The current division standings of Europe’s major leagues offer a vivid reminder that spending power does not guarantee success, no matter the size of the club in question.
In the Premier League, Arsenal sit one point clear after seven matches played while their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur are behind second-placed Manchester City only on goal difference. The current top four is completed by Brighton & Hove Albion, who lead Liverpool by four points.
The Bundesliga is also home to an unexpected league leader in the form of Union Berlin, who only featured in the German top flight for the first time in the 2019/20 season. Bayern Munich, bolstered by the summer arrival of former Red Sadio Mane, are five points adrift in a league they so often make light work of. Two of the teams to make the top four last season were Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig, who sit 15th and 12th respectively. Borussia Dortmund currently occupy second place and are joined in the Champions League spots by Freiburg and Hoffenheim.
