Liverpool and Chelsea have both dropped in football’s global power rankings – while Manchester United embarrassingly languish outside of the top 20.
The Premier League trio lay below leaders Manchester City, who boast top spot after another sensational season which saw them win their fourth English title in five years. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich sit in second place, having claimed the German crown for a 10th successive campaign.
The rankings in question are created by football statistics website FiveThirtyEight, where after every match, 640 teams around the world are compared by the Soccer Power Index. Each club received a rating between 1 and 100 which is based on two factors: a team’s rating at the end of the previous season and their market value as calculated by Transfermarkt.
City’s score of 92.3 makes them top dogs, having made marquee signings in the form of Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips this summer to add to Pep Guardiola’s star-studded squad. Bayern, who recently waved goodbye to star striker Robert Lewandowski but have offset his departure with the arrivals of Sadio Mane and Matthijs de Ligt, boast a score of 91.8.
Making up the top 10 are Ajax, Barcelona, Inter Milan and another English side in Tottenham Hotspur, who’re hoping to make the Antonio Conte era in north London a special one. It demonstrates the Premier League’s prowess on the global stage, with no other division boasting as many teams in the top 10. However, Arsenal and United will grimace at the rankings, particularly the latter.
The Red Devils, despite moving up a whopping 10 places thanks to their summer transfer activity and appointment of Erik ten Hag as manager, are humiliating 22nd. Meanwhile, 17th-placed Arsenal have been overtaken by Sporting Lisbon, who’ve jumped up four spots. Among those also in the top 20 are RB Leipzig, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Porto, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.
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Of course, the rankings mean very little in the grand scheme of things, especially as the new season approaches. United legend Roy Keane has already had his say on the Premier League title race, tipping City to once again edge out Liverpool, last term’s runners-up.
“I don’t think they will close the gap. I think they will be a bit better,” the former Red Devils captain told Sky Bet.
As for his old team, Keane isn’t expecting much this time around. “The manager no doubt will be given money to spend, how he recruits, four or five experienced players have left the club, which I think is a good thing,” the Irishman affirmed. “But I still don’t see United competing with Liverpool and Manchester City, not just yet.”
The new Premier League season kicks off on Friday, August 5, as Arsenal head to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
