Which Premier League Teams That Could Benefit From the Extended International Break
Three weeks without a Premier League fixture has left some fans itching for the run of games. The pause after Matchweek 5 on September 20 was longer than usual, as FIFA decided to merge the old September and October windows into one 16-day block.
Many national teams had as many as four games during this period. Matchweek 6 of the Premier League will begin on Saturday, October 10, with the break making it hard for fans or those betting on the action to know what form teams might be in.
The break came at an inopportune time for certain teams like Manchester City, Leeds, and Brighton, as they were all in strong veins of form. Others like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham had time to stew on a run of poor results in the lead-up to the break.
The top teams laden with international talent had a few weeks of empty training pitches and anxious phone calls to get injury updates from international team doctors.
However, of those clubs with fewer senior internationals, the chance to keep their players together for three uninterrupted weeks is the type of coaching block that is only really possible in July under the old system. Fans will be watching closely to see what return this time period might look like on the pitch.
Who might benefit?
The clearest potential winners from the international window are the teams with the fewest international players. This will typically be the newly promoted sides, with this season’s three newly promoted sides all having their own reasons to welcome the quiet period.
Hull City have been an early surprise in the Premier League, as they’ve won 8 pts from their first 4 games and only conceded two goals. Sergej Jakirovic was named as the league’s Manager of the Month in August for these efforts.
The three-week break gives Hull a chance to lock in what’s working, such as set pieces, sharper patterns of playing, and keeping the fitness base high while rivals have players scattered around Europe.
Coventry City needed the time for a different reason, as Frank Lampard’s side lost their first 4 games without scoring, including a 5-0 home defeat to Brighton.
A struggling manager usually only gets a few days between games to fix things. Lampard had three weeks to make changes, with most of his squad available, he had the time to change the shape and rebuild the confidence away from prying eyes.
Ipswich Town, under new manager Gary O’Neil, are somewhere in between Hull and Coventry. 2 wins and 2 defeats mean that they’re now mid-table. The glaring issue was the concession of 10 goals in 4 games, so a defensive reset was the priority.
Finally, Brentford were unbeaten after 5 games and lie 3rd in the table with much of their settled core kept together. Keith Andrews hopes the break will preserve the momentum and not interrupt it.
A second pre-season for coaches
The summer was an unusually short one due to the World Cup, which only ended on July 19. There was also a lot of turnover in terms of managers, with 9 clubs getting a new head man into the job.
Matthias Jaissle was not named as Newcastle’s new coach on August 5, which meant that he barely had two weeks to get things ready before the start of the season. Getting three weeks of uninterrupted coaching is a gift but it depends on the quality of the coaching.
The flurry of last-minute transfer market signings meant that there was also a raft of players who only joined new clubs around September 1, so they also get time to integrate better with their teammates and get more clarity on their tactical plan.
Injury also kept some key players home at their clubs, who usually would be on international duty. Some of England’s casualties included Marcus Rashford, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, and Kobbie Mainoo.
Getting 3 weeks of rehab from club medical staff will help many of them, as they’re not being rushed back to return.
The challenge for the elite clubs
The teams that are packed full of international players have a different predicament on their hands. England’s last game in the window came on October 6, so Thomas Tuchel’s players only have a few days to recover before returning to Premier League action.
One of the starkest cases is Tottenham, as they’re in the relegation zone with zero wins so far after 5 games, yet many of their players have been missing on international duty that meant that Roberto De Zerbi only had barebones numbers at training.
The statistics show the impact that international breaks can have on the top teams. Goals last season dropped to 2.50 per game from 2.75 per game in the rounds after international breaks, with both teams scoring only 40% of the time, compared to the usual 59%.
The matchups for Matchweek 6
Matchweek 6 has some interesting games that will test the top teams. Man City's trip to Liverpool will be a big test for both clubs, which are under new managers. Another standout is Man United’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, which is a fixture that traditionally has a lot of goals.
Coventry face Newcastle, which will be a good opportunity for the team to show if they’ve benefited at all from Lampard’s coaching these past few weeks. Ipswich and Fulham are two sides that also had plenty of time to work on their problems, so it will be fascinating to see who comes out on top in that fixture.
The early kick-off could be the most revealing one. Unbeaten Leeds are looking to trouble Arsenal, which is a team struggling with a host of players who were busy during the international window. If Daniel Farke’s team can spring an upset, the voices questioning the new calendar will only grow louder.
Going forward for the rest of 2026, the only other international break will be from November 9 to 17, so coaches won’t have the same extended coaching block until the far side of Christmas.
Premier League 2026/2027