Yahoo Sports 📈 Power Rankings: Atletico keep winning, Newcastle arrive
Our Power Rankings return with Atletico Madrid continuing their winning streak and Newcastle new-boys to the table.
Here are the 10 sides in our updated Power Rankings table.
📈 Power Rankings: Atletico keep winning, Newcastle arrive
10. Atalanta (👎 Last week: 7)
Atalanta are fallers this week with the Italians clinging on to their place in a competitive Power Rankings table. After being held at Lazio in their last fixture before the winter break, Gian Piero Gasperni’s side were well beaten in the semi-finals of the Supercoppa Italia. Denzel Dumfries’ double earned Inter a 2-0 win in Saudi Arabia.
9. Nottingham Forest (👍 Last week: 10)
Are Nottingham Forest in the Premier League title race?
Nuno Espirito Santo is refusing to get carried away but his Tricky Trees keep on winning. Goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood earned a 2-0 win at Wolves last weekend, the club’s sixth straight Premier League victory.
WWWWWWonderful. pic.twitter.com/kcbuJfEN3m
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 6, 2025
It’s the first time Forest have won six successive top-flight matches in a single campaign since 1966-67. Forest host Luton in the FA Cup’s third round this weekend, before a huge clash with leaders Liverpool in midweek. A win will take Forest within three points of the table toppers.
8. Newcastle United (🆕)
Newcastle surge into our Power Rankings table with the Magpies one of Europe’s in-form teams right now.
Eddie Howe’s side have won six on the bounce in the Premier League and took a giant step towards the Carabao Cup final in midweek. Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon got the goals as Newcastle won 2-0 at Arsenal, leaving them in a favourable position to reach Wembley.
Optimism around ending the club’s 70-year trophy drought is increasing, with Newcastle having beaten Aston Villa, Manchester United, Spurs and Arsenal in successive games.
7. Bayern Munich (👎 Last week: 5)
Bayern Munich drop two places due to their inactivity during the Bundesliga’s winter break.
Vincent Kompany’s side have been fine-tuning for the second half of the campaign, however, thrashing Red Bull Salzburg 6-0 in a friendly.
6. Bayer Leverkusen (👎 Last week: 4)
Bayer Leverkusen have also been out of action since late December.
Xabi Alonso’s men dusted off some of the cobwebs with a 2-0 friendly win over fourth-tier
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen at the weekend.
5. Arsenal (👎 Last week: 3)
Mikel Arteta might be blaming the Carabao Cup ball for his side’s shortcomings, but Arsenal’s recent dip is their own doing. The Gunners dropped points in the title race with a draw at Brighton last weekend, before crashing to a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in their semi-final tie. Arsenal failed to score despite creating an xG of 3.09 at the Emirates. Wasteful.
4. Real Madrid (👍 Last week: 8)
Real Madrid climb up to eighth after returning from the winter break in good form. The Spanish champions earned a hard-fought win at Valencia in their rearranged fixture last week, before running riot in the Copa del Rey.
Arda Guler was on target twice as Los Blancos won 5-0 at Club Deportiva Minera to progress to the last 16.
3. Inter Milan (👎 Last week: 2)
Inter Milan drop down a place after blowing the chance to win the first silverware of the Italian season. Simeone Inzaghi’s side looked on course for Supercoppa Italia success, having eased past Atalanta in the semi-finals before taking a 2-0 lead in the decider.
However, the Nerazzurri allowed AC Milan to complete a remarkable comeback in Saudi Arabia, as Tammy Abraham’s last-gasp goal condemned Inter to defeat.
2. Atletico Madrid (👍 Last week: 6)
Atletico Madrid’s winning run has propelled Diego Simeone’s side to second in our Power Rankings table.
Atleti have reeled off 13 consecutive wins in all competitions and returned from the winter break with a 1-0 win at Marbella in the Copa del Rey. Antoine Griezmann got the decisive goal to ensure the mid-season pause did not halt their momentum.
1. Liverpool (No change)
Liverpool hang on to the top spot in the table despite two flat performances inside a week.
The Reds were held by Manchester United at Anfield in the Premier League at the weekend, as Amad Diallo’s late equaliser frustrated the league leaders. Arne Slot’s side were then beaten 1-0 by Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, with work to be done to overturn the tie at Anfield.
It was a first defeat since September for Slot’s side, though improvement is required to retain their place at the summit in these standings…
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