CORNERFLICK
Just a few weeks into the new season, Barcelona have emerged as the standout team in Europe, winning all seven of their matches and scoring 31 goals. Roma and Monaco have provided early surprises at the top of their respective tables, while Tottenham find themselves bottom of the Premier League despite spending more than €350 million during the summer.
European club football took a three-week break for the latest international window, providing an opportunity to assess how the continent’s five major leagues have started the new campaign.
England
Manchester City endured a disappointing start to the season, losing to Arsenal in the Community Shield, but Enzo Maresca’s side have been flawless in the Premier League, winning every game so far.
Arsenal were also perfect heading into the final round before the international break, only to suffer a shock 3-0 defeat to Brighton. The result helped Brighton climb all the way up to third place.
Hull’s eighth-place position is another surprise. The Tigers were widely tipped as one of the leading candidates for relegation before the season because of their inexperienced squad. However, the newly promoted side stunned Manchester United on the opening weekend before drawing against Chelsea and Aston Villa.
The biggest nightmare of the opening five weeks has been Tottenham. The north London club spent more than €350 million on new players during the summer but failed to score in each of their first four matches. They finally found the net in their fifth game, but still failed to collect any points. Roberto De Zerbi’s side are currently bottom of the table.
Germany
Remarkably, Bayern Munich are not top of the Bundesliga. Although Bayern have scored the most goals and conceded the fewest, Borussia Dortmund lead the way.
Dortmund responded to their German Super Cup defeat against Bayern by winning six consecutive matches, including four victories in the Bundesliga. Freiburg, last season’s Europa League finalists, have also made an impressive start and sit inside the top three.
Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig all changed managers during the summer, and none of the three have enjoyed particularly strong starts. All three have struggled early on but remain in the top half of the table.
It has been a disastrous start for Borussia Mönchengladbach, who are still without a single Bundesliga point after losing all four of their matches.
Spain
La Liga is home to arguably the most impressive team in Europe right now.
Barcelona have won all seven of their matches and scored an astonishing 31 goals, averaging more than four goals per game.
Real Madrid dropped to fourth after losing the Madrid derby and now sit six points behind Barcelona.
Among the early surprises are the impressive league positions of Alavés and newly promoted Deportivo, who have both made strong starts to the campaign.
Valencia, meanwhile, have endured a nightmare beginning. The club have spent several seasons fluctuating between mid-table and the relegation zone, but they now sit second from bottom.
Valencia have not been relegated for 40 years, but their current position raises serious questions about whether that remarkable run could finally come to an end this season.
Italy
Serie A has developed an intriguing three-way battle near the top.
Roma and Inter remain unbeaten and are leading the way, while Lazio have been one of the season’s biggest improvers. After finishing ninth last season, Lazio currently occupy third place.
AC Milan, Napoli and Atalanta are all undergoing rebuilding projects under new managers. Of the three, Milan have made the strongest start, with Ruben Amorim guiding the Rossoneri into fifth place.
There have already been two managerial dismissals in Serie A, and both coaches had only been appointed in June.
Domenico Tedesco was dismissed by Bologna, who are currently in the relegation zone, while Fabio Grosso has also been shown the door by Fiorentina.
France
Monaco are currently leading Ligue 1 after making one of the summer’s most intriguing managerial appointments. The club brought in former Flamengo coach Filipe Luís, one of the emerging names in the coaching world.
Lille are also sitting in the Champions League places. Davide Ancelotti, the son of legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti, joined the club during the summer.
Paris Saint-Germain endured a slow start and struggled to pick up wins during the opening weeks. However, their form has gradually improved, with an away victory over Marseille suggesting that things are beginning to move in the right direction in Paris.
With the season still in its early stages, the picture across Europe’s top five leagues is already beginning to take shape — but there is plenty of football still to be played.