Why the November international break has been the best week of the football season so far

'There is a world beyond the Premier League'

Against an English club campaign, that's seen one in five goals scored via corner kicks, and a boringly efficient Arsenal side rise to the top of the table all while barely conceding, this November international break has been an incredible reminder of a forgotten truth: that there is a world beyond the Premier League.

In defence of the international break

If one word summed up the week's action it has to be passion.

Let's begin in Dublin with the Irish national team and the rise of Troy Parrott.

The forgotten ex-Spurs prospect may have scored six times in just seven games for Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar this season, but the reason his name has dominated newspaper back pages this week has been due to his heroics on the national scene.

Capitalising on the first red card Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo has ever received for his nation, the 23-year-old singlehandedly dragged Ireland into the play-offs.

With a brace against Portugal followed by a hat-trick just days later to guarantee a play-off spot, Parrott has written his name in Irish football history forever.

Then take Tuesday night's match between Haiti and Nicaragua.

The island nation, nicknamed 'Le Rouge et Bleu', won 2-0 to guarantee their second spot at a World Cup finals in history, and their first in 50 years.

Nearby neighbours Curaçao have gone one step further, qualifying for their first finals ever, and with a population of just over 150,000 people, they became the smallest country in history to do so.

Over in the Middle East, Iraq set themselves within sight of a first World Cup appearance since the 1980s deep into added time of their match with UAE. Another reminder of the power of football to unite.

Iraq is a country that has been tragically disrupted by war for more than 20 years, which amongst other issues, has seriously stifled local football development, and yet the 'Lions of Mesopotamia' now have as good a shot as many to line up amongst the world's best next summer.

Last but not least there's Scotland.

After a disappointing result at the hands of Greece on Saturday, Scott McTominay and Co. met group leaders Denmark on Tuesday knowing only a victory would be enough to secure automatic qualification.

Via a brilliant bicycle kick, a curling Kieran Tierney effort, and a halfway-line strike — each of which will be in the argument as amongst the best Scottish goals ever — Steve Clark's men did the impossible.

Would anyone really swap those monumental scenes out for an extra round of Premier League fixtures?

Aside from Man United's unexpected loss to Grimsby Town back in August and a few of Arne Slot's big defeats with Liverpool, the Premier League season so far hasn't been unbelievable so far.

Whether as a result of the money involved, or the intense level of competition, there's no arguing that elite Premier League football has declined slightly in terms of entertainment value this season.

So credit where it's due, the international break has been brilliant.

This Saturday, as normally scheduled programming resumes, and Wolves get ready to host Crystal Palace at the Molineux, before Leeds face Aston Villa, my thoughts will still be stuck firmly with some of the week's newfound heroes, counting down the weeks until they're back in action again.

Bring on the play-offs!