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Footy Power Rankings - Sept. 26: Arsenal on the climb, Juventus slips

Reuters

Taking into consideration domestic and continental results, along with underlying statistics, we'll try to figure out which teams can rightfully claim to be Europe's elite.

Note: Stats in tables include league matches only

1. Barcelona (2nd in La Liga)

Previous rank: 1st

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
4-1-1 19 6 16.7 (6.3) 9 78

Now just one point adrift of Real Madrid for top spot in La Liga, early returns suggest it could be a case of no Lionel Messi, no problem for the Blaugrana.

Aside from a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid in which Barcelona lost both Messi and Sergio Busquets - easily the club's two most important players - the Catalan side has outscored opposition 17-1 in the last two weeks.

Neymar and Luis Suarez are going to feast, and Paco Alcacer will get a chance to shine in the injury-induced absence of the talismanic Argentine.

2. Bayern Munich (1st in Bundesliga)

Previous rank: 3rd

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
5-0-0 15 1 17.6 (7.2) 7 70

Bayern Munich has actually shown signs of humanity of late.

The Bavarians finally conceded a Bundesliga tally before scandalously winning a match by just a one-goal margin over the weekend against Hamburg - an 88th-minute strike from rising superstar Joshua Kimmich doing the business.

Carlo Ancelotti's side, now enjoying the services of Arjen Robben once again after the winger's return to fitness, remains almost infallible.

3. Real Madrid (1st in La Liga)

Previous rank: 2nd

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
4-2-0 15 6 21.7 (8.8) 8.8 101

Real Madrid's unblemished start to the campaign hit a snag over the past week, as Zinedine Zidane's men dropped four points with consecutive draws against Villarreal and Las Palmas.

There's a Casemiro-sized hole in front of the defence, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale continue to deal with niggling ailments. Sheer talent should drag Los Blancos through any down spells this season, but the sense remains that elite opposition can exploit the capital-based side.

4. Manchester City (1st in Premier League)

Previous rank: 5th

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
6-0-0 18 5 17.7 (6) 9.5 81

Now we really get to see Pep Guardiola work his magic.

Bereft of his attacking nucleus - Kevin De Bruyne is reportedly set to miss a month of action with a hamstring issue - the Spanish tactician will need to rejig his Premier League-leading side in an effort to ensure the Citizens don't lose too much of their attacking verve in the Belgian's absence.

Even with the benefit of having England's deepest talent pool, that could prove a difficult task with the likes of Tottenham and Barcelona on the docket.

5. Atletico Madrid (3rd in La Liga)

Previous rank: 6th

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
3-3-0 12 2 16.5 (5.2) 9 74

Not conceding any damn goals is, once again, going to make Atletico Madrid annoyingly difficult to beat. The Rojiblancos' backline hasn't been breached in five of the last six matches, with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona the only blemish on that sparkling record.

Sure, the goals aren't flowing at the other end, but the chances have been there consistently, and if Kevin Gameiro ever gets hot, Diego Simeone will have a frightening one-two punch of French strikers on his hands.

6. Juventus (1st in Serie A)

Previous rank: 4th

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
5-0-1 12 4 17.7 (6.7) 6.8 74

It's only a two-place drop, but it's the largest on the list, and thus earns Juventus the undesirable honour of being hit with the Sol Campbell slide:

The destruction of Cagliari doesn't mitigate the impact of a disappointing draw against Sevilla, harrowing defeat to hated rival Inter, or ugly 1-0 win over Palermo that came courtesy of a fortuitous own goal.

On the bright side, Paulo Dybala has been doing everything but scoring so far this season, and you can't help but get the feeling that one goal will open the floodgates for the magical Argentine.

7. Borussia Dortmund (2nd in Bundesliga)

Previous rank: 7th

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
4-0-1 16 4 16.2 (7.2) 10.4 64

Borussia Dortmund has scored 20 goals in its last four matches, as Thomas Tuchel's cast of young stars continue to be the most compelling viewing on the continent.

Particularly at the Westfalenstadion.

Allow yourself to get lost in highlights of Ousmane Dembele, Christian Pulisic, Emre Mor, and Raphael Guerreiro; especially the latter, who is becoming an apparent David Alaba clone by dominating in central midfield.

8. Arsenal (3rd in Premier League)

Previous rank: N/A

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
4-1-1 15 7 14.5 (5.3) 10.7 62

The obliteration of Chelsea on Saturday gave us a beautiful glimpse of what Arsenal can be at its very best. Scintillating attacking football combined with an uncharacteristic ruthlessness left Antonio Conte's Blues bewildered at the Emirates.

With Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in form, Alex Iwobi adding another creative spark out wide, and Granit Xhaka likely to get an extended run with Francis Coquelin sidelined, Arsenal looks a legitimately formidable unit.

A cupcake schedule over the next month could see the Gunners put some serious pressure on Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.

9. Tottenham (2nd in Premier League)

Previous rank: N/A

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
4-2-0 10 3 19 (5.8) 10.5 83

Don't look now, but, very quietly, Tottenham has chugged along into second place in the Premier League.

The only English side other than Manchester City yet to taste defeat in domestic competition, Spurs will need to continue getting significant production out of the red-hot Heung-Min Son while Harry Kane recovers from the significant ankle issue he sustained last week.

The club spent the summer window recruiting specifically for this reason after a lack of depth became an obvious issue last season. Now that recruitment - particularly striker Vincent Janssen - looks set to be judged.

10. Napoli (2nd in Serie A)

Previous rank: N/A

League Record GF GA Shots Per Match (On Target) Shots Conceded Per Match Chances Created
4-2-0 14 5 17.3 (6.2) 8.8 78

Quite clearly the second-best team in Italy, Napoli's talent-laden squad looks equipped to push Juventus right down to the wire in Serie A after an impressive summer in which the €90 million pilfered for Gonzalo Higuain was reinvested impressively.

Marek Hamsik still stirs the drink, but he's got plenty of help.

Dropped out: Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain

On the cusp: Manchester United

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