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The 2021-22 campaign has been an entertaining one in the world of football, with plenty of surprises. One of the most shocking moments so far has been the elimination of Barcelona from the UEFA Champions League group stages.
While that has happened in Europe, the top leagues are experiencing some intense battles. Barring Ligue 1, no other league has a double-digit difference between the first and second-placed sides in the table.
Top clubs around Europe have been very impressive
The key to winning any league is to have the right balance between goals scored and conceded. While the majority of teams struggle to achieve that, some of Europe's top teams have been doing exceptionally well in that case.
Many big teams have struck the right chord and managed to score more and concede less. This has helped them build a healthy goal difference and thereby sit in a strong position in their respective league tables. On that note, let's take a look at those top clubs in Europe's top five leagues.
#5 Manchester City (+24)
The defending Premier League champions have started the 2021-22 season on a pretty good note. Manchester City have won 12 out of their 16 league games, sitting at the top of the table right now.
Pep Guardiola would like to add one more Premier League title to his name by the end of this season but it is not going to be easy. With Chelsea and Liverpool giving a strong fight, the title race is going to be intense. Manchester City have scored 33 league goals this season with the help of some lovely individual performances.
Bernardo Silva is currently their top scorer in the league with seven goals.
They have conceded only nine goals in the Premier League this season, the best defensive record currently in the league. With a goal difference of +24, City have a good balance to their game right now.
#4 Inter Milan (+24)
Serie A has seen some old heavyweights back in the title race this season with both Inter Milan and AC Milan doing well. Inter Milan sit in second position in the league table, with a game in hand and two points behind Milan.
At the start of the season, Antonio Conte departed as their manager and star striker Romelu Lukaku transferred to Chelsea. This raised doubts about Inter Milan's capability to defend their title, but they have proved their critics wrong. The Black and Blues have already scored 39 goals this season, the most by a Serie A side in the league.
Their defense hasn't been bad either, with just 15 goals conceded in 16 games. Inter Milan have a goal difference of +24 and are strong contenders to win their second league title in a row.
Lautaro Martinez and Edin Dzeko are their top scorers in Serie A with eight goals each.
#3 Chelsea (+27)
The reigning Champions League winners have been a delightful team to watch under the management of Thomas Tuchel. Chelsea have looked quite solid at the back and very effective in front of goal.
Even though the Blues have struggled in their last three games, they remain a very strong side in the Premier League. Chelsea have scored 38 goals this season in just 16 games, the second-best goal-scoring record in the league. They look dangerous on the counter and given the time and space, they can punish any top side.
As far as their defense is concerned, it is a pretty solid one. With just 11 goals conceded so far in the league, Chelsea are a difficult side to score against. More importantly, their defenders have contributed significantly by scoring time and again. They have had 16 different goalscorers this season in the Premier League, with Mason Mount at the top with six goals.
The Blues have a goal difference of +27 so far this season.
#2 Bayern Munich (+31)
Bayern Munich have been a dominant force in the Bundesliga for more than a decade now. It has been a difficult task for most teams to contain the Bavarian club from scoring. Their recent 3-0 Champions League victory against Barcelona speaks for itself.
With a goal-scoring machine like Robert Lewandowski at their disposal, there are goals galore for Bayern on a regular basis. This season has been no different as the German club have scored 47 goals already in the Bundesliga in just 15 games. Amazingly, out of the 47, 16 have been scored by Lewandowski.
Compared to other top European clubs, Bayern have conceded a tad more as they have allowed 16 goals scored against them. Nevertheless, they sit at the top of the Bundesliga table with a six point cushion. Their goal difference so far is +31.
#1 Liverpool (+33)
Liverpool have had an impressive start to their Premier League campaign having lost only once in their 16 games. The Reds have been very brutal in front of goal with some amazing attacking players in their squad.
Mohamed Salah has had a wonderful campaign so far, having scored 14 goals in the league itself. Liverpool have scored 45 goals so far in just 16 games, the best goal-scoring record in England's top-tier division this season. Given the form Salah is in, he might turn out to be a massive player when it comes to the Premier League title race.
Jurgen Klopp's side has conceded 12 goals so far in the league and it is an area where they can improve. With more than half of the season still to be played, Liverpool remain one of the title contenders. Their goal difference is +33 so far, the best in Europe's top five leagues.
