We’re into November and roughly one-third by way of the 2025-26 European membership season … so what did this weekend give us?
We had Chelsea dominating Tottenham in one of the lopsided 1-0 outcomes you’ll ever see. (No, severely: examine the stats!) Oh, and Erling Haaland scored two extra targets — taking him to 13 within the Premier League already — as Man Metropolis cruised previous Bournemouth to take second place within the desk behind the tremendous spectacular Arsenal, who additionally gained this weekend to consolidate their maintain on the highest spot.
Elsewhere, Actual Madrid and Barcelona navigated tough “entice video games” forward of midweek Champions League motion with spectacular wins, and Luciano Spalletti started his tenure as Juventus supervisor with a victory. Oh, and we’ve obtained speaking factors galore for Manchester United (who rallied to attract Nottingham Forest), Paris Saint-Germain (who wanted a late purpose to beat Good), Liverpool (who once more benched Florian Wirtz in halting their shedding slide), Arsenal (whose set-piece prowess carried them to a different spectacular win), Bayern Munich (who rested stars and nonetheless thrashed Bayer Leverkusen), and a lot extra.
It’s Monday morning, so what higher time for some musings? Let’s get into it.
Like, are they really good? Are they going to get the place Thomas Frank desires them to go? And is it really a spot they wish to be?
Neglect the desk. Yeah, I do know it supposedly “doesn’t lie,” however in truth, it’s an enormous, fats Pinocchio. It says Tottenham are fifth within the desk and given they completed one spot above relegation final yr, it will counsel a large enchancment. However for those who watch them play, you’re simply unsure.
– Olley: Spurs regarded inept vs. Chelsea. Is Frank responsible?
– Ogden: Grading the highest six after 10 PL video games
– VAR Evaluation: Explaining why Man United scored from a nook
Since mid-September, Spurs have gained solely three of their 10 video games. One was a cup recreation in opposition to Doncaster, who sit two divisions under them. One other was a 2-1 win at Leeds with not one, however two deflected targets, and the third was away to Everton, in a bizarre match that noticed Micky van de Ven rating off two set items in opposition to a facet that defended like backyard gnomes and Guglielmo Vicario make two highlight-reel saves. Solely 4 groups have a decrease xG from open play — aside from Mohamed Kudus, who generally gives the look he’s unaware that he has teammates, their attacking gamers are all stinking it up or injured.
In the event you solely noticed the rating, you’d suppose the Chelsea recreation was a hard-fought derby that Enzo Maresca’s males simply edged. Watch the highlights, although, and also you’ll see one of the one-sided performances in current historical past, with Vicario simply Man of the Match and Chelsea — with all their foibles and damage — racking up a whopping 3.68 anticipated targets. What you wouldn’t see a lot of is Spurs taking pictures: they managed three, all of them from Kudus, for an xG of 0.10.
Positive, they’ve accidents, and that’s a mitigating issue for Frank. However additionally they have an enormous squad, so it could’t be an exoneration. He’s the one selecting the wacky lineups and tactical approaches; stuff that labored at Brentford and put him on the footballing map isn’t working in any respect proper now.
On high of that, Frank, a likeable and trustworthy man who mentioned he was “burning inside” on account of that horrendous efficiency, needed to stick up for 2 of his gamers (Van de Ven and Djed Spence) after they snubbed him by ignoring him when he requested them to go and thank the followers. He referred to as it a “small difficulty,” and a phalanx of ex-pros on my TV talked about how they “simply needed to get down the tunnel.” Nicely, no: They’re professionals, and if you carry out like that, solely to let your teammates go and face the abuse and anger from the followers, you let all people down.
I don’t know if his gamers reply higher to carrots or sticks. But when he has to bash some heads collectively, so be it.
As for Chelsea? They regarded nice, they did so with out Cole Palmer, and no one obtained despatched off. That’s an enormous step in the fitting route. However days like these, actually, are way more about one group’s futility than one other group’s excellence.
In the event you’re studying this, you most likely know my view on Spalletti as a match for Juve proper now.
That mentioned, regardless of only one coaching session beneath his belt, he provided just about all the pieces most neutrals needed from him in Juve’s 2-1 win at Cremonese on Saturday.
Two strikers (Dusan Vlahovic and Loïs Openda)? Test.
Manuel Locatelli pulling the strings (let bygones be bygones)? Test.
A house for Teun Koopmeiners aside from the bench that truly permits him to contribute? Test. (Admittedly, placing him at left-sided middle again was very a lot a left-field, Spalletti-esque transfer.)
Cremonese could also be newly promoted, however that they had misplaced simply as soon as (to Inter, away) all season. Juve had been unfazed regardless of the circumstances, took an early lead and by no means regarded again. Even up a purpose, they saved looking for the second, which is strictly what a membership like theirs must be doing.
Positive, there are nonetheless loads of questions. Kenan Yildiz was unavailable: the place does he match when he returns? How quickly earlier than there’s friction once more with Locatelli? What occurs if Spalletti glitches and tantrums once more, like he did in his previous two jobs? How did Federico Gatti permit himself to get road-graded by Jamie Vardy?
On the similar time, his tenure couldn’t have begun any higher. Let Spalletti work.
This isn’t to say Metropolis are one-dimensional — simply that they know the best way to discover and exploit opposing weaknesses. We’ve (accurately) praised Andoni Iraola and his Bournemouth facet to excessive heaven, however Metropolis managed to make them look foolish on Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s facet wasn’t obsessive about possession (simply 48% at residence), opting as an alternative for directness and one-touch soccer to interrupt the opposition’s trademark press. Oh, they usually have Haaland, who scored twice.
Each his targets — he’s as much as 26 on the season for those who embrace his video games with Norway, which is simply absurd — got here after he raced previous Bournemouth’s very excessive line as soon as Metropolis broke the press with intelligent touches from Rayan Cherki. Haaland most likely ought to have had a 3rd and Nico O’Reilly, who made it 3-1, may have had one other too. The Guardiola of 15 years in the past wouldn’t acknowledge this group as his personal, however that’s what nice coaches do. They evolve and adapt based mostly on the expertise obtainable.
– Response: Can Haaland’s targets propel Man Metropolis to title?
A phrase on Bournemouth’s purpose, too, which so infuriated Guardiola after David Brooks appeared to carry Gianluigi Donnarumma’s arm on the nook resulting in Tyler Adams volleying residence the free ball. Donnarumma was booked, and the standard parade of pundits talked concerning the keeper “needing to be stronger.” My impression is that Brooks launched his maintain earlier than Donnarumma went for the ball, so I’m unsure how a lot he was impeded.
The broader level is that this: Why will we permit one thing on a set piece that we’d not permit elsewhere on the pitch? In what world are you able to simply hook an opponent’s arm — ball in play or not — and get away with it?
The veteran French worldwide scored this weekend to make it 3-0 in an Atleti win that retains them in fourth place, some extent behind Villarreal. Extra importantly, it was Griezmann’s two hundredth top-flight purpose of his profession, which is fairly distinctive when you think about he’s actually not a middle ahead. He’s eleventh all-time and if he sees out his contract at Atleti, you can see him breaking into the highest 10.
We’ll by no means know, in fact, however you marvel how totally different his story may need been if, 20 years in the past at age 14, he hadn’t taken the brave step of transferring to Spain and becoming a member of Actual Sociedad’s academy. It was a courageous choice that labored out. One which didn’t, in fact, was transferring to Barcelona in 2019 and being caught up in a nightmarish two seasons. When he lastly returned to Atleti, I feel it’s honest to say, everybody was pleased.
Griezmann’s position now’s diminished on the pitch, however within the dressing room he continues to loom massive. And so he ought to. Together with Diego Simeone on the bench, and Koke and José María Giménez on it, he epitomizes Atleti proper now.
10. Vincent Kompany’s decisions vindicated as Bayern Munich rout Bayer Leverkusen: We might name it “rotation,” however he calls it “competitors.” Both manner, with the massive Champions League conflict in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain developing in midweek, Kompany made seven modifications for the go to of Bayer Leverkusen (Harry Kane, Dayot Upamecano, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise had been among the many regulars on the bench) and it was recreation over by half-time, as Bayern went 3-0 up.
Kompany couldn’t have requested for way more. Nico Jackson obtained his first league purpose in a Bayern shirt, whereas kids like Tom Bischof and Lennart Karl confirmed they will cling with the grown-ups. The profitable streak is now as much as 15 in 15 (all competitions) and, lest you overlook, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala are coming back from damage subsequent month.
9. Relentless Arsenal go into cyborg mode at Burnley: OK, when your opponent — at residence and two targets down after 35 minutes — solely shoots on purpose with lower than 20 minutes to go (thanks, Zian Flemming), it could imply something from you’re enjoying somebody horrible, your defending is superlative or one thing in-between. I’ll allow you to resolve what the case was in opposition to Burnley, however suffice to say Arsenal had been by no means at risk of dropping factors.
The opener got here courtesy of Viktor Gyökeres, however actually credit score ought to go to Gabriel, the last word set-piece weapon. And by the way in which, certain — credit score no matter egghead designs Arsenal’s set-pieces, however you additionally want execution and when it comes to each supply (normally Declan Rice) and profitable the primary ball (normally Gabriel), they’re second to none. This issues as a result of any facet price their salt have sufficient tape on Arsenal to know what’s coming. That it’s nonetheless efficient is all the way down to the gamers.
They’re six factors clear on the high of the desk and Arteta has each motive to be bullish as a result of they’re nowhere close to their ceiling from open play: Rice’s purpose was their first on the street subsequent season. That’s kinda scary for his or her rivals.
8. Actual Madrid take pleasure in consecutive enjoyable and straightforward wins, and it’s been some time since we mentioned that: We praised Actual Madrid after the Clasico and on Saturday, in opposition to an opponent many rungs under Barcelona in Valencia, they saved up the momentum. That’s removed from insignificant for a facet that needs to be churning out routine wins in opposition to most opponents, however remains to be discovering their manner beneath Xabi Alonso.
It’s not a coincidence that Alonso confirmed he made only one change from the Clasico (Franco Mastantuono for Eduardo Camavinga). The system was tweaked given the opposition, however it felt as if it was his manner of claiming that that is just about his XI, give or take. (Sure, he’ll have a name to make when/if Dani Carvajal and/or Trent Alexander-Arnold return to full health, however for now, that is it.) They’d the sport wrapped up by half-time, with two extra targets from Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius smiling and Jude Bellingham getting stronger. A superb day all-around for Madridismo.
7. Florian Wirtz out as Liverpool dial it again and win: They dialed what again? The shoehorning in of the fellows who arrived in the summertime switch spree, that’s what. 9 of the ten outfield gamers had been holdovers from the title-winning facet in Saturday night time’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa. The whole lot felt calmer and extra acquainted. There was just one change: Wirtz got here off the bench changing Hugo Ekitike, the one interloper from the facet that began.
– Response: Raucous Anfield backs Slot as Liverpool present indicators of life
It’s regular to hunt consolation within the acquainted in any stroll of life and soccer actually isn’t that totally different. Arne Slot mentioned “luck” was lastly on Liverpool’s facet, presumably referring to Emi Martinez’ present for the opener. Possibly, however how Amadou Onana didn’t get despatched off for grabbing Alexis Mac Allister across the throat is a little bit of a thriller. (Presumably Mac Allister’s histrionics didn’t assist his trigger.) Extra importantly, in some unspecified time in the future he’ll have to combine Wirtz and the opposite big summer season arrival, Alexander Isak (absent attributable to a minor damage Saturday), for this to work constantly. However, for now, benefit from the three factors and third place.
6. Battered Barcelona bounce again in high-line derby: Make no mistake, this was a traditional “entice” recreation. Every week faraway from the Clasico defeat and forward of a Champions League away journey to Membership Brugge, Lamine Yamal clearly not match (however enjoying), no Raphinha, no Joan García and particularly no Pedri … and an upstart opponent (Elche) who performs an aggressive model and a excessive defensive position that’s much more daring than Hansi Flick’s.
Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres — teed up by a sensational Fermín López — settled the nerves early and it was 2-0 inside 11 minutes. But it surely was nonetheless a bumpy trip as Rafa Mir pulled one again simply earlier than the break after which went on to hit the woodwork twice earlier than Marcus Rashford lastly made it 3-1. Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo returned (off the bench), which is sweet information, as a result of proper now Flick is placing out fires. The excellent news is that no matter else this group might lack, it’s not character.
5. Milan flip it on in opposition to Roma to remain one level again of Serie A lead: For a lot of the first half, it regarded just like the worst model of Max Allegri’s Milan. Roma with the ball, the Rossoneri hanging on, with all of the eggs in 39-year-old Luka Modric’s basket. However, in fact, it solely takes a second for Rafael Leão to come back alive, and his run and help for Strahinja Pavlovic gave them the lead. The remainder of the way in which was about Milan on the counter (lacking varied possibilities, however conceding little) and “Magic” Mike Maignan saving a Paulo Dybala penalty to seal the three factors.
I’ve been vital of Milan once they win with out enjoying nicely, however this time they get a cross. Roma are a very good facet and this was an enormous win; it ought to have come by an even bigger margin, however the absences of Christian Pulisic and Santi Gimenez (with all his foibles) weigh heavy. You continue to anticipate extra, in fact you do, however the outcomes are there. And if you decide Allegri as your coach, you understand that’s going to come back first.
4. Gonçalo Ramos’ buzzer-beater retains Paris Saint-Germain high of Ligue 1: It might have been misplaced on some, however PSG went into the house tie in opposition to Good having gained simply certainly one of their final 4 in Ligue 1. (Regardless of that, they had been nonetheless high of the league.) A part of it was Luis Enrique’s rotations (vital, he says, due to the shortage of a correct preseason), a part of it was accidents, a part of it’s that opponents park the bus and also you don’t discover a manner by way of.
It regarded as if issues had been heading that manner at residence to Good till Goncalo Ramos’ headed winner in damage time. It’s an enormous three factors as a result of this was fairly near PSG’s finest lineup obtainable, and whereas they did squander a couple of possibilities to attain (Bradley Barcola, I’m taking a look at you), additionally they wanted a goal-line clearance from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to maintain the clear sheet. It’s exhausting to evaluate the place this PSG are, as a result of we’ve solely seen the most effective XI collectively a handful of occasions in opposition to critical opposition. That ought to change in opposition to Bayern on Tuesday.
3. Inter Milan want late personal purpose (and wonder-goal) to win at Verona: The Nerazzurri didn’t look nice on Sunday, however you type of really feel like giving them a cross. Supervisor Cristian Chivu rested plenty of gamers — together with Nicolo’ Barella and the wingbacks —and Verona raised the barricades within the driving rain. (The house facet had simply 27 % possession.) It practically labored, too, because it took a wonky personal purpose in damage time for Inter to get the winner.
Nonetheless, Inter followers go to take pleasure in an absolute purpose of the season contender from Piotr Zielinski, who volleyed from the sting of the field straight from a nook. The two-1 win was absolutely deserved and, largely, pursued — none of this settling for some extent since you don’t wish to get executed on the break nonsense.
2. Two steps ahead, one step again, however at the very least it’s some extent for Manchester United: After Saturday’s 2-2 draw away to Nottingham Forest, Ruben Amorim made the purpose that this was the type of recreation they’d have misplaced till not too long ago. I assume he’s praising the fightback, and the very fact they didn’t get demoralised after Forest turned the sport round taking a 2-1 lead early within the second half. The factor is, it’s not as if United’s spirit generated all that a lot after going a purpose down and it took a marvel purpose from Amad Diallo by way of a crowded penalty space to grab the draw.
– Response: Man United get actuality examine vs. Forest
That is nonetheless a fragile group that should develop collectively — three straight league wins can’t make us overlook that. It’s additionally a group that advantages from not enjoying midweek soccer and from (Lisandro Martínez apart) having been injury-free this yr. Let this be a actuality examine and a reminder that there’s nonetheless an extended street forward.
1. Antonio Conte’s positivity doesn’t change the truth that this was dropped factors for Napoli and a ho-hum efficiency: I’m unsure what to make about his feedback after Napoli’s 0-0 residence draw with Como, when he talked about how proud he was of his “warriors,” how they dominated the second half in opposition to an excellent group with excellent gamers. Positive, Cesc Fabregas performs nice soccer and sure, Como have impressed, however they’re nonetheless … Como, and that is nonetheless Napoli at residence. Had it not been for Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving Álvaro Morata’s penalty, this may have been a defeat.
Positive, Napoli had been with out Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku they usually misplaced Leonardo Spinazzola and Billy Gilmour en route. But it surely’s nonetheless a scoreless draw at residence they might simply have misplaced, in a recreation the place they didn’t create a lot.
