The Premier League season is only three months old, but this weekend will have given us some indication of what May will look like. Manchester City? They are no longer top of the table after losing to AFC Bournemouth. arsenal? They failed to even make the top four after losing to Newcastle United.
All of this is illustrated by the events in Spain, where floods killed more than 200 people. The meetings between Valencia and Real Madrid and Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano were postponed, but the remaining La Liga matches went ahead.
Meanwhile, in the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen can’t shake the feeling that they are not themselves. Last year’s shock title winners were held to a goalless draw against VfB Stuttgart and are now seven points off the top of the table.
What else happened in Europe this weekend? ESPN’s Weekend Review celebrates competition from every continent.
Key Takeaways: An early twist in the title race?
It’s still too early to talk about the defining moment of the season. but A lot happened this weekend when it comes to the best teams and top positions.
Manchester City were the leaders heading into Gameweek 10, the only team in the Premier League still undefeated. But a very timid performance after 80 minutes at Bournemouth, injuries (John Stones, Rodri, Ruben Dias, Jack Grealish, Sabinho, Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku were on the bench but not fully fit) and a lack of creativity. There was. Most of the game meant a deserved 2-1 defeat.
It also means Liverpool’s difficult win over Brighton & Hove Albion saw them top the table, two points ahead of City, with a goal coming in the last 20 minutes to win 2-1. The weekend was perfect for the Reds as they also saw Arsenal drop off.
The Gunners were not ready for that at Newcastle and immediately went down 1-0. Declan Rice missed a huge opportunity to earn a draw in the final minutes of the game. Mikel Arteta & Co. have now gone three games without a win in the league and currently sit fifth behind Nottingham Forest and Chelsea.
Best match: Spurs 4, Villa 1
Dominic Solanke, who has gone 300 minutes without a goal in all competitions, ended Tottenham Hotspur’s goal drought at home to Aston Villa, who took the lead but wasted too many chances while Tottenham were aloof in front of goal. . (Proven to score 4 goals against expected 2.63)
Best Goal: Aina vs. west ham
Ola Aina doesn’t score many goals as a right-back for Forest, let alone with his left foot. So the 28-year-old will forever be remembered for his goal against West Ham United on Saturday. It doesn’t get much sweeter than a 20-yard strike near the top corner.
Weekend MVP: Milos Kerkes
In nine Premier League games this season, Kerkes has failed to provide a single assist to a team-mate. In 90 minutes against Manchester City, the league’s best team for the past four seasons, he set up both Bournemouth’s goals in a historic victory for a club that had never beaten City in their history. — Julien Lawrence
Highlights: La Liga continues as floods ravage Spain
Football matches have been put on the back burner after flooding hit eastern Spain this weekend, killing more than 200 people and leaving many more missing. La Liga responded by postponing Valencia and Villarreal’s home games against Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano respectively, but the remaining eight top-flight fixtures went ahead as usual. However, many felt that all games this weekend should be cancelled.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone said it was “nonsense” to play football given the games taking place in the Valencia region and elsewhere. Girona’s Miguel Gutiérrez dedicated his goal to a friend whose mother is still missing. Osasuna coach Vicente Moreno watched his team win 1-0 against Real Valladolid on Saturday before heading south to his hometown of Massanaça to help with clean-up efforts in one of the country’s hardest-hit areas. Injured Valencia forward Ferran Torres says he does not have the energy to get on the pitch to support his teammates during Sunday’s game against Espanyol.
La Liga president Javier Tebas insisted the show must go on. “I believe the best message is to not stop except in the affected areas,” he posted on X. “The best message is to be on the front lines, work like everyone else in every other field, provide visibility (events), generate resources, and explain to the world that we all need to work together to move forward.”
Best match: Girona 4, Leganes 3
Girona scored seven goals against Leganés in Montilivi, overcoming the longest injury list in LaLiga to win 4-3. They were ahead 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2 but held on until the end of the encounter when both teams lifted the handbrake. Girona’s full-backs Gutierrez and Arnau Martinez, who performed outstandingly, were among the scorers.
Best Goal: Kubo vs. Seville
A brilliant individual effort from Takefusa Kubo gave Real Sociedad a 2-0 win over Sevilla. The Japan international received the ball on the right, drifted inside past two defenders and fired a left-footed shot past Alvaro Fernandez from 15 yards. An honorable mention for Munir El Haddadi’s long-range ripper for Leganes set off a frantic finale against Girona.
🇯🇵 Take Kubo with you 🇯🇵#LALIGAhighlight | #Sevilla FC Real Sociedad pic.twitter.com/MUrChKRmcm
— La Liga English (@LaLigaEN) November 3, 2024
Weekend MVP: Dani Olmo
Olmo scored a brace in his first La Liga start in over a month as Barca beat Espanyol 3-1 in the Catalan derby to take a nine-point lead. Both the first goal after a beautiful Lamine Yamal pass and the second from the edge of the box were well-constructed, improving the Spanish star’s impressive goalscoring record this season. In five La Liga appearances he has already scored five times and averages 1.67 goals per 90 minutes. — Sam Marsden
Key takeaway: Leverkusen don’t see themselves
Bayer Leverkusen’s title win last season created a huge story and seemed to revitalize the Bundesliga. championship trophy It finally broke. However, as Leverkusen performed excellently under the guidance of Xabi Alonso in the 2023-24 season, Workself He seemed much more vulnerable after the summer break.
With several key players not at their best and defensive deficiencies hampering the team, Leverkusen look far from dominant. Friday’s goalless draw with VfB Stuttgart was disappointing. Despite outscoring the visitors 19-4, they failed to convert any chances.
It should be kept in mind that Alonso’s side have had a number of last-minute wins over the past 12 months. But at some point, a team that relies on those miraculous late goals will eventually see them dry up and points start to fall.
After nine days of matches, Leverkusen are only fourth in the Bundesliga standings. Meanwhile, Bayern were able to extend their lead at the weekend with a 3-0 win over Union Berlin, while RB Leipzig lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund. Perhaps Leverkusen’s win was just a one-off, but it is still too early to tell how the title race will unfold.
Best match: Frankfurt 7, Bochum 2
Eintracht Frankfurt have finally caught fire under manager Dino Topmöller. The former UEFA Europa League winners have lost only twice this season and are showing increasing attacking prowess. Frankfurt scored four goals in the first 21 minutes, almost destroying last-place VfL Bochum’s hopes of reaching their second goal of the season on Saturday. Bochum started a small comeback by scoring two goals after the break, but Frankfurt’s attack, led by striker Omar Marmouch, was too strong.
0:26
Alexander Nübel made a great save.
Alexander Nübel made a great save.
Best Goal: Amura vs. Augsburg
VfL Wolfsburg avoided home defeat against FC Augsburg thanks to a superb goal 10 minutes from the end of the game. Joachim Maele received a cross on his chest before giving the ball to striker Mohamed Amura, who used the outside of his boot to strike the top right corner, leaving Augsburg goalkeeper Nediliko Lavrovic no chance to prevent Wolfsburg from scoring. It was a rare highlight moment in an otherwise boring game.
Weekend MVP: Alexander Blessin
St. Pauli’s latest Bundesliga effort has not started as smoothly as expected. The Hamburg club needed to replace manager Fabian Hürzeller, who decided to leave after getting the team promoted and joining Brighton. Blesin gained notoriety last season as manager of Belgian club Royal Union St Giloise, before moving to St Pauli. But the new manager needed time to find the right balance between his trademark pressing football and a more cautious approach. A similar style to the team with a somewhat weaker team. Saint Pauli were a fairly dominant team in the 2. Bundesliga, but they had to change their style somewhat in the Bundesliga. An impressive 2-0 win at TSG Hoffenheim lifted St Pauli out of the relegation zone for the time being. That win came after an encouraging performance in the DFB-Pokal for Leipzig, but the way Leipzig’s second-line attack dominated St. Pauli’s defense highlighted that Blesin will need to be creative if he is to lead his team to victory. . — Konstantin Eckner
What else did you miss this weekend?
All attention is focused on Amorim’s spotting.
All eyes were on Ruben Amorim in Lisbon on Friday. He took charge of the match against Sporting CP’s Estrella Amadora after being appointed as Manchester United’s new manager, but once again the spotlight was taken away from Victor Sjokeres. The Swedish striker scored four goals in the 5-1 win and took his tally to 16 wins from 10 in the league as the Portuguese champions won 10 straight to start the season.
This form is what led Manchester United to sign Amorim this week. Amorim has taken charge of Sporting for two more games, starting with Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday. This match will pit two of Europe’s best marksmen against each other in Gyökeres and Erling Haaland. If the former can perform against City, United fans will have more reason to dream of Amorim bringing him to Old Trafford. — Marsden
What does Lijnders’ future hold at Klopp’s Red Bull?
For many years, RB Salzburg dominated the Austrian Bundesliga, with the likes of Jesse Marsch and Marco Rose making occasional standout performances in European competition. But after losing to Sturm Graz in last season’s Austrian Championship, this year looks set to be another disappointment.
Now coached by former Jurgen Klopp assistant Pepijn Lijnders, the side have lost all three of their Champions League games without scoring in the first few months, including a 5-0 loss to leaders Sturm Graz. We had a difficult time, including losing points in the domestic league. .
On Saturday, Lijnders faced recently promoted Grazer AK and were essentially in a must-win situation. Salzburg failed to score and were held to a draw with GAK, leaving the 17-time champions in third place, eight points behind Sturm Graz. Even though there are two games left. But Lijnders’ future could be uncertain if Salzburg suffer another Champions League defeat against Feyenoord on Wednesday.
Considering the fact that Klopp will soon take up a new role as head of global football at Red Bull, it will be interesting to see how the former Liverpool manager handles the future of his former assistant. — Eckner
