Champions League review: Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling lead the English charge… but could it be curtains for Blues boss Antonio Conte?
This week saw big wins for Tottenham, Man City, Man United and Liverpool, but Chelsea were pummelled in Rome
IT was yet another exciting week in the Champions League, with plenty to get excited about if you're a fan of the Premier League.
Four of our five clubs came away with a win, as only Chelsea dropped points in the latest round of fixtures.
Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham all bagged three points - with Spurs trouncing Real Madrid of all people.
In doing so, the English sides pushed their combined win tally in the 2017-18 tournament to 15... one more than all of last season's competition already.
But what are the biggest talking points from game-week four of this season's Champions League? Find out, below...
Kane More Than Able
It was billed as the shootout between the competition’s two highest goalscorers.
But while Cristiano Ronaldo scored and Harry Kane didn’t, it was the Spurs striker’s performance that stole the headlines.
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Back from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the trip to Old Trafford at the weekend, the England skipper was a constant menace upfront.
He stretched the Madrid defence and tirelessly ran the channels.
While he didn’t get on the score-sheet, his assist for Christian Eriksen’s goal was inch-perfect.
But how bad were Real Madrid?
Poor passing and control, flimsy in defence and largely toothless in attack, it was arguably the worst performance by Los Blancos in the Champions League in recent memory.
It’s been nothing but success and silverware so far for Zinedine Zidane in his first managerial role (seven trophies in 20 months for the record).
Now we’re going to see what he’s really made of.
Young, Gifted and English
Kane’s performance was just one of some stellar showings from England’s youngsters on Europe’s biggest club stage.
Dele Alli was back to his brash best, bagging a brace, while his team-mate Harry Winks bossed the midfield with a maturity way beyond his years.
Over in Italy, meanwhile, Raheem Sterling was simply irrepressible as he tore into the Napoli back line time after time and got the goal he deserved.
Meanwhile John Stones showed once more that he’s got what it takes to step up and deliver in the centre of defence.
It’s proof, if it were needed, that England aren’t short of quality players, they’re just short of someone to get the very best out of them.
City Are The Real Deal
City’s win in Naples not only showed the heightened level at which they’re now playing the game but how they fare when they’re really up against it.
Facing a Napoli side that are unbeaten and top of Serie A and who had lost just two of their last 23 European home games, City were severely tested at times.
But they showed resilience, patience and their customary class to run out 4-2 winners.
Even Pep Guardiola was impressed. "The level of football for a spectator was just amazing, all I could say was 'wow'."
He wasn’t the only one.
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Blue Christmas?
Here’s a prediction – Antonio Conte will not be the Chelsea manager at Christmas.
Yes, he did unbelievably well in his first season in taking the Blues to a well-deserved title.
But there’s something missing this year and the result and, more pertinently, the performance against Roma was simply unacceptable.
We’ve been here before and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is never one to shy away from a big decision.
He's got form in ruthlessly dumping coaches who’ve just won the Premier League.
Nobody’s untouchable. Just ask Jose Mourinho or Carlo Ancelotti.
All Quiet on the Anfield Front
European nights at Anfield are legendary but the atmosphere for the game against Maribor was flatter than the Netherlands.
OK, so the opposition weren’t up to much and the result was a foregone conclusion.
But when even Jurgen Klopp, officially the most enthusiastic man in the sporting world, is commenting on the problems with the atmosphere then you know all is not well at Anfield.
Roy Keane said he wouldn’t watch Liverpool “if they were playing in his back garden”.
Nor would I, although my garden is tiny so I’m not sure it would adhere to the regulations governing pitch sizes in all fairness.
