Arsenal gets a big boost as Man City stars face tough 125,000-mile international break
Arsenal’s less tiring international break could give them a bit of an edge over their Premier League rivals, Manchester City, as new data shows a big difference in travel during the break.
At the start of the 2026/27 season, the top of the Premier League table is already shaping up. Man City are pushing ahead with a perfect record after five games, recently beating Sunderland 5-3, and going into the September-October international break three points ahead of Arsenal.
The Gunners had been sharing the top spot with City before a surprising 3-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium. It’s been a rare setback for Mikel Arteta’s team, who will likely feel more refreshed than their tough title rivals after the three-week break.
Both Arsenal and Man City have many players called up for their national teams—17 from each club in total. Five players from each are set to play for England in their Nations League matches against Spain, the Czech Republic, and Croatia.
Sports betting company Altenar looked into the travel distances these players will have to cover during international duty. They added up all the flights players need to take to estimate the total miles each club’s players will travel.
Even though both teams have the same number of players away, Man City’s players will travel over 33,000 miles more than Arsenal’s. City’s players will rack up more than 125,000 air miles—the highest of any Premier League club—while Arsenal’s players will travel about 91,000 miles before coming back to club action in October.
This heavy travel could leave Man City’s coach, Enzo Maresca, dealing with tired players, which might give Arsenal a chance to close the gap at the top of the table.
When City’s players return in October, they face a tough schedule, starting with a trip to Anfield on October 11—a place they haven’t had much luck in recent years, winning only once in their last six visits. Just three days later, they play a big Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain at home on October 14, then host newly promoted Ipswich Town on October 17.
After that comes a home game against AEK Athens on October 20, then an away match at Aston Villa on October 24. City rounds out the month with two games against Brighton—first in the Carabao Cup, then in the Premier League—making it seven games in just 21 days.
Arsenal have a similar packed schedule in October. They start with a home game against Leeds United on October 10 and then welcome Lille in the Champions League three days later. After that, they have four more games, including trips to Bayern Munich and Nottingham Forest, as well as home games against Everton and a Carabao Cup match at Fleetwood Town.
Looking at the fixtures, Arsenal’s schedule might be a bit easier—especially in the league—so they’ll want to use this chance to take advantage while their rivals could be feeling the effects of a tough international break.