Yahoo Sport 
Revealed: Europe's best team of 2018 so far, packed with Tottenham players - and no City players in sight!
Think you know the best combined team in world football right now? Think again. The stats are out – and some of the shoo-ins are nowhere to be seen.
Those brainiacs at the CIES Football Observatory have been busy digging out the facts and figures from the top five divisions in European football over the past three months.
They have listed the top 10 stars in each position using their unique methodology – taking into account rigour, recovery, distribution, take on, chance creation and shooting. You can read the full list here.
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Only players who played a half or more of eight league games in 2018 have been taken into consideration with rankings provided in all aspects of the game, often depending on where they play.
The clever clogs at the Football Observatory has done the easy bit – we’ve taken over and taken care of the really demanding part!
There will be a lot of crowing from one half of North London at least with a large number of their players in the top ten lists – yet none from Manchester City, or second place United, make it in.
Here’s who has made the cut based on the information gathered.
Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
Statistically, the stopper is on top of the world with an 84.1 per cent ranking but strangely the Frenchman isn’t the story here. Manchester United’s David de Gea doesn’t even make the top ten – controversial!
Left-back: Mario Rui (Napoli)
When a loan deal really works it looks great for the club who took him on – but not for the one who let him go! The Portuguese left-back has been outstanding since joining for the year from Roma.
Centre-back: Davinson Sanchez (Tottenham)
Tottenham really do their homework before signing defenders and Davinson Sanchez at just 21 has incredible potential if his first season if anything to go by. An 88.5 per cent ranking.
Centre-back: Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli)
The Italian title-chasers have another player causing waves. He edges out Thiago Silva of PSG with a ranking of 90.4 per cent.
Right back: Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid)
In an otherwise dreadful domestic season, he’s has never been deserving of any stick. The Spaniard collects an 86.6 and sees of England defender Kyle Walker.
Defensive midfield: Mousa Dembele (Tottenham)
They may end the season without a trophy if they can’t do the business in the FA Cup, but Tottenham have bundles of players in the top team of 2018. Dembele’s 89 per cent stats puts Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic on the sidelines.
Defensive midfield: Toni Kroos (Real Madrid)
According to reports, Manchester United want the German to replace Paul Pogba. Good luck with that! Outstanding for Madrid with a 92.8 – second only overall to that bloke from Barca.
Box-to-box midfielder: Christian Eriksen (Tottenham)
Not three, but four. While Manchester City don’t have a single player in the side, Spurs are the spine. The dynamic Dane rates just a tad under 90 per cent.
Winger: Mo Salah (Liverpool)
Not wingers as such, but you get what they mean. Salah is an easy pick, even considering De Gea didn’t get in. His 89.9 rating underlines his importance to Liverpool, where he has taken no time to settle.
Striker: Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Coming to the end? Not a chance. He is still performing, week in, week out. His 90.8 per cent keeps both Juventus’ Gonzalo Higuain and Harry Kane from making it even more of a Tottenham Hotspur show.
Winger: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Top of the lot in 2018 so far, surprise surprise. His incredible 93.7 rating confirms he is only getting better. The next two in line for the side were Milan’s Turkish star Hakan Calhanoglu and, get, this, Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son.
