Best Teams in Europe: Why Manchester United Are Ranked Ahead of Arsenal
- Manchester United have been ranked ahead of Arsenal despite having one of the worst seasons in the Premier League
- The Red Devils finished 14th in the league, compared to Arsenal's second, and also played in the lower-level Europa League
- TUKO.co.ke explains why league standings have no bearing on the rankings and why United are still ahead of Arsenal
Fans were left amused when the latest list of UEFA rankings was updated after the Champions League final, which PSG comfortably won.
Source: UGC
Arsenal missed out on the top 10 despite being one of the most formidable sides in Europe in recent seasons. To make matters worse, Manchester United have been ranked ahead of them.
Top clubs in Europe as per UEFA coefficients
Real Madrid are still the top-ranked club in Europe with 143.5 points, while Manchester City are second with 137.75. Bayern Munich wrap up the top three places with 135.250 points.
Search option is now available at TUKO! Feel free to search the content on topics/people you enjoy reading about in the top right corner ;)
Liverpool are fourth, followed by the new European champions PSG, beaten finalists Inter Milan, Conference League champions Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund in eighth AS Roma and Barcelona are in ninth and 10th place respectively.
Manchester United are just outside the top 10 in 11th place with 102.5 points, while Arsenal are 12th with 98 points.
| Rank | Club | Country | Points |
| 1 | Real Madrid | Spain | 143.5 |
| 2 | Manchester City | England | 137.75 |
| 3 | Bayern Munich | Germany | 135.25 |
| 4 | Liverpool | England | 125.5 |
| 5 | Paris Saint-Germain | France | 118.5 |
| 6 | Inter Milan | Italy | 116.25 |
| 7 | Chelsea | England | 109 |
| 8 | Borussia Dortmund | Germany | 106.75 |
| 9 | AS Roma | Italy | 104.5 |
| 10 | Barcelona | Spain | 103.25 |
Comparing Manchester United to Arsenal
The rankings are confusing because Arsenal have, without a doubt, been one of the top clubs in England for the last three seasons, their lack of silverware notwithstanding. Mikel Arteta has come close to winning the Premier League, finishing second in three successive seasons.
He has also engineered deeper runs in the Champions League, with this season's journey ending in the semi-finals.
Manchester United, meanwhile, recorded their worst-ever league finish in recent seasons as Ruben Amorim's spell at Old Trafford kicked off on a sour note. They also finished eighth the previous season.
They were also beaten in the Europa League final by Tottenham.
Joseph Maraha said:
"Six years at the club now and spent north of 700M pounds and this sixth phase of his project(Mikel Arteta) cannot even break them into the top 10."
Sarah said:
"Arsenal are currently 12th in the latest UEFA club ratings despite Mikel Arteta's 'best in Europe' claim. Below United."
Why Arsenal are ranked behind Manchester United
The rankings have nothing to do with league positions or who won which domestic trophy. UEFA coefficients are calculated based on how a club performed in Europe over the last five seasons.
You'll remember that before Arteta turned the leaf in North London, Arsenal struggled to qualify for the Champions League, let alone compete.
Source: Getty Images
How UEFA coefficients are calculated
Clubs earn two points for every win and one point for a draw. On top of that, they receive bonus points based on how far they go in the league stage, with higher rewards for teams playing in the prestigious UEFA Champions League.
As clubs advance through the knockout rounds, their points keep growing — each round in the Champions League adds 1.5 bonus points, while the Europa League gives 1 extra point per round, and the Conference League adds 0.5 points for each stage progressed. The deeper a club goes, the more it benefits.
So Manchester United, despite their struggles in the league, have been regulars in European competitions, unlike Arsenal. For instance, the Gunners didn't play any competition in 2021/2022, getting zero points while United got 18 points for reaching the Round of 16 in the Champions League.
Why Chelsea will be ranked higher in the Champions League than Arsenal
It's this same logic that will be used when the draw for next season's Champions League league phase is done.
Chelsea will be in a higher pot than Arsenal despite finishing fourth in the Premier League, compared to Arsenal's second.
The Blues have also not played in the Champions League for two seasons running, but will be on Pot 1, while Arsenal will have to contend with a place in Pot 2.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
