The world's top five soccer clubs in the world as of Nov. 6, 2017

It was an eventful week with two matches each for the top soccer clubs in Europe -- and therefore the world (Yes we're making that statement. Shouldn't really be debatable though we have anointed the best team from outside Europe once more, just like we did last week and the week before). This post has been updated with an honorable mention list of clubs that are knocking on the door of the #top5 (yes that's going viral). But here are this week's best, in ascending order:

5. Tottenham Hotspur

Last week's spot: None.
Record in all competition: 11-3-3 (11 wins, 3 losses, 3 ties)
Notable results: Lost at home to Chelsea (by 2-1 on Aug. 20), beat Borussia Dortmund (3-1, Sept. 13), drew at Real Madrid (1-1, Oct. 17), beat Liverpool (4-1, Oct. 22), lost at Manchester United (1-0, Oct. 28), beat Real at home (3-1, Nov. 1).
Last week: The win over Real Madrid in Champions League play at midweek, edged Crystal Palace 1-0 yesterday.
Discussion: They're back. After a one-week absence, Spurs return to the top 5 thanks to their historic beatdown of Real Madrid. The win over Palace was far less impressive and actually could have gone the other way had it not been for some heroics from Tottenham's third-string goalkeeper. Injuries have reared their head: Harry Kane is starting games but clearly not at full strength. Dele Alli, Toby Alderweireld and Hugo Lloris are out. So too is the reserve goalkeeper Michel Vorm, which is what led to Paulo Gazzaniga starting against Palace. Now Harry Winks is hurt too. Despite this, Spurs managed to get the result they needed yesterday and that is exactly what a top team does. We said Spurs asserted themselves as one of the best teams in Europe with the Real victory. We're sticking to that and not just because pundits have agreed with us (we like it more when pundits disagree, frankly, though we do sometimes make it easy for them, admittedly). Yes, Tottenham are just third in the Premiership but that's thanks to a weak start when the Wembley hoodoo took its toll (or more like the team needed to adjust to its temporary home). While it's also true that Real are not playing their best, the margin of victory and thorough dismantling of reigning European champions still carry a lot of weight. This is what makes Spurs the fifth-best team on the planet right now, in our estimation.
The road ahead: The North London Derby against Arsenal is first up after the international break, on Nov. 18. That game is at the Emirates. No question who the favorite should be for this, though maybe not if Kane has to sit it out.

4. FC Barcelona

Last week: First.
Record in all competition: 14-0-2
Notable results: Beat Juventus (3-0, Sept. 12), drew at Atletico Madrid (1-1, Oct. 14).
Last week: Drew at Olympiakos in the Champions League, beat Sevilla on Saturday in La Liga.
Discussion: Barca remain unbeaten but the scoreless draw at Olympiakos was enough to dock them three spots in the ranking seeing how the teams behind them won both their games convincingly. Several things plagued Barca during this game, chief among them Luis Suarez's loss of form, according to our friends BarcaBlauGranes.com. While the victory over Sevilla was impressive enough (the Andalusian side were fifth coming into the match), the ranking committee remains nonplussed by the quality of la Liga this season. Spanish media share our concerns. Valencia, with no European fixtures at all (not even Europa League qualifiers), are second. Spanish teams have few quality victories over European competition. Barca did beat Juventus, but that club too has had a few struggles. Add it all up and Barca are simply not the best team in the world right now. Or even the second-best. Or the third-best. What they are, is fourth best. So says us.
The road ahead: Visit Leganes and visit Juventus immediately after the international break. The clash with Real Madrid is on Wednesday, Dec. 20, in case you were wondering. At the Bernabeu. Midweek.

3. Bayern Munich

Last week's spot: Fourth.
Record in all competition: 15-2-2
Notable results: lost to Paris Saint German (3-0, Sept. 27), won at Borussia Dortmund (3-1, Nov. 4).
Last week: Two wins, over Celtic in the Champions League (2-1) and Borussia in Bundesliga play.
Discussion: Make it seven victories in a row since Jupp Heynckes took control of the Bavarian juggernaut. Bayern had no real trouble with Celtic at midweek and piled the misery on poor Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. Dortmund have won just one of their last seven games and that was a cup tie against Magdeburg, some lower division side. Still, a win at Dortmund is a win at Dortmund and Bayern did that convincingly. They now lead the Bundesliga by four points over RB Leipzig. Dortmund, despite their miserable form, sit third. Bayern are in good shape in their Champions League group with nine points from four games and are effectively through to the next round. They're unlikely to win the group, seeing how PSG have a goal difference of 17 scored, 0 conceded.
The road ahead: Host Augsburg and visit Anderlecht when teams return from the international break.

2. Paris Saint Germain

Last week's spot: Third.
Record in all competition: 13-0-2
Notable results: Beat Bayern Munich (3-0, Sept. 27), drew Olympique Marseille (2-2, Oct. 22).
Last week: A pair of easy victories, over Anderlecht in the Champions League and Angers in French league play.
Discussion: Since they dropped points to Marseille, PSG have reeled off three wins in a row by a combined score of 13 to zero. While the opposition has not been particularly worrisome (or at all worrisome, if we're being honest), this run of form is still good enough to make PSG the second-best team in the world at this juncture. It's also worth noting that Neymar has missed two of these games. The club play an entertaining style with their attacking 4-3-3 formation and lethal front three of Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe. While there were doubts about the defense at the start of the season, judging by how many few goals they have conceded (a grand total of eight, from 15 games), it is safe to say those can be laid to rest at this juncture. Of course a lot will depend on the next stage(s) of the Champions League. Domestically, PSG only really have to worry about Monaco and the two Olympiques -- Marseille and Lyon. They lead Monaco by four points and Marseille and Lyon by seven and eight points, respectively.
The road ahead: Host Nantes and Celtic after the international break. Lyon is on the docket for Jan. 20.

1. Manchester City

Last week: Second.
Record in all competition: 16-0-1
Notable results: Won at Chelsea (1-0, Sept. 30), beat Napoli (2-1, Oct. 17) and won at Napoli (4-2, Nov. 1)
Last week Two big wins, at Napoli in the Champions League and over Arsenal in the Premiership.

Discussion: Man City are dominating domestic and European competition alike. Their lead in the English topflight is now eight points after yesterday's victory over Arsenal and Man United's loss at Chelsea. It was the ninth straight win for Pep Guardiola's side, though the man himself apparently doesn't think they're anywhere close to their potential yet. Unfortunately, he's refused to compare them to rivals on the continent, making our job just a little bit harder. Domestically, it's hard to see how anybody will be able to catch them at this point -- barring injuries of course. For now, City are just too good. Alan Shearer says they're unstoppable. Antonio Conte has all but conceded the Premiership title to them. There has been talk of an invincible season, though Guardiola has talked this down. They found themselves a goal behind after 21 minutes at Napoli but were able to turn the match rather easily in the end. With the win Citizens are now on a perfect 12 points after four games and obviously assured passage to the next round -- though not yet as group winners, as Shakthar Donetsk are just three points behind. The two clubs don't meet until the final matchday but at that point it probably won't matter anymore.
The road ahead: The Manchester derby is the second weekend in December. Man U did not look good against Chelsea but remain second for now. Could that be the last, best chance to upend City's march to the title?

Dropping out

Napoli (fifth last week).

Also receiving consideration

Besiktas Istanbul: The Turkish side lead their Champions League group ahead of (in order) Porto, RB Leipzig and AS Monaco, but sit just third in their domestic league. Including Besiktas by definition means Porto, RB (don't call them Red Bull. That's Rasenballsport, which if you must know is an invented word. More on that some other time) and Monaco do not get consideration. Besiktas beat all three of these teams, two of them away from home. AS Roma: Winners of five in a row. Lead their Champions League group ahead of Chelsea, whom they beat up on 3-0 last week. But sit just fifth in Serie A. Lazio: Lead their Europa League group with a perfect record after four games, and beat Juventus Turin in Serie A competition. Hold fourth place in the Italian league. Inter Milan: Unbeaten in all competition, which actually is just one competition as the nerazurri are not playing continentally at all this season. Third in Serie A. Olympique Lyon: Have lost just once this season and that was to PSG. Just beat up on St. Etienne 5-nil in a raucous Rhone derby. Third in Ligue Un.

Best Ex-Europe: Boca Juniors

Boca get the nod for the second week in a row thanks to victory in an explosive Superclasico at archrivals River Plate. It was a fiery encounter with two red cards and a pair of wonder goals. Do yourself a favor and watch the highlights of this match on YouTube (commentary in Spanish, but you won't need to know what they're saying if you don't understand Spanish. Video being a visual medium). For more English language coverage of this game, check out CBSsports.com's comprehensive story. Unfortunately there do not appear to be any English-language blogs devoted to Boca, or at least not any that have been updated recently (and if you're not going to update it after the Superclasico, well, then it just can't be very good, can it?). The excellent Hasta el Gol Siempre is a good go-to for anything related to Argentine soccer. If you know of Boca-centered coverage that we're missing, please let us know in the comments sections (coverage outside of the reddit sewing circle, that is, which we are well aware of and which is in all seriousness an excellent resource). Anyway, with the result, Boca have now started the season with eight straight wins and a goal difference of 21 scored, two conceded. That obviously puts them first in the Superliga table, nine points ahead of the nearest contender. Unfortunately there is no continental competition until the start of the Copa Libertadores in January. Boca do have one loss on the season, a 1-0 loss to Rosario Central in the Copa Argentina. That's an acceptable blemish to name them the best non-European team in the world at present.

Subpar Spurs eke out victory they absolutely needed over stubborn Palace: match report and link roundup

A weakened Tottenham Hotspur narrowly defeated Crystal Palace at Wembley today, grabbing the must-win game on a late goal by Heung Min Son. It was an unimpressive victory by Tottenham that easily could have come very different had it not been for the heroics of their goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, given his first ever start due to injuries to Hugo Lloris and Michel Vorm. With the win Spurs move equal on points, for now, with second-placed Manchester United.

Besides the surprise start by the Argentine goalkeeper, Spurs were also without Dele Alli. Harry Kane, though in the starting 11, was clearly not at full strength either and made way for Fernando Llorente in the second half. Harry Winks appeared to pick up a knock in the first half and was pulled at halftime for Moussa Dembele. Update: Winks twisted his ankle and could miss England’s friendlies, the Evening Standard reports. That substitution did pay immediate dividends as Spurs were able to take the initiate right after the restart.

It wouldn’t last. Serge Aurier, back in the starting lineup after Kieran Trippier was so impressive against Real Madrid at midweek, gave the ball away and Palace nearly scored on the counter. It was not the first such error by Aurier, who was bailed out by Gazzaniga on both occasions. Indeed there is a strong case for the Argentine as man of the match in this one.

Spurs finally got the goal off a bit of a scramble in the Palace penalty area. When the ball came to Son at the edge of the 18-yard box, he placed a superb shot into the right corner of the net. Crystal Palace never really threatened after that. They do deserve credit for a strong defensive game, particularly in the first half when they frustrated Tottenham. Spurs were clearly not at their best; missing Alli, with Son playing poorly until his goal (several misplaced first touches) and Christian Eriksen still a ways off from peak Eriksen. Danny Rose, given his first start since return from injury, got better as the game wore on and was able to launch several attacks on the left flank. His return will give Spurs’ offense the additional threat on that side of the pitch. Ben Davies is a nice player, perfectly fine for the Wales national team, but he simply cannot produce that element.

In the end Spurs get the required win, but not without a not insignificant struggle. Palace did not look like relegation fodder and can be expected to move up the table if their form continues. Tottenham now have new injuries to worry about. No sooner are Rose and Dembele fit that Alli and (perhaps) Kane and Winks go down. Kane would obviously be the biggest blow so that is one situation Spurs fans will be monitoring very closely. Perhaps the two-week international break comes at a good time for Spurs then. They looked like they needed the rest.

Headlines:
Tottenham brought back down to earth — Independent
Second half Son strike gives Tottenham three points — Cartilage Free Captain
Son strikes as Tottenham squeeze past Crystal Palace — ESPNFC
Spurs win, but clash reveals continuing problem for Mauricio Pochettino — Metro
Gazzaniga emotional after impressive debut — Goal.com
Gazzaniga heroics backed up by Son strike - FourFourTwo
Five talking points — Mirror
Five things you missed — Daily MailTwitter reacts to Dele Alli’s stunning girlfriend — The Sun
Son spares Spurs’ blushes after Zaha spurns golden chance — Telegraph
Son strike seals laboured Tottenham win over Crystal Palace — Guardian
Paulo Gazzaniga and Wilfried Zaha the pick of the bunch at Wembley — Independent player ratings
Mousa Dembele sums up Tottenham's week in four-word tweet; Harry Kane among teammates to also comment — HITC

Do you like this format of match report with the links at the end? Let us know in the comment section!

Spurs show Real Madrid who's boss, assert themselves as European power

Tottenham Hotspur thoroughly outplayed Real Madrid, dismantling the reigning European champions 3-1 at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday night. It was a magnificent performance by Spurs, a "famous win" (Sky Sports) and "historic victory" (Guardian) whose result was never really in doubt. Even Zinedine Zidane acknowledged Spurs were superior in all aspects of this game. We told you Spurs were capable of this. Did you listen? No, you never listen and that's why this relationship is such a challenge.

We told you that Mauricio Pochettino needed his best player, Harry Kane, to start this match for his team to have a chance at victory. Kane did start, though he was noticeably compromised by the hamstring injury that kept him out of the weekend loss at Man United. It didn't matter. Compromised or not, Kane was able to stretch the Madrid defense, creating space for Dele Alli, Christian Eriksen and Tottenham's wingbacks. It was Kieran Tripper, a surprise starter on the right flank, who created the first goal by Alli with a pinpoint one-time cross. Indeed, Tripper owned the first half of this match on both ends of the pitch. Defensively his anticipation ended more than one Real Madrid attack.

In starting Trippier over Serge Aurier, Pochettino showed once again he is not afraid to use young (or not so young, in Trippier's case. Dude's already 27) English players over established international veterans on the big stage. Harry Winks also started again. While that is no longer a surprise at this point, Poch did have other options including Moussa Dembele at his disposal.

It was Winks who launched Trippier to set up the first goal. After a tentative start by both sides Tottenham started to establish themselves, growing in confidence in the early stages of the first half. Eriksen had a good early look at goal but his first touch deserted him. A few minutes later Winks lofted a pass behind Marcelo for Trippier to run onto. Trippier one-timed the ball into the six-yard box where Alli had split the Real Madrid centerbacks. 1-0 and Spurs never looked back. Alli got a second shortly after halftime and Real never really looked capable of fighting their way back. Tottenham's performance was that good.

This could be Spurs' transformative moment. It will reverberate around the world, says Bobby McMahon. There should now be no question Tottenham are now among Europe's elite teams, as Pochettino himself said afterwards. If the 1-1 draw in the first leg announced Tottenham's arrival as a contender on the continental stage, tonight's 3-1 victory drove the point home. This was timely, coming after a tough week of consecutive losses that saw Spurs lose the spot in our top 5 ranking. But it is clear now that this team belongs here. With the victory they are through to the knockout stage of the Champions League, and probably as the group winners. This sets Tottenham up for a potentially easier Round of 16 opponent than they might have drawn as runners-up. Not that that should matter. This win tonight will make teams throughout the continent take notice: Spurs can beat absolutely anybody.

Real Madrid are in a bit of crisis and Spurs can beat them -- but only if Harry Kane plays

Tottenham Hotspur host Real Madrid in the Champions League tomorrow hoping to rebound after a tough week. For the uninitiated: Spurs were every bit Real's equal in their first meeting a fortnight ago and provoked a series of media fellatio after trouncing Liverpool. Then the letdown of the Carabao Cup defeat to West Ham and 1-0 loss to Manchester United on the weekend have caused a pretty brutal hangover for Tottenham.

Real Madrid have been struggling as well and their struggle is more real if only because of the immense expectations placed on this side. Zinedine Zidane's men were upset by newly-promoted Girona on Sunday and have fallen to third place in La Liga, eight points behind their Catalan rivals after just 10 games. More importantly, they've been dropped from our latest #top5 (so too have Tottenham). The team's president bitch-slapped the players in front of Zidane after Sunday's defeat and there is talk of this being the first genuine crisis facing Zidane as Real manager.

To put the pressure facing Zidane into perspective: if Spurs win tomorrow, it would be just the second time Real have lost consecutive games since he took charge at the Bernabeu, according to data compiled by our friends at Transfermarkt. But that would be enough to plunge Real into real crisis and one would think put Zidane's job in peril.

Tottenham are up for the task. They almost nicked the first game at the Bernabeu. Against Liverpool, the last time an 'A' Spurs side graced the Wembley pitch, they were confident and played superbly, with the 4-1 score flattering Liverpool in the end. An 'A' Spurs side -- ay, there's the rub. Tottenham's best player, Harry Kane, is nursing a hamstring injury and missed the last two games, both losses. At Old Trafford, Harry Kane's absence gave Jose Mourinho the necessary latitude to actually dominate proceedings for once, at least in the early going. Spurs might have been unlucky to not sneak off with a point, but there's no question the game would have been completely different with Kane in the starting 11. The latest reports have Tottenham "optimistic" that Kane will be fit for the match, with Pochattino apparently hinting he could play, though the medical staff will surely err on the side of caution seeing how this is not a must-win situation (Spurs are still in good shape to advance to the next round even with a loss).

Spurs will need Kane to keep Real's defenders honest. Without Kane in attack, everything else Tottenham does is secondary. He is the only one who can create the necessary havoc by himself. Sure, having Fernando Llorente alongside to free up space worked out great in the first game and can probably have he same effect this time out. But Kane needs to be there from the start. Without him, there simply isn't enough to threaten Real Madrid. Christian Eriksen has been poor lately and was arguably Spurs' worst player at the Bernabeu. Dele Alli is not in midseason form yet either and does not appear capable of single-handedly breaking down a defense like Real Madrid's. Heung Min Son is a complementary player and nothing more, or at least not yet. All of them need Kane to work more effectively. For this reason it's hard to see Spurs having much of a chance if Kane is not starting tomorrow.

Our fearless forecast then will have to depend on this x-factor. If Kane starts, we're calling a 2-1 Tottenham victory. If he is on the bench and can see 30 or 45 minutes of action, chances favor a draw. If he is unable to play at all, Spurs have no chance.

With Kane out, Poch will need tactical masterclass for Spurs to succeed at Old Trafford

Tottenham Hotspur face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday in a battle for second place in the Premier League. With Harry Kane out injured it will take all of Mauricio Pochettino's tactical guile to outwit Jose Mourinho's carefully laid plans to park the bus.

Yes, we expect Mourinho to park the bus even with Kane now officially ruled out. Because that's what Mourinho does. It may be rooted in his failure to make it as a player, but whatever its cause we don't expect Mourinho to deviate from it now. So an element of surprise is needed. In their last league game against Liverpool, Spurs' 5-3-2 lineup shocked Juergen Klopp's defense into submission in minutes. Klopp, far all his charms, is nothing of the defensive mastermind that Mourinho is. Or even close. In fact, Klopp is looking more and more like a decidedly average manager in general. But let's leave Liverpool and their latest savior alone for once as they've suffered enough recently.

The point is, after Tottenham's successes against Real Madrid and Liverpool (we're not talking about the Carabao Cup here, sorry) Mourinho will now be expecting a 'WTF' Spurs lineup -- probably even more so without Kane. That element of surprise is gone. And with Kane out, so too is the option of really going for the jugular to reinstate shock and awe. One vision had Poch trotting out three strikers: Heung Min Son on the left, Kane in the middle and Fernando Llorente on the right. That's out the window. Instead, a lot of the responsibility for Spurs' attacking game falls to Dele Alli. Tottenham will again seek to exploit the width of the pitch as they did against Liverpool, aiming to catch United's slow defenders off guard. That will be a more difficult order than it was against the likes of Dejan Lovren. But it could still work. United's defense is not 1970 vintage Inter Milan. In fact, it's pretty average. Eric Bailly is really the only defender of true quality and with Victor Lindelof, Man U may have their very own Lovren in training.

But Bailly remains questionable for this match. Phil Jones is expected back from injury, so United will likely not have to go with Lindelof. Still, even without Kane Spurs' attack will present problems for this Man United defense. Son, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen can make quick work of the likes of Jones and Chris Smalling if given the space. Mourinho knows this so his gameplan will likely depend on throttling Spurs' midfield play, but here too his options are limited without Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, also injured. The alternative, to attack, is simply not Mourinho's style, regardless of what Martin Keown says. Man U might need the win more, but fear of losing at home is more paramount at this stage. So expect Mourinho to risk little.

This is where Pochettino needs to get creative, again, with his wide players. Starting Serge Aurier on the left against Liverpool was a masterstroke. An even better alternative is Danny Rose, fit enough for 60 minutes of Carabao Cup duty at midweek (which we said we wouldn't talk about. But mentioning it is okay). Keep Aurier on the right and have the two wingbacks push up aggressively. The back three of Jan Vertonghen, Davinson Sanchez and Toby Alderweireld have proven they are capable without much support from the defensive midfield -- though Eric Dier is also healthy and available for that. Without Pogba, United's creative attacking duties appear to be falling to Jesse Lingard. That worked out fine in the Carabao Cup (okay, mentioning it again), but Spurs are better than Swansea City. Further bolstering the midfield battle in favor of Spurs will be Moussa Dembele, also healthy again, and ready to start according to some reports. This leaves Victor Wanyama as the only other absence for Tottenham, unless you count Eric Lamela of course, but he's been injured (or something) since the Obama administration.

In the end it probably won't be enough. This unfortunately has the look of another tactical stalemate match, not unlike United's visit to Anfield a few weeks ago. A lot of that depends on Spurs' ability to break through Man U's defense in the early stage of the match. The opening minutes will set the tone. Again, the element of surprise is largely gone and without Kane there may simply not be enough quality in Tottenham's attack to strike the early blow. Expect a scoreless draw from this one.

Spurs bottling the Carabao Cup v West Ham is not the end of the world -- or even a temporary setback

West Ham United came back from a 2-0 halftime to stun Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 and advance to the quarterfinals of the Carabao (ne League) Cup. It was a courageous rally by West Ham and likely saved Slaven Bilic's job, or at least gave him a(nother) stay of execution. Beyond that there is no significance to this match.

Some Spurs fans are in quite a tizzy over this, bemoaning not just the blown lead but the fact that this is one more trophy their team is not going to win. Some felt compelled to ask if the team would ever win one under Mauricio Pochettino. Presumably Pochettino has the team going nowhere. The Twittersphere was quite a read immediately after the final whistle as well:








Our friends at Spurs-web.com have more of these. Reddit was aflame as well. It's almost like soccer fans are drama queens who spend too much time on social media. It's not just social media though. Pundits, too. Jamie Redknapp said Spurs were arrogant and complacent. Former Chelsea defender Jason Cundy said Spurs are now likely to go silverware-less yet again this season (then again we'd expect a former Chelsea player named cund to act like a, well, cund).

Time for everybody to relax and take a step back. Yes, the game was a disappointment with the way Spurs rushed out to an early lead that evaporated in the course of 15 minutes. Maybe Spurs aren't the fifth-best team in the world, because the fifth-best team in the world should be able to field a 'B' squad capable of beating West Ham pretty easily. No, losing to the Hammers is never pleasant, but how can you begrudge a club so desperate for success, any success, that their fans fight young children over Mark Noble's sweaty jersey? In a way this was a charity act by Spurs. Or maybe a cruel way to manipulate West Ham to keep Bilic and get relegated. Either way it's worth remembering that this is the Carabao Cup. What exactly is a carabao? Exactly. It's an irrelevant name for an irrelevant competition, apparently played with a strange ball. Which is why teams are trotting out 'B' lineups for this.

The Carabao Cup may mean a lot to mediocre clubs like West Ham and Liverpool, but for teams in the Champions League, with aspirations of a league title, it is secondary out of necessity. Spurs, with a smaller budget than the other "big six," do not have the depth to compete for trophies like this if they are going to be serious about the Premiership and Champions League. Or even the FA Cup. Was the League Cup the easiest way to a trophy? Probably, seeing how opposing teams field weakened lineups. For this reason it's a cheap way to silverware. Again, a terrific alternative for clubs like West Ham. Not for Tottenham. Besides Spurs fans, do you really want your first trophy under Poch to be the Carabao Cup? Come on now. This club can do better. And it will do better.

Because with the Carabao now out of the way, Spurs will be able to concentrate on the competitions that truly matter: The Premiership, where they can assert themselves as the primary challenger to Manchester City. The Champions League, where they are all but assured passage to the knockout round. The FA Cup, which Tottenham dominated in the 60s but hasn't won since 1991. Even if Spurs don't win any silverware this season, having the Carabao Cup would be no solace to poor showings in those three tournaments. For this reason the loss to West Ham is meaningful only in that it frees Spurs up to focus on bigger and better things. So really it's good to have gotten this out of the way now rather than be forced to waste resources on it in additional rounds. Apparently this view is shared by a certain Argentine head coach of the team:



This Saturday, Tottenham visit Old Trafford with a chance to take sole possession of second place in the Premiership table. A win would also establish Spurs as the main challengers to Man City's title aspirations this season. The mere fact that Spurs can be considered favorites in this game is a testament to how far this club has come under Pochettino. It will go further still. The Carabao Cup has no place in these aspirations. Poch and Co have far bigger fish to fry.

The world's top five soccer clubs as of Oct. 23, 2017

Here it is, the second edition of this season's top five club ranking, reflecting the full slate of weekend games. Check out last week's iteration here. There were some important results with the teams in the #top5 (yes that's going viral) so let's see how that affected things. This list was updated to add a non-European team and "honorable mention" roll of other clubs warranting consideration. Scroll to the bottom to read that section or click here:

5. Tottenham Hotspur

Last week's spot: None, this is Spurs' first appearance pretty much ever since we've been doing these lists.
Record in all competition: 9-1-3 (nine wins, one loss, three draws)
Notable results: Lost to Chelsea at home (2-1, on Aug. 20), beat Borussia Dortmund at home (3-1, Sept. 13), drew at Real Madrid (1-1, Oct. 17), beat Liverpool 4-1 at home yesterday.
Discussion: It was a superb week for Spurs, starting with the impressive performance at the Bernabeu. Then there was the beat-down of Liverpool yesterday. The 4-1 scoreline actually flattered Liverpool, who were a complete mess defensively and don't look to be making any appearances on this list anytime soon, if ever. But at least they still have Jurgen Klopp. Oh wait, Klopp's record is actually worse than both of his predecessors' after the same number of games played. But this isn't about Klopp or Liverpool -- it's about Tottenham and the fact is Mauricio Pochettino's men belong here in a list of the best teams on the planet. They've been tested against the best (Real Madrid, away) and didn't blink. They've beaten every other quality side they faced except for Chelsea (their one loss) and that was in August. Games played in August are deeply discounted in our model, and not because Harry Kane isn't able to score any goals during that month. Tottenham ooze quality. Their goalkeeper is one of the best shot-stoppers in the game, their three centerbacks match up with any on the planet and then there's Harry Kane. English players are often usually almost always overhyped, often to the point of hyperbole, but with Kane the superlatives simply fit -- and that's according to people like Thierry Henry, a proven hater. Keep in mind that Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen have not really found their form, that Moussa Dembele and Danny Rose have been injured and that Kyle Walker left during the close season. This team is not just good, it can still get a lot better. Man City and Europe should take notice. These are giddy times for us Spurs supporters.
The road ahead: After a challenging week things don't get any easier. A League Cup match against West Ham is Wednesday, followed by a trip to Old Trafford on Saturday. Man United have seen better days and there are indications Jose Mourinho has lost the dressing room already and the team is on for a repeat performance of 2016/17. Still a visit to the Old Trafford is never easy and Spurs have lost or drawn 73 percent of the time these teams have played historically (136 of 186 games, according to our friends at 11v11.com. The recent record is more in Tottenham's favor though, with the North London side losing just three of the last 10 matchups). The return leg against Real is Nov. 1. The North London derby Nov. 19 followed by the return leg against Borussia Dortmund two days later. Man City, if you're curious, is on the docket for Dec. 16. It's feasible that match could go a long way toward deciding the Premiership title.

4. Real Madrid

Last week: Fifth
Record in all competition: 8-1-3 (8 wins, 1 loss, 3 ties)
Notable results: Won at Dortmund (by 3-1, on Sept. 26), drew Tottenham Hotspur at home (1-1, Oct. 17)
Discussion: Real Madrid move up a spot by virtue of Man United dropping out. Real held serve this weekend, beating SD Eibar by the impressive-sounding score of 3-nil. While Real are just third in La Liga, it is due to points dropped in August (when two of their draws took place) and in their solitary loss to Real Betis on Sept. 20. None of those results speak to any real weakness with this team, though it will be very interesting indeed to see how they do at Wembley in the return leg against Spurs.
The road ahead: The return leg at Tottenham is Nov. 1. The Madrid derby is Nov. 28. A trip to Bilbao looms Dec. 12. The superclasico clash against Barcelona is on Dec. 20.

3. Paris Saint Germain

Last week: Second
Record in all competition: 11-0-2
Notable results: Beat Bayern Munich (3-0, Sept. 27), drew Olympique Marseille (2-2, Oct. 22)
Discussion: PSG came back to draw Olympique Marseille yesterday in thrilling fashion. The highlights are worth watching. Here, check them out:

Thrilling though the game was, it still exposed some weaknesses in PSG's game, particularly its defense. The ranking committee has taken notice and docked PSG one spot in the #top5. PSG should still win Ligue Un with ease. Beyond that, it's anybody's guess. They likely won't be truly tested until the elimination round of the Champions League, depending on who they draw.
The road ahead: The return leg at Bayern Munich which wraps up the UCL group stage is worth watching. Probably won't matter in the standings but could be a good test as Bayern look resurgent under Jupp Heynckes. That game is Dec. 5. Also visit Monaco (currently second in Ligue Un), Nov. 25.

2. FC Barcelona

Last week: Third
Record in all competition: 11-0-1
Notable results: Beat Juventus (3-0, Sept. 12). Drew at Atletico Madrid (1-1, Oct. 14)
Discussion: Barca move up a spot by virtue of a 2-nil victory over Malaga on Saturday. Their record is now quite simply better than PSG's and they look the better side so far, albeit by a narrow margin.
The road ahead: Visit Athletic Bilbao Saturday. The return leg against Juventus is Nov. 22, though that may not matter at that point.
The clash with Real Madrid is on Wednesday, Dec. 20. At the Bernabeu. Midweek. Should be fun.

1. Manchester City

Last week: First
Record in all competition: 12-0-1
Notable results: Won at Chelsea (1-0, Sept. 30), beat Napoli (2-1, Oct. 17)
Discussion: Man City continue to boss England and Europe alike. Last week they saw off Napoli with ease and had a nice stroll at Burnley yesterday. Their goal difference in the Premiership is 32 for, four against and in the Champions League it's been a similar story: eight scored, one conceded. Their Champions League group may not be a veritable group of death, but it does include a tough visit to Shakhtar Donetsk (already passed, City won 2-nil) and the aforementioned Napoli who currently lead Serie with an unbeaten record (it was unbeaten and untied but Napoli drew Inter Milan on Saturday). It's hard to see exactly where and whether Man City have any weaknesses. Surely the defense is untested and may begin to show signs of rust as the season wears on. But for now, this is the top team in the world, hands down. Oh yeah that one draw was against Everton on the second matchday of the season. Like we said, August. It's hard to imagine City not putting 10 past Everton if that match were played now.
The road ahead: An easy week with Wolverhampton Wanderers in League Cup action on Wednesday, followed by West Bromwich Albion on the weekend. The return leg against Napoli is the following Tuesday. The Manchester derby is the second weekend in December, though with the way things are going Man U don't look like they'll be able to offer up much in the way of competition.

Non European Team of Note: River Plate

Unbeaten so far, with a record of six wins, no losses and three draws in all competition (the Soccer Source ranking system counts matches played over two legs as one result). Sit second in the Argentine Superliga, six points behind ancient rivals Boca Juniors who have a perfect start through six games but are not in any continental competition. River Plate is in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores. The first leg of kicks off tonight against Lanus, who are currently fifth in the Argentine top flight.

Also receiving consideration for top five: Napoli (first place in Serie A, but just third in their Champions League group), Chelsea (first in their CL group where they won at Atletico Madrid, fourth in Premiership), Besiktas (first in their Champions League group after defeats of Monaco, RB Leipzig and FC Porto, but just third in domestic competition).

Spurs beat up on Liverpool, making us look like idiots

But we're glad to be idiots on the day. (For the uninitiated: our official prediction for this game was a scoreless draw, a score which didn't even hold up for five minutes). It was a tremendous performance by Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium. An absolute clinic by the lads in the white shirts who should have rightfully put the game out of sight in the first 25 minutes. As it were, it took a Dele Alli goal on the stroke of halftime to reassert a two-goal advantage and effectively decide things. Spurs will take it. So will their supporters, me included. After almost five years of frustration against Liverpool, a compelling victory that puts Tottenham firmly in the top three in the Premiership table and potentially sets them up as the main title challenger to Manchester City this season.

We knew before this match that Liverpool's defense was poor. But we didn't quite know the extent. Dejan Lovren had one of the more pathetic performances you'll ever see from a Premiership defender. At times it looked like he was playing for Spurs. It was a joke, except no Liverpool supporters are laughing. Neither was the master of Gegenpressing, Juergen Klopp, who pulled the Croatian defender for Oxlad-Chamberlain midway through the first half. Gegen means against in German so maybe the concept calls for going against your own team. If so, Liverpool executed beautifully.

Credit Mauricio Pochettino again for rolling the dice with his 'WTF' lineup, same as he did in Madrid at midweek. When the starting eleven were announced, nobody even knew where people would line up. Was Aurier on the right or left? Where would Eriksen, Alli and Son play? (The latter hopefully not at left wingback again, as he did rather disastrously on one occasion last season). It took a deep dive on social media to at least answer the Aurier question.

It turns out Son was Spurs' most advanced player for most of the early stages of the game. Eriksen was on the right wing, with Alli on the left flanking Harry Winks. Maybe it was Son's positioning that threw off Lovren and the other Liverpool defenders on Tottenham's first goal. Whatever the reason, Lovren looked completely lost, but credit Trippier for a gutsy pass and Harry Kane for persevering until the ball was in the back of the Liverpool net. Less than five minutes were played. Just a few moments later, Spurs got their second goal, effectively achieving what Germans call the Vorentscheidung. Lovren was again at fault, this time whiffing on a header that put Kane and Son in on goal. Punditarena.com has some excellent analysis of both goals, complete with video.

Sorry Spurs Fans: We Probably Won't Beat Liverpool

File this one under posts I will be very happy to be wrong about. But a Tottenham Hotspur victory over Liverpool in Sunday's marquee Premier League matchup is looking very unlikely indeed. So, fellow Spurs fans, it is probably a good idea for us to temper our expectations, as giddy as we might be after this week's impressive showing at the Bernabeu. There are a number of reasons for this:

Start with history. Past performance is not always a reliable indicator of future results, as any investor will tell you. But if there's a pattern, well, then there's a pattern. Historically, Liverpool have won or drawn almost two-thirds of these matches, according to data compiled by 11v11.com: the tally now reads 80 wins for Liverpool and 47 for Spurs with 41 draws. The recent history has been even more in Liverpool's favor; it's been almost five years since the last time Tottenham won this matchup. You have to go back to the first term of the Obama administration, to Nov. 28, 2012 when Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale scored in a 2-1 victory at White Hart Lane. Since then it has been seven Liverpool victories and three draws. Most recently, in February, Reds beat us 2-0 at Anfield in one of Spurs' worst performances of the entire season.

Which is the other part of this: Not only do Liverpool play us tough, but we invariably play poorly in these matches. During one three-game stretch in 2013 and 2014, Liverpool won by a combined 12-0 (consecutive victories of 5-nil, 4-nil and 3-nil). Some of that overlapped with the season Liverpool bottled competed for the title, but still. And then there's the Wembley factor. While we aren't buying any of this Wembley hex talk, it is undeniable that, domestically at least, Tottenham simply do not play well at their temporary home. Perhaps it's how the size of the pitch is affecting our pressing game, as Danny Higginbotham points out here. Whatever the reason, something ain't working.

Spurs have had the benefit of weak teams visiting Wembley to get off the schneid and impress with an offensive performance to remember: Swansea, Burnley and Bournemouth were the last three opponents and suffice it to say we're still waiting for the goals to flow in any number. (For the record, Swansea was a scoreless draw, Burnley finished 1-1 when we gave up a late equalizer thanks to Kieran Tripper and while Bournemouth was our first ever league victory at Wembley, it was by the narrowest of 1-0 margins. Against a team firmly ensconsed in the relegation zone). The lack of goals is only the most apparent problem. The greater concern is the inability to create bonafide chances. Something is missing in the attacking third of the pitch, a final link in the chain appears to have been removed from Spurs' attacking play at White Hart Lane last season. Dele Alli is trying to do too much, in too many places, at too many times. His connection with Harry Kane, which at times was almost telepathic last year, is nowhere near as fluid. Christian Eriksen, too, has been uninspiring at various points -- nowhere more so than against Real at midweek, where he was the one negative in an otherwise masterful performance by the team.

Liverpool, of course, are beset by their own problems. Some of them, ironically, may stem from the same cause as Spurs', namely being forced to dial back the pressing game. And of course much has been said and written about Liverpool's poor defense, and justifiably so. Whether this is the fault of Juergen Klopp or some other factor is a conversation best left for a different day. But surely Reds' defense is better than Swansea's or Bournemouth's? If Spurs are unable to create real chances against these clubs, can they really be expected to accomplish this task against Liverpool? Maybe this will finally be the week the Tottenham attack finds its groove and shows the prowess it has displayed away from home? But it may not be smart to make that bet. The U.K. bookmakers all have Liverpool as strong favorites to win. Oddsmakers can be, and often are wrong of course, but they set their odds for a reason. Set pieces have been Liverpool's downfall but here too Spurs have yet to find their groove. Of the 17 goals scored in league play this season, we can recall just two coming from set pieces (Alli's off of a corner versus Burnley and Eriksen's against West Ham. Please let us know if you recall others). And Liverpool's defense was vastly improved in their last game against Man United. We unfortunately can't see them giving up more than a goal or two to Spurs tomorrow. Not with the way things have been going.

Okay, so might a draw be in the offing? The bookies have a draw even less likely than a Spurs victory. But Klopp has never won a competitive match at Wembley. Liverpool's attack is as impressive as their defense is underwhelming, but Tottenham have arguably the best backline in the league (maybe even in all of Europe) and good defense typically beats good offense. Plus Sadio Mane is out injured. Reds beat up on poor Maribor in midweek Champions League action but were unable to break down a stubborn Manchester United defense (and midfield. And, well, everything since Jose Mourinho parked the bus) last weekend. Liverpool have scored more than one goal in a match just once since August -- a stretch of games that included Burnley and Newcastle. Spurs have everybody healthy defensively, probably even Danny Rose (though probably not for the full game). Cartilage Free Captain expects Heung-Min Son and Dele Alli to start for Spurs with Trippier rotating into Serge Aurier's spot at right wingback, but this is very much an 'A' Spurs squad that will take the pitch. For these reasons a draw may be more likely than oddsmakers are anticipating. We predict Tottenham 0, Liverpool 0.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated Sadio Mane's first name.

An Inspiring Performance From Spurs as English Clubs Boss Europe

Tottenham Hotspur's inspiring 1-1 draw at Real Madrid last night demonstrates Mauricio Pochettino's men deserve to be included with the elite clubs of Europe. With Liverpool beating up on poor Maribor and Manchester City defeating Napoli, it was an impressive night for Premiership clubs in the UEFA Champions League and one that may underlie a resurgence of English teams on the continent. More on that later.

But first to the events of the Bernabeu. Here were Spurs, fresh off a listless 1-0 victory over Bournemouth on the weekend, showing themselves every bit the equal to the reigning European champions. Yes, Hugo Lloris needed every bit of his athletic reflexes to salvage the draw and sure, there was a bit of good fortune in Kerim Benzema's squandered opportunities in front of the Tottenham goal. Still, make no mistake: Spurs belonged here and could have even nicked the victory with a bit more good fortune. Also, Spurs were robbed of a penalty in the first half when the Polish referee decided that a blatant trip on Fernando Llorente was, for reasons yet obscure, not worthy of his whistle. So while the result was just it would not have been unfair for Tottenham to make off with all three points. And yes, this demonstrates Spurs can compete with absolutely anybody, as Pochettino made clear in his postgame comments.

You have to credit the Spurs manager for being creative with his formation. Nobody could have predicted the 4-2-3-1 he trotted out. While the Llorente experiment didn't exactly come off (few touches for the Spaniard), Moussa Sissoko did wonders with the extra space provided to him in midfield and Harry Winks again looked like a seasoned pro. Jan Vertonghen was steady at left back and Davinson Sanchez very solid throughout. Only Serge Aurier, ostensibly in the game for attacking purposes, was a defensive liability. His clumsy foul cost Spurs the penalty that led to the equalizer (though even the most dedicated Kieran Trippier fanboy would claim the English wingback would have been a better option than Aurier. I mean seriously, Tripper has proven himself as a defensive liability. The Bernabeu is no place for a player like that). Christian Eriksen, normally one of Spurs' best players, had an uncharacteristic poor game in the attacking end. If he had done a little more Spurs surely would have been superior to Real on the night.

With the point, and Borussia Dortmund's surprise draw at APOEL, Spurs are all but assured passage to the knockout stage of the tournament. Who could have predicted that when the groups were drawn?!? But all Tottenham have to do is keep Real and Dortmund close in their next two games before beating the Cypriots on the final matchday and the elimination round is theirs. They could even win the group depending on how things play out.

Premiership Resurgence
Take a look at the Champions League tables. English clubs are unbeaten, and sit either first or second in their groups. Man City is looking all but unbeatable and will certainly warrant consideration as the top team in the world when the next rankings are released (after the next set of Champions League games, promise). English teams' records so far: Ten wins, three draws, no losses. If that doesn't speak to a European resurgence for the Premiership teams then it's hard to say what would. Some of these victories have been truly impressive: Spurs' dismantling of Dortmund, Chelsea's win at Atletico Madrid. In today's matchups, Manchester United (at Benfica Lisbon) and Chelsea (home to Roma) have an opportunity to drive the point home, that English clubs are back and that the continent should take notice. It will take advancing into the deeper rounds of the knockout stage to prove this point of course, but the early signs are very encouraging.

English Clubs Just Aren't Very Good This Year

It's an off year for English football. Despite all the money and hype, amid all the allegations of racist abuse and "handshakegate"s and other drama, English teams have consistently come up short in international competitions.

Take Arsenal. Here is a team that sit fourth in the English Premier League, which is good enough to make the UEFA Champions League next year. Other than one embarrassing display at Old Trafford in late August, Gunners have looked fully capable of hanging with the best teams in England.

Today, against AC Milan in the first elimination round of this year's UCL tourney, Gunners looked more like a youth side taking on the senior club -- or if you prefer a U.S.-centric comparison, the JVs facing the varsity. Either way, it wasn't pretty. Arsene Wenger's men were outplayed, outhustled and overwhelmed by the rossoneri, going down 4-0 in a game that frankly didn't look that close. The teams really didn't look like they belonged on the same pitch at the same time. Milan's pace was far faster, their passing crisper, their marking tighter. They made better runs in attack. Their goalkeeping was better. This was Arsenal's worst-ever defeat in European competition and one that, barring a miracle in the return leg, will leave them with nothing but the FA Cup and fourth place in the Prem to play for.

And it's not just Arse, either. Neither Manchester club (currently 1-2 in the Premiership) made it out of the group stage of this year's Champions League. That's just embarrassing considering the payroll disparities between the Mancunians and their group stage opponents, particularly in Man U's case (Otelul Gulati and FC Basel? Really?).

Or take the Europa League. Tottenham Hotspur were drawn into a group with teams from Ireland, Russia and Greece (Greece!) and couldn't even finish second. This is a club, Spurs, that are supposed to have a realistic shot at winning the league in the first time in (what might as well be) centuries. Birmingham City and Fulham didn't make it out of their groups either. I know there's a big gap between those clubs and the ones at the top of the Premiership table, but come on. Interestingly enough, the team with the toughest Europa League draw, Stoke City, actually qualified for the elimination round.

All of which begs the question: is this just a one year anomaly we are looking at? Or is the sun finally setting on the Premiership empire? Time will tell, but the signs are ominous. Last year's Champions League finale showed us just how far the gap has widened between the best team from Spain and its English counterpart. This year's Champions League and Europa League group stages demonstrated that English clubs at the very least play down to the level of inferior opponents, if they can indeed be called that. Today we saw that the fourth-placed Premiership side were little more than target practice for the top team in Italy.

What is the cause of this? That is another topic for another day but suffice it to say that it can't be economic, given all the petro and oligarch cash that has flooded the Premiership in recent years. That would mean that the players are certainly still world class. What about the coaching? We can sing the praises of Sir Alex and Arsene Wenger and Harry Redknapp and others, and deservedly so, but maybe, just maybe their counterparts on the continent have overtaken them. Arsenal especially just seem to lack something this season that could suggest Wenger has lost his magic touch. Do English teams maybe have a handicap when it comes to fitness levels? Have they gotten sloppy with their defending? These things deserve a look. Stay tuned.

The new power structure in English football

Yes I called it football, which I assure you has absolutely nothing to do with my desire to attract search engine traffic from outside the U.S.

Anyway, it is clear that the era of the "big four" in the English Premiership is over almost as quickly as it started. In its wake a three-tiered structure has emerged. Only, it's not quite as clear cut as the previous one. That is largely due to the fact that the new pecking order is still shaking out, which is very much the nature of the beast. Whenever there is a change in power structure, be it political, artistic or in more important areas of life, a period of upheaval is all but inevitable. Such is the situation we find ourselves in at the start of the new decade in the English Premier League.

How has this three-tiered power structure taken hold thus far? Let's take a look:

1. The top tier: Manchester United and Chelsea
This one's pretty easy. Man U and Chelsea have dominated the Premiership the past five years, during which time they have held a stranglehold on the league trophy. During the big four era, which we're defining as 2003 to 2009 (none of the big four finished outside the top five during this stretch), Arsenal and Liverpool figured into the title chase as well. That is no longer the case this season. It actually hasn't been the case in some time where Arsenal is concerned. Since 2005, when Gunners finished second, they have finished fourth three times and third once (in 2008). So Arsenal, though a splendid team, can no longer be viewed in the same class as the "elite two". By contrast, one could make the case that Arsene Wenger's side dominated the Premiership for the period before that: Between 1998 and 2005 Arsenal finished first or second every year, capturing three trophies. They remain the only team to go undefeated over the course of a Premiership season (in 2003-2004). We don't expect anybody to match that feat anytime soon, if ever. Or at least not in our lifetimes. The last team to do it before Arsenal were Preston North End in 1889.

As for Liverpool, they only finished second two times last decade. And we all know what's been going on this season (though at the time of this writing they were somewhat miraculously back in fifth place).

The argument that Arsenal and Liverpool have lost touch because of economics holds no water in my view. Yes, Reds are saddled with debt and Gunners might not flash the cash as often or with as much gravity as Chelsea. But both clubs have spent impressive sums on acquisitions in the past year, as the names Andrey Arshavin and Alberto Aquilani attest. Besides, who did Chelsea sign in the January transfer window? What about Man United, who have been sellers (Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez) more than buyers the past year?

The decline of Liverpool and Arsenal is not a result of economics but of mismanagement. With the North London side it appears a case of Wenger being a bit too full of himself and his methods. Sure, Arsenal's style of play is entertaining but it's also finicky. Better defense is needed and a little brawn to go with the finesse would do wonders. With the Merseysiders, it's a clear case of Rafa Benitez' incompetence. Not so much in managing a game (though there too) but more in putting the talent he acquires to proper use.

So Reds and Gunners are no longer in the top tier. But as we'll see they aren't in the second tier either.

2. The middle tier: Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City.
Under its new owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Man City can outspend literally anybody, but it hasn't done them much good yet. That is finally starting to change after Mark Hughes was justifiably shown the door in December. Since Roberto Mancini took over from the Welshman, Citizens have won eight of 10 games and moved up to sixth in the standings. They are equal on points with fifth-placed Liverpool but have two games in hand. So Manchester City could make a move for fourth place, the spot currently occupied by Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have had a solid season after two traumatic campaigns that saw them fall out of the Champions League contention they previously occupied. But Spurs are not an elite team by any means. They have a terrible record against the top three teams in the league and are probably at least two big signings away from being able to contend. Then again, so are a lot of teams. Like Aston Villa, who flirted with third place for a long time last season before falling off the pace. Or Everton, who have not lost a league match this year. Villa and Everton lack the financial resources of City or even Spurs, but they make up for it with two of the best minds in the game. If either David Moyes or Martin O'Neill were English one of them would have gotten the call to manage the Three Lions a long time ago. But England's loss is the Premiership's gain. If Everton had Man United's money, David Moyes would be Alex Ferguson. Come to think of it, he's kind of the obvious heir apparent to Sir Alex at Old Trafford should the old boy step down (dude's 68 years old. It can't be that much longer now).

Together, the Man City-Villa-Spurs-Everton quartet occupy a type of purgatory in the EPL. They aren't good enough to compete with the big boys but aren't bad enough to have to worry about relegation. They may make forays in one direction or the other, and may manage a top three finish one of these years if everything goes exactly right. But mostly, this is who they are. The one possible exception is Man City, who could be seen as favorites to finish third next season now that they have proper leadership.

3. The lower tier: Everybody else (except Liverpool and Arsenal).
Speaking of purgatory, Liverpool and Arsenal aren't in this group either. They're better than that, obviously. They're probably better than the mid-tier clubs as well, though they may not always show it. For now, the fates of these two teams can simply not be determined. It may be another year before they take their spots in the pecking order.

There isn't really much that can be said about the lower tier teams. They are almost without exception wholly uninteresting. Even Fulham, who have been the best of the bunch the past season and a half or so, can be painful to watch sometimes. Each of these clubs may have one or two players who stand out. But once they are fully established, a richer club in England or Europe snatches them up. Though that too is increasingly rare. For the most part these teams trade players with each other. Unable to afford the big talent, they are forced to settle on the bargain bin. Which explains why, no matter how skilled their manager, they are doomed to the Premiership's equivalent of the third estate.

Sure, some will make forays into the top eight from time to time. Others will be relegated. They're essentially interchangeable parts, though every now and then somebody will come around and really stink it up (like Derby County a few years ago or Pompey earlier this season). But for the most part there is very little that separates these teams. On any given day any one of them could beat another one.

In fact, who's to say this pertains just to the bottom 12 Premiership clubs? Are the likes of Hull City and Pompey and Burnley really that much (or at all) better than Newcastle or West Bromwich Albion or Nottingham Forest? I'd have to watch more of the Coca Cola Championship to say for sure, but I have a feeling the difference is negligible.

So there you have it. The new power structure in English football. Get used to it, because it will probably be here for a while.

Photo taken from Independent.co.uk without permission.

Soccer Source Saturday Summary: Man U, Inter, Bayern win clashes

The first real soccer weekend of the 2009/2010 season is only half over and it may already be time to revise our Top 25. We were soooo convinced of AC Milan's ascendancy (and equally convinced Inter Milan didn't have it this year) but today's meeting between the two sides reflected the exact opposite. Manchester United was supposed to be in trouble; Arsenal a team on the rise; Real Madrid virtually unbeatable. We raved about Wolfsburg and fretted over Bayern Munich, yet earlier today Bayern won the clash between the two sides by 3-0.

Time to rethink those premonitions? Yes and no. First of all, soccer is a results business. Real Madrid's 3-2 victory over Deportivo La Coruna may not have been by the margin (or with the style) one might expect from a team that spent $350 million improving its roster, but three points are three points. Incorporating all those stars into a cohesive unit is going to take time; no way around that. If Real can get results while they do this, the less pressure they'll be under as the season rolls on. Eventually, they may even dazzle us.

After impressing us in their season-opening 2-1 victory at Siena last week, AC Milan disappointed on every level in today's derby with Inter. In many ways the 4-0 score might have even flattered the rossoneri. Sure, Milan went down a man early, but even then they were already down two goals. This game should serve as a wake up call to Leonardo's men, who looked particularly vulnerable defensively (very un-Italian, that). It should also result in a starting spot for Oguchi Onyewu the next time out, which isn't until two weeks' time at Livorno.

Bayern Munich simply needed to win today's match with Wolfsburg and German clubs (particularly its most famous) sometimes are most effective when forced to summon their iron will. Then there was the emergence of a certain Arjen Robben, who scored not once but twice on his debut--and that after coming on as a second half sub. Seems the Dutchman is exactly what the Doktor ordered for the Bavarian side. Figure them to break the Top 25 in its next edition. But two tough road matches await Louis van Gaal's side: Borussia Dortmund Sept. 12 and Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League opener.

That leaves us with Man United and Arsenal, a game that--to be frank--was not won by the better team on the pitch. Arse should have scored more than once in the first half and were unlucky to not get a second shortly after halftime. Rooney's penalty equalizer was the turning point but even then the winning goal was a gift from Abou (Terence Trent) Diaby. Two points can be taken from this game: 1. Sir Alex Ferguson's clubs find ways to win even when they are outplayed and 2. Arsenal still lack the necessary experience and leadership to put teams away when they are on the ropes. Gunners may very well be able to correct this second item in the weeks and months ahead (it's a long season, after all) but so far it's more of the same in the English Premier League.

Elsewhere in England, Liverpool needed a second half comeback to win at Bolton, Chelsea had absolutely no problem with Burnley and break out Tottenham Hotspur! A word of caution on that last one: Excited as we are about Spurs' uncharacteristic (if not unprecedented?) fast start to the season, today's victory was far too close for comfort for us to get truly optimistic about Tottenham's chances over the long term. Sure, a Europa League spot is definitely in the offing, but breaking the Big Four is not something that should be discussed in serious terms. Though if we win our next two league games (Man United at White Hart Lane and Chelsea at the Bridge) that can be revisited. But that's one (actually two) big, big ifs. Especially now that the element of surprise is removed.

Photo taken from Guardian.co.uk without permission.

Darren Bent Speaks The Truth

Having dispense with l'affaire Terry, we're in danger of getting stuck in another rut, that of the shambles that is Tottenham Hotspur. But this was too good to ignore:

stop f****** around, Levy

That was part of a rant by Spurs striker Darren Bent using his Twitter account. Alas, the page has been taken down now, but the article has most of the juicy details. You'd think if there's one guy who'd be sympathetic towards Spurs Chairman Levy it'd be the fellow for whom he paid 17 million GBP. But it seems frustration at rank idiocy trumps loyalty.

This isn't a one-off, either: one could argue that it was Levy f****** around that led to Dimitar Berbatov not leaving until the last day of last summer's transfer window, a move which left Spurs with too little time to find a replacement.

--Smoods

Spurs Sign A Player They Already Have

Fans of Tottenham Hotspur are probably relieved that this summer's transfer window is a lot quieter than in previous years -- the club made at least 18 signings of 1 million GBP or more in the last two years according to this website.

But -- aside from two kids -- their one big signing is a puzzling one: a lanky yet skillful international striker for the only club in the Premier League that already had a lanky yet skillful international striker.

While Peter Crouch is five inches taller, the fact is that the two are largely similar players, and arguably equally talented. But that seems to be the way Harry Redknapp works: he blows into a club, decides very quickly that there are some players he doesn't like and sets about bringing in his own guys. That's all good up to a point but the Crouch/Pavlyuchenko situation betrays some pig-headedness -- surely there are other areas of Spurs' squad that need strengthening. Couldn't that money have been spent on a genuine left-footed winger?

At the risk of being repeating what's already been said, it would be great if Spurs could have hired a manager who thought he could work with the squad he was taking over, and whose focus this summer would have been on plugging the obvious holes they have -- a marauding midfielder is desperately needed, too.

Instead, uncertainty reigns, with gossip linking Gareth Bale, David Bentley, Jermaine Jenas, Darren Bent Kevin-Prince Boateng and yes, Pavlyuchenko, with moves away from the club. (Note that except for Jenas those players were bought in the past 2 years.) And in the meantime, Harry's cooing in the direction of a player well past his best, while other teams make the smart moves.

--Smoods

Smart Business

Lost in the excitement of Manchester City's bids and Tottenham's would-be dealings, two transfers were completed on Friday that represent some very good business.

First up, Hull City signed Jimmy Bullard, a midfield dynamo who is arguably a level in quality above any of their other players. As the BBC article states, Fulham manager Roy Hodgson said how sorry he was to see the player go -- a rare show of feeling that speaks volumes. After a great start to the season, Hull have sagged recently and haven't won in six Premier League games. While they're ninth, they have the fourth-worst goal difference in the League, and are only six point out of the relegation zone. Bullard's signing could be the difference between survival and relegation.

The second under-the-radar deal could affect the other the end of the table; Martin O'Neill was reunited with Emile Heskey. Heskey rose to prominence at Leicester City under O'Neill's tutelage, eventually earning himself an GBP11 million transfer to Liverpool. Coincidentally, Liverpool themselves were rumored to be interested in Heskey, and some argue that his move to Villa is a blow to Rafa Benitez.

Regardless of that, signing Heskey is definitely a good move for Villa, especially with John Carew set to miss most of the season. Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor are great, but both are still callow and also physically lightweight. Heskey will add experience and heft to the Villa frontline and could well help them cement a place in the top four this season.

And the smartest part of these deals? Because both players' contracts were running down, they were absolute bargains: Heskey moved for GBP3.5 million while Bullard cost Hull GBP5 million. In a month when Spurs paid GBP15 million to sign Jermaine Defoe one year after they sold him for GBP9 million, it shows that not all Premier League clubs are run by nincompoops.

--Smoods

The Trouble With Harry

Harry Redknapp loves the transfer market. So much so, in fact, that his typical MO when joining a club is to trash the players in the squad so much that he forces his chairman to spend money on new players. Surprise, surprise, Harry's decided that Tottenham Hotspurs' players just aren't good enough.

"They are supposed to be quality players - and they have got to show that on the football pitch.
"If you look at our results - two points from eight games - it cannot always be the manager's fault, can it?"

Ah, good old Harry.

Of course, it can't be his fault that Southampton were relegated for the first time in 27 years while he was their manager. Nor can he blamed for the fact that he left them in the lurch mid-season in 2005, can he?

And now it seems that Harry's not content with blaming the Spurs squad in the abstract, as he appears to be pointing the finger at individual players.

Our question to Harry would be, what did he think he was walking into? Spurs were struggling well before he showed up, and the shortcomings of their squad -- no left winger or international-class striker -- were readily apparent. What's more our view that the chairman is as much to blame as anyone for the current mess should have been clear to Harry, too.

Given the quality of some of their players, it's still unlikely that Spurs will actually be relegated. But some of our Spurs-loving friends are, for the first time, genuinely worried that it might happen. One supposes that if that does come to pass, Harry could always blame Juande Ramos and head back to Portsmouth.

--Smoods

Downing Ready To Leave Boro

It seems as if Middlesbrough's left-winger is finally heading out the door:

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing could be set to leave the club. Press Association reports claim that the 24-year-old will submit a written transfer request on Monday.

Most reports have him heading to Tottenham Hotspur, where he would fill a huge need in their midfield.

Of course, if Spurs chairman Daniel Levy had bought Martin Petrov when Martin Jol had asked for him, instead of deeming him too old, the left wing position wouldn't have been a festering sore for Spurs over the past couple of seasons.

Frankly, until Levy stops making stupid and ignorant decisions -- such as, say, selling his best player minutes before the transfer window shuts and not leaving him long enough to buy an adequate replacement -- Spurs will keep struggling.

--Smoods

Ranking the UEFA Cup groups by degree of difficulty

We did this for the Champions League groups and it was such a raging success that we're doing it again for the UEFA Cup! We know many of you don't particularly care about the UEFA Cup, least of all at this stage of the competition, but there are several quality teams in the draw this year, including three (3) from this week's Soccer Source Top 25 and several others that were in previous weeks' editions this season or received "honorable mention". So here we go, with the most difficult first:

1. Group A: Paris St. Germain, Racing Santander, Manchester City, Twente, Schalke 04
We all know about the newly-richest club in the world and we all saw them put up a very solid fight against the seventh-best club in the world last weekend. Man City will be favored to advance out of this group and they shouldn't have much trouble pulling it off. But some obstacles are pretty formidable. Schalke 04 would essentially be in the Champions League if they hadn't been drawn with Atletico Madrid in the qualifiers. They're fifth in a topsy-turvy Bundesliga, but with only one loss. Racing Santander, while mid-table in Spain, have faced a grueling schedule in the early going--and done quite well, tieing Sevilla and Barcelona on the first two matchdays (they also lost to Real Madrid and Villareal, which along with a less pardonable home loss to Mallorca explains why they are mid table at present). Paris St. Germain are obviously a storied name but the club's recent history has been an unmitigated disaster (the "club du capitale" as they're known in France were very nearly relegated). But PSG have a big budget and have shown signs of their former selves. They're no pushover. Twente is clearly the weakest team in the group and can not be expected to stand a chance. But when a mid-table Dutch side is the weakest link, you know you're dealing with a tough group.

2. Group C: Sampdoria, Stuttgart, Standard Liege, Sevilla, Partizan Belgrade
Sevilla are one of three unbeaten teams left in Spain and sit third in La Liga. Their biggest victory was obviously a 1-0 win over Atletico, since which time the Andalusian side has maintained their spot in the Top 25 (No. 12 at last reckoning). Stuttgart are showing signs of life in the Bundesliga and appear to more closely resemble the team that won the league two years ago than the one that struggled to finish sixth last season. Sampdoria are winless in Serie A and sit 17th of 20 clubs--but three of their six Serie A games came against Top 25 clubs and they only lost one of these (a 2-0 decision at Lazio). The others were ties against Inter on opening day (1-1 at home) and Juventus on Sept. 29 (0-0, also at home). Standard Liege (or Luttich as they're known to some) gave Liverpool fits in their Champions League qualifier and are currently tied for the lead in the Jupiler League. That leaves Partizan Belgrade, who once upon a time (circa 1990) were the best team in Europe (or was that Red Star? I can never keep them straight) and who have clearly fallen from those heights but not quite to the level of pushovers.

3. Group E: Portsmouth, AC Milan, Wolfsburg, Heerenveen, Braga
Poor Pompey have a tough group to deal with. AC Milan are starting to show signs of their former selves, having beaten crosstown rivals Inter to go with a few other quality results (notably a 4-1 victory over top-of-the-table Lazio). Wolfsburg are definitely solid, having beaten Hamburg SV (top team in the Bundesliga) 3-0 a few weeks ago and separately tied Schalke 2-2. Heerenveen appear to have picked up right where they left off last season (as in challenging for the Eredivisie title) despite losing Michael Bradley. They eliminated a solid Vitoria Setubal side to qualify for the group stage and just last weekend saw off Ajax by a 5-2 score in domestic competition. That leaves Braga as probably the weak man of the group. They sit 12th in the 16-team Liga Sagres and are only here because of incredibly weak qualifying opponents (Artmedia Petrzalka, whoever that is and Bosnia's Mostar).

4. Group B: Olympiakos, Benfica, Metalist Kharkiv, Hertha Berlin, Galatasaray
A very balanced group where it's virtually impossible to identify a favorite. Hertha Berlin are decent (eighth in the Bundesliga). Benfica beat a solid Napoli side to advance this far and are unbeaten in Portugal. Galatasaray very nearly qualified for the Champions League. Metalist are a Ukrainian side (in case you didn't know this, two Ukrainian clubs qualified for the Champions League where they're doing quite well thank you very much) where they currently sit third. Olympiakos are in first place in Greece and for all intents and purposes should be playing in the Champions League (like they did last year, when they advanced to the quarterfinals) except they were ousted by a Cyporiot team, Anorthosis Famagusta, who came out of nowhere. Throw their names in a hat. Any three teams can make it out of this group.

5. Group F: Hamburg SV, Ajax Amsterdam, Slavia Prague, Aston Villa, MSK Zilina
Villa sit fifth in the Premiership but were clearly outclassed by Chelsea last week. They previously played Liverpool to a scoreless tie but that was on the second matchday of the season. They'll be favored to advance though. So will Hamburg, currently the table toppers in Germany. Ajax are having a horrible time of it this season, despite spending large sums on transfers to start the season (remind you of anybody, Spurs fans? Though Ajax are at least mid-table, a position many of you would likely trade with in a second). Slavia currently top the table in the Czech Republic and also gave Fiorentina a decent time of it in their Champions League qualifier so figure them to have a chance to advance as well (maybe even a good chance). Zilina are a Slovakian club. We're sure Slovakia has a lot to recommend about it and there is no doubt their ice hockey players are first rate. But soccer? Don't expect Zilina to create too many problems for the other teams in this group.

6. Group G: Club Bruge, AS Saint-Etienne, Valencia, Copenhagen, Rosenborg
Valencia are clearly the cream of this group; a solid Top 25 club (top 10, even) who top the table in Spain and have not lost since going down to Real Madrid in the second leg of the Spanish SuperCopa. They'll have an easy time of it in this group. Saint Etienne were a great team in the 70s when they had Michel Platini, but have not done much (or anything) since his departure and sit 13th in a weak French league. Rosenborg have little resemblance to the club that featured in the Champions League earlier this decade. Copenhagen might be halfway decent but are clearly not going to strike fear in the hearts of many clubs. Club Bruge? They beat Standard Liege last week (see Group C)but otherwise appear very mediocre (as might be expected from a team that sits mid table in Belgium).

7. Group D: NED Nijmengen, Tottenham Hotspur, Spartak Moscow, Udinese, Dynamo Zagreb
Udinese sit second in Serie A and beat a decent Dortmund club to get here but they have not done well in their two major domestic tests, against Juventus and AC Milan (they lost both, though they were both road games). Spartak and Dynamo are halfway decent clubs. NED Nijmengen are not. Spurs are several levels below that. What, the Coca Cola Championship teams weren't available?

8. Group H: Deportivo La Coruna, Feyernoord Rotterdam, Lech Poznan, Nancy, CSKA Moscow
A very weak group. Deportivo are decent and even have a quality win (over Real Madrid on the second matchday of the Spanish Liga). That's nice and all, but it's also the best this group can do, which means the group sucks. Nancy had a string of nice results last season when they were newly-promoted, but have shown they are a completely different team this year and in fact may go right back from whence they came (15th place in Ligue Un, two points clear of the drop zone). CSKA Moscow are second in Russia, which is commendable but this makes them the second-best team in the group. Feyernoord sit 14th (not a typo) in Eredivisie where they have won only once in five games. What do we know about Poznan? Nothing, except that they play in Poland which is right up there with Major League Soccer. (After some very rudimentary research we can tell you they are in fifth place in the Polish Ekstraklasa. Their parents must be proud).