EUROPEAN FOOTBALL WRAP: Bayern crowned Champions as Dortmund let title slip, Everton are safe and more!

Arsenal thump Wolves while City stumble

The Gunners were left to rue what might have been this weekend, rediscovering their mojo a little too late as they destroyed Wolves 5-0. Granit Xhaxa scored a brace in what was likely his final game in an Arsenal shirt.

It will be interesting to see how the Swiss midfielder is regarded in seasons to come. Infamously drafted in by Wenger instead of N’Golo Kante, Arsenal’s post-Wenger malaise correlates nicely with his arrival at the club.

But Xhaka stans will likely point to his revival this year and say that was the real Granit all along. Arteta gave him free rein, allowing him to play in a more advanced role ala Frank Lampard. But I still can’t help but look at his entire Arsenal tenure as a bit of a slow-motion failure.

Be that as it may, Arsenal gave their home supporters a good send-off with a rather bittersweet final-day win. Ultimately it didn’t matter that City lost at Brentford (particularly with the rampant squad rotation deployed by Pep).

But they must be careful that they don’t precious momentum heading into those upcoming cup finals. Liverpool’s 4-4 draw at a relegated Southampton was the perfect microcosm of their stuttering campaign. It featured all the attacking flamboyance whilst also showcasing the midfield and defensive fragility that Klopp needs to address.

Everton survive nervy final day

The Premier League survival race really went down to the wire this year, with Everton hanging on for a nerve-jangling 1-0 win over Bournemouth at Goodison.

The result ensured that they remain one of only six clubs to never suffer Premier League relegation. And what a goal by Doucorue! He will never hit a ball sweeter or score a more important goal in his footballing career.

But let’s spare a thought for Leicester and Leeds. Leicester City have suffered relegation just seven years after Claudio Ranieri did the unthinkable by winning the Premier League title. How did this talented side go so awry?

I personally think they took too long to sack Rodgers. He had brought true stability to the club, leading them to an FA Cup and at one point securing back-to-back 5th place finishes. But I never really got the impression that he had any clue how to negotiate the perils of a relegation dogfight.

And Sam Allardyce proved that the days of hiring a hardman to ensure survival by sheer force of will are over. There is too much depth and coaching acumen in this league to get by with passion alone. Sure, Sean Dyche ultimately got Everton over the line. But Dyche’s pragmatic style is actually well attuned to the DNA of Everton Football Club. Leeds play an open brand of football that Allardyce just couldn’t get to grips with.

Giroud decisive again

Whatever your opinion on Olivier Giroud, you can’t deny his ability to produce on the biggest stage. And he came through trumps again this weekend, scoring a fantastic header to decide the titanic clash between Juventus and AC Milan.

It was a hugely consequential goal that secured the Rossoneri a place in next season’s Champions League. It was the perfect tonic to their scandalous Champions League semi-final defeat to bitter rivals Inter. Simone Inzaghi must be pleased that the top four race is done and dusted.

This gives the Inter boss the opportunity to rest some players during this week’s trip to Verona. He must be secretly delighted with his club’s momentum ahead of that Champions League final clash with Man City.

They defended their Coppa Italia last week, with Lautaro Martinez continuing his brilliant post-World Cup form with a match-defining brace. Martinez, Lukaku and Dzeko all seem to be finding real form and Inzaghi will have some decisions to make in Istanbul.

Rodrygo brace keeps Real four points clear of Atletico

Carlo Ancelotti’s Los Blancos side could have easily thrown in the towel following that chastening defeat in Manchester. But they showed real grit and determination to come back from a goal down at Europa League finalists Sevilla.

Vini Jr missed out due to a knee issue (though I would suggest that the whole racism furore probably played some part in his absence). Rodrygo stepped up brilliantly in the absence of his compatriot, scoring a terrific free-kick before adding a sensational counterattacking goal.

For their part, champions Barcelona looked back to their best at home to Mallorca. They played some absolutely electrifying passing football, piercing Mallorca’s low-block at will in the first-half. A 3-0 scoreline actually flattered the mid-table side.

Ansu Fati and Robert Lewandowski linked up brilliantly, with the former’s pace dovetailing brilliantly with the Pole’s hold-up play and all-round vision.

Dortmund do what Dortmund do

I had a feeling this was going happen. Despite two managerial changes and a dire European capitulation, Bayern Munich went on to grab their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title this week.

Jamal Musiala scored a late winner that helped propel Die Roten to a 2-1 victory over Koln. It was a hollow win, with Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic being unceremoniously axed amidst the celebrations.

But Bayern’s victory wasn’t the story of the day, as Edin Terzic’s swashbuckling Dortmund side suffered yet another implosion with the title in their hands. They just needed to win to secure their first title since the 2011/2012 season. But the Blacks and Yellows started disastrously against Mainz, going two goals down in less than half an hour.

There was also an internal penalty scuffle amongst the Dortmund players (never a good sign). Sebastian Haller would go on to miss that spot-kick (again, a poor sign). Dortmund regained parity in the match but were ultimately unsuccessful in their quest to dethrone the Bayern monolith. You have to ask yourself: if they couldn’t win this year, when will they end this Bayern dominance?

Player of the Week – Harry Kane

I would argue that Harry Kane’s goal-scoring exploits this season have been even more impressive than that of Erling Haaland. His final-day brace at Leeds took his 2022/2023 Premier League goal tally to 30.

And that for a team that has been fundamentally underperforming throughout the entire season. He became only the 2nd man in history to score 30+ goals in two different seasons (he also achieved that feat in the 2017/2018 season).

Remarkably, neither of these 30+ campaigns resulted in a Golden Boot: Salah pipped him to the post in 2017/2018 while Haaland obviously won the honour this year. It makes you wonder where on earth this Spurs would have been without the England captain.

I think that most Spurs fans wouldn’t even begrudge him a move to Old Trafford. If there’s any player that deserves a piece of silverware: it’s Harry Kane.