Opinion

One glance at the record of the German Bundesliga will show Bayern Munich as the runaway all-time leaders.  The Bavarian’s have lifted the Bundesliga title 28 times in their history.  The second best club is Nurnberg who have won 9 titles, well adrift of Bayern Munich.

As we enter the November international break it seems as if normality at the bottom end of the Premier League table has been restored. There was a strange sense of calm as of late due to the fact that no manager had been given his marching orders.

Top European club teams often complain about the international break and for Tottenham Hotspur, they will be very disappointed to see their players leave to join their country.

On Sunday afternoon, Chelsea and Everton drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge. While the focus will be on the home side dropping points, it should be noted how well the Merseysiders played in the capital.

Sunday’s Manchester derby looked to be a potential obstacle for Manchester City to negotiate in their quest to retain the Premier League title. Meanwhile, the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea were hoping that Manchester United could record a win on their neighbour’s home patch.

Spanish football fans are used to seeing the La Liga title race being between just two clubs by mid-November. In recent years, the top two teams – typically Barcelona and Real Madrid – have found themselves well away from the rest of the La Liga pack by this time of year. However, this season has been turned upside down and heading into the winter period, just four points separate the top six teams.

Last season German giants Bayern Munich made a poor start to their Bundesliga campaign and sacked iconic Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti. Club hero Jupp Heynckes parachuted in to save the day by turning the team’s fortunes around and winning the title.

Having played 11 games in the Premier League, West Ham United find themselves in 13th place.  With 11 points to their name, they have averaged a point per game.

When Everton signed Brazilian forward Richarlison for a fee that could rise to £50million from Watford in the summer many people were sceptical about the signing.

Manchester City had little trouble blowing Southampton away in their most recent Premier League match.  The convincing 6-1 victory saw Pep Guardiola’s team return to the top of the table and they have a 2 point cushion on the teams below them.

On Monday night, England produced a good display to defeat Spain 3-2 in Seville in the Nations League, with Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling the star of the show, netting a first-half brace for Gareth Southgate’s team.

The international break often gives fans and experts alike a chance to assess how teams have started their domestic campaigns. One interesting situation in the Premier League is that of Unai Emery’s first few months in charge at Arsenal.

With 8 matches of the 2018/19 Premier League season complete, Wolverhampton Wanderers fans can be forgiven for getting carried away with their start to the campaign.

Arsenal started the 2018/19 Premier League season with two defeats.  The losses came against two of the biggest clubs in the Premier League, Manchester City and Chelsea.  Despite the fact the defeats were against big clubs, new Gunners boss Unai Emery came in for immediate criticism.

Over the last few seasons, Bournemouth under highly-rated young boss Eddie Howe have become an established Premier League club. Against all odds, the Cherries have worked their way up from the bottom to the top division.

Since the arrival of Qatari Sports Investment in 2011, Paris Saint-Germain have seen unfathomable success in France’s Ligue 1 and domestic cup competitions. PSG’s success hasn’t translated over to the UEFA Champions League, however. Even with the £200 million transfer of Neymar in 2017, PSG couldn’t get past Europe’s elite in the club competition.

The Marcelo Biesla era at Leeds United has got off to a much better start than many expected. Bielsa’s recent coaching stints at Marseille, Lazio, and Lille were displays of just how difficult the Argentine manager can be to work with.

Many fans of the Premier League like to follow the battle for the title and the top four.  However, the fight to stay in the Premier League often produces the best drama and after five games this season, which clubs look set for a tough campaign?

The Champions League is the biggest club football tournament in the world.  As soon as the Champions League anthem begins, the players and fans know something special is about to happen and we have some great matches to look forward to this season.

There was great uproar when FIFA announced Video Assistant Referee technology would be used in the 2018 World Cup.  However, it turned out to be a major success and while there were still some questionable decisions, it helped to make the correct decision more often than not.