Some clubs treat August and September like a warmup lap. The teams on this list have built a reputation for sluggish openings, dropped points, and autumn panic before they find their rhythm. Arsenal once opened a campaign with three straight losses and zero goals, the worst start in 128 years of the club’s history, and they are far from alone.
Why this list matters
A slow start can shape an entire season. In the Premier League, only three sides in history have won the title after taking just 18 points from their first ten games, so early dropped points are painfully hard to claw back.
For fans in the United States tuning in on Peacock, Paramount+, or ESPN, these are the clubs worth watching closely every fall. They test your patience before they reward it. Here are five soccer teams that make slow starts a yearly habit.
5. Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund open seasons like a car that refuses to catch in cold weather. In recent years the German giants have stumbled out of the gate, dropping points from winning positions and looking short of fitness while their rivals pull clear.
The 2022/23 and 2024/25 campaigns both began with early stutters, structural problems, and pressure on the coach by September. Even in stronger years, Dortmund tend to leak late goals and give away cheap points before the winter break.
- Late equalizers conceded in the first half of 2025/26: 3
The frustrating part is the talent. This is a squad built for the Champions League, which US viewers can follow on Paramount+, yet the Bundesliga table rarely reflects that quality until the new year arrives.
4. AC Milan
AC Milan have turned the sluggish September into an art form. The Rossoneri have cycled through coaches at a dizzying pace, and each new project seems to need months to click while the pressure builds at San Siro.
The pattern repeated in 2026/27 under Ruben Amorim, with a Europa League defeat to Benfica and a stuttering attack drawing early criticism. New striker Gonçalo Ramos struggled to settle, a familiar story for a club whose famous number nine shirt has felt cursed for over a decade.
- Goals for new signing Gonçalo Ramos in his first five games, 2026/27: 1
Milan usually have the quality to recover, and their Serie A run is available to US fans on Paramount+. The trouble is that by the time they warm up, the leaders are already over the hill.
3. Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur may be the purest slow starters in the Premier League. Spurs have a long history of freezing in the opening weeks, whether through goal droughts, conceding first, or simply looking a step behind sharper rivals.
The 2026/27 season was a brutal example. Under Roberto De Zerbi, and despite a summer of heavy spending, Tottenham failed to score in their first three league games for the first time since 1974 and sat rock bottom after five.
- Premier League points from the opening five games, 2026/27: 2
Harry Kane, for years the club’s talisman, was famously slow to score each August, and the team often mirrored him. American fans watching on Peacock have learned to judge Spurs in October, not August.
2. Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid start slowly on purpose, or at least it can feel that way. Diego Simeone’s teams routinely stumble through the first weeks of La Liga before grinding their way back into contention, a cycle so reliable that Simeone talks about it openly.
In 2025/26 they took just two points from their opening three games and sat near the bottom of the table. Simeone reminded everyone that a year earlier they trailed Barcelona by ten points in the fall, only to lead the league by December.
- La Liga points from the opening three games, 2025/26: 2
That is the Atletico paradox. They look finished in September, then reappear as title contenders by winter. US viewers can track the comeback on ESPN, where La Liga lives stateside.
1. Arsenal
Arsenal are the definitive slow starters in soccer history. For decades the Gunners have opened campaigns with dropped points, defensive wobbles, and the kind of autumn form that turns summer optimism into winter irrelevance.
The low point came in 2021/22, when Arsenal lost their first three games without scoring a single goal, the worst start in the club’s 128 year history. Slow autumns under Arsène Wenger and early Mikel Arteta became a running joke among rival fans, complete with their own nickname.
- Opening games lost without scoring in 2021/22: 3, a club first
The twist is that Arsenal have finally begun to shed the label, opening 2026/27 with four wins from five and sitting second. Still, the reputation lingers, and one bad August would bring every old headline flooding back. Their run is essential viewing on Peacock in the US.
The verdict
Slow starts are part identity, part self fulfilling prophecy. Arsenal wear the crown for sheer history, but Atletico Madrid push them close as the ultimate comeback specialists, and Tottenham are living the nightmare in real time.
The lesson for US soccer fans is simple. Do not write these clubs off in August, and do not crown them either. The table in September tells you very little about the one in May.
Frequently asked questions
Which soccer club is the most famous slow starter? Arsenal hold that reputation. Their 2021/22 opening of three straight losses without a goal was the worst in 128 years, and slow autumns defined much of the Wenger and early Arteta eras.
Do slow starts actually cost teams trophies? They can. In Premier League history, only three champions have won the title after taking as few as 18 points from their first ten games, so early points carry real weight.
Why does Atletico Madrid always start slowly? Simeone’s sides prioritize defensive structure and fitness that build across a full season. They often trail early, as in 2025/26, then surge back into the title race by December.
Where can I watch these leagues in the US? Premier League games stream on Peacock, Serie A and the Champions League on Paramount+, La Liga on ESPN platforms, and the Bundesliga on ESPN as well, so every club on this list is easy to follow stateside.