Elbahrain.net Even though the 2024–25 season is only getting started, some of the biggest teams in Europe are starting to assess their situation.
The Premier League in England
Despite being the main challenger to Manchester City’s supremacy in the Premier League for the last two seasons, Arsenal was not successful in either of the 2022–2023 or 2023–2024 seasons.
Both teams were keen to get off to a fast start in this year’s title campaign as they faced off on Sunday at City’s Etihad Stadium.
Erling Haaland, a top striker for City who only joined the team in the summer of 2022, scored his 100th goal for the team within ten minutes, dealing City the early blow.
However, things went south fast for Pep Guardiola’s club. First, Arsenal’s first goal was equalized by Riccardo Calafiori after outstanding midfielder Rodri was withdrawn 21 minutes in due to what appeared to be a catastrophic injury. After that, the Gunners used their set-piece advantage, with Gabriel Magalhães rising to the top to nod home a corner and give his team the lead.
Although the first half of the match was jam-packed with action, the main talking point was still to come. Leandro Trossard, an attacker for Arsenal, was given a questionable second yellow card shortly before halftime after committing a foul and kicking the ball across the field.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta went into a very defensive stance in an attempt to hold onto the lead when his team was reduced to ten players. The visitors managed to hold out for nearly the whole second half until John Stones, a City defender, burst through the North Londoners’ defense in the last minute of stoppage time, scoring from inside the box to make the score 2-2.
There were some tense moments on the field throughout the game, and thereafter, City players expressed their displeasure with what they perceived to be intentional attempts by Arsenal to impede the game’s progress. Defender Kyle Walker told BBC Radio 5 Live that the team was “frustrated” and referred to their opponents’ tactics as the “dark arts.”
Stones continued, “They slow down the game,” in an interview with BBC Sport. In order to obtain some information onto the field, they get the keeper on the ground. Those were hard times, and we had to learn to regulate our feelings.
“They have been doing that for a few years now, so we knew to expect that, but I would not say they have mastered it. Whatever term you choose, it is unduly disruptive to the rhythm of the game when they break it up.
With 13 points, City leads Arsenal by two points in fourth place as both teams have yet to lose this season.
With a commanding 5-1 victory over Villarreal on the road on Sunday, La Liga Barcelona of Spain maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign, although the three points were not earned easily.
Barça took the lead in the first half thanks to two goals from Robert Lewandowski. Ayoze Pérez gave Villareal a quick response, but Pablo Torre’s first La Liga goal and a brace from Raphinha gave the Blaugrana their sixth league victory in as many games.
Not everything went well for the Catalans, though. Marc-André ter Stegen, the team’s starting goalkeeper, was carted off the field due to a full rupture of his right patellar tendon and will likely be out for a while.
Real Madrid, Barça’s bitter rival, defeated Espanyol 4-1 over the weekend with similar ease.
On Saturday, Los Blancos had to work hard to recover from an own goal by ‘keeper Thibaut Courtois that put the Periquitos ahead. However, goals from Dani Carvajal, Rodrygo, Vinícius Jr., and summer recruit Kylian Mbappé quickly dispelled any short-lived hopes of an upset.
In addition, Carlo Ancelotti’s team is still unbeaten, trailing Barcelona by four points in second position in La Liga since September 25, 2023, against local rival Atlético.
Serie A in Italy
In the Derby della Madonnina on Sunday, two of the biggest teams in Italy squared off against one other. AC Milan played Internazionale, their bitter rival.
The famous San Siro stadium is shared by the two teams, but the red side of the city celebrated the day’s conclusion when Matteo Gabbia scored an incredible last-second goal to give Milan a 2-1 victory and the right to gloat.
In the tenth minute, Christian Pulisic, the captain of the US national team, drove through the heart of the Inter defense and poked the ball past goalkeeper Yann Sommer to give the Rossoneri the lead.
Later in the first half, Federico Dimarco tied the score with an angled goal, and it appeared like a draw would be inevitable, but Milan defender Gabbia had other plans.
In the 89th minute, the center-back scored with a header to win the match and set off raucous celebrations among the Rossoneri supporters.
Paulo Fonseca, the manager of Milan, feels relieved with the result because his team had only won once in their first four league games before the derby.
Following the game, Fonseca declared, “I think the win belongs to the players and for our fans.” “Unity made the victory possible.” The players, the staff, and the club have always stood behind each other, even in these trying times.
“The players and supporters deserved this outcome today, but there are still many things to work on.”
With eight points apiece, both teams are again tied, while Inter leads Milan by one spot in sixth place due to goal differential. After five games, Torino is the unexpected leader of Serie A after defeating Hellas Verona on Friday.
