Mikel Arteta's Arsenal claimed a vital win over Tottenham Hotspur in a North London derby while the Bundesliga title race heats up.
Arsenal show real grit to win North London derby
This was supposed to be Ange Postecoglou’s chance to get one over on Mikel Arteta. The Gunners went into the latest North London derby in a state of midfield disarray, with the suspended Rice and injured pair of Merino and Odegaard leaving them short of numbers in the middle of the park. And the early stages of the match gave Spurs some real encouragement. They were robust in midfield, bypassing the duo of Partey and Jorginho with disturbing ease. David Raya was forced to make a couple of smart saves to deny Spurs, but the Gunners gradually started to grow into the game.
And the longer it went on, the more you felt that this was Arsenal’s to win. And they eventually took the lead, with the impressive Gabriel rising triumphantly to head in a pinpoint Saka corner. And to be honest, Spurs didn’t really look like getting back into it. Pundits will wax lyrical about how Arsenal showed the spirit of would-be champions (and maybe there’s some truth to that). I put this down more to Spurs just being Spurs. Take away the theatricality of Postecoglou’s high defensive line and what can you tell me about his style? Little to nothing.
Man City unconvincing while Reds suffer shock home defeat
Pep Guardiola must be wondering how on earth his side managed to escape this week’s clash with Brentford with all three points. The reigning champions were caught flat-footed in the early stages of their home clash with the Bees, going behind after less than a minute as Thomas Frank’s side applied relentless pressure in the early stages. The midfield duo of Gundogan and Kovacic struggled while Jack Grealish seems largely incapable of taking on his opposite fullback.
But who needs to play with fluidity when you have Erling Haaland? The Norwegian superstar overcame personal tragedy to score the decisive brace, making it an incredible nine goals in his first four Premier League starts (a league record). Rodri added a lot of solidity when he came on in the 2nd half and he will certainly be reintroduced ahead of next week’s crunch fixture with Arsenal.
What happened to Liverpool this week? Arne Slot appeared to walk on water in his first three games in charge, slipping into the comically large boots of Jurgen Klopp with surprising ease. He has already implemented his own ideas, focusing more on sustained possession than the heavy-metal stylistics of his German predecessor.
They did dominate Forest throughout most of the match and probably should have settled matters by half-time. But they were sloppy in the final 3rd, with Mo Salah giving away possession for fun. Arne Slot’s decision to take off the hyper-kinetic Luiz Diaz was somewhat baffling, and I wasn’t at all surprised when Calum Hudson-Odoi scored the winner on the counter. So, Liverpool dominated the game and squandered too many chances. Salah went from being the best left winger in history to looking like a Championship player. And the Liverpool fanbase was left scratching their heads at some of the substitutions. Are you sure that Jurgen Klopp isn’t in charge of this team? Because that sounds like a laundry list of 2023/2024 grievances.
Bundesliga heats up as title contenders prosper
I have a feeling that the Bundesliga could be the most entertaining league to watch this season. Vincent Kompany has hit the ground running as the new manager of Bayern Munich, maintaining their 100% start with a thumping 6-1 win at newly promoted Holstein Kiel. Harry Kane scored yet another hat-trick while Jamal Musiala underlined his status as perhaps the hottest young property in European football, scoring once and forcing an own goal through his fleet-footed wizardry. Leverkusen were at the races once again this week, bouncing back from their defeat to 3-2 defeat to RB Leipzig with a 4-1 win at Hoffenheim.
Victor Boniface led the line brilliantly for Leverkusen, using his freakish physicality to run Hoffenheim ragged. He scored twice and assisted another in a brilliant centre-forward display. Dortmund even got in on the act this week, taking down Heidenheim 4-2 in a thrilling seesaw encounter. Dortmund’s attacking quartet (Adeyemi, Brandt, Malan and Guirassy) were irresistible, with Adeyemi at the heart of everything. But Edin Terzic needs to figure out a way to balance their attacking prowess with some more defensive rigidity. In any event, it should be fun to watch.
Lamine Yamal runs riot as Barcelona record statement win at Girona
Champions League newbies Girona were supposed to provide a real test for FC Barcelona this weekend. But it quickly turned into a procession, as a Lamine Yamal-inspired Barca ran out comfortable 4-1 winners. It hasn’t taken long for Hansi Flick to infuse a real fluidity in the Catalan giants. They became rather predictable under Xavi, often looking to hold on for gritty 1-0 victories. This weekend was a totally different story. Yamal gave me genuine Lio Messi vibes, teasing and darting around defenders like a footballing poltergeist.
Dani Olmo has slotted in beautifully in the Flick midfield and he could turn out to be one of the signings of the summer. By contrast, Real Madrid were made to toil at Real Sociedad, winning 2-0 courtesy of two penalties (the last of which being more than a tad dubious). But they were vulnerable to the counterattack and Sociedad hit the woodwork an incredible three times! Mbappe probably had his best game in a Madrid shirt, but the side is still taking time to properly assimilate his superstar presence.
Napoli surge as title favourites stutter in Italy
I said that the combination of Antonio Conte and Napoli could prove to be a combination made in sporting hell. Conte is notoriously demanding of his ownership while the Napoli board can be a bit on the frugal side. But Napoli have bounced back brilliantly from an opening-day defeat, making it three consecutive Serie A wins with a 4-0 victory at Caligari. New signing Romelu Lukaku stepped into Victor Osimhen’s role with aplomb this weekend, scoring once and assisting twice as he looks to rediscover the form that he enjoyed under Conte at Inter.
Speaking of the Bianconeri, they surrendered their Serie A lead to Napoli following a last-gasp draw at lowly Monza. Simone Inzaghi rotated his squad ahead of their Champions League visit to City and he almost paid the ultimate price. Monza took the lead with nine minutes to go but Denzel Dumfries rescued a point in the dying embers of the match. Juventus also dropped points this week, making it back-to-back 0-0 draws at Empoli. Dusan Vlahovic missed a slew of chances as Thiago Motta struggles to rid his squad of the last remaining traces of Allegri-ball.
Player of the Week- Gabriel
The likes of Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal were compelling contenders for this week’s prize. I want to give a little love to the defenders this week. Gabriel is an oft-overlooked member of Arteta’s resurgent Arsenal side. William Saliba is smooth as silk and invariably attracts most of the defensive plaudits (he is the Ferdinand to Gabriel’s Vidic).
But Gabriel often does the dirty work and was exemplary this weekend, scoring a towering header and clearing the lines again and again. His more old-fashioned approach to defending was essential as Spurs occasionally overwhelmed Arsenal’s light midfield.
