📈 Power Rankings: Seagulls soar in and change at the top | OneFootball

Thursday afternoon means our Power Rankings are back with re-entrants, new faces, and change at the top.

Here are the 10 sides in our updated Power Rankings table.

📈 Power Rankings: Seagulls soar in and change at the top

10. Fenerbahce (No change)

One of Europe’s in-form teams, Jose Mourinho has got a tune out of Fenerbahce.

Unbeaten in 17 games across all competitions, Fener thrashed Gazientep 4-1 to progress in the Turkish Cup with January signing Anderson Talisca on target twice. At the weekend, Mourinho’s men beat Antalyaspor 3-0 with Youssef En-Nesyri in the goals again.

Galatasaray’s signing of Victor Osimhen stole the headlines last summer but En-Nesryi has been a brilliant addition on the other side of the Istanbul divide. It’s 23 goals and counting for the Moroccan.

9. Brighton (🆕)

Brighton break into our Power Rankings table after an uptick in form under Fabian Hurzeler. After a mid-season dip, the Seagulls are soaring again.

Brighton have won five consecutive games in all competitions for the first time as a top-flight team, beating fellow European contenders Chelsea and Bournemouth in the process. In the FA Cup, the South Coast side have eliminated Chelsea and Newcastle to reach the quarter-finals. With five of the ‘Big Six’ out, the Seagulls are daring to dream.

8. Arsenal (🆕)

Arsenal climb back into our Power Rankings after a record-breaking European win.

Amid a dip in form and question marks over the club’s recruitment, Mikel Arteta has come under scrutiny. The pressure was on at PSV, but the Gunners responded with a 7-1 thrashing of the Dutch champions on the road. It’s the first time an away side has scored 7+ goals in a Champions League knockout game.

7. Atletico Madrid (👎 Last week: 6)

A mixed back for Atletico this week, who slip a place to seventh.

Diego Simeone’s side battled to a valiant 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, a result that keeps them within a point of leaders Barcelona. There was defeat in Europe, however, as Real Madrid edged the first leg of their last-16 tie.

It’s perfectly poised for next week with the Metropolitano sure to be a cauldron.

6. Inter Milan (👍 Last week: 8)

Simone Inzaghi was keen to point out to a reporter this week that his team are targeting a treble – and not double – this season.

Inter Milan might not be considered Champions League favourites, but an efficient 2-0 win at Feyenoord has placed one foot in the last eight for the Italian champions. Incredibly, the Nerazzurri have conceded just once in nine European games this season.

Also top of the table in Serie A and into the Coppa Italia semi-finals, the run-in could be one to remember for Inzaghi’s side.

5. Bayern Munich (No change)

Bayern Munich have found their groove at a crucial time of the season.

After seeing off Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart in successive weeks to tighten their grip on the Bundesliga title race, the Bavarians blitzed Bayer Leverkusen in Europe.

The first-ever European meeting between the German rivals ended in a big Bayern win, with Harry Kane scoring twice in a 3-0 win at the Allianz Arena. Having been dethroned last season for the first time in 12 years, it appears Bayern are back as the Bundesliga’s best.

4. Real Madrid (👎 Last week: 3)

The Spaniards suffered a setback at the weekend after a 2-1 loss at Real Betis. It was a familiar face who did the damage, as Isco’s penalty turned the game around for Betis in Seville.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side issued an immediate response in midweek, however, after edging out Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. It’s a lead, albeit a narrow one, as the holders look to continue their defence of the crown.

3. Barcelona (👍 Last week: 4)

Two wins, two red cards, two very different circumstances for Barcelona.

At the weekend, Aritz Elustondo’s early red card paved the path for a comprehensive Barcelona win against Real Sociedad. The Catalans took full advantage of their superior numbers to dismantle their Basque visitors in La Liga.

In midweek, it was Barcelona’s turn to suffer an early setback. Pau Cubrasi’s dismissal after 22 minutes at Benfica was problematic, but the Spaniards battled brilliantly in Lisbon. Amid determined defending, a moment of magic from Raphinha sealed a 1-0 win in their Champions League first leg. The dream of a first European title in a decade is alive.

2. Paris Saint-Germain (👎 Last week: 1)

It seems harsh to drop Paris Saint-Germain a place given the level of their performances across the last week – but football is a results business.

Luis Enrique’s side are too good for the competition in France this season and eased past Lille to edge closer to yet another Ligue 1 title. With confidence in full flow, PSG took the game to Liverpool in Europe.

The clash between the Ligue 1 and Premier League leaders was a one-sided affair, with PSG pummelling their visitors at the Parc des Princes. Enrique’s outfit threw everything, kitchen sink and all, at the Reds but could not find a route past the superhuman Alisson in goal.

In the final seconds, Liverpool snatched the win. Despite having 25 fewer shots than PSG, Harvey Elliott’s goal earned the Merseysiders a first-leg lead.

1. Liverpool (👍 Last week: 2)

Liverpool’s smash-and-grab win in Paris takes the Reds top of the Power Rankings table.

It wasn’t pretty, in fact for large periods it was fairly ugly for Arne Slot’s side. A combination of luck, questionable officiating, and Alisson’s heroics earned Liverpool a huge win. They’re unlikely to have a tougher game all season.

Read – The youngest Champions League goalscorers for English clubs

See more – Champions League Team of the Week – Alisson, Odegaard, Pedri

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