Damien Kayat looks back at an action-packed weekend of European football which saw wins from Bayern and Arsenal, while Napoli also moved closer to the Scudetto in Serie A.
Arsenal soar while City scrap
It was as you were in the Premier League title race, with the Gunners and the Cityzens picking up contrasting victories on the road. City were made to toil at bogey side Crystal Palace.
They had an utter hegemony on possession and Palace actually offered very little on the counterattack. But for all their creative endeavour, Guardiola’s men had to rely on an 78th penalty to seal all three points.
There’s something a bit predictable about their current attacking patterns. Still, something has to be said for title-winning know-how and Guardiola has that in spades.
In stark contrast, Mikel Arteta’s side played some swashbuckling football with an emphatic 3-0 win at Fulham. Many doubted the signing of Leandro Trossard, thinking he was a cut-rate version of Mudryk or Gakpo.
But the Belgian international has perfectly highlighted the value of Premier League experience, fitting in seamlessly to this impressive Arsenal unit. He provided three assists as Arsenal barely broke a sweat at Craven Cottage.
So, what will prevail this year: old-school know-how or swashbuckling football and the exuberance of youth? The latter would certainly make for a better story.
Liverpool’s Jekyll and Hyde act in full swing
I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to currently be a Liverpool fan. How do you follow up that monumental 7-0 victory against the Man United (the old enemy)?
You lose 1-0 at Bournemouth (who at the time of kick-off were rock-bottom of the log). It’s truly mind-boggling. This weekend could not have gone any worse ahead of their trip to the Bernabeu. But lazy defending from Alexander Arnold and Van Djik allowed Phillip Billing to drift into the box to score the winner.
I was just amazed at how insipid they were in attack. Nunez was awful on the left-hand side while Salah had arguably his worst game of the season (a fact highlighted by a fairly comical penalty miss). The introduction of Diego Jota provided some impetus to the attack.
I really think there is a degree of complacency- bordering on arrogance- when Liverpool take on the Premier League minnows. It will be interesting to see which Liverpool side will turns up in Spain this week.
Die Roten pull ahead
After a stoically professional Champions League performance against PSG, you just got the impression that Julian Nagelsmann’s side wanted to enjoy themselves a little this weekend.
Their 5-3 victory against Augsburg was the complete antithesis of that cool European display. Nagelsmann employed a 3-1-4-2 formation that saw Sane and Musiala bursting through the middle. Alphonso Davies and Joao Cancelo both scored from their respective wings in a free-flowing performance that wasn’t without its defensive hiccups.
To be honest, I think many in the Allianz Arena didn’t mind seeing such a seesaw encounter. It showcased a Bayern side that- though not perfect- is quite prepared to back itself in a basketball scenario. The result saw them pull two points clear of eternal rivals Borussia Dortmund.
The Blacks and Yellows failed to take advantage of leading twice in the 100th edition of the Revierderby, ultimately drawing 2-2 with Schalke 04. It wasn’t exactly the ideal tonic for a Dortmund side still reeling from an uninspired Champions League defeat at Chelsea. They can ill afford any more slip-ups if they wish to usurp Bayern’s German crown.
Napoli cruising to Scudetto
What more is there to say about this gallant Napoli side? They bounced back from their defeat to Lazio- only their 2nd defeat of the season- with a comfortable 2-0 home victory against European hopefuls Atalanta.
It extended Napoli’s Serie A lead to a virtually insurmountable 18 points. They were obviously aided by Inter’s shock defeat at Spezia on Friday Night. But perhaps the craziest result of the weekend came at the Stadio Olimpico.
Jose Mourinho’s Roma were dealt a huge blow in their quest for Champions League football, going down 3-4 at home to Sassuolo. Mourinho was spared the indignity of viewing the performance at close quarters due to a touchline ban.
t was a tempestuous encounter that had a bit of everything. Armand Lauriente scored a magnificent brace for the visitors while Marash Kumbulla was sent off for an impetuous kick-out at Berardi.
It’s interesting that Italian football- so long celebrated as the bastion of defensive rigidity- has turned into such a rollercoaster ride this year. Perhaps that’s due to a combination of Juventus’ current instability and the devil-may-care approach of leaders Napoli.
All set for El Clasico
Real Madird and Barcelona both picked up victories ahead of next weekend’s crunch El Clasico. Xavi’s Barcelona registered a club record 9th 1-0 victory of the season. Interestingly, it was the 2nd consecutive week where they won 1-0 with Raphinha scoring the winner.
These gritty performances have been sorely lacking in recent seasons and speak volumes to the organizational skills of Xavi and co. Los Blancos picked up a far more convincing 3-1 victory against Espanyol.
It was a solid team performance ahead of what should be a procession against Liverpool (though you never know against those pesky Reds). Nacho and Militao were a solid centre-half combination while Vinicius Jr was once again a menace going forward.
Next week’s El Clasico has the makings of a classic. Victory for Barcelona will all but ensure La Liga success. But Real Madrid could cut Barcelona’s lead to six points with victory.
They will be hoping to score an early goal against Liverpool this week, freeing them up to potentially protect some players ahead of that vital domestic appointment.
Player of the Week – Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored another picture book goal to add to his incredible portfolio this season, jinking in and out of three players to register his 32nd goal contribution in 33 matches this season. With Man City and Arsenal reportedly circling the Georgian like avid helicopter parents, one wonders what price Napoli will put on their creative nexus.
