Which Premier League Teams Needed the International Break Most?

The international break has arrived — and for some Premier League clubs, it couldn’t have come at a better time. While fans might groan at the interruption to domestic football, a few sides will quietly welcome the breather to reset, regroup, and hopefully come back stronger.

For bettors already planning ahead, this break is a perfect moment to compare odds and markets from betting sites with the best welcome bonuses to find new sign-up offers deals before club football returns.

From faltering form to mounting injury lists, here are four teams that will be glad of a well-earned pause.

Nottingham Forest – Time to Regain Confidence

It’s been a frustrating few weeks for Nottingham Forest as they’ve dropped closer to the relegation zone and sit bottom of the form table over the last six games. Ange Postecoglou has failed to hit the ground running after Nuno Espirito Santo’s surprise sacking.

They’ve looked toothless in attack and shaky in defence, but the international break offers Postecoglou a chance to reset mentally and tactically. Mood is low around the City Ground, but it will only take a few good results after the break to turn things around.

West Ham – Searching for Stability

Another team in dire need of a reset, West Ham haven’t managed to get going this campaign. No team has conceded more than the Hammers through seven games as they’re letting in more than two goals per match on average.

Espirito Santo was brought in to hopefully turn things around, and the international break will be an excellent chance for him to get down to business with his new squad.

They have a favourable run of fixtures over the next few gameweeks, including matches against Leeds and Burnley – the perfect chance to build up some momentum ahead of the busy festive season.

Chelsea – Injuries Piling Up

Injuries at the back have taken their toll on Chelsea’s season so far as they’ve managed just one clean sheet in their opening seven games and things went from bad to worse when both Benoit Badiashile and Josh Acheampong were forced off against Liverpool with knocks.

The defensive duo aren’t thought to have picked up serious injuries though, while both Tosin Adarabioyo and Wesley Fofana are expected back after the international break.

By the time Chelsea face Forest on October 18, Maresca could well have most of his squad back to full fitness and firing on all cylinders for a charge up the table.

Manchester City – Reset After a Busy Schedule

There’s not much separating the top teams in the Premier League at the moment with Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all dropping points in the opening few games.

City have looked unstoppable at times, but injuries have restricted Pep Guardiola from rotating his squad as much as he usually likes.

Rodri picked up a knock in their 1-0 win over Brentford prior to the international break while Abdukodir Khusanov, Omar Marmoush and Rayan Ait-Nouri were also unavailable. But all four could be fit and available after the international break, which will make them even more dangerous to their title rivals with a deep squad at Guardiola’s disposal.

Looking Ahead

For some teams, the international break is an unwanted interruption. For others, it’s a lifeline. When the Premier League returns, we’ll see who’s used the downtime wisely — and who still looks out of rhythm.

If you’re already eyeing up the next round of fixtures, it’s worth comparing odds and offers from the top 20 UK betting sites before placing your bets. With so many teams hitting reset, the landscape could look very different once club football resumes.