As we approach the last international break of 2025, with numerous nations gearing up to secure their spots in the 2026 World Cup, Europe’s premier leagues have provided us with exciting storylines to discuss. In the standout match of the weekend, Manchester City handed Liverpool a significant blow with a dominant 3-0 victory at the Etihad, a fitting way to celebrate Pep Guardiola’s 1000th match as manager and a showcase for the talent of Jérémy Doku.
Over in LaLiga, Robert Lewandowski made a triumphant return from injury, guiding Barcelona to a 4-2 win against Celta Vigo, closing the gap on Real Madrid, who managed only a draw this weekend. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich saw their 16-match winning streak across all competitions halted with a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, while Arsenal also dropped points against newly promoted Sunderland, tightening their lead atop the Premier League.
Numerous talking points emerged from this weekend’s games, such as Napoli’s struggles, Paris Saint-Germain potentially being in a title race in Ligue 1, the lackluster performance of Manchester United and Tottenham in their clash, and Antoine Griezmann playing a pivotal role in Atletico Madrid’s fourth consecutive win.
– Ogden, Lindop: Manchester City caps big week with a win over Liverpool
– Analysis: Spurs vs. Manchester United delivers emotional rollercoaster
– VAR Review: Disallowing Van Dijk’s goal and Doku’s penalty
With Monday morning upon us, it’s the perfect time for some reflections. Let’s delve in.
Arne Slot’s to-do list expands as Doku leads Manchester City past Liverpool
Pep Guardiola’s 1000th game as a manager was beautifully capped with a significant 3-0 win against Liverpool, a match characterized not by Erling Haaland’s usual contributions (though he did find the net) but rather by Doku’s electrifying performance. Those who have followed Doku’s career closely have long awaited a display of such caliber.
In simple terms, Doku is a dynamic blend of energy, speed, strength, and finesse. At his peak, he is one of the hardest one-on-one players to defend against globally. In an era dominated by athleticism and defensive tactics, there remains a necessity for players capable of taking on defenders and bursting past them.
As a tactical asset, Doku’s approach might appear straightforward, but it proves highly effective. Successfully defeating a defender forces the opposition to collapse their defensive line, causing chaos and freeing up other teammates for optimal positioning. Should teams decide to double-team him, it leaves someone else on the pitch unmarked.
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Ogden: Liverpool have made too many changes to title winning team
Mark Ogden analyzes Liverpool’s next move following a heavy 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Doku’s performance against Liverpool displayed a stark contrast to Vinícius’s efforts earlier in the week, when Slot’s team managed a narrow 1-0 win over Real Madrid with tenacity but failed to score more. Doku’s past inconsistency, often due to muscular injuries, must now evolve as he aims to maintain the form demonstrated against Liverpool. If he can replicate this performance, City will diversify their attacking options, relying less on Haaland. His presence facilitates the game for not only Haaland but also for Phil Foden and others, enhancing the team’s overall effectiveness.
Currently, City sits four points behind Arsenal. The Gunners have yet to showcase their full potential, especially with Martin Ødegaard missing from the lineup. One wonders, however, if City’s potential might be even greater, particularly since Rodri has yet to make a return from injury.
As for Liverpool, although it could be argued that if Virgil van Dijk‘s goal had been counted (and there’s a strong case for it), the match could have been different, the focus should be on their performance. The underlying issue lies in Slot relying heavily on a familiar setup from last season, which faltered against City’s potent attack, despite featuring only a few new faces such as Florian Wirtz in the lineup.
In the grander scheme, Liverpool needs to adopt a more forward-thinking approach rather than relying on the same tactical structure that led to last year’s successes. Achieving a balance between incorporating newcomers and maintaining competitive performance is essential if they wish to avoid further setbacks down the line.
Lewandowski shines as Barcelona narrows the gap on Real Madrid
After a five-week absence from starting for Barcelona, due to a tough outing against Sevilla, Robert Lewandowski made a powerful impact upon his return by scoring a hat trick in a 4-2 victory over Celta Vigo. His goals included a contested penalty, a savvy finish from a cross, and a header from a corner — exemplifying his innate ability to find the net.
Lewandowski’s presence provided essential stability and veteran leadership for Barcelona, especially with Pedri sidelined with injury. While Barca scored four goals, they could have easily netted more, given the circumstances of facing an opponent who, although positioned in the bottom half of the table, had entered the match with five consecutive wins.
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Burley rants about ‘inconsistent’ refereeing after De Jong’s red card
Craig Burley discusses the implications of Frenkie De Jong’s red card in Barcelona’s match against Celta Vigo.
Nevertheless, Barcelona continues to grapple with recurrent issues. Twice they took the lead, only for Celta to swiftly respond, exposing vulnerabilities in their high defensive line. It’s not solely about the high line – it derives from the execution errors made by the defenders, which resulted in Celta exploiting gaps. In two separate instances, Celta capitalized on defensive lapses, which cost Barcelona dearly.
Adding to their woes, Frenkie de Jong received a second yellow card during stoppage time, provoking yet another suspension concern. On a brighter note, however, Real Madrid finds itself only three points ahead. Ideally, some injured players will return post-international break, and there remains hope for Barcelona’s competitive prospects.
Arsenal’s point drop raises no alarms
Newly promoted Sunderland joined the ranks of Liverpool and Manchester City as the only clubs to manage points against Arsenal in this season’s league campaign. Such consistency, especially with 14 wins out of 17 matches across all competitions, makes any dropped points, particularly after a stunning ten-match winning streak, jarring. Therefore, a measured response is needed.
Both goals conceded by Arsenal on Saturday stemmed from individual defensive mistakes: the opener resulting from a miscalculation by Declan Rice and a failure from Gabriel to maintain physicality against a challenge leading to the second. However, Rice and Gabriel have both been standout performers in Arsenal’s lineup this season. Unless one views these mistakes as indicative of a more significant issue, moving ahead is the right choice; errors happen in football, even at the highest levels.
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How did Sunderland get a point against Arsenal?
ESPN FC discusses Sunderland’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.
More importantly, with the exception of those two lapses, David Raya remained largely untested, suggesting that Arsenal’s defensive capabilities are still intact (as indicated by their low expected goals against). Leandro Trossard scored a stunning goal, reinforcing the decision to extend his contract, while Bukayo Saka continues to find form following his return from injury. Additionally, a potential penalty could have resulted from Dan Ballard’s elbow on Mikel Merino.
Manager Mikel Arteta expressed feelings of “disappointment and frustration” as Arsenal’s run of clean sheets came to an end. However, upon reflection, he may realize that his team remains on the right track; they dropped points this time, but it does not reflect their true level.
Napoli suffers defeat; Antonio Conte admits he’s “doing a bad job”
The one silver lining for Napoli is that they still sit within two points of first place in Serie A, despite a disheartening 2-0 loss to Bologna. This, however, speaks more to the competitive landscape than to Napoli’s own performances, which have been underwhelming. The defeat on Saturday marked a new low, as Napoli displayed poor form, with just one shot on goal in the second half while trailing 2-0.
Conte reflected, “Five defeats are too many for a team that’s supposed to win the title,” and acknowledged the lack of chemistry within the team. He took ownership of the situation, admitting, “I’m doing a bad job.” Such introspection, while commendable, raises concerns about the depth of understanding being conveyed to professional players, as his words resemble those he might use with young athletes.
Even blaming player absences is growing tiring; Romelu Lukaku has been unavailable all season, which is why they acquired Rasmus Højlund, and the absence of Kevin De Bruyne continues to impact their metrics negatively.
Right now, Napoli should be grateful for their position in the standings and recognize the need for improvement; Conte is correct — he must do a significantly better job.
Quick hits
10. Inter secures position at the top of Serie A by defeating Lazio with Cristian Chivu at the helm: Transitioning from Simone Inzaghi to Cristian Chivu was always going to be a challenge; it called for striking a balance between maintaining existing success and implementing new strategies. Chivu’s Inter, while less aesthetically pleasing than Inzaghi’s, is proving to be more decisive. Against Lazio, Inter asserted their dominance, limiting their opponent to four shots and just 0.20 expected goals for much of the match.
9. Paris Saint-Germain once again relies on an injury-time winner to get past Lyon: Statistically, PSG would be struggling if matches concluded in the 89th minute. They’ve nevertheless managed to win five out of their last nine matches in all competitions, with their latest victory secured thanks to João Neves’ late strike. Despite dominating possession (72%), they only managed nine shots on goal, indicating a need for greater support from players not traditionally known for their goal contributions.
8. Chelsea struggles in the first half but finds their rhythm against Wolves: Despite a 3-0 victory, Chelsea faced booing off the pitch at halftime after a lackluster performance against significantly weakened Wolverhampton. Nevertheless, they found their groove in the second half, with goals from Malo Gusto and Estêvão showcasing their growing potential amidst ongoing inconsistencies.
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Are Atletico Madrid having an issue with set pieces?
Luis Garcia posits that Atlético Madrid may be vulnerable in set pieces, despite a 3-1 victory over Levante.
7. Griezmann saves Atletico … again: Just a week after celebrating his 200th Liga goal, Antoine Griezmann stepped off the bench to keep Atletico Madrid’s winning streak alive against Levante, scoring immediately upon entering the field and later sealing the match with a second goal, helping Atleti earn their fourth consecutive victory.
6. Real Madrid held to a draw by Rayo Vallecano: Xabi Alonso’s side didn’t want to acknowledge fatigue following a disappointing 0-0 draw against Rayo, a venue where they’ve struggled to win for the last four years. Despite additional days’ rest compared to Rayo, Real appeared sluggish, and their lackluster performance may suggest the impact of their recent matches.
5. Juve’s draw prompts Spalletti to rethink tactics: Despite some adjustments, Juventus drew 0-0 with Torino. Spalletti criticized the team’s creativity and continues to search for a successful formation, hinting at a willingness to experiment until he finds a winning combination.
4. Borussia Dortmund drops points late again: Another late equalizer, this time in the seventh minute of injury time, saw Dortmund settle for a point in Hamburg, extinguishing the chance to reduce Bayern’s lead.
3. Allegri’s anger after Milan’s draw at Parma: Allegri condemned his players for letting a 2-0 lead slip away, but his reaction may overlook the brilliance of Parma’s goals amid his criticism.
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Who will be happier with a point: Tottenham or Man United?
ESPN FC debates the implications of the 2-2 draw between Tottenham and Manchester United.
2. Shared points in Tottenham vs. Man United clash: Saturday’s encounter ended 2-2, where both teams left empty-handed in terms of satisfaction. Based on performance, a point each seemed more fitting, as both squads struggled to demonstrate their strengths.
1. Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run ends against Union Berlin: Following a remarkable 16-match winning streak, Bayern stumbled to a 2-2 draw against Union Berlin. Despite their struggles, they maintain a solid hold on their league position, and injuries should be addressed after the international break.