European Football Wrap: Arsenal extend Premier League lead to five points, Fermin fires Barcelona to victory at Atletico

Arsenal extend Premier League lead to five points

Liverpool are still figuring things out under Iraola while Brighton are unlikely to go the distance. Arsenal’s 1-0 home win against Hull City was in keeping with their recent spate of uninspired dominance. The Gunners superficially controlled the match, having 19 shots to Hull’s six while enjoying 67% of the possession. But it was turgid possession, and Kai Havertz was a blunt instrument leading the line (how he stayed on for the full 90 mins escapes me). Captain Martin Odegaard broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute, reacting quickest after Tzolakis could only parry Madueke’s effort. It was just reward for Odegaard, who had been the Gunners’ one shining creative light all afternoon. Has there ever been a side with a five-point lead that have looked so bereft of attacking ideas? Though I don’t think Arteta cares one iota.

Fermin fires Barcelona to victory at Atletico

Barcelona needed that. The Blaugrana lost some of their early-season momentum with big-game defeats against PSG and Real Madrid. Doubts crept in, and doubts can fester. Barca needed a big win to nip the flat-track bully talk in the bud. Diego Simeone must have been delighted with the first 44 mins or so. His side exploited Flick’s typical high-defensive line, overrunning the likes of Cancelo and Farinas down that right flank. They surprised the champs with their willingness to play aggressively through the lines. And the first goal was just dripping with the coach’s DNA (quite literally). Lee Kang-in switched the play dramatically from right to left, finding Alvaraz in acres of space down that right-hand side. Alvarez bided his time, waiting for the coach’s son to steal into the box before putting it on a plate for him. Atleti has several chances to double their lead and were made to pay for their wastefulness on the stroke of halftime. Livewire Fermin Lopez showed brilliant instincts to equalize just before the break, pirouetting inside the box before smashing the ball in with his left foot. Lopez completed the comeback in the 66th minute, latching onto a perfectly weighted Lamine through-ball before guiding the ball home. Barca looked impervious from that moment on, keeping their foot on Atleti’s collective throat with their brand of possession-based football. It was the perfect response to Real’s serene 3-0 win at Valencia.

Kane the architect of Bayern’s victory

This has been a surreal post-Ballon d’Or period for living legend Harry Kane. The Englishman won football’s most esteemed individual prize off the back of his goal-scoring gluttony. But he is yet to score a goal since breaking the hearts of Mbappe and Yamal fanboys (0 goals in his last four matches). But he has still been the conductor of the orchestra, creating four assists during the same window. He was similarly influential on Saturday, setting up both Kimmich and Karl in Bayern’s 2-1 win at Mainz. Midfield metronome Joshua Kimmich opened the scoring for the Bavarian giants, latching onto a simple squared ball from Kane before lashing the ball home in the 14th minute. The tone for the game was well and truly set. Mainz thought they had found the equalizer just before the break, before a lengthy VAR decision adjudged Lee Jae-sung to have been marginally offside when the free kick was struck. Bayern rubbed salt into the wounds shortly after the break, with more determined centre-forward play from Kane leading to a tap-in for Lennart Karl. Mainz nodded home a late consolation, but Bayern would not be denied. Dortmund kept the pressure up with a 2-0 home win over fairytale story SV Elversberg, with a Felix Nmecha brace ensuring that they only trail Bayern by goal-difference.

Cristian Chivu’s Inter humble runaway Como train

Como arrived at the San Siro with plausible dreams of creating an upset. Cesc Fabregas’ dynamic, technically assured side created history in their midweek European jaunt, recording the biggest away win in Champions League history with a 9-1 humiliation of Yannick Cahuzac’s Lens. Conversely, Inter were still licking their wounds after being outshone by city rivals AC Milan in last week’s Derby della Madonnina (the 3-0 away win at Feyenoord would have offered minimal consolation). But Chivu’s men virtually sealed the three points in the first 20 minutes, with Pio Esposito and Marcus Thurman catching Como uncharacteristically flat-footed. The result saw the reigning champs pull within just one pont of table-topping Lazio, who could manage a draw at Allegri’s embattled Napoli. Davide Frattesi had fired Lazio ahead in the 28th minute, capping off a quickfire counterattacking move orchestrated by Tijani Noslin. But Lazio pressed the self-destruct button early in the 2nd half, as Alfonzo Pedraza turned the ball into his own net after just coming on as substitute. The Biancocelesti had to dig in to preserve their fragile Serie A lead, with Mandas making several key saves while defender Diego Leite had to pull out the acrobatics to deny Napoli a winner.

Player of the Week- Fermin Lopez

With eight goals and seven assists in all competitions this season, Fermin Lopez is fast becoming one of the most indispensable members of this Barca lineup. The ambipedal Spaniard’s high-octane pressing and off-the-ball running are truly a sight to behold. His ability to pair that hyperactive work-rate with increased productivity is what is setting him apart this season. He was exceptional at Atleti, providing the physical blueprint for the other Barcelona players to follow.