Premier League leader Arsenal failed to secure a win in two consecutive games for the first time this season to bring the title race back to life. Mikel Arteta’s men first stumbled to a surprise 0-1 defeat to bottom-dweller Everton as the Toffees began a new era under Sean Dyche.
Brentford was the next to take the steam out of the sails of the Gunners, with the two settling for a 1-1 draw.
Manchester City’s fortnight was highlighted more by off-field activities as the defending Premier League champion was threatened with punishment for financial irregularities over the last decade. To make it worse, City fell to a 0-1 loss against Tottenham Hotspur, with Harry Kane scoring the winner, before bouncing back with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
Third-placed Manchester United was pushed to the limit by a resurgent Leeds United over back-to-back games between the two, necessitated by rescheduled fixtures.
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At home, the Red Devils had to come from two goals behind to secure a point, while at Leeds, they needed two late goals to secure a scratchy win, with Marcus Rashford continuing his scoring streak, finding goals in both games.
The week’s highlight was Leicester’s 4-1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur. The Foxes, who have had a torrid season so far, were ruthless against Spurs, who were riding high on the City win.
Ligue 1
PSG’s season threatens to be derailed right when it should have been taking off. A shock exit from the French Cup, caused by a 1-2 defeat to Marseille, was quickly followed up by a 1-3 loss to Monaco in the league, without the presence of injured Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. French striker Wissam Ben Yedder led the line for Monaco with a double.
Weaving a magic: Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Jamal Musiala (middle) scores his team’s third goal against Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga. | Photo Credit: AFP
Despite the Monaco defeat, the Parisians still have a five-point lead at the top, thanks to Lyon beating previously second-placed Lens 2-1.
Marseille, with a 2-0 win over Clermont Foot, leapfrogged Lens to be the closest challenger to PSG.
Bundesliga
Bayern Munch returned to form right in time as competition heats up both at the domestic and continent levels.
A chaotic 4-2 win over Wolfsburg away from home was backed up by a more settled 3-0 victory at home against VfL Bochum. A highlight was the magical solo goal from its teenage sensation Jamal Musiala against Wolfsburg, while new signing Joao Cancelo has settled in well at his new side.
The defending champion, though, has to deal with the toughest competition it has to face in over a decade in the league, with surprise package Union Berlin just a point behind, while traditional rival Borussia Dortmund is a further point behind.
Union Berlin came from a goal behind to overcome fellow title contender RB Leipzig away from home to establish its title credentials.
Perfect gift: Napoli’s birthday boy Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrates after opening the scoring against Cremonese at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in Naples, Italy in Serie A. | Photo Credit: AP
Borussia Dortmund’s new teenage sensation Jamie Bynoe-Gittens found the net against Werder Bremen in his side’s comfortable 2-0 win.
La Liga
Barcelona scampered to a fourth 1-0 win in six games in the league as it expanded its lead over second-placed Real Madrid, which added yet another Club World Cup to its showcase.
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Barcelona’s win was aided by a goal from Pedri, who has been in incredible scoring form since the turn of the year, and a solid defensive performance, which was rewarded with a 16th clean sheet of the season in the league.
Memphis Depay picked the right moment to score his first goal in Atletico Madrid colours, as his late strike secured a 1-0 win for Diego Simeone’s side over Celta Vigo.
Serie A
Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia celebrated his 22nd birthday with his ninth goal of the league campaign during his side’s 3-0 win over Cremonese. The Neapolitans, who had earlier beaten Spezia by the same margin, with Kvaratskhelia scoring in that game too, extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to 16 points.
Kvaratskhelia’s strike partner Victor Osimhen, too, found the net in both games as he continued his quest for the golden boot, amidst interest from Manchester United.
Defending champion AC Milan ended its seven-game winless streak across all competitions with an edgy 1-0 win over Torino, thanks to a second-half strike by Olivier Giroud. Roma’s 1-1 draw away at Lecce and Atalanta’s 2-0 win away at Lazio pushed the Champions League spot-chasing pack further together as only two points separate four sides — from third to sixth.
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