The List | 10 Things We Learnt From This Weekend 25/11/2013
The List | Ten Things We Learnt From The Weekend's Football
We ponder the main talking points as domestic football returns. 
Domestic action is back and as England fans, we could not be more thankful. In the Premier League, the race is hotting up, but losing none of its contenders. The tag of a two horse race is certainly not one that can be bandied about this season, with arguably six clubs having a claim to it.
Elsewhere the time for admiring Cristiano Ronaldo has come, and after he dragged Portugal to the World Cup, rightly so. CR7 continues to shine for Real Madrid and there are a number of clubs vying for the title in Spain. So with no further delay, here are the ten things we learnt from the action this weekend.
Tottenham have serious issues - Losing to Newcastle was one thing, but the utter drubbing they received at the hands of Manchester City was another altogether. It simply cannot go on. The North London club have the worse shot to conversion record of anyone in the league, and looked bereft of ideas on Sunday afternoon. The title will not happen. At this rate, they will be lucky to even get top four.
Merseyside trophy drought coming to its end? This season both Everton and Liverpool have been brilliant, and it was summed up during the 3-3 derby. Both have class forwards, the SAS were brilliant again and Romelu Lukaku may not have been at his best, but was still a constant threat. Liverpool still harbour hopes for the title and rightly so, but smart money would be on one half of Liverpool to win a cup this season. 
No Messi, no problem - All because of Andres Iniesta. All too often, we make the mistake of thinking that Barcelona are a one man team. They were world class before a certain Leo Messi and they will be after. Having the little wizard Iniesta certainly doesn't do them any harm either, the Spaniard was brilliant this weekend, while Cesc Fabregas continued to show his class. 
The Madrid sides are on a roll - The injury to Messi may yet give some hope to both sides from Madrid in terms of the title. Real have the best player in the world at this minute in Ronaldo, who scored again before coming off as a precaution during the drubbing of Almeria, and Atletico Madrid are getting better with each passing game. They have a 100% record at the Vicente Calderon this term and a 7-0 victory over local rivals Getafe added to that. 
Oscar is a star - The boy will win the Ballon d Or at some point there is no doubt. Many identified Eden Hazard as the man Jose Mourinho would look to for the special one on the field, but it has been Oscar. The Brazilian has come on leaps and bounds, no longer just a luxury player, he is a must have. Pieces of magic and inspiration are one thing, but his work rate, tracking back and overall performance are another. World class. 
Cardiff s home form will keep them up - They took yet another point from one of the big boys this weekend, and it seems that the Bluebird s home form will see them stay in the top flight. Manchester United will kick themselves for dropping two points and rightly so, but Cardiff have done it again and should be applauded for never giving up. Late goals can save points and win games and don t Malky Macky s men know it. 
Is it the end for Mario s Milan adventure? - Quite where he could go should his time at AC Milan come to an end is a topic for another day (rumours of a very special reunion seem to be doing the rounds) and the controversial forward seems to be getting itchy feet in Italy. After missing another penalty, taking his career miss to a grand total of two, Balotelli posted a series of tweets alluding to a potential departure this winter. 
Score lines can be deceiving - On paper, reading that Bayern Munich managed to beat BVB 3-0, it looks a comprehensive victory. In reality, two of those goals were grabbed in the last couple of minutes, with BVB chasing the game for an equaliser. Mario Gotze did grab a goal, but refused to celebrate and whilst his reception was not well received, it was a fair way from the Figo pig s head manager Pep Guardiola predicted. 
Are the wheels coming off for Rafa s Napoli? - Another defeat for the title contenders has not gone down well in Italy. Benitez can claim to be disappointed with the result all he wants, but that is nothing compared to how the fans will feel. They are starting to drop off in the title race now, and have a crucial game in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund this week. 
Arsenal are still going strong - All those waiting for the Gunners to fall off in the title race are getting a little bit more worried as each week and another three points passes by. The club are looking better and better, and keep climbing ahead of their rivals. Stunning goals, a great defence and confidence are coursing through their veins. It may not last, but there will be a few red faces if it does.
Let us know what you thought of this weekend's football?
