"In Spain, Kylian Mbappé was (again) Real Madrid's hero in an ugly home win over Rayo Vallecano, one that's showing the limitations of their interim manager, Alvaro Arbeloa. Beyond that, we have lots to discuss around Arsenal (who keep rolling), Liverpool (the Hugo Ekitike/ Florian Wirtz partnership is a bright spot), Barcelona (their entertaining attack keeps being undermined by a wobbly defense), Chelsea (who got a dose of Liam Rosenior's brutal honesty), Bayern Munich (who lost a game, no seriously) and much, much more."
"Manchester City squander a two-goal lead at Spurs ... is it time to talk about Pep? His place in football lore is secure and, obviously, Pep Guardiola has a job for life at Manchester City. But it's hard to ignore the evidence in front of us. His team may be second in the Premier League, but they're on pace to pick up 74 points in the league. That would be his second-worst point since 2016, worse only than the aberration that was last season."
"Could it be the massive squad overhaul, with six new first-team players ( Rayan Aït-Nouri, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Antoine Semenyo, Marc Guéhi, Tijjani Reijnders, Rayan Cherki) coming in? Maybe. Pep Lijnders coming in as assistance coach to change the pressing patterns? Maybe. Rodri only recently returning to fitness and not quite being himself? Possibly. A defence that should have been overhauled sooner and now has two missing starters? Probably."
Kylian Mbappé again rescued Real Madrid with an ugly home win over Rayo Vallecano, while interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa showed clear limitations. Arsenal continue strong form and maintain momentum across competitions. Liverpool found encouragement in the Hugo Ekitike–Florian Wirtz partnership providing creative sparks. Barcelona sustain an entertaining attack that is repeatedly undermined by defensive instability. Chelsea received stark criticism from Liam Rosenior that exposed internal issues. Bayern Munich suffered a rare defeat that raises questions. Manchester City squandered a two-goal lead at Spurs, prompting scrutiny of Pep Guardiola amid squad overhaul, coaching changes, Rodri's fitness return, and defensive absences.
Read at ESPN.com
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