LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the player vote in the Associated Press Global Football 10 for the first time this season after scoring five goals in a game for Real Madrid.

Ronaldo propelled Real to a 6-0 rout of Espanyol on Saturday and became his team’s highest ever scorer in the Spanish league with 230 goals.

“Cristiano Ronaldo scored five goals against Espanyol and rightfully deserves to enter the pantheon of Real Madrid’s big scorers,” Manos Staramopoulos of Demokratia in Greece said.

Steven Naismith, who scored a hat trick to lead Everton to a 3-1 win against Chelsea, is second and Lionel Messi is third for scoring Barcelona’s winner in a 2-1 victory at Atletico Madrid.

Messi was named on the substitutes’ bench after the recent birth of his second son but came on for the last 30 minutes and completed Barcelona’s comeback from a goal behind with a strike in the 77th minute.

“His entry improved the team and gave life to Barcelona,” Tito Puccetti of ESPN in Argentina said. “It was a celebration for his new son, and for all of Barcelona.”

Eintracht Frankfurt striker Alexander Meier is fourth after also scoring a treble to help his team to a 6-2 win over Cologne.

Neymar polled fifth, after his stunning free kick hauled Barcelona level against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon stadium.

Fredy Gurain, Riyad Mahrez, Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani and Dimitri Payet round out the top 10 players of the week.

Real take team of the week honours for their huge win, edging fierce rival Barcelona.

Everton are third after their emphatic triumph against Premier League champion Chelsea at Goodison Park on Saturday.

“The latest team to humiliate Chelsea was Everton,” Umaid Wasim of Dawn newspaper in Pakistan said.

“It seemed unlikely when Steven Naismith came off the bench in the ninth minute but a resounding team performance and a superb hat trick from the Scot saw them heap more misery on the reigning Premier League champions.”

Inter Milan are fourth after they beat fierce city rival AC Milan 1-0 in Serie A, with Guarin scoring the decisive goal in the 58th minute.

Manchester City polled fifth for continuing their perfect start to the season with a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace.

Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Leicester and Marseille complete the top 10 teams of the week.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015

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