For the second time this season, five English Premier League teams secured victories in a single Champions League round, underscoring their strong start. Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham all won, while Chelsea drew 2-2 with Qarabag. This performance has placed four English sides in the top eight for automatic knockout qualification.
English clubs are making a significant impact in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League league phase. In the latest round of fixtures on November 5, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, and Tottenham all claimed three points, marking the second instance this season of five Premier League teams winning in one round—a feat never achieved before this campaign.
Chelsea was the outlier, held to a surprising 2-2 draw by Azerbaijani side Qarabag at Tofik Bakhramov Stadium in Baku. Prior to the match, Chelsea had recovered from a Matchday 1 loss with two wins, including a 5-1 victory over Ajax where Marc Guiu, Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernández, Estêvão, and Tyrique George scored. Qarabag entered with a 2-0-1 record, featuring wins over Copenhagen (2-0) and Benfica (3-2), but a 3-1 loss to Athletic Club. Despite the draw, Chelsea sit 12th overall.
Arsenal leads the way with a perfect record, earning 12 points from four games, scoring 11 goals while keeping clean sheets in each. They join Bayern Munich and Inter Milan as the only unbeaten sides. Collectively, England's six clubs have won 17 of 24 matches, netting 56 goals—the highest tally—and conceding just 17.
Financial strength from Premier League TV rights has fueled this success, with clubs spending over £3 billion in transfers this summer, outpacing other major leagues combined. Spanish journalist Guillem Balague noted, "In five years' time we will look at this period... as the domination of England."
Opta predicts high progression chances: Arsenal at 99.8%, Manchester City 97.4%, Liverpool 95.5%, Newcastle 82%, Chelsea 80.8%, and Tottenham 72%. Arsenal also has the best shot at winning the tournament at 23.4%. Former Liverpool midfielder Stephen Warnock cautioned that group stage form doesn't guarantee knockout success, while Leon Osman highlighted the Premier League's competitiveness as a potential edge.
Bayern Munich, with Harry Kane scoring five of their 14 goals, and teams like Inter Milan, Paris St-Germain, and Real Madrid occupy other top spots. Qarabag's draw boosts them to seven points, showing smaller clubs can compete.