Europe's Biggest Underachieving Clubs Featuring Man United, Man City, Valencia
Welcome to our latest round-up of Europe's biggest underachieving clubs, following two rounds of games for some clubs as plenty of leagues made use of a midweek fixture list.
Last time out we had Russian side CSKA Moscow and Turkish outfit Galatasaray included in our top eight—but both of those have propelled themselves out with some good wins of late.
Bordeaux and Hamburger SV are both out of the rankings too—which means we've got several new clubs in our list of eight, including both Manchester clubs from the Premier League.
Read on to find out how they've fared this week.
8. Manchester City
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Forget all the middle-of-the-road sides now; we only have teams that should be challenging at or near the top.
Manchester City haven't had a dreadful start to the season by any stretch of the imagination, but their away form certainly leaves plenty to be desired having taken just one win from five so far.
Their most recent trip sent them to Chelsea, where they lost to a last-minute Fernando Torres goal. That 2-1 defeat leaves City in seventh place in the Premier League, some way behind leaders Arsenal and even three points off a Champions League place.
They're at home to Norwich next time out—surely as guaranteed a three points as they are likely to get in the Premier League.
7. Manchester United
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Manchester United pulled a win out of the bag at the weekend...but it was a very close-run thing, and they had their top-notch front line to thank for it.
United trailed at home to Stoke not just once but twice, before two goals in the final 12 minutes turned the match around to seal three home points, just their second home win of the season.
However, so far were United already behind the leading pack that the win couldn't even lift them up a single place in the league table—they remain in eighth place, two points behind nearest rivals Man City and a full eight behind first-place Arsenal.
United travel to Fulham at the weekend as they bid to continue trying to claw back points.
6. AC Milan
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AC Milan's season isn't getting any better; they have less than half the points tally of the top three teams in the league now and only took a single point from their two fixtures in the past week.
A trip to lowly Parma, which had won just twice all season beforehand, yielded a goalfest but a 3-2 defeat, before the midweek draw at home to Lazio came after Kaka's stunning opening goal was cancelled out in the second half.
They've taken just eight points from the last 21 available and only three wins all season, leaving Mass Allegri and his side in 10th position in Serie A.
An in-form Fiorentina is next on the fixture list.
5. Valencia
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Los Che outdid themselves in midweek with a third consecutive defeat—at home against bottom-of-the-table Almeria, who had previously not won any of their opening 10 games of the season.
Following on from defeats to Real Sociedad and Villarreal, Valencia have now taken just one point from the last 12 available and have slipped down to 11th place in La Liga's standings.
They've also shipped in nine goals in those four matches, giving Valencia the worst defensive record out of any bottom-half club outside of the relegation places.
Valencia are away to Getafe at the weekend.
4. Real Betis
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At least Valencia can console themselves that they are not the most underperforming side in Spain right now: That accolade goes to Real Betis. Having last season threatened, briefly, to fight for a Champions League position before finishing in seventh, the Andalucian club are marooned in 19th this term, just one off the bottom.
A stinking run of recent form has seen them lose four of their past five games, culminating in a 5-0 thrashing at Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Having conceded five goals in their first five games of the season, Betis have gone on to let in 12 in the next five as their form has departed entirely.
They play Levante on Thursday before a trip to Malaga at the weekend.
3. Olympique Lyonnais
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Olympique Lyonnais continued their miserable season with another defeat at the weekend, this time away to AS Monaco.
A 2-1 defeat at one of the favourites for the title isn't the worst result ever, but it will do nothing for the confidence and belief of the team that now lie 14th in Ligue 1, without a win in five and a huge 11 points off the top three.
Playing at home to high-flying Guingamp won't be easy at the weekend but has to now be seen as a must-win fixture to get their season back on track.
2. Sunderland
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Sunderland won a game? Do they have hope?
Gus Poyet has a long way to go to rekindle anything approaching safety from the season, but Sunderland at least made a good start by beating Newcastle United in the derby at the weekend, thanks to Fabio Borini's stunning winner.
It was the Black Cat's first win of the season and lifted them off the foot of the Premier League.
They remain four points from safety, though, with an away match at Hull City next up.
1. Anzhi Makhachkala
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Sunderland's win means Anzhi Makhachkala stay rooted to the foot of our standings once again.
Anzhi went down 2-0 to Kuban' Krasnodar on Sunday, leaving the Dagestan side three points from the relegation playoff places and eight from complete safety.
After 14 league games, they have still not won a single match, and the campaign ahead looks as though it will be one almighty struggle.
Anzhi are home to Ural at the weekend—the team placed directly above them in the Russian Premier League, and who they can overtake if they can finally pick up three points.
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