Declan Rice inspired Arsenal to a vital win to maintain pressure on title rivals Manchester City in the Premier League, while Real Madrid clinched a record-setting La Liga title.
Gunners keep pressure on rampant City
There’s debate if Arteta will live to regret not integrating Thomas Partey into the team sooner. Injury has made Partey a bit of a peripheral figure in this squad. Arteta has also seemed reluctant to play the Ghanaian regardless of his injury status. Whatever the issue, you cannot doubt the positive effect that Partey has had on Declan Rice. The English midfielder is given far more license to maraud with Partey in the side. Jorginho isn’t able to play the midfield destroyer role and requires a bit of babysitting in high-octane games. Partey’s sheer athleticism allows Rice the freedom to get into those Lampard-esque positions. And the Englishman was once again brilliant this weekend, scoring a goal and assisting another as Arsenal strolled to a 3-0 home win against a plucky Bournemouth side. The game was mired in some good-old VAR controversy. Havertz was awarded a penalty for minimal contact while the Cherries were denied a 2nd half goal due to a tiny ‘push’ on Raya. Honestly, Ben White initiates that type of contact against the opposition goalkeeper every time he goes forward for a corner. In any event, don’t let the controversy obscure the fact that this was a pretty easy day at the office for the Gunners.
City answered in supreme style, with ‘Striking Viking’ Erling Haaland scoring four in a resounding 5-1 home win over Wolves. It was the type of emphatic, no-nonsense performance that has defined City’s run-in form under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola. Matteo Kovacic has been one of the low-key signings of the season. He initially struggled with City’s fluid, rapidly interchanging midfield pattern. But he has grown in stature as the season has progressed and has become a brilliant midfield option alongside the likes of Rodri and De Bruyne. Erling Haaland once again proved his doubters wrong with a spectacular four-goal return. He didn’t look too pleased to be jerked in the final ten minutes. In fact, that’s the first time in memory of the calm Norwegian betraying a petulant streak. City and Arsenal both look like relentless machines as we approach the crescendo of this epic Premier League season.
Real win La Liga while Girona secure Champions League football
This proved to be a momentous weekend in Spanish football, with Real Madrid winning a record-extending 36th La Liga title while little Girona booked their ticket to the big show. Let’s deal with the champions first, shall we? Real Madrid eased to another La Liga title following a comfy 3-0 win over Cadiz. It was exactly the sort of serene stroll that Ancelotti would have dreamed of ahead of their Champions League tie with Bayern. It also afforded him the chance to rest some of his stars, with Arda Guler and Braham Diaz adroitly stepping in to show significant strength in depth. Jude Bellingham came off the bench to score his 18th goal of what is becoming a career-defining season.
They were only afforded the opportunity to win this weekend after Barca succumbed 4-2 to an ebullient Girona side. The magnitude of Girona’s achievements have been overshadowed by the Leverkusen phenomenon. But Michel’s side have thoroughly deserved their Champions League spot, playing a possessing-based style that harkens back to Guardiola-era Barcelona. Actually, let’s just sit back and appreciate the irony of all this. Girona joined the Citi Football Group back in 2017 and operates- in some capacity- as a feeder club to the English powerhouse. Their chairman is Pep’s brother, Pere, and they operate under the same maxims that dictated Pep’s tenure at FC Barcelona. So, Pep indirectly came back to bite his former club this season, with Girona utilizing his exact brand of ‘tika-taka’ football.
Carlo Ancelotti is the best 🤣🕺 pic.twitter.com/knWpkFk88t
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) May 4, 2024
Bayer Leverkusen zero in on immortality
Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen decided to mix it up this week, swapping last-gasp drama for a resounding 5-1 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. It was a historic victory that extended their current unbeaten run to a staggering 48 matches. It takes them level with Eusebio-era Benfica and they need just one more solid showing to become the steeliest side in post-war European footballing history. Astonishing. Grant Xhaka scored another absolute thunderbolt for them while Alonso was afforded the luxury of resting the likes of Grimaldo and Florian Wirtz. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Stuttgart. To be fair, it was a pretty meaningless match as they look ahead to their Champions League 2nd leg tie at the Bernabeu this week. I haven’t really talked much about Borussia Dortmund this season. But Edin Terzic’s side are building up some really strong late-season momentum. They hold a slender edge in their Champions League semi-final clash with PSG and they were absolutely clinical this weekend, thrashing Augsburg 5-1 to keep their top-four prospects alive.
Italian top-four race intensifies
It almost feels like no Italian side wants to play Champions League football next season. Roma and Juventus played out an insipid goalless draw while Bologna- yet another European surprise package- were frustrated 0-0 at Torino. Juventus will feel the happiest of all those sides chasing Champions League football, solidifying their 3rd place position in that dour 0-0 draw at Roma. Roma were visibly shaken after their Europa League defeat to Leverkusen and it afforded Allegri the opportunity to just grind out a draw (his specialty). It was left to AC Milan to dispel the old-school stereotype of Italian pragmatism, as the Italian giants drew 3-3 with Genoa at the San Siro. Frustratingly inconsistent, Pioli’s Milan have nonetheless remained one of the more entertaining watches in Italian football. For their part, recently-crowned champs Inter are certainly on the beach, going down 1-0 to Sassuolo in a result that could have seismic consequences at the foot of the table (defeat for Sassuolo would have all but guaranteed their relegation alongside Salernitana).
Thanks for your support, Giallorossi fans. 👏 #ASRoma pic.twitter.com/txqLf5jEek
— AS Roma English (@ASRomaEN) May 5, 2024
Player of the Week- Erling Haaland
I couldn’t really choose anyone else this week (though I do want to give a brief shoutout to Liverpool’s Harvey Elliot). Haaland was a colossus this weekend, dominating the Wolves centre-halves with his pace and power. Haaland put himself in prime position to reclaim his Golden Boot after bagging four goals. Sure, two of those came from the penalty spot. But he won the 2nd penalty with a truly incisive run that reminded me of his Dortmund days. Haaland has looked sharp in the last few weeks, latching onto through balls and getting himself on the end of headers. He may not have the silky touch of an Aguero or Messi. But his mere presence creates little pockets of space for the likes of Foden and Silva to exploit. Julain Alvarez- as ruthlessly efficient as he is- doesn’t force opposition teams into changing their game plan.
