📈 Power Rankings: Three new clubs! Movement near the top | OneFootball

There is movement around top spot in this week’s Power Rankings, while three fresh faces enter the fray …

10. Athletic Club (🆕)

Look who it is making a late charge for Europe!

A run of four wins in five has left Athletic closing in on LaLiga’s top six and they can thank one special family for a lot of it — Williams brothers Nico and Iñaki have scored five of the team’s last six league goals. Not bad going at all.

9. Liverpool (🆕)

Look who’s back! Five Premier League games unbeaten and three wins in a row means Liverpool return for the first time in a while. Jürgen Klopp’s side appear to have turned a corner, winning three in a row since overturning a two-goal deficit to draw with Arsenal almost three weeks ago.

Leeds, Nottingham Forest and West Ham have since been dealt with as Diogo Jota has discovered some long-awaited form, Trent Alexander-Arnold has grown in his new role tucking into central midfield and Cody Gakpo has found his feet. Is it too late for a top four charge?

8. Napoli (👍 Last week: 9)

After a disappointing few weeks, Napoli were back to winning ways in dramatic fashion as a late winner at Juventus on Sunday took them one huge step closer to the Scudetto.

They’re clinging on in the Power Rankings for now but there is no doubt they will end their long wait to be crowned champions within the next few weeks.

7. Feyenoord (No change)

A late, narrow Europa League defeat at Roma was cruel but Feyenoord responded domestically with a win over Utrecht to make it 10 Eredivisie victories in a row and leave them eight points clear of PSV with four games left to play.

Santiago Giménez now has 12 goals in his last 14 appearances and is one of many players sure to attract attention this summer. But that can wait until Feyenoord have clinched the title and enjoyed their celebrations.

6. Real Madrid (👎 Last week: 3)

Just when it looked like Real Madrid had really started to get into a run, they ran into Girona and Taty Castellanos.

A run of four wins in a row was ended in incredible fashion in midweek and it was the same old story it has been all season: just when you think Madrid have turned a corner and are on a roll, they put the car in reverse. Defeat was their third in nine games across all competitions as they just struggle to build real momentum.

5. Atlético de Madrid (👎 Last week: 2)

Atleti’s long winning run was broken by Barcelona at the weekend but they hit right back to down Mallorca 3-1 in midweek.

Their long, long, long string of positive results is far anything but a distant memory but it has got to sting that their only defeats in 2023 have come against Barcelona (twice) and Real Madrid.

4. Newcastle (🆕)

What. A. Performance. Not that long ago it seemed Newcastle had run out of steam a little but they picked up five wins in a row before the 3-0 trouncing at Aston Villa.

That was just a blip, it seems, with the Magpies demolishing Tottenham at the weekend to make it six wins from seven. Earlier in the season it was all about the defence but Newcastle are now on to 18 goals in those seven games as well. Eddie Howe’s men march on towards the Champions League.

3. Aston Villa (👍 Last week: 4)

Another run that sort of stuttered, with a 1-1 draw at Brentford over the weekend, before charging back into gear with the midweek defeat of Fulham.

The numbers really speak for themselves here: Villa are unbeaten in 10, scoring in each of those games and winning eight of them. Europe awaits.

2. Bayer Leverkusen (👍 Last week: 6)

Another team on a superb run, Leverkusen are now on to 13 games undefeated across all competitions (10 wins) and are doing it in style under Xabi Alonso.

Their two wins since our last Power Rankings update (4-1 v Union Gilloise, 2-0 v RB Leipzig) have fired them into the Europa League semi-finals and seen them keep their top four dreams alive. There has hardly been a better team in Europe over the last couple of months, except …

1. Manchester City (No change)

That was some title race message. Manchester City remain second in the Premier League but are just two points behind Arsenal with two games in hand and on a run of 10 league games without defeat. That run extends to 16 games across all competitions.

Erling Haaland remains in top form, Kevin De Bruyne has joined him, John Stones and Rodri are playing the football of their lives. And City didn’t even need Wembley hat-trick hero Riyad Mahrez when it came to Arsenal on Wednesday.

The treble is very much on.