There are disappointments among the top-five leagues. Juventus, Arsenal, RB Leipzig and a few others started their domestic campaigns in an unenviable way but it is to expect they will get back to a descent rhythm and challenge the spots that lead to European competition next season.On the other hand, few clubs across the European continents are doing surprisingly well. Will it last? For some probably not. But some of these clubs have the means and the potential to stay in the upper echelon.BrightonAfter spending most of the 2020-21 season playing like a solid mid-table Premier League team on paper, but rarely translating that quality into points, Brighton has started 2021-22 in fine form. Bear in mind the Seagulls finished 16th in the league last season. This season however, Graham Potter’s squad has already taken 10 points (three wins and a draw) from four close matches.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Their offensive output has been meager, but timely – especially that of Neal Maupay, who’s managed four goals on only 11 shots – and a late draw against Crystal Palace on Monday gave them 13 points, only one behind first-place Liverpool.Despite the hot start, statistics agencies such as FiveThirtyEight project Brighton to collect a total of 51 to 54 points and a table finish from ninth to 10th place.NapoliIn Serie A, Napoli is not messing around. A team that has made the biggest statement in Europe early this season. Luciano Spalletti’s side have not yet dropped a point in league play, allowing just two goals in six matches. They rank first in most of attacking categories of play – possession, shots, passing, etc.EUROPA LEAGUE: Napoli lose to Spartak Moscow at home; Olympiacos, PSV and Lyon trash their opponentsThey have been nearly flawless so far and the only loss they suffered was against Spartak Moscow in the Europa League. Brilliant early performances of attackers Lorenzo Insigne (two goals, 18 chances created) and Victor Osimhen (four goals) keep the energy high at Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.But – both Napoli and Spalletti have an issue with keeping the good form over a long period of time. We’ll see if they manage to fight against the past mistakes.EvertonAnother Premier League eye-brow-riser are the Toffees. But this isn’t Everton’s first go-round in the “fast start” department. Last season, Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton with James Rodriguez took 13 points from its first five matches and still stood second in the table close to New Year’s day. However, eventually, they finished 10th.Richarlison: ‘I don’t know what the future holds’Since the current campaign started, they’ve got 13 points in six matches. Rafael Benitez’s first Toffees squad are taking more shots, and better shots, than their opponents, and unlike Brighton they haven’t benefited from close-games luck. They did suffer a setback with a 3-0 loss to Aston Villa, but followed that up with an easy win over Norwich City to stay just one point back of league leaders Liverpool.However, projections do not consider Everton a contender for a Champions League spot – most likely Europa League.Bayer LeverkusenIn Bundesliga, Bayern are expected to be champions and there is nothing new with that. But the teams challenging the Bavarians change from season to season – Dortmund, then Leipzig, then M’Gladbach, Wolfsburg. This season’s pleasant surprise are the pharmacists from Leverkusen.##NAJAVA_MECA_5865245##It was reasonable to expect a slow start from Bayer as well this season. Former Young Boys manager Gerardo Seoane was stepping in as manager, the club sold forward Leon Bailey to Aston Villa, late-August addition from Toulouse, Amine Adli, playing only 66 league minutes.It meant a lot of pressure on forward Patrik Schick and teenager Florian Wirtz in attack – but the team scored at least three goals in three of their last five Bundesliga matches, with Wirtz creating 11 scoring chances to go with an incredible four goals in seven shots. Wirtz is showing incredible potential, still being a teenager, but as soon as Wirtz stops performing at a superhuman level, scoring could become a serious issue. And that is where lies the downfall of Leverkusen.Real SociedadAs with Napoli and Everton, we’ve been here before with Real Sociedad. Last year they led La Liga after 10 matches but collected only seven points from their next nine matches and finished a fifth. This season’s reassuring fact is that they’ve done something that is of underrated value – beating teams they should beat.”Internal war affects the players, Xavi should’t accept Barca’While Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla have all dropped points to lower-light teams – Sociedad took a full 15 points from Rayo Vallecano, Levante, Cadiz, Granada and Elche. Because of it, they now sit second in the table. Will they stay among the top four – it remains to be seen. They’ve bought themselves some margin for error.NiceThe impact of a manager can be put in one short analysis. In 2020-21, manager Christophe Galtier led Lille to 83 points and a surprising Ligue 1 title – winning the league’s Manager of the Year award for a third time – while Nice finished ninth with 52 points. In the following offseason, Galtier took the Nice job and now Les Aiglons are currently fourth in the table. Lille are ninth.##NAJAVA_MECA_5865060##Well-structured in the back (they’ve only allowed three goals to date), active in midfield and incredibly dangerous in transition – Nice have quickly become a Galtier team. Their forwards combined for 11 goals and 23 chances created, and the unique centre back combination of 37-year old Dante and 21-year old Jean-Clair Todibo has held up surprisingly well.Their reach this year is uncertain. It is close to a fact that PSG will, as Bayern in Germany, selfishly hold on to that summit of the domestic league and Nice will hardly manage to overshadow the Saints.HONORARY MENTIONS – Brentford and Rayo VallecanoPremier League newcomers and La Liga yo-yo club have shown much more than anyone thought they would. At least for now.A humbling 3-0 defeat to Sevilla in the opener was the newly promoted Franjirrojos’ second loss in a row to start their latest top-division campaign. They haven’t lost since. In their last five matches, they have risen from 20th to fifth in the table, taking 13 points and outscoring opponents by a combined 13-3.Brentford’s performance against Liverpool proved that there is something more than sheer luck and fortune living at Brentford Community Stadium. They defeated Arsenal and Wolves and held up against the powerful squad of Jurgen Klopp.##NAJAVA_MECA_5865046##Rayo’s lineup is loaded with loanees and cheap or free transfers. Biggest addition – 35-year old striker Radamel Falcao (three goals in just 97 minutes). Like Brentford, Andoni Iraola’s squad cuts off most easy ball progression lanes, gives opponents a majority of the ball and puts together lots of attractive and effective scoring chances.Again as with Brentford, we’re not exactly talking about a top-four contender here. But they’ve gone from projected relegation to a genuine shot at a top-10 finish.
