since 2011-12. However, could 2026-27 be Borussia Dortmund’s season? After nine matches, Bayern and Dortmund are tied for first and have identical records. Both clubs also played a match against each other this season, drawing 2-2 at Bayern’s Allianz Arena.
Werder Bremen and newly promoted SV Elversberg have also taken the league by storm: the former rank fifth and sit in a UEFA Europa League (UEL) position; the latter, which are playing in their first Bundesliga campaign in club history, rank seventh and sit just outside of a European position. Bremen also made history this season, becoming the first club to complete a two-goal comeback and achieve either a draw or a victory in three consecutive matches.
In contrast, newly promoted FC Schalke and Borussia Mönchengladbach respectively rank 17th and 18th place, despite their historic prominent stature in the league. Moreover, VfB Stuttgart and TSG Hoffenheim rank 8th and 9th, respectively. Their positions are the product of terrible starts to the season by their standards, especially after finishing in fourth and fifth place, and qualifying for UEFA Champions League (UCL) and UEL last season.
LaLiga
Matchdays complete: 12
Most points: FC Barcelona (33)
Most goals scored: FC Barcelona (48)
Least goals scored: Valencia CF & Getafe CF (8)
Most goals conceded: Racing Santander (30)
Least goals conceded: Atlético Madrid, Celta Vigo & Real Madrid (10)
Best fair-play score (lowest number): Levante UD (17)
Worst fair-place score (highest number): Getafe CF (58)
Historically, it has typically been a competition between archrivals FC Barcelona and Real Madrid for the league title, with Atlético Madrid occasional positioning themselves as a title contender. This season is no different: FC Barcelona lead the 2026-27 LaLiga table with 33 points from 12 matches, winning all but one. Real Madrid are a close second with 30 points, while Atlético sit in third place with 28 points.
Elsewhere, Sevilla FC have, so far, drastically improved from last season’s dreadful 13th-place finish. They currently rank sixth, sufficient enough to qualify for the UEFA Conference League (UECL). Newly promoted clubs Deportivo A Coruña and Racing Santander both find themselves in the top 10, ranking ninth and 10th, respectively.
Conversely, Elche CF and newly promoted Málaga CF are among the three clubs that currently languish in the relegation zone. The other, Valencia CF, have been a shell of their former selves for some time. Villarreal CF, Celta Vigo and Getafe CF have also disappointed thus far, sitting in 8th, 11th and 15th place, respectively. The clubs’ mediocrity this season pales in comparison to their impressive campaigns last season, in which Villarreal, Vigo and Getafe finished in third, sixth and seventh place, respectively.
Ligue 1
Matchdays complete: 10
Most points: Paris Saint-Germain (23)
Most goals scored: Paris Saint-Germain (22)
Least goals scored: ESTAC Troyes (7)
Most goals conceded: AJ Auxerre (24)
Least goals conceded: LOSC Lille (7)
Best fair-play score (lowest number): Paris Saint-Germain (10)
Worst fair-place score (highest number): AJ Auxerre (28)
After 10 matchdays, five-time reigning Ligue 1 winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) lead the 2026-27 Ligue 1 table, boasting a two-point lead over LOSC Lille and a three-point lead ahead of local rivals Paris FC (PFC). By their standards, PSG had a terrible start to the season, drawing their first two matches — both of which required two-goal comebacks — away against Stade Rennais and LOSC Lille, and subsequently lost their home opener to Monaco. Since then, however, Le Rouge et Bleu have earned seven consecutive victories.
PFC have been Ligue 1’s most pleasant surprise. Under former RC Strasbourg and Chelsea FC manager Liam Rosenior, PFC have won six of their 10 matches, more than half of last season’s total victories. The 2026-27 season marks their second since LVMH owner Bernard Arnault acquired the club through his family’s holding firm, Financière Agache, and led them to promotion from Ligue 2.
At the other end of the table, newly promoted Le Mans FC and Le Havre AC dwell in the relegation zone, with seven and two points, respectively. Newly promoted ESTAC Troyes are in the promotion-playoff position (16th) with eight points accumulated. However, the biggest disappointments so far have been RC Lens and RC Strasbourg, which sit in 11th and 13th place, respectively. Despite ending PSG’s Trophée des Champions reign by beating them 1-0 and hoisting that trophy before their Ligue 1 campaign, last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up and Coupe de France winners have been unable to find consistency and have suffered the worst loss in UCL history against Serie A club Como 1907 (9-1 at home) on November 4, 2026. Strasbourg, meanwhile have been dreadful from the start after losing 4-0 in their season opener against Olympique de Marseille. Their current ranking represents a significant downfall from two seasons ago, when they clinched a UECL berth and reached that competition’s semifinals last season.
Premier League
Matchdays complete: 10
Most points: Arsenal FC (27)
Most goals scored: Brighton & Hove Albion (26)
Least goals scored: Sunderland AFC (8)
Most goals conceded: Crystal Palace (24)
Least goals conceded: Arsenal FC (5)
Best fair-play score (lowest number): Arsenal FC (14)
Worst fair-place score (highest number): Brentford FC (35)
As mentioned earlier, Arsenal are favoured to win a second consecutive league title. However, Brighton & Hove Albion and their stellar offence have taken the league by storm, scoring the most goals among all EPL clubs and ranking second in the 2026-27 EPL table with 22 points. Everton FC have also surprised many, finding themselves in sixth place with 16 points. AFC Bournemouth are still kicking in seventh place, despite many offseason departures, including that of former manager Andoni Iraola.
Our previous mention of the EPL’s relegation zone deserves closer attention. Each of the three clubs in that zone have fallen from grace. First, 18th-place Manchester United seemed to find their groove under Michael Carrick last season, finishing third and qualifying for UCL. Now, they have are experiencing a nine-match winless drought in domestic competitions. Second, 19th-place Sunderland are also on their heels, despite finishing seventh and qualifying for UEL last season, their first in EPL since 2016-17. Finally, Crystal Palace are the worst EPL team for Q1 report, a far cry from the days they won the FA Cup in 2024-25, and the FA Community Shield and UECL title last season.
Moreover, the mid-table also reeks of deception. Although 11th-place Tottenham have improved from last season’s relegation and the first handful of matches since season, they have ways to go before thinking about returning to play in UCL. Meanwhile, 10th-place Aston Villa and 12th-place Newcastle United are not where they should be, given their respective budgets and the quality of their squads. Villa have played significantly below everyone’s expectations. Despite a high-quality squad its performances are sub-par to those of a club that have qualified for European football in each of the last three seasons and hoisted the UEL title last season. Meanwhile, Newcastle continue to stagnate, despite the influx of money from Saudi Arabia.
Serie A
Matchdays complete: 11
Most points: SS Lazio (29)
Most goals scored: AS Roma (31)
Least goals scored: Venezia FC (8)
Most goals conceded: US Sassuolo (29)
Least goals conceded: SS Lazio (9)
Best fair-play score (lowest number): Torino FC (11)
Worst fair-place score (highest number): AC Monza & US Lecce (26)
The talk of the town this season has been the sheer dominance of both Rome-based clubs: AS Roma and SS Lazio. Roma have the league’s best offence, picking up from last-season’s persuasive third-place finish. Lazio currently lead the 2026-27 A table with 29 points and rank third in goals scored (25) and second in (least) goals conceded (9). Could this be Lazio’s year, where they win the Scudetto for the first time since 1999-2000? Should Roma win the title, it would be their first time doing so since 2000-01. Defending Serie A winners Inter Milan, their archrivals AC Milan, and rising Como are also in fierce contention for first place. Newly promoted Frosinone Calcio have also impressed, ranking sixth with six victories and an impressive 24 goals scored.
On the opposite end of the table, newly promoted AC Monza and Venezia FC, and established Serie A club Udinese Calcio rank 18th to 20th. Although it is no surprise to see Monza and Venezia battle for survival, Udinese were mid-table last season and have also come close to competing in European football in some of the last few seasons. SSC Napoli and Atalanta BC have also disappointed, ranking 10th and 12th, respectively. While both clubs should be competing for European football, they are having a hard time getting to a winning record; instead, they hover around the .500 mark. Juventus FC are also off to a slow start, achieving only 18 points and sitting in seventh place.
Which clubs have been the biggest surprises and which have been the biggest disappointments? Comment your thoughts and upcoming 2026-27 Q2 predictions below!
