Tom Cleverley believes going top of League One this weekend would serve as the clearest sign yet of how far Plymouth Argyle have travelled in a remarkably short space of time, according to comments reported by BBC Sport.

The Pilgrims currently sit third in the table, but a home victory against Burton Albion on Saturday (15:00) would be enough to lift them to the summit. The two sides directly above them, Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday, are both without a fixture this weekend owing to international call-ups, leaving the door ajar for Argyle to move into top spot.

From the bottom to the brink of the summit

The scale of the turnaround at Home Park is striking. Under Cleverley, Plymouth were rooted to the foot of League One less than a year ago. Since the turn of the calendar year, they have won 18 of their 29 games, a run that has gathered considerable momentum as the new season has taken shape.

Cleverley was at pains to keep expectations measured, however. "We're not getting carried away with ourselves, it's only September," he said. "But we're pleased with the form that we're in, the performance levels and the consistency that we're showing."

He pointed to the groundwork laid over many weeks as the foundation for that consistency. "A lot of things that we've worked on for many weeks now are coming out in the performances," he added. "We're doing all the right things, we're doing the basics very well and that's given us a good level, a good baseline of performance and then the quality of the players and that bit of X-factor has been really shining through in the last few games. You've seen that with the amount of goals scored and the quality of some of them."

A settled squad making the difference

Cleverley inherited a squad in flux when he arrived last summer following Argyle's relegation from the Championship, dealing with a significant turnover of players in his first window. A more stable summer this time around is understood to have been central to the improvement in results, with continuity allowing patterns and principles to become embedded across the group.

Plymouth finished the previous campaign by winning eight of their final 12 games, losing just once, and came agonisingly close to forcing their way into the play-off places. That late surge has carried over into the current season, and the numbers across 2026 as a whole tell a compelling story: according to the BBC report, only Championship sides Lincoln and Southampton have accumulated more points than Argyle's 60 in that period.

"That's a long period of time and that gives us confidence that we can sustain it over a long period of time," Cleverley said. "The players know exactly what they have to do and within that framework they have freedom to show their qualities, which they're doing week-in, week-out at the minute."

What Saturday means for the promotion picture

Whether or not Argyle actually reach the top of the table this weekend, the direction of travel is unmistakable. A side that was fighting to avoid dropping into the fourth tier is now being spoken of as genuine contenders for automatic promotion. The balance Cleverley appears to have struck, between a clear tactical framework and enough creative licence for his players to express themselves, looks to be a significant part of that.

The visit of Burton will be an early test of whether Argyle can convert that potential into results when the pressure of a specific target is applied. Cleverley has stressed calm heads are required, but there is little doubt that topping the third-tier table, even for a single weekend, would represent a landmark moment in the club's recovery.

Frequently asked

Can Plymouth go top of League One this weekend?
Yes. A home win against Burton Albion on Saturday would lift Plymouth to the top of the League One table, with Bradford City and Sheffield Wednesday both idle due to international call-ups.
How have Plymouth Argyle performed since the turn of the year?
According to BBC Sport, Plymouth have won 18 of their 29 games since January, accumulating 60 points across 2026 — a total bettered only by Championship clubs Lincoln and Southampton in that same period.
What does Tom Cleverley say about Plymouth's promotion chances?
Cleverley has urged caution, noting it is only September, but acknowledges the side's consistency and quality give him confidence they can sustain their form over the course of the season.