I think that most Arsenal fans- in their heart of hearts- can acknowledge that Arteta has been the central figure in the club’s recent evolution. He has taken a side resigned to the doldrums of the Europa League and fashioned them into a team capable of competing for top honours.
Gunners’ lack of ambition costs them against City
But I honestly think that he may lack the stomach for taking the final step towards winning major trophies (think Brendon Rodgers at Liverpool). With Liverpool easing past Everton in the Merseyside derby, Arsenal needed to make a statement at home to Guardiola’s under-fire Manchester City side. Lest we forget, Arsenal destroyed City 5-1 at the Emirates last year. But one look at the team sheet told you everything you needed to know about Arteta’s frame of mind: he was too scared of losing that game to win it. With Odegaard injured, this was the perfect chance for Arteta to throw Eze in from the start. But he decided to play Merino there, once again opting for a square peg in a round hole. It’s as if he doesn’t want Eze to outshine the injured Odegaard (who is undeniably one of Arteta’s favourites).
City went ahead through a breakaway goal in the 9th minute, and I just didn’t think that Arteta showed enough desperation to get back int the game. Sure, they did ultimately get the equalizer after Eze (fancy that) deliciously played through Martinelli in the 93rd minute. But it wasn’t the ‘all hands on deck’ onslaught that you would expect from a side playing at home against a wounded City side. Why he took off Madueke will forever remain a mystery to me. Prior to Eze’s introduction, he looked like the most likely scorer on the pitch. Why didn’t Arteta reshuffle his pack and move Madueke onto the left? Trossard was doing nothing and Madueke would have applied pressure in an area of the pitch that has haunted City in recent games. Arteta’s unwillingness to throw caution to the wind in these matches will cost him against this ebullient Liverpool side (like it did against City a few years back).
Bayern maintain relentless start to campaign
Die Roten are on fire this year. Vincent Kompany’s men brushed Chelsea aside in midweek action and decided to freshen things up this weekend, making five changes ahead of their trip to Hoffenheim. It was a seamless transition, as Bayern ran out comfortable 4-1 winners at the PreZero Arena. Harry Kane continued his dominant start to the season, netting an incredible 9th Bundesliga hat-trick, taking the Englishman sharpshooter to eight goals in four league starts! 17-year-old winger Lennart Karl- who became the 2nd youngest starter in the history of the club- was kinetic throughout, setting up Kane for the deadlock-breaking goal. Bayern are firing on all cylinders and it’s going to take a minor miracle to stop them.
Leverkusen continued their stagnant start to the season with a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Mönchengladbach. It looks like traditional title rivals Borussia Dortmund are shaping up to be Bayern’s most legitimate threat. Niko Kovać’s Schwarzgelben enjoyed a swashbuckling end to their 2024/2025 campaign, winning seven of their last eight league games to pickpocket a Champions League spot. Dortmund have started the season in similarly ebullient manner, trailing Bayern by just two points after a workmanlike 1-0 home win over Wolfsburg. Perennially underrated attacking threat Karim Adeyemi scored the match-winning goal, firing in a screamer in the 25th minute. The 23-year-old German looks far more comfortable playing in a front-two then when marooned on the wing.
Real Madrid and Barcelona enjoy comfortable wins
Xabi Alonso inspires quiet confidence. His Real Madrid side enjoyed a comfortable outing on Saturday, easing to a 2-0 home win over a dogged Espanyol side. The match started in cagey fashion, with Real battling to break down a defensively resolute Espanyol. But Los Blancos broke the shackles in unbelievable fashion, with centre-hall Militao firing in a rapier-like 30-yard blockbuster (he may never hit a ball so sweetly ever again). Mbappe almost made it two just shy of the break, failing to connect after some Vinicius Jr wizardry down the lefthand flank. But Mbappe was not to be denied in the end, smashing home the 2nd from range in the 47th minute. Alonso’s side were on easy street from that moment on, cantering home to the 2-0 win. I love the way that Alonso has adapted to life as Madrid manager. He hasn’t tried to force-feed the players his 3-4-3 system, instead evolving on a game-by-game basis.
Hansi Flick’s Barcelona were in more swaggering mood, downing Getafe 3-0 to make it three in a row in all competitions. And to think, they aren’t even playing their home games at the Nou Camp right now (the Catalonian theatre of football is undergoing some renovations). Marcus Rashford- who flourished during the midweek trip to Newcastle- was reportedly benched for this match after arriving late for training. I hope this isn’t the start of another ego-induced downward spiral. Lamine Yamal is currently injured and Rashford may not get a better opportunity to stake a claim for a starting place. In any event, Ferran Torres gave Barca a well-deserved lead in the 15th minute, brushing the ball home after some scintillating interplay between Raphinha and Dani Olmo. Torres made it 2-0 in the 35th minute, giving Flick the opportunity to ring the changes at the break. Rashford came on for Raphinha and made a real impact, tearing down the right before setting up Olmo for the 3rd. Even without the talismanic Yamal, Barca look like legitimate Champions League contenders. Raphinha and Yamal will be jetting off to tonight’s Ballon d’Or ceremony (which online leaks suggest that Raphinha has already won).
Juve draw at Verona, opening door to Conte’s Napoli
I had a feeling that Juventus would struggle in their trip to Verona. Igor Tudor’s side enjoyed a bright start to the season, winning their first three Serie A matches to take an early lead in the Scudetto race. But they were embroiled in a European classic on Tuesday night, scoring twice in injury time to steal a point in a 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund. I figured they would struggle to maintain intensity after such an insane match. Tudor’s side had 75% of the possession at Verona but struggled to create meaningful chances, ultimately settling for a 1-1 draw. Dusan Vlahovic looks like a different player when he starts and was yanked off just before the hour mark. Francisco Conceicao looked impressive on his return from injury, scoring the opener while repeatedly threatening to take on his man. Verona equalized through a 44th minute penalty and Juve lacked the impetus to really push in the 2nd stanza. The result has opened the door for defending champions Napoli, who will look to bounce back from their Champions League defeat to City against newly promoted Pisa tonight.
Player of the Week- Ferran Torres
There was a part of me that wanted to opt for Union Berlin forward Oliver Burke, who used brilliant off-the-ball running to terrorize Eintracht Frankfurt. He scored a tremendous hat-trick, but I have decided to choose one of the more underrated players in European football: Ferran Torres. Affectionately known as the ‘shark’, Torres showed why he has become an indispensable part of Hansi Flick’s plans, netting a brace in Barca’s 3-0 win over Getafe (it would have been three but for the crossbar). The Spanish utility-forward can cover multiple roles, looking as comfortable on the flank as he is invading central areas. His goal-poaching instincts will prove vital, especially when Lewandoski has the odd poor game (as he did last night).
