To go a full season unbeaten is a rare phenomenon. Arsenal are the most famous side to finish a league season without losing a single game, but the likes of Celtic, Milan and Juventus have also achieved the impressive feat.
And with the season well under way now, a number of teams have made a near perfect start to their campaigns – maybe leading to them thinking that they too could possibly not fall to a defeat all year. The seven teams still to lose a game are all, unsurprisingly, up at the top of their leagues, and have serious aspirations of winning their domestic titles.
But who are they? Here is an assessment of all the teams yet to lose a league game in Europe’s top five divisions…
1. Manchester City
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have made a near perfect start to their campaign, winning nine and drawing just one of their opening 10 games. Guardiola has got his side playing exciting attacking football, and having scored 35 goals so far in the league, they are the top scorers in Europe’s top five leagues.
The Spaniard seems to be getting the best out of wingers Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, while pairing Sergio Aguero up top with Gabriel Jesus has paid off for him. The Citizens have a 100% record in the Champions League, and this could be their year to be win it.
2. Barcelona
Much like Man City, Barcelona have also had a near perfect start to the season, winning nine and drawing one of their opening 10 games. The Spanish giants have been equally impressive in all areas of the pitch, having scored 28 and conceding just three goals thus far.
After missing out on the Spanish title last season and losing Neymar to PSG, Barca have proven that they are still a force to be reckoned with both in La Liga and the Champions League. Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi have been electric as usual, but it’s their defence that has been the most impressive.
3. Valencia
Claiming second place so far, Valencia have enjoyed a wonderful start to this season’s campaign. Building on a very difficult season last year, which saw the Oranges finish 12th, they have managed to turn their fortunes around to put themselves in early contention with La Liga’s big boys yet again.
The impressive form of West Ham flop Simone Zaza and former Benfica man Rodrigo has been crucial to their performances, with both scoring nine and six goals respectively. With seven wins and three draws, Valencia will be aiming for a top four finish come the end of the season.
4. Atletico Madrid
Atleti are currently unbeaten, but they have had a rather ‘mixed bag’ of a season thus far, recording five wins and five draws. Sitting in fourth, Diego Simeone won’t be too disheartened by his side’s start, but he will be hoping for a lot more in the coming months.
With just 15 league goals scored, Atleti will be desperate for Diego Costa to come into the side in January to ease the burden put on Antione Greizmann’s shoulders. They have endured a torrid Champions League campaign, failing to register a victory and looking in serious doubt of dropping into the Europa League. They are unbeaten, but there’s a lot of room for improvement.
5. Napoli
Napoli have failed to win a league title in 27 years, and having competed with Juventus and Roma for the past few years, this could finally be the year they lift the trophy. Maurizio Sarri’s side have a lethal attacking threat, with Jose Callejon, Lorenzo Insigne, Marek Hamsik and Dries Mertens forming a quartet good enough to scare any defence.
The Light Blues have won 10 and drawn one thus far, scoring 32 goals and conceding eight. Topping Serie A with 31 points shows that they have the ability to reach the top, but can they stay there throughout the season? It remains to be seen.
6. Inter
Another side eager to climb above Juventus and Roma come the end of the season is Inter, who have started the season wonderfully. With nine wins, including a dramatic 3-2 victory over rivals Milan in the dying minutes, they seem to have developed a clinical edge that they had maybe been missing in recent years.
Mauro Icardi looks again to be their main man up front, and with 11 goals in as many games, their captain is showing that he is up to the task. Serie A looks like it will be incredibly tight this year, making it a season of fine margins.
7. Paris Saint-Germain
The second top scorers in Europe’s top five leagues, PSG have added a few players to their attack that seem to be making a difference. Neymar? Mbappe? Heard of them? Well they’re taking Ligue 1 by storm and are already starting to pull away from last season’s champions Monaco.
Not only are PSG taking control of their league, but they are also storming the Champions League. Topping a group with Bayern Munich, Celtic and Anderlecht is impressive, but to do so without losing, conceding a single goal and scoring 17 goals in just four games shows they are serious contenders for the trophy this year.
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