Arsenal plot long stay at EPL summit
Arsenal are back on top of the Premier League with ambitions to stay there as they host Wolves this weekend while champions Manchester City play faltering Tottenham.
Newcastle take on Manchester United in a clash of two teams with high ambitions of their own while Chelsea face Brighton, still searching for consistency.
Arsenal’s last-gasp 1-0 win at Brentford last week, which took them back to the top of table, was their fifth Premier League victory by a single goal this season.
The Gunners lack the fluidity they showed in the 2022⁄23 campaign and attacking numbers are down but former Manchester United defender Gary Neville believes they are now better equipped to win the league.
“Perfect, pretty football is unlikely to win the league unless it’s combined with a doggedness and resilience,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Arsenal are better this year in these areas and the football will come in due course.”
But former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, a Sky Sports pundit alongside Neville, believes Mikel Arteta’s team need to win games more convincingly.
“If Arsenal continue how they are, if this is the Arsenal we’re going to see this season, I don’t think they can win the league,” he told Sky.
He added: “So many games are going to the wire and sometimes that can go against you…. Those games that finish 1-0 can easily go 1-0 the other way.”
Arsenal smashed Lens 6-0 in the Champions League in midweek in a reminder of what can happen when everything clicks.
Elsewhere, early pacesetters Tottenham desperately need to arrest their slide after three straight defeats but champions Manchester City are their next port of call.
Ange Postecoglou’s team, unbeaten in their first 10 games, have developed the costly habit of letting leads slip – losing to Chelsea, Wolves and Aston Villa despite scoring first each time.
Postecoglou is grappling with a lengthy list of absentees and suffered another blow with the loss of midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, expected to be out until February after suffering a serious ankle injury against Villa.
City last week showed a chink in their armour, failing to win at home in any competition for the first time this year when they were held 1-1 by Liverpool.
But Erling Haaland notched his 50th Premier League goal in just his 48th game at the Etihad – obliterating Andy Cole’s record – and this week became the quickest player to 40 Champions League goals with his strike against RB Leipzig.
City will be confident normal order can be resumed at home.
Leverkusen vs. Dortmund: Bayern hunters battle in Bundesliga
Bayer Leverkusen welcome Borussia Dortmund on Sunday with the hosts sitting clear atop the Bundesliga table, having dropped just two of a possible 36 points to start the season.
Although only two points ahead of a Harry Kane-powered Bayern Munich, Leverkusen are already a whopping ten points in front of Dortmund, with only 12 matches played.
While many have credited manager Xabi Alonso for giving Leverkusen’s long-suffering fans hope of adding to a sparse trophy cabinet, a shrewd summer recruitment drive has also set them up for success.
Using the proceeds of Moussa Diaby’s sale to Aston Villa, Leverkusen brought in striker Victor Boniface, winger Jonas Hofmann, midfielder Granit Xhaka, while Alex Grimaldo joined from Benfica on a free.
Alonso hailed the summer additions’ “football intelligence”, telling AFP and other media in an interview “we knew they were going to have an almost instant influence on our game”.
“We have signed very strategic players to give us stability… to be more efficient and consistent. That gives you the possibility to be more regular in the Bundesliga.”
Since the transfer window closed, German media has reported that each of the quartet were rejected by Dortmund in the summer – other than Hofmann, who had two previous stints at Signal Iduna Park.
Criticism has grown, particularly with Dortmund’s new additions Felix Nmecha, Marcel Sabitzer and Ramy Bensebaini showing indifferent form and failing to fill the gap left by budding superstar Jude Bellingham.
The architect of Leverkusen’s summer transfer window, sporting director Simon Rolfes, had his contract extended to 2028 on Tuesday, a reflection of the former player’s efforts.
Rolfes, who played 377 times for Leverkusen, said his side had “gained enormous quality” and was proud to have extended at “a demanding, modern club hungry for success.”
Leverkusen’s brightest star, Germany midfield maestro Florian Wirtz, was rested for Thursday’s Europa League trip to Swedish side BK Hacken – a reflection of Sunday’s importance to the league leaders.
There is more at stake for Dortmund than just losing touch with the league leaders.
Alongside RB Leipzig, who have won the past two German Cups, Dortmund have been the team most likely to break the champions’ dominance – likely making Leverkusen’s stunning emergence as ‘Bayern hunters’ even more of an issue for the visitors tomorrow.
“This is the most difficult task in Germany at the moment,” said Dortmund defender Mats Hummels on Tuesday regarding the trip to Leverkusen. “We need to stand our ground.”
Barca’s Felix face-off against Atletico teammates
Barcelona forward Joao Felix ended a long goal drought with a vital strike this week, ominous timing for his parent club Atletico Madrid, who visit the Catalan capital tomorrow in La Liga.
The Portuguese attacker struck the winner against Porto to help Barcelona reach the Champions League last 16 after two humiliating group stage exits, a goal which will give him confidence ahead of Atletico’s arrival.
Felix started brilliantly after his late summer switch on loan from Atletico, but quickly faded out and had not scored for his club since mid-September – a barren run of 12 matches.
Diego Simeone’s dangerous Atletico, third, are ahead of Barcelona on goal difference and Felix will be aiming to make a statement after a tough time in the capital.
Atletico splashed 126 million euros ($138 million) on the forward in 2019 from Benfica to replace Antoine Griezmann, who left for Barcelona.
The Frenchman failed to make an impact in the Catalan capital and returned to Atletico, where he is shining.
Felix’s time at Atletico was frustrating, with moments of genius on occasion showing his quality, but consistency eluded him.
The forward never seemed to fit in with Simeone’s desire for a team which works relentlessly all over the pitch.
Felix prefers to play at his own rhythm and impressed in the win over Porto with his well-taken strike and another drive he crashed off the crossbar.
While things are looking brighter for him at Barcelona, he and the team have both found themselves questioned over the past few weeks.
Barca lost the Clasico against Real Madrid, fell 1-0 away against Shakhtar Donetsk and have played poorly in La Liga in other matches, despite avoiding other defeats.
The Spanish champions start the weekend four points behind leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Girona, and while they are level with Atletico, Simeone’s team have a game in hand.
Barca coach Xavi Hernandez hopes Felix’s winner and reaching the next round of the Champions League can help the club turn their recent dip in performances around.
“I think we dominated in terms of play, dominated the game, the second half, I insist, is the path we have to follow – I hope it can be a turning point,” said Xavi.
“Felix was good, incisive, he scored the goal… and forwards are freer when they’ve scored.”
Felix combined well with his compatriot Joao Cancelo, who set him up to score, with the pair both likely to start against Atletico.
Some of the worries around the club were eased by their comeback win over Porto and if they can take three more points at the weekend, the waters will be considerably calmer.
Real Madrid will be confident of staying top of the table with a win over 19th -placed strugglers Granada when they face off this afternoon, while Girona welcome Valencia earlier that day.
