Club football is back after the second international break. These are the talking points from around Europe you might have missed.
Amorim’s Momentum Starting to Build
Two wins on the bounce for Manchester United for the first time since the start of the 2024/25 season. Harry Maguire’s header was enough to seal the three points – United’s first victory at Anfield for a decade.
United pressed high and tracked midfield runners well. It was still an open game with opportunities at both ends, but Senne Lammens pulled off a string of smart saves and continued to look an assured presence in goal. The new signings up top – Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha – linked up well throughout and caused problems for the Liverpool defence.
Has the Amorim era finally started?
Slot’s Problems Deepen
Four consecutive losses on the bounce for Slot’s Liverpool, something the club hasn’t experienced since the Brendan Rodgers era.
Tactically, Liverpool looked all over the place. The new signings – bar Ekitike – are yet to deliver.
More alarmingly, even Salah looks off the pace. The Egyptian being substituted when chasing the game would have been unthinkable in recent years, but is symptomatic of his struggles in front of goal this season.
Liverpool are vulnerable to quick counter-attacks and set pieces, something teams rely upon heavily when visiting Anfield.
For all their troubles, Liverpool remain fourth only four points off leaders Arsenal. Slot will be backed to turn the tide, but to save the season the slump will need to be arrested sooner rather than later.
Who Else But Mbappé?
A late goal secured the three points for Real Madrid against the nine men of Getafe.
Once again, it was Kylian Mbappé who was Real’s saviour. The French forward has now scored in eleven consecutive games for club and country, taking his Madrid tally to 14 for the season already.
It had been a largely frustrating game for Real who struggled to break down the dogged defence. Bellingham started, but it was substitute Arda Güler who provided the assist for the only goal.
Neither Dani Carvajal nor Trent Alexander-Arnold made the bench, raising the likelihood that it will be Federico Valverde starting at right-back for next week’s El Clásico.
Who Else But Haaland?
Two more goals for Erling Haaland, this time against Everton.
The Norwegian is continuing to redefine goalscoring in the Premier League. Haaland has already bagged eleven in the league, nearly double that of Semenyo who has scored six.
The lack of goals from the rest of the squad will alarm Guardiola – no other player has scored more than once yet. But with Haaland in this form, if he stays fit, the goals will keep coming.
Who Else But Kane?
The Englishman joins Mbappé and Haaland in breaking away from the goalscoring pack and race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
Kane was deployed in the No.10, behind Nicolas Jackson. Whilst statistically Kane was more quiet than usual – only registering two shots and three touches in the Dortmund box – he was instrumental in the build-up play. As he has done throughout his career, Harry Kane only needs a half-chance to find the back of the net.
Saturday’s goal was the 400th of his league career and the goals don’t look like drying up any time soon, even from midfield.
Paz Inspires Como To Historic Victory
Nico Paz’s incredible season continued with a goal and assist against Juventus.
The Argentine joined Como in 2024 but it is this season that he has come into his own. In seven Serie A appearances, Paz has scored four and assisted another four.
Real Madrid have until June 2027 to activate a buyback clause. If he continues this form, expect to see him back at the Bernabéu before too long.
AC Make Hard Work Of Win Over Fiorentina
Milan moved top of Serie A but it was far from a regulation win against Fiorentina.
It was the away team who went ahead through a second-half goal from Robin Gosens before a late brace from Rafael Leão secured the points.
Allegri’s side were missing several key players including Pulisic, Nkunku, Loftus-Cheek, Rabiot and Estupiñan. They struggled to create from open play, with most chances coming from set pieces.
Veteran Luka Modrić dropped another impressive midfield performance, winning ten duels in the middle of the park.
With no European football this season, AC Milan have a strong advantage in the title race, but will need to raise their levels to sustain a challenge.
Arsenal Carve Out Lead At Top
Arsenal followed the same script but it delivered the results once again.
The 1-0 win over Fulham may not have been pretty, but Arteta’s men now have a three point gap at the top of the league having only conceded three times in eight games.
Arsenal have now scored 7 goals from corners in 8 games with an impressive conversion rate of roughly 11%. For reference, Opta found that only 2.8% of corners were scored from in the 2024/25 Premier League.
Can they maintain this impressive goalscoring from set pieces? With the pinpoint delivery of Declan Rice combined with the aerial presence of Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori, Gyökeres and Merino, it certainly seems possible.
Araujo Saves Barca Blushes
Barcelona’s depleted attacking depth looked to be haunting them before stand-in striker Ronald Araujo scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Girona.
The injury to Robert Lewandowski presented 17-year old Toni Fernández a La Liga debut, but the young Spaniard struggled before being hooked for the returning Fermín López. Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal had 13 shots between them, without finding the back of the net.
The decision to push defender Araujo up front in the 81st minute was born out of desperation, but it proved to be a masterstroke for Hansi Flick.
Barcelona sit two points behind Real Madrid in the title race – with a visit to the Bernabéu awaiting after the visit of Olympiacos in the Champions League midweek.
Swedish Strikers’ Struggles Continue
It was a disastrous international break for Sweden with defeats to Kosovo and Switzerland leaving them firmly bottom of Group B and Jon Dahl Tomasson out of a job.
In both matches, Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak led the line together, a partnership that should be among the most feared in world football. Yet, it simply hasn’t worked. Gyökeres is now nine games without a goal for club or country, while Isak’s own drought stretches to six.
With Arsenal mounting a title charge, Liverpool looking to resuscitate a faltering season and Sweden clinging on to the faint hopes of World Cup qualification, both strikers need to quickly return to form.
What Next For Ange?
When ten Hag’s spell at Leverkusen ended after just 62 days, it was the kind of record no manager would want to match. Yet Ange Postecoglou lasted barely half that time as Nottingham Forest head coach.
Sacked just 17 minutes after Forest’s 3-0 defeat by Chelsea, the Australian manager has the undesirable record of seeing out the shortest permanent managerial reign in Premier League history.
With a Europa League, Asia Cup and two SPL titles to his name, Postecoglou will remain a manager in high demand for his attacking style of play and ability to deliver trophies.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is notoriously difficult to work with – expectations will be high from day one for whoever takes over the hotseat. Sean Dyche and Roberto Mancini have been linked, as has Fulham manager Marco Silva.
