Welcome to a new Goal.com feature: the Top 10 Clubs of the Month!

As the name suggests, here we rank the ten teams across the planet making waves in the club world. The list is unashamedly discursive, but does operate under the assumption that winning teams deserve recognition. It's also true that, the bigger the stage, the higher the rewards - yet at the same time clubs who beat all sides put in front of them will have a day in the sun as a result.

Here are the top ten club sides across the world over the past month as judged by Goal.com International's Chief Editor, Ewan Macdonald...

10. Valencia (Spain)

A fine month for Los Che. A near-blip in the Copa del Rey aside, Valencia have risen to third in the Liga and also cemented their Europa League credentials. Incredibly, the Mestalla side have not lost a game since the end of September.

9. Fulham (England)

The Craven Cottage side are unlikely to trouble the top four anytime soon, but a series of dogged performances have had England sit up and take notice. One defeat to Birmingham City dampened what has otherwise been a superb month for the London side, who are well and truly top half material in England and contenders in the Europa League as well. If they beat Basel they're through to the next round.

8. Olympiacos (Greece)

Panathinaikos impressed last month. Now it's Olympiacos' turn. By beating Pana in the Athens-Piraeus derby, the red and white side even contributed to the sacking of their hated rivals' manager, Henk ten Cate. But on their own front, they are still unbeaten in the Super League and are through to the last sixteen in the CL, defeating a second-string Arsenal to secure their status.

7. Bordeaux (France)

On the domestic stage Bordeaux still top Ligue 1, despite the odd falter. But they earn their spot in the Top 10 thanks to a superb run of European form that sees them top the UEFA co-efficient table for the current season. They enter the Champions League knock-out stage as group winners.

6. Banfield (Argentina)

Still going strong at the top of the Argentine Apertura, Banfield retain their place due to having cemented qualification for the Copa Libertadores. That's a first for the Taladro, who are just one game away from lifting their first ever top-flight trophy. Expect to see them move up the charts if they manage it.

5. AC Milan (Italy)

Who would have thought that AC Milan would be genuine title contenders? Leonardo, for one. He's got the Rossoneri running as a well-oiled machine, unbeaten since September and having won five in a row in Serie A. Can they keep up the good work heading into the later rounds of the Champions League, not to mention for the Milan derby in January?

4. Manchester United (England)

The title race ain't over yet. After losing to Chelsea, the Mancunians bounced back, winning all their league games over the last month, and also beating Wolfsburg away in the Champions League, guaranteeing top spot in doing so.

3. Flamengo (Brazil)

Flamengo's persistence saw them win the Brasileiro, largely thanks to goals from the enigmatic Adriano - their first national league title since 1992 and only their sixth overall. Now begins the Carioca contest for Rio sides, and then the Libertadores.

2. Roma (Italy)

Claudio Ranieri's side have overcome their recent woes to go on a fine unbeaten run, culminating in the 1-0 win in the Rome derby at the weekend. They're also all but through in the Europa League. What's more, Roma are scoring goals with regularity: Perrotta, De Rossi, and of course Francesco Totti - with nearly a goal-a-game - produce consistent wins.



1. Barcelona (Spain)

It hasn't been a flawless month for the Blaugrana by any means. A near-stumble away to Xerez and a draw in Bilbao were not welcome results. But Barca have cemented their status as the best club in Europe thanks to two colossally important wins. The first, a 2-0 victory over Inter in the Champions League; the second, a 1-0 triumph in the Clasico against Real Madrid. For managing two key wins in the space of a week, and staying top of the Liga, Barcelona are the club of the month this time around.

Can Barcelona hang on to top spot for another month, or will Chelsea regain their crown? Or will it be someone else entirely? In fact, are our rankings correct? Let us know your thoughts.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger looks set to prevent Gunners skipper Cesc Fabregas turning out for his native Catalonia in a friendly against Argentina next week.

Wenger has also stepped in to prevent five of his African stars playing in a charity match in Madrid next week, according to The Daily Mail.

Alex Song, Emmanuel Eboue, Bacary Sagna, Samir Nasri and Abou Diaby had all been pencilled in for the 'Champions for Africa' game at the Bernabeu next Wednesday, but Wenger is not prepared to risk any injuries to key players.

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Freddy Kanoute is leading the Africa United team for the match, proceeds from which will be donated to the Kanoute Foundation, UNICEF and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

Catalonia are, of course, not recognised by FIFA and so Fabregas is under no obligation to play for Johan Cruyff's side.

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has branded the Chelsea boo-boys as an "absolute disgrace" to their club and everything that it stands for.

The west London side had not conceded in the Premier League in ten games at Stamford Bridge, until Everton recently hammered in three to secure a draw.

However, despite salvaging a point from the encounter, the team were booed off the pitch by a section of the crown when the referee brought the proceedings to a close.

"Those fans who jeered are an absolute disgrace," Wright said in his column for The Sun.

"They might have plenty of money but, in football terms, they have no class whatsoever.

"They have either forgotten where their club has come from or they have no idea about Chelsea's problems down the years.

"I have got mates who support Chelsea and they are disgusted and embarrassed by the New Age fans who have crawled out of the woodwork to support this now successful club.

"A large number of people hate Chelsea because of the way they have bought their success and, I must admit, some of the fans are not helping the club's reputation.

"They have either forgotten where their club has come from or they have no idea about Chelsea's problems down the years."

Adithya Ananth, Goal.com UK

Real Madrid are set to launch a January bid for Chelsea centre-back Ricardo Carvalho and will offer striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in exchange, according to a report from The Daily Mail.

Los Blancos are keen to reinforce their rearguard after an injury to defender Pepe, who faces a six-month lay-off after rupturing a ligament in his right knee.

Van Nistelrooy could provide much-needed cover for the Blues during January's African Cup of Nations, when Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are expected to be away on international duty.

Madrid are also reportedly tracking Everton's Jack Rodwell and Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic, but president Florentino Perez has been a known admirer of Carvalho for years.

He tried to sign the Portuguese international, 31, in 2004 before Chelsea swooped with a £20 million offer.

Goal.com UK

Kick-Off: Wednesday, December 16, 2009. 20:00 local time.
Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi

Bona Fide

First it was Spain, then it was Europe, and now Barcelona are attempting to complete a historic 2009 by becoming officially the best club side in the world, a title already bestowed on them by a throng of football fans and pundits but one they have never actually won.

When the Blaugrana defeated Manchester United 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in May – claiming the Champions League title and completing the third leg of their historic treble – they essentially dethroned the previous world champions, vanquishing the only other side in Europe who were deemed to boast consistency and quality on a level akin to theirs. Now Pep Guardiola’s men have the opportunity to make their unofficial title bona fide.

The summer may have brought with it a brief truce in hostilities, but it did not prevent Barca’s momentum carrying them to further silverware. Already boasting the Primera Division and Copa del Rey titles, the men from Camp Nou promptly hoovered up the Supercopa de Espana and the UEFA Super Cup.

There is but one spot left on Barca’s mantelpiece, and it neatly fits the Club World Cup. The Catalan giants now stand on the very cusp of holding all six trophies at once, surely an achievement that will be not be replicated for decades to come.

Atlante provide their first opposition in Abu Dhabi, while a final against either Pohang Steelers or Estudiantes will follow on Sunday should Europe’s finest emerge unscathed against the Mexicans.

Tall Order

Jose Guadalupe Cruz’s Atlante side qualified for the Club World Cup by virtue of their success in the CONCACAF Champions League, beating Cruz Azul 2-0 over two legs to be named the best side on the North American continent.

Whereas Barcelona have successfully built upon their continental success, Atlante have faded somewhat, finishing a rather disappointing ninth in 2009’s Apertura, possessing a record that saw them lose more games than they won.

However, the Mexicans have had a little more time to adapt to the Abu Dhabi climate than their opponents, already having had one game at the 2009 Club World Cup. Auckland City, who shocked Al-Ahly in the first round, were comfortably dispatched 3-0, with the goals coming from Daniel Arreola, Christian Bermudez and Luis Bermudez.

Dominant in their previous encounter, Atlante have also enjoyed some success against Spanish opposition over the course of the last few months. The summer’s Peace Cup saw them paired against Malaga, who proved a test for the Mexicans. After being threatened by the La Liga side at 1-1, Los Potros de Hierro scored twice in the final quarter of the game to ease to victory.

FORM GUIDE

Barcelona

WON 1-0 (h) Espanyol (La Liga, December 12)

WON 2-1 (a) Dynamo Kiev (Champions League, December 9)

WON 3-1 (a) Deportivo La Coruna (La Liga, December 5)

WON 1-0 (a) Xerez (La Liga, December 2)

WON 1-0 (h) Real Madrid (La Liga, November 29)

Atlante

WON 3-0 (n) Auckland City (Club World Cup, December 12)

DREW 0-0 (h) UAG (Primera Division, November 14)

LOST 4-0 (a) UANL (Primera Division, November 7)

WON 3-2 (h) Toluca (Primera Division, November 4)

LOST 3-1 (a) Cruz Azul (Primera Division, October 31)

TEAM NEWS

Barcelona

Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi remains Barcelona’s key injury problem. The Argentine offensive wizard has not yet returned to training after sustaining an ankle issue. He has not yet been ruled out, but the prospects of him playing seem bleak.

With a long trip and an intense schedule, Guardiola may attempt to shuffle his squad a little.

Probable Starting XI: Valdes; Alves, Pique, Puyol, Abidal; Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta; Pedro, Ibrahimovic, Henry

Atlante

Atlante have registered no injury issues ahead of Wednesday’s game and will likely stick close to the XI that eased past Auckland.

Christian Bermudez had a thigh problem last week, but that did not stop him from playing against the New Zealanders.

Probable Starting XI: Vilar; Martinez, Guerrero, Velazquez; Gonzalez, Arreola; Navarro, Rojas, Solari; Bermudez, Marquez

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Barcelona

With Lionel Messi unlikely to feature, Guardiola will look for increased attacking impetus to come from Andres Iniesta. Previously a man under-rated by many, the 25-year-old has risen to prominence over the course of the last 18-months, hitting something of a peak with his recent fourth place in the Ballon d’Or voting. Rafael Marquez, should he feature, will be keen to impress against his countrymen.

Atlante

One man in the Mexicans’ XI who will be desperate to make an impression against the Blaugrana is former Real Madrid man Santiago Solari, who plied his trade at the Santiago Bernabeu from 2000 to 2005. Utilised as an attacking midfielder or a winger, the 33-year-old will doubtless be keen to renew acquaintances with an old rival.

PREDICTION

Though Atlante’s success has been based around a solid defensive unit, there are very few teams who can successfully repel the waves of Blaugrana attacks for a complete game. With Guardiola’s men likely to play at a tempo higher than their opponents are used to, Barca should have few problems sealing success in this encounter.

Barcelona 2-0 Atlante

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas believes that Arsene Wenger's team have demonstrated that a football team does not need physical presence to be successful.

The Gunners clawed their way back into the Premier League title race with a 2-1 comeback win at Liverpool on Sunday, and the Catalan thinks their lack of size will not hamper them in their bid to end the trophy drought at the Emirates.

"Football is not all about size. We've seen successful teams in the past without any physical presence who could play great football," Fabregas told Arsenal's official website.

"In the second half at Liverpool we showed that if you play good football it's very difficult to stop.

"It was very important last Saturday to get back on track against Stoke City at home. We got a clean sheet and played some good football. After that most of the players had a week off, rested very well and it showed in the second half up there."

And the Spain international also hailed his team's work ethic and collective spirit.

"What I've learned over the years is that a football team is not only about one player or two players, it's about the team," he explained.

"There are 25 players in the squad and whoever comes in can do very well as we showed at Liverpool.

"In the first half we were not at our best, but came back to win the game, which is the sign of a big team. We can always improve. Even the best team in the world can improve.

"But the title race has a long way to go and is more open than ever. You can see that any team can beat any team, which is good for the spectators and all the teams. But we're happy with the situation we're in right now."

Zack Wilson, Goal.com UK

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 (all kick-offs CET)

21:00 Valenciennes vs. Auxerre

Wednesday, December 16

19:00 Le Mans vs. Grenoble
19:00 Lorient vs. Olympique de Marseille
19:00 Olympique Lyonnais vs. Boulogne-Sur-Mer
19:00 Monaco vs. Stade Rennais
19:00 Montpellier vs. Girondins de Bordeaux (preview)
19:00 Nancy vs. Nice
21:00 Paris Saint-Germain vs. Racing Club de Lens

Valenciennes vs. Auxerre

Tuesday night’s only match sees Valenciennes and Auxerre aiming to bounce back from mediocre weekend results. VA’s fine away form deserted them in Le Mans, while Auxerre battled to a 0-0 draw against Lorient. Both teams are enjoying strong seasons to date and are in the thick of the European race.

VA go into this game again missing Jonathan Lacourt and Nicolas Penneteau, who are long-term injury problems, while there are still doubts over centre-back Bobo Balde. Carlos Sanchez and Siaka Tiene both return from bans.

Auxerre’s availability summary is very similar last weekend's. Ireneusz Jelen failed to make a massive impact in attack, though he did have a couple of good efforts on goal, while goalkeeper Olivier Blondel was their key man, making a handful of fine saves to shut-out Lorient.

Le Mans vs. Grenoble

Arnaud Cormier took over MUC last week and has seemingly made an immediate impact in their fortunes. The Sarthe team possessed more growl to their game when they tackled Valenciennes on Saturday, eventually grabbing a winning goal in stoppage time through Anthony Le Tallec.

Remarkably, the home team had been reduced to ten men due to Modibo Maiga's dismissal, but they showed good determination to prevent their opponents bettering the 1-1 scoreline at the time of the red card. The victory was their first since the last weekend of September.

Wednesday’s night game against improving Grenoble is a huge match-up in terms of the relegation battle. GF38 slipped against Sochaux on Sunday, with Danijel Ljuboja missing a penalty, so they desperately need the points. They have registered no new injury problems.

Lorient vs. Olympique de Marseille

Boasting an unbeaten record at home in Ligue 1 thus far, Lorient will again want to prove their worth as obstinate opponents when they host Marseille. Coach Christian Gourcuff was pleased with the domination his side achieved against Auxerre on Saturday night, but he will not have been impressed with their lack of penetration, which cost them three points.

Visiting boss Didier Deschamps was too ecstatic after his side’s 2-0 success against Boulogne, describing it as the “bare minimum”, but he did acknowledge that a full three points was the key outcome from that game.

Marseille are right in the thick of the title race and will want to keep pace with leaders Bordeaux by claiming victory in Lorient. They travel to Brittany without the injured Mamadou Niang, while Hilton is ill and unlikely to make the trip. Brandao is banned, so a change in the attack is necessary.

Olympique Lyonnais vs. Boulogne-Sur-Mer

Booed off after their 1-0 defeat by Bordeaux, Lyon currently reside in ninth spot in Ligue 1. This is entirely unfamiliar ground for a team more accustomed to winning trophies than playing the season out in mid-table, and their demanding fans are starting to turn on the team.

OL never looked like scoring against les Girondins at the weekend and will have to find some creativity to break down a Boulogne side who must be expected to camp ten men behind the ball for much of the match. Sidney Govou and Jeremy Toulalan still remain the headline injury problems, while Cris is banned.

Boulogne lost 2-0 to Marseille on Saturday at Stade Velodrome but rarely looked like getting totally pummelled. There are still a clutch of players missing from the line-up, most notably in attack, where Gregory Thil and Daniel Moreira continue to battle problems. Mame N’Diaye is available again but a weekend red card rules Olubayo Adefemi out.

Monaco vs. Stade Rennais

Sunday’s heavy home defeat against Lille did not sit well with Monegasques coach Guy Lacombe, who is something of a mercurial character. The moustachioed coach was clearly irritated by the lacklustre performance of his side and will only have been further troubled to have received another injury problem in the form of Vincent Muratori.

Several players are already ruled out of this tie due to injury for les Monegasques, including Djimi Traore, Juan Pablo Pino and Eduardo Costa, while Diego Perez will not feature as he serves a one-match ban. Wholesale changes in the side should not be totally dismissed.

Rennes coach Frederic Antonetti, meanwhile, takes his side to the home of his predecessor off the back of a performance he described as “the worst of the season”. Still, things can’t be going too badly for les Rouge et Noir, as they picked up maximum points from the aforementioned trip to Nancy, somewhat fortuitously winning 2-1.

Montpellier vs. Girondins de Bordeaux (full preview)

Nancy vs. Nice

Defeat at the weekend was hard to swallow for Nancy coach Pablo Correa, who watched his side dominate Monaco only to fall to a 2-1 defeat. ASNL certainly had their chances in that game, but scored an own goal, missed a penalty and had Damien Macaluso sent-off as they contrived to implode to their fourth successive home loss.

Macaluso is, of course, suspended for the midweek fixture, while there are fresh doubts over Jonathan Brison, who has a thigh issue, and Youssouf Hadji, who is suffering from adductor problems.

Nice have suspension issues to worry about as they look to avoid their fourth successive loss. Onyekachi Apam is banned until January 10 after head butting Gabriel Heinze, while Larrys Mabiala is also out of the trip to Lorraine.

Paris Saint-Germain vs. Racing Club de Lens

PSG destroyed Saint-Etienne 4-0 at the Parc des Princes on Sunday afternoon. It was an impressive showing from Antoine Kombouare’s side, who are generally perceived to be under-performing at the present time.

There have been signs of real life from les Parisiens of late, with some impressive performances intermingled with some very flat displays. On Wednesday evening they will hope to continue their recent improvement with a success against Lens, though they approach the game shorn of Guillaume Hoarau and Gregory Coupet.

Lens could have a full squad at their disposal for the trip to the capital, with Kevin Monnet-Paquet expected to be amongst their ranks after missing the weekend’s victory over Nice due to illness.

Robin Bairner, Goal.com

John Barnes sacked (fired) by Tranmere Rovers. HA HA HA! A dat him sell we out fah?
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

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Blackyute
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Success is the only aim in life

Wednesday Jul 08 23:40

Arsene Wenger has reportedly held talks with Blaise Matuidi, and is ready to wrap up a deal... Arsenal are close to wrapping up the signature of Blaise Matuidi. The 22-year-old French midfielder is ready to leave St. Etienne, and recently expressed his admiration for Arsenal's style of play. Now, according to The Mirror, The Gunners are closing in on a deal, with Arsene Wenger having held talks with Matuidi yesterday. It is believed that he will cost in the region of £2.5million. Matuidi has also attracted the interest of Tottenham and Everton, but he has made it clear that Arsenal is his first choice. That will not be the end of Wenger's midfield signings, however, as he weighs up a move for Udinese's Gokhan Inler.Arjun Miglani, Goal.com

Considering the U.S. is currently in the midst of its Revolutionary War (Washington, New England, Philly) tour section of the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 extravaganza, this post comes with a preamble -- free of charge. Bear in mind the following truths whilst proceeding: a) This game was watched on TeleFutura.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerBlogs/~3/XN47WeeHWXk/

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The Aurelio Household
It's all fun and games until somebody gets hurt. Liverpool first choice left back Fabio Aurelio is set to miss up to six months of actionafter injuring himself playing with his children in the backyard. Aurelio injured his knee in a freak accident fooling around in the garden with his kids.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SoccerBlogs/~3/nTIQzDbM2LU/

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Blackyute
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Its not about money, its about timing

By: Martin | July 8th, 2009

Well, the Felipe Melo-to-Juventus move may be in danger, which might possibly give Arsenal a chance to swoop back in for the much-coveted Brazilian international. Apparently the deal struck between Juve and Fiorentina was that Juve would give Fiorentina cash plus right-winger Marco Marchionni for Melo. Melo had reportedly agreed to substantive contract terms with Juve and was set to be unveiled today. There was only one problem, however–rumor has it that Marchionni is asking for more money than Fiorentina is willing to pay him in wages, which is holding the deal up. Now, in the grand scheme of things, this difference is a small amount of money, and I'm sure it can probably be resolved in short order. But for now, it opens a window of opportunity for Arsenal to swoop in and make one last effort at a bid for Melo. If such a thing were to happen, I'd say we'd all owe one Marco Marchionni a big debt of gratitude.
Blackyute
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Its not about money, its about timing

Robin van Persie has ended speculation about a move away from The Emirates by signing a new long-term contract with Arsenal.

The 25-year-old had been linked with a move to Premier League champions Manchester United, but decided to extend his five-year stay with the Gunners.

He was manager Arsene Wenger's leading scorer last campaign, netting 20 goals in 44 appearances.

While the terms of van Persie's new contract have not been disclosed, it is reported to be worth around £80,000-a-week, which would make the Holland forward one of the highest paid players at the club.

Van Persie said: "I have been at the club for five years now and there really is a great feeling here at Arsenal. We have a top-class manager, a squad full of superb young players, a world-class stadium and brilliant supporters.

"Arsenal have a very bright future and I want to be part of it.''

Van Persie had been linked with a move to Premier League rivals Manchester United, but hinted he could now end his career at Emirates Stadium.

"My heart is with Arsenal and I just can't picture myself in a different shirt. I just can't see it now because I love this club so much. If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the boss and the whole club gave me, the fans gave me, my team-mates gave me - this is the right decision.''

Much like captain Cesc Fabregas, van Persie has often talked of the need for Arsenal to now turn their potential into silverware.

When the Dutchman arrived five years ago, the Gunners were the team to beat and he won the FA Cup at the end of his first season.

Manager Arsene Wenger firmly believes van Persie has all the talents to help the Gunners, who reached the semi-finals of the Champions League last season, make that crucial next step.

"It is fantastic news that Robin van Persie has committed his long term future to Arsenal. We are all delighted,'' said Wenger, who has also moved to tie up the long-term futures of youngsters Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey and Kieran Gibbs this summer.

"Robin is a hugely gifted player and has the talent and goalscoring ability to win matches at the very top level.

"We have already seen many times what Robin is capable of on a football pitch, but at only 25, there is still much more to come from him.

"Robin has the potential to become a true Arsenal great.''

Arsenal, meanwhile, may have missed out on transfer target Felipe Melo, with reports in Italy claiming the Brazilian midfielder is now close to agreeing a move to Juventus.

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Blackyute
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The strong keep quiet, the weak start riot

Once again the Boyz have fail to give a good account of themselves but for the first time in awhile I see where the administration should be blamed.

Blackyute
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Its not about money, its about timing

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