Preview : European Football Wrap

Mikel Merino emerged as an unlikely hero this past weekend, scoring a late brace to propel a lacklustre Arsenal to a 2-0 win at Leicester. Arsenal have been hamstrung by injuries in the attacking areas of the pitch (though Arteta had the chance to address that in the January transfer window). In any event, the Gunners started with a front three of Sterling, Trossard and Nwaneri. Sterling was abysmal, while Trossard was far from his effervescent best. Youngster Ethan Nwaneri was their best player on the pitch, cutting in from the right-hand side with a similar sense of purpose to the injured Bukayo Saka. But Arsenal just couldn’t break down a resolute Leicester side, and Arteta was forced to think outside the box, bringing out Mikel Merino in the last 20 minutes to offer more of an attacking threat. And Merino rose to the occasion, showing real striker’s instincts with both of his finishes. Mikel Merino could turn into this season’s Kai Havertz. Bought as Xhaka’s nominal replacement, Havertz stunk out the place in midfield last season, eventually finding some late-season success in an advanced role.

Liverpool were at home to Wolves this last weekend, looking to get back on track after a highly contentious 2-2 draw in last week’s heated Merseyside derby. The Reds could hardly have asked for a better start, with Colombian Luiz Diaz chesting in the opening goal in the 15th minute. Diaz was once again instrumental in Liverpool’s 2nd goal, winning the 37th-minute penalty that Mo Salah would duly convert (his 23rd goal in the Premier League season). Liverpool appeared to be cruising to victory. That was until the much sought-after Mattheus Cunha scored an absolute screamer in the 67th minute, setting up a nervy end for Arne Slot’s would-be champions. Liverpool held on for dear life, with captain fantastic Virgil van Djik putting out fire after fire. It was a gritty piece of rearguard action that reestablished their seven-point lead atop the table.

Inter loses ground to Napoli in pulsating weekend of Serie A football.

This past weekend’s Serie A action saw a host of missed opportunities for those chasing this year’s Serie A crown. Serie A leaders Napoli shared the spoils with top four hopefuls Lazio, drawing 2-2 in a rollercoaster clash at the Stadio Olimpico. Lazio enjoyed the perfect start, with Gustaf Isaksen scoring an absolute rocket in the early stages. Napoli responded in an empathic fashion, with Giacomo Raspadori finishing after a neat interplay with Lukaku (Conte will be hoping that Raspadori fills the significant void left by Kvaratskhelia). Napoli piled on the pressure and went ahead in the 64th minute as Adam Marusic turned the ball into his own net in a scene ripped from a screwball comedy. But Conte dropped too deep in the closing stages and was eventually punished, with Boylaye Dia calmly slotting home in the 87th minute to temporarily dent Napoli’s title charge.

But Simone Inzaghi’s men failed to take advantage of Conte’s ultra-defensive lapse, falling to a 1-0 defeat to Juventus in the latest installment of the Derby d’Italia (they have only won once in their last 12 league visits to Turin). It was quite an open match in the first half, with both Inter and Juventus

spurning great opportunities to take the lead. Denzel Dumfries- who was excellent on Inter’s right-hand flank- really should have given Inter the lead on the stroke of half-time. Inter were left to rue their missed chances as Francisco Conceicao mopped up after some wonderfully dexterous build-up play by Muani. The defeat leaves Inter two points adrift of Napoli in what is turning into a nail-biting Scudetto run-in. The result also came as a welcome boost to Juventus’ top-four hopes. Gasperini’s Atalanta failed to take advantage of the weekend chaos, disappointingly dropping points at home in a tepid 0-0 draw with Caligari.

Bayern contains Leverkusen, essentially ending the Bundesliga title race.

I really thought that Leverkusen would turn on the afterburners and put the fright on Bayern in this year’s title run-in. But Die Werkself has struggled to juggle the dual responsibilities of Champions League football and defending their league title (especially as the injuries mounted up). They were looking for Cupid to send some love their way on Valentine’s Day weekend, knowing that victory over Die Roten would cut the gap to gap to five points (which would still likely be too much for Leverkusen to surmount). To be fair, Leverkusen was the side that asked all the questions at the BayArena, producing 15 shots, while Die Rekordmeister could only muster a measly two. Florian Wirtz was their standout performer, creating several chances with his brilliant vision and silky dribbling abilities. But Vincent Kompany’s side were resolute, riding their luck to take an almost unassailable eight-point lead into this closing stretch of the season. The much-maligned Upamecano was a colossus at the BayArena, snuffing out counterattacking opportunities and generally nullifying Leverkusen with his explosive pace.

Barca reach summit after Madrid sides stumble.

This feels like it could be a crucial moment in this year’s La Liga race. I had written off Barca’s title chances a few months back, essentially saying that their flamboyant, gung-ho style- while entertaining- wasn’t conducive to winning titles. I may have to eat my words on that one. Barca are now top of the table, ahead of Real Madrid by a far superior head-to-head goal difference. Let’s go back to the start. Both Madrid clubs were held to draws on Saturday, opening the door to a marauding Barca to displace them atop the La Liga standings. Carlo Ancelotti will not be pleased with star midfielder Jude Bellingham. Real started much the brighter side at Osasuna, with in-form Kylian Mbappe giving Los Blancos the lead in the 15th minute. But Bellingham threw that advantage away, red-carded in the 39th minute after allegedly having some choice words for the ref. The midfield maestro was sorely missed as Osasuna started to worm themselves back into the game, eventually equalizing in the 58th minute (though a slightly contentious penalty). Barca took full advantage of their great rival’s misfortune, quietly dominating Rayo Vallecano in an efficient 1-0 home victory. Pedri once again ran the show, creating an excellent opening for Lewandowski, Yamal, and Raphinha.

Player of the Week- Omar Marmoush

Omar Marmoush gave the Etihad faithful something to cling to in what has been a miserable season for the four-time defending champs. The Egyptian marksman scored an empathic first-half hat-trick for the Citizens, netting the trio of goals in 14 minutes. Fellow newbie Nico Gonzalez was

almost as impressive, knitting things together in that Rodri role. One thing you have to say about Pep is that he isn’t one to sit around mourning his losses. You can already see the nucleus of next season’s side (though they certainly need to upgrade their defensive ranks if they wish to return to their recent greatness).