It’s now eight games and counting for Atiba Hutchinson and PSV Eindhoven.
PSV are perhaps the hottest team in Europe at the moment as their current eight-game winning streak has seen them open up a three-point lead atop the standings in the Netherlands.
This past Saturday, Hutchinson (above) assisted on a goal as PSV ran roughshod over ADO Den Haag with a 6-1 win in the Hague. PSV have 33 points from 13 games, three more than second-place Twente. Their goal difference stands at plus-37, 19 better than than the chasing side.
Up in England, however, Junior Hoilett seems destined for a relegation battle for the second season in a row. Last year, Hoilett was relegated from the Premier League with Blackburn; this season, he’s rooted to last place with Queens Park Rangers. QPR remain in last with just four points in 12 games after they were beaten 3-1 by Southampton on Saturday. Hoilett did, however, score his second goal of the season for the London-based side.
Down in the Championship, defender David Edgar is finding himself on the bench more often than not after being an everyday starter at the beginning of the season for Burnley. Edgar came off the bench in the 77th minute on Saturday as Burnley slipped to 15th-place with a 1-0 loss to Sheffield Wednesday.
One league lower, Iain Hume and Doncaster Rovers have moved into the promotion picture in League One. Hume scored the only goal on Saturday as Doncaster beat Portsmouth 1-0.
He was in the lineup again and played 68 minutes on Tuesday as Doncaster beat Carlisle United 3-1. With the wins, Doncaster are up into fourth place on 33 points and have a game in hand on the teams ahead.
Meanwhile in England's third flight, Marcus Haber and Stevenage have slipped a little bit. They're down to fifth place after losing their second game in a row on Saturday, with Haber playing 72 minutes in a 4-1 loss to Sheffield United. He also went 70 minutes in Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.
Back on the continent in Germany, forward Olivier Occéan has seen his playing time diminish as he still sits on just one goal in the Bundesliga. Occéan was an 89th-minute substitute for Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday as his team beat Augsburg 4-2.
While Occean may not be scoring, Kevin McKenna is having no problems down in the 2.Bundesliga. The veteran defender scored just three minutes in on Friday for FC Köln as they shut out 1860 Munich 2-0.
Also in Germany's second division, Randy Edwini-Bonsu came on in the 84th minute for league leaders Eintracht Braunschweig as they beat Ingolstadt 3-0 on Saturday. Braunschweig hold a five-point lead over Hertha Berlin.
As Norway's Eliteserien season came to an end on the weekend, Tosaint Ricketts ended his contract with Vålerenga on a high with his first goal for the Oslo club.
Vålerenga finished in eighth place after Ricketts opened the scoring early in the second half but they then conceded twice in a four minute span and lost 2-1 to Viking FK. Ricketts goes back on the market as a free agent at the end of December.
In Cyprus, AEK Larnaca and Issey Nakajima-Farran are back on track after losing their first game of the season a week ago.
Nakajima-Farran came on as a substitute in the 68th minute on Sunday as Larnaca beat the previously unbeaten APOEL 2-1. Defender Mike Klukowski was an unused substitute for APOEL. The teams are now tied for second, three points back of the top spot in the 1. Division.
In Turkey, goalkeeper Milan Borjan couldn’t keep them all out as Sivasspor had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Genclerbirgli. Sivasspor are in 11th place in the 18-team Süper Lig.
In Portugal, Pedro Pacheco and Santa Clara were knocked out of cup contention on Sunday as they were eliminated from the Taça de Portugal with a 1-0 extra-time loss to Tourizense.
