Prolific striker David Villa proved us wrong by pulling off a fine performance yesterday capped with the winning goal at Genoa and allowing Valencia to qualify top of the group to the knockout stage of the Europa League (2:1). Villa has now re-claimed the top spot in the FTBL absolute ranking with a score of 213.03 points, more than any other player in the world at the moment.

Despite a missed penalty, Villa’s last-minute goal earned him a solid bonus of 12 rating points in the FTBL system. He has now extended his goal-scoring run to 6 games.

In the next La Liga game against Deportivo La Coruña, Villa will face a hurdle of 22.40 points. To earn a bonus in our system, he will have to score again. But in reality, the leadership in the ranking will depend more on how his main rivals fare in their respective league games. A goal will, nonetheless, make Villa feel more secure at the top.