Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to the top of the Associated Press Global Football 10 after scoring five goals in Real Madrid’s astonishing 9-1 rout of Granada in the Spanish league.
Ronaldo notched a first-half hat trick in an eight-minute span, and scored twice more in the second half on Sunday in a victory which propelled Madrid to team of the week honors.
“Games like that don’t come along too often,” Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the United States said. “There’s probably a case to be made for just putting 10 Real Madrid players on my ballot. Games like that aren’t a one-man effort.”
Ander Herrera was runner-up to Ronaldo for helping Manchester United establish its place in the top four of the English Premier League with two goals in the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa.
Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski was voted third for scoring in his team’s 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.
Carlos Tevez polled fourth for scoring one and assisting on another as Juventus maintained its 14-point advantage at the summit of Serie A with a 2-0 win over Empoli.
Mesut Ozil was a place behind after his performance and goal, a stunning free kick, in Arsenal’s 4-1 home win against Liverpool.
Eden Hazard, Wayne Rooney, Gonzalo Castro, Blaise Matuidi and Charlie Adam completed this week’s top 10 players.
Arsenal was the runner-up to Madrid for the emphatic victory over Premier League rival Liverpool.
Victory extended Arsenal’s advantage over Liverpool to nine points, and moved Arsene Wenger’s side into second in the league.
Arsenal was seven points behind London rival Chelsea with seven games remaining but voter Tito Puccetti, of ESPN in Argentina, refused to rule out its chances of catching the leader.
“With seven games, Arsenal will attempt an epic close to the season,” Puccetti said. “It seems impossible (to win the Premier League) but it took the first step, thrashed Liverpool, and they are second.”
Paris Saint-Germain, which won 3-2 at Marseille, was third. Laurent Blanc’s side twice came from behind to move five points ahead of its title rival atop the French league.
“Paris Saint-Germain’s victory in Marseille could be decisive in the French championship,” Francois Colin of De Standaard in Belgium said.
Munich polled fourth after victory over Dortmund, while Barcelona was fifth after winning 1-0 at Celta Vigo to keep its four-point advantage over Madrid at the top of the Spanish league.
United, Chelsea, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, and Borussia Moenchengladbach rounded out the top 10 teams.
Associated Press Global Football 10:
Players:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo, 125 points.
2. Ander Herrera, 78.
3. Robert Lewandowski, 68.
4. Carlos Tevez, 65.
5. Mesut Ozil, 57.
6. Eden Hazard, 50.
7. Wayne Rooney, 46.
8. Gonzalo Castro, 42.
9. Blaise Matuidi, 36.
10. Charlie Adam, 27.
Teams:
1. Real Madrid, 107.
2. Arsenal, 93.
3. Paris Saint-Germain, 84.
4. Bayern Munich, 61.
5. Barcelona, 46.
6. Manchester United, 43.
7. Chelsea, 41.
8. Juventus, 40.
9. Bayer Leverkusen, 33.
10. Borussia Moenchengladbach, 33.
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