Arsenal handed major advantage with Man City stars hit with brutal 125,000-mile international break

Arsenal's less physically taxing international break could give them an advantage over Premier League rivals Manchester City as new data shows a brutal difference during the international break.

At the start of the 2026/27 campaign, the top of the Premier League table is already beginning to take shape. Man City are setting a relentless pace with a 100 per cent record after five games, most recently beating Sunderland 5-3 to head into the September and October internationals three points clear of Arsenal.

The Gunners were joint-top alongside City before they were handed a shock 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at the AMEX Stadium. That was a rare blip for Mikel Arteta's men, who will be more refreshed than their fierce title rivals after the three-week break.

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How many miles Arsenal and Man City players have to travel during the international break

As two of the league's top teams, Arsenal and Man City have most of their squad selected for their respective national teams.

A joint-high 17 players have been chosen to represent their countries from both teams, with five of those set to play for England after being called up by Thomas Tuchel for their Nations League games against Spain, the Czech Republic and Croatia.

Altenar have analysed players selected for international duty from each Premier League club and calculated the approximate air distance required to fulfil their international fixtures. Distances were combined to calculate the total estimated mileage accumulated by each club’s international players.

Despite seeing the same amount of players called up, Man City's squad will clock up more than 33,000 miles more than Arsenal's during the break.

City's international stars will travel more than 125,000 air miles - the most of any top-flight club - while Arteta's side will clock up 91,025 miles before returning to club duty in October.

Enzo Maresca could be left dealing with a serious international break hangover, and in turn, hand Arsenal an advantage in the coming weeks as they attempt overhaul the Citizens at the top of the table.

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Man City and Arsenal's fixtures compared in October

City's players return in October with a gruelling trip to Anfield (October 11), a ground they've not had much success at in recent years, winning just one of their previous six visits.

Three days later, Maresca's side face a mouth-watering Champions League showdown against Paris Saint-Germain (October 14) at the Etihad before hosting newly promoted Ipswich Town on October 17.

A home clash against AEK Athens follows three days after that (October 20), and then it's an away visit to Aston Villa in the Premier League on October 24. The eight-time Premier League champions then close out the month with two fixtures against Brighton - first in the Carabao Cup and then in the Premier League - marking the end of seven games in just 21 days.

Arsenal face a similar gruelling run of matches in October, beginning with a home showdown against Leeds United on October 10 and then hosting Lille in the Champions League three days later.

Four games follow that, including a visits to Bayern Munich and Nottingham Forest before hosting Everton in the Premier League and travelling to Fleetwood Town in the Carabao Cup.

On paper, the Gunners' fixtures are arguably kinder - particularly in the league - so they will want to take advantage of their title rivals' fatigue during this period.

Which Premier League teams cover the most miles during the international break

• Manchester City - 125,755
• Crystal Palace - 94,855
• Manchester United - 94,290
• Sunderland - 92,000
• Arsenal - 91,025
• Nottingham Forest - 76,100
• Liverpool - 75,270
• Aston Villa - 72,925
• Ipswich Town - 69,470
• Chelsea - 66,300
• Brighton - 63,775
• Brentford - 51,845
• Tottenham - 51,050
• Coventry City - 47,120
• Fulham - 44,445
• Bournemouth - 37,340
• Hull City - 33,990
• Newcastle United - 30,775
• Leeds United - 28,945
• Everton - 16,270