There’s one thing very, very bizarre within the footballing water proper now.
Manchester Metropolis are nowhere close to their greatest, Actual Madrid appear to have developed a penchant for getting spanked at residence, Paris Saint-Germain are twenty fifth within the Champions League desk after one other residence defeat, and Arsenal usually are not at it both.
Throw into the combination another unexpected outcomes and also you get a slightly sudden 10 greatest groups in Europe energy rankings record…
Some will say that Arsenal do not deserve to keep up their place within the energy rankings after defeats at Newcastle United and Inter.
They might be proper.
However with accidents galore affecting Mikel Arteta’s aspect, and the very fact they in all probability should not have misplaced at San Siro, a keep of execution has been granted.
Make no mistake about it although, issues have to enhance. Rapidly.
There’s an argument for Bayern Munich to climb again into the facility rankings prime ten this week, but it surely would not really feel proper to miss the fantastic job Nuno Espirito Santo is presently doing at Nottingham Forest.
Third within the Premier League (sure, THIRD within the Premier League), Forest are surprisingly completely all people with their early season kind, and in Chris Wooden they’ve considered one of Europe’s most in-form strikers.
Suppose we’re overblowing their achievements? October Participant and Supervisor of the Month awards for Wooden and Nuno say in any other case.
Actual Madrid’s final three video games, all performed on the Santiago Bernabeu, learn as follows:
– Actual Madrid 5-2 Borussia Dortmund
– Actual Madrid 0-4 Barcelona
– Actual Madrid 1-3 AC Milan
No, we do not know what the bloody hell they’re enjoying at, however Carlo Ancelotti, and Florentino Perez for that matter, is not going to be amused.
Manchester Metropolis have been with out numerous key gamers of late, specifically lacking Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne.
Normally, Metropolis discover a technique to get the job accomplished, digging into their ridiculously gifted pool of gamers to grind out a end result. However recently, that digital assure of discovering a manner has began to subside.
Surprisingly overwhelmed by Bournemouth within the Premier League, Metropolis have been then humiliated by soon-to-be Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim and his present employers Sporting CP within the Champions League.
Make what you’ll of Pep Guardiola’s contract nonetheless being up for renewal on the finish of the season…
Final season’s Europa League winners Atalanta are at all times watch, notably in the event you like your soccer matches to include targets, targets and extra targets.
And they’re steadily proving that their current success underneath Gian Piero Gasperini – into his ninth season on the membership – is not at all a fluke.
Serie A leaders Napoli and VfB Stuttgart have been the newest to fall victims to Atalanta this previous week, being overwhelmed on their very own patches 3-0 and 2-0 respectively.
Issues have been going very well for Antonio Conte and Napoli, who’re little doubt benefitting from not competing in European competitors.
However each infrequently, Conte’s magic method self-combusts in spectacular fashion – surprisingly the Italian himself manages to remain in a single piece – and that is precisely what occurred towards Atalanta.
Ademola Lookman scored twice within the first half hour and Napoli simply did not have any solutions.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter are identified for his or her resolute defending and talent to haul themselves over the road by the odd objective, so it was a little bit of a shock when Juventus rocked as much as share an eight-goal thriller on the finish of October.
It has been considerably much less of a shock to see how Inter have responded within the three video games which have adopted:
– Empoli 0-3 Inter
– Inter 1-0 Venezia
– Inter 1-0 Arsenal
Regulation and order has been restored.
Manchester United supporters sat down with bated breath in midweek, little doubt eager to familiarise themselves with new head coach Ruben Amorim.
They might probably have identified that the 39-year-old is a two-time Primeira Liga winner with Sporting CP, and would even have heard by means of the grapevine that Amorim had led his aspect to victory in all ten of their league video games thus far with an combination rating of 35-2.
What they may not have anticipated was for Amorim to blow away Manchester Metropolis within the Champions League with a very beautiful second half show – one which showcased simply how good Viktor Gyokeres, needed by each main membership on the continent, is.
Arne Slot his quietly gone about his enterprise at Liverpool this season, breaking numerous information to make the transition from Jurgen Klopp unbelievably seamless.
However there was actually nothing quiet about Liverpool’s comeback win over Brighton within the Premier League – an enormous end result given Metropolis and Arsenal’s woes – and the romping 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen within the Champions League – a workforce lauded for his or her progress underneath Xabi Alonso.
Sit up and take discover, Liverpool are on fireplace.
Nearly as good as Liverpool have been, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have been that little bit higher.
The Catalan giants are enjoying some super soccer underneath the German, liberating themselves of the stress from Xavi’s last few months in cost, and in Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha they’ve two excellent gamers who can do no fallacious.
Neighbourhood rivals Espanyol have been swatted to at least one aspect in Barca’s newest La Liga encounter earlier than Purple Star have been taught a Champions League lesson in their very own yard.
