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It is still early days in the current European football season but some unmissable trends and patterns have already emerged.
Some teams have firmly established themselves as world class and will be the ones to beat this season. Others are still trying to figure things out. It is evident that having a superstar squad does not necessarily guarantee results.
There is still a long way to go yet, and there will be a lot of chops and changes as the season progresses. Here we take a look at UEFA's Club Ranking - Top 5 Clubs (October 2021).
#5 Barcelona (105 points)
Barcelona are a mess right now. They let go of their best player on a free transfer this summer and are ninth in La Liga and third in their Champions League group.
They also sacked Ronald Koeman as manager recently. The Dutchman's tenure was punctuated by controversies and inconsistency, and a toxic atmosphere had enveloped the club. Xavi is expected to take over as manager while Sergi Barjuan is currently the interim coach.
However, despite all the gloom and doom, there are positives. The young talents that Barcelona possess must give them a sense of optimism. La Masia stars like Gavi and Ansu Fati have become permanent first-team players. Pedri is one of the best young players in the world, while much is expected from the likes of Yusuf Demir, Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia. Barcelona might be struggling right now, and no one can replicate Lionel Messi's genius, but the rudiments are there for the next great Barcelona side.
#4 Chelsea (106 points)
Chelsea are reaping the rewards of some smart transfer work and investment into their youth academy.
There is not a lot to criticize about Chelsea currently. They are top of the Premier League table and second in the Champions League group. Their squad is one of the best in Europe and boasts of their academy graduates as important first-team members. While eyebrows were raised when Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham were sold, Reece James, Mason Mount and Trevoh Chalobah have shown that there is a path to the first-team.
Thomas Tuchel has done some wonderful work since taking over from Frank Lampard. Chelsea are a smartly-run club and are understandably among the favorites to lift the EPL and the Champions League this season.
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#3 Liverpool (111 points)
After a tumultuous 2020/21 campaign, Liverpool bounced back strongly and sit second in the league table.
Fans will remember their 5-0 thrashing of arch-rivals Manchester United very fondly. They possess one of the the best players in world football in Mohamed Salah. The Egypt international looks like he could singlehandedly lead the team to the league title this season.
They have won all three games in the Champions League this season. The return of star centre-back Virgil van Dijk from a serious injury has clearly helped. Jurgen Klopp has already achieved legendary status among the Liverpool faithful and continues to do an excellent job at the helm.
#2 Manchester City (115 points)
Manchester City's brilliance is taken for granted these days and not many will be surprised if they win the league this season as well.
City are one of the best teams in Europe and have been so for quite some time now. They sit third in the Premier League table and second in their Champions League group. While it can be argued that they should have signed a proven goalscorer this summer, a lack of a proper no.9 has not affected their performances so far.
Pep Guardiola will be keen to ensure that he gets his hands on the Champions League trophy at least once as City boss. They reached the final last season where they lost to Chelsea. Success in Europe remains a big target.
#1 Bayern Munich (122 points)
Bayern Munich have been incredibly consistent over the years. The Bundesliga giants are ruthless, efficient and clinical. Under the management of Julian Nagelsmann they have seemingly reached a new level and regularly blow their opponents away. Unsurprisingly they top the Bundesliga table and their Champions League group.
Star striker Robert Lewandowski deserves to win the Ballon d'Or at least once. He is arguably a player who can match Mohamed Salah's performance levels right now, and has enjoyed a storied career. Bayern Munich are a brilliant side and are well run both on and off the field.
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