Perfection against Fiorentina shows that Juve could be the best team in Europe, while Arsenal win a demolition derby – here’s the weekend winners and losers
WINNERS
Juventus
Fiorentina had only conceded three goals at home until they met Juventus, who scored three in Florence in just 90 minutes, conceding none and demolishing their rivals.
Goals by Rodrigo Bentancur, Giorgio Chiellini and of course Cristiano Ronaldo did the job, as Juventus got another win, their 13th in 14 league games, still being unbeaten in Serie A, and setting a new record – no team had ever managed 40 points in the opening 14 matches. It might be early in the season to say it, but there’s no better team in Europe at the moment.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP_Dvt2Bakc[/fve]
Arsenal
What a North London Derby.
Exactly what everyone – aside from Tottenham fans – wanted to see. A battle, some heated moments, some wonderful football, some epic goals, huge mistakes. Everything was in the mix. In the end, it was the Gunners who had the final laugh, with Lucas Torreira sealing the victory after goals by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette had given Unai Emery the lead. Tottenham were outclassed in the second half, and Arsenal fully deserved the win.
Barcelona
Top of the league. Atletico Madrid and Sevilla drew and the Blaugrana made the most of it. Gerard Pique and Carles Aleñá got on the scoresheet, and Ernesto Valverde’s men comfortably got rid of Villareal. On paper, it wasn’t the easiest of matches for Barcelona, against a tough opponent and with several injuries, but it went smoothly for the hosts at the Nou Camp, who now top La Liga.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_xUTHGNywA[/fve]
LOSERS
Monaco
Yet another defeat. This time against Montpellier. It’s becoming a tragedy. Thierry Henry’s side are currently in the drop zone, with no sign of a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s honestly very difficult to really tell what is going on at Monaco, but continuing like this could lead not only to being completely out of Europe – coming bottom of the Champions League group – but also seriously risking relegation from Ligue 1.
Tottenham
It was mayhem at the Emirates, a lot of fun to watch, but in the end it was Spurs who lost the game and come out of the derby with a heavy defeat.
Arsenal dominated in the second half, with Mauricio Pochettino unable to find a solution against the hosts confidence. His team managed to react to the opening goal and get themselves in the lead, only to switch off at half time. Arsenal were all over Tottenham in the second 45 minutes, and yes, the Gunners were great, but Spurs were almost non-existent. As well as losing the three points, this could have repercussions on the upcoming fixtures.
Jordan Pickford
From “it’s coming home” at the World Cup with England, to a contender for mistake of the season in the Merseyside Derby. Everton were moments away from getting a point against their city rivals, only to see Pickford lose his mind and give the match winning goal to Divock Origi, who scored from close range. Too easy for him, and a lot of responsibility for the defeat is Pickford’s.
[…] be the case once the toughest Champions League games come up. But his work so far in Serie A means Juventus as a team will be able to rotate more, with the league being virtually won after just four months. The focus is the Champions League, and […]
[…] The most criticised man in Italy for the past two weeks had his personal revenge. And what an emphatic way to do it. Keeping his calm throughout the criticism storm stemming from the 2-0 defeat in the first leg against Atletico Madrid, the Juventus coach planned and then executed the perfect tactical masterclass, to get the most out of his men and to annihilate Diego Simeone’s Colchoneros. A tremendous comeback. Perfection. […]
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