Damien Kayat looks back at the weekend’s football action which saw Arsenal underline their title credentials, Real Madrid claim bragging rights in the Debry while Juventus and Bayern continue to underperform.
Arsenal are title contenders
Brentford manager Thomas Frank declared Arsenal title contenders in the aftermath of their 3-0 home defeat to the Gunners. And I don’t think that was purely a tactic to distract from a dismal home performance.
There is some meat to the argument. I have said on countless occasions that Mikel Arteta would have been fired about five times at any other top-flight club.
But it would appear that the Kroenke’s are currently being rewarded for their seemingly blind faith in the rookie Spanish coach. I was extremely impressed with how comfortable the win was.
Just contrast this performance with their limp opening day defeat at the same venue last season. Even the excellent Ivan Toney was effectively kept under wraps.
Brentford fans were probably confident that they could physically impose themselves with crosses and long throws. But Arsenal’s defence was airtight. And they were fluid on attack, with the tireless Gabriel Jesus leading the line magnificently.
The fact that they barely missed Odegaard and Zinchenko reflects the impressive depth that Arteta has fostered. City are still title favourites with Erling Haaland currently running amok. But don’t sleep on this Arsenal side. There is a steely resilience to match the swaggering football on display.
"It was a well deserved defeat, we can't argue with that"
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 18, 2022
Thomas Frank on today's Arsenal reverse#BrentfordFC | #BREARS | @pensionbee pic.twitter.com/9VPuKBqz7E
The Old Lady Weeps
Massimiliano Allegri must be feeling the heat after a dismal 1-0 defeat at relegation fodder Monza. Allegri is currently in his second stint at the club.
He previously led the Bianconeri to five consecutive Serie A titles and two Champions League runner-up finishes. But he was canned due to a poor start to the 2019/2020 Champions League campaign.
If that is the precedent- how much more rope does the 55-year-old have? They sit comfortably adrift of top spot in Serie A after three consecutive winless matches. And they also lost their opening two Champions League matches (which included a despairing 2-1 home defeat to Benfica).
It almost feels like circumstance is conspiring against the phlegmatic Italian manager. Paul Pogba’s fitness and current legal drama has left him unavailable since his return from United.
In addition, veteran winger Angel Di Maria didn’t endear himself to the Juventus faithful with a braindead elbow that saw Juventus play the 2nd half with ten men.
I think it’s fair to say that Allegri is possibly one more trainwreck away from potential dismissal.
Monza beat Juventus for their first-ever Serie A win 👏 pic.twitter.com/3MG6AgH07C
— GOAL (@goal) September 18, 2022
Napoli take down Champions
Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli often flatter to deceive when it matters most. But it would appear that they have found a new cutting edge in these marquee fixtures.
Their recent 4-1 home victory against Liverpool was a masterclass in incisive counterattacking football. But many observers felt that they could struggle in their trip to the San Siro this week.
The Rossoneri had been in great form and Napoli talisman Victor Osimhen was set to miss out due to injury. But Napoli came out with purpose and managed to pick up their second huge scalp in as many weeks.
They showed remarkable character to come back after an inspired Olivier Giroud had levelled matters at 1-1. Diego Simeone’s son Giovanni scored the winner in a match that saw the free-flowing Napolitano club go top of Serie A.
It was a doubly crucial win given the shock defeats suffered by both Juventus and Inter. Could this possibly be the season where Napoli finally summon the courage to go all the way?
Napoli hand the defending champions their FIRST loss of the season 🔵🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/oQ3EzKEydL
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) September 18, 2022
Real reign supreme in Madrid derby
It was certainly a day of mixed blessings for the Simeone household. Atletico were looking for a statement victory to really kickstart their slightly stuttering start to the campaign.
And they honestly dominated the early stages of the Madrid derby, keeping Real hemmed in for much of the first half. But Real absorbed the pressure in typical fashion, knowing that their opportunity would come on the counterattack through the likes of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo.
And they duly obliged with two first-half strikes that came against the run of play. It’s become a familiar pattern for Ancelotti’s men. They seem comfortable surrendering possession in these huge matches (just ask Liverpool).
They are confident in their defensive capabilities and ability to hurt teams on the counter. Simeone looks jaded in that Atletico job. The Argentine coach is usually the touchline ringmaster at the Metropolitano Stadium, whipping the crowd into a frenzy at every given moment.
He seemed to cut a far more subdued figure during this encounter. Mario Hermoso had an interesting 20 minutes after coming on as a substitute. He scored a fluke goal with his shoulder before sparking a mass brawl towards the end of the game.
The tempestuous Spaniard was then given his marching orders after Dani Ceballos made the most of a fairly innocuous penalty box incident, resulting in a second booking that just rubbed salt into Atletico’s wounds.
FT #AtletiRealMadrid 1-2
— LaLiga English (@LaLigaEN) September 18, 2022
🤍 @realmadriden come out on top in the Madrid derby!#LaLigaSantander pic.twitter.com/eUMePQ0PZh
Bayern in domestic freefall
Wow, I don’t think anyone saw this coming. Especially after such an assured midweek performance against a resurgent Barcelona. But Bayern’s shock 1-0 defeat to Bavarian rivals Augsburg consigned Die Roten to their fourth consecutive Bundesliga game without victory.
It’s actually their worst domestic run since 2001. Bayern Munich don’t have a reputation for knee-jerk managerial changes. But Julian Nagelsmann must be feeling slightly bewildered as to how his star-studded side have drifted five points behind shock leaders Union Berlin.
They are clearly having to adjust to the post-Lewandowski world. The likes of Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala tend to blow hot and cold. They don’t have the cold-blooded ruthlessness of the aforementioned Polish striker.
And I also think Nagelsmann is perhaps guilty of confusing his players with his various tactical reshuffles. Also, Sadio Mane is starting to look slightly miserable up front.
To be fair, Mane does possess a slightly dead-pan expression at the best of times. But he is starting to look increasingly detached from his teammates after such an encouraging start to the campaign.
Bayern Munich are winless in their last four Bundesliga games 😫 pic.twitter.com/S0I0i7uso4
— GOAL (@goal) September 17, 2022
