Where every Premier League club ranks in Opta’s global power rankings – controversial pick for No 1 spot
Opta’s power rankings are a useful barometer for fans to see where their team sits on the global scale of football clubs right now.
Arsenal currently sit top of the rankings as they chase a first Premier League crown since 2003, but their position may well be questioned by opposition fans after some recent poor results.
The table follows a similar theme to the Premier League as it stands, with Man City in second, while Bayern Munich are third and Liverpool make up the top four.
Aston Villa‘s stellar form this season has seen them reach fifth in Opta’s rankings, with Chelsea and PSG close behind in sixth and seventh place respectively.
Two Spanish giants, in Barcelona and Real Madrid, are surprisingly as low as eighth and ninth respectively, while Newcastle prop up the top 10 despite their domestic struggles this season.
Arsenal lead the way despite rocky form
Arsenal have sat at the top of the Premier League for the majority of the 2025-26 campaign, and are currently on course to end their top-flight trophy drought.
Mikel Arteta’s side have encountered some issues over the last week, however, after successive away draws against both Brentford and Wolves.
They also drew 0-0 with both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest and lost 3-2 to Man United last month, with just two wins from their last seven Premier League matches.
The Gunners were 2-0 up and cruising to three points at Molineux on Wednesday night before throwing their lead away as Hugo Bueno scored and Tom Edozie bagged a last-gasp equaliser.
| Position in Opta’s global power rankings | Club | Opta rating |
| 1. | Arsenal | 100 |
| 2. | Manchester City | 97.1 |
| 4. | Liverpool | 95.5 |
| 5. | Aston Villa | 95.1 |
| 6. | Chelsea | 94.8 |
| 10. | Newcastle | 93.1 |
| 11. | Man United | 92.6 |
| 13. | Brentford | 92.1 |
| 14. | Bournemouth | 91.6 |
| 16. | Brighton | 91 |
| 18. | Tottenham | 90.2 |
| 20. | Everton | 90 |
| 22. | Crystal Palace | 89.7 |
| 25. | Fulham | 89.4 |
| 27. | Nottingham Forest | 88.3 |
| 29. | Leeds | 88.2 |
| 37. | Sunderland | 87.5 |
| 41. | West Ham | 86.9 |
| 58. | Wolves | 84.2 |
| 59. | Burnley | 84.2 |
Opta still have Arsenal clear at the top of their power rankings, and they are still first in the Premier League, but will not lift the trophy if Man City win all of their next 12 games.
- Read more: FA told to introduce points deductions after footage of Arsenal vs Wolves incident emerges
What are Opta’s power rankings?
Opta’s statistical gurus have been calculating the rankings since January 2023, with German giants Bayern the first team to reach top spot with a 100/100 rating.
The rankings, organised in a table format, are quantified by using an Elo-based rating system that measures the strength of each team using real-life match results, with teams gaining points for wins and losing points for defeats.
It also uses as a hierarchy structure based on a club’s status in their league and their league’s status compared to the rest of the world, meaning teams from countries across the world can be compared to each other fairly.
Several English sides have topped the rankings over the years, and while Arsenal are the latest, there is only one table that they will want to be at the top of come the end of May.