European soccer review: Arteta zigs while everyone else zags

With a raft of European semifinal second legs on the horizon, there was a note of caution in the air across the leagues this weekend.

Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur all named varying degrees of weakened teams. Arsenal, however, played a full-strength side against AFC Bournemouth — and lost. Football’s a funny game.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich and Leeds United clinched their respective league titles, while Man United loanee Antony continued his renaissance at Real Betis.

All that and more in this edition of Weekend Review as Sam Tighe, Alex Kirkland and Constantin Eckner look across Europe for the big takeaways and highlights from the weekend.

Top takeaway: Will Arteta’s gamble pay off?

This round of Premier League fixtures came at an awkward time for Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham, who could be forgiven for prioritising their upcoming European semifinal second legs. It was interesting, then, to note their approach to team selection for this weekend — and how Arsenal’s was markedly different from the others.

Spurs made eight changes, resting their entire first-choice defence among others; Man Utd also made eight changes, fielding an XI with an average age of 22 years and 270 days — the youngest in the club’s top-flight history — and while Chelsea went strong, their situation is reversed: A top-five finish is more important than a UEFA Conference League win.

Arsenal, meanwhile, went genuinely strong in a largely meaningless game against AFC Bournemouth, and lost 2-1 anyway. All the big guns – William Saliba, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and more – started. The question of “why?” was fair, and made all the more legitimate by the sight of Ødegaard limping at full-time.

For a continental comparison: Paris Saint-Germain, their opponents, rested 10 of their 11 starters, while Barcelona and Internazionale also rested 10 apiece, even changing their goalkeepers. It appears as though Gunners boss Mikel Arteta opted for momentum over rest, whereas everyone else went for the opposite, and came out potentially disadvantaged as a result.

Best match: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Newcastle United

This was a breathless, at times desperate affair between two teams still vying for something. There was a sense of inevitability about Yankuba Minteh — the man the hosts acquired from the visitors last summer in a PSR-motivated deal — opening the scoring.

Newcastle then fought back hard, seeing two penalties revoked by VAR before finally being given a third one, which Alexander Isak buried.

Best goal: Julio Enciso vs. Everton

There were some wonderful team goals finished off by Enzo Fernández and Yoane Wissa this weekend, but nothing beats Enciso’s thunderous effort at Goodison Park. He wriggles past Idrissa Gueye, lifts his head and then, from 35 yards out, sends a swerving strike in off the underside of the bar.

A wonderstrike from Julio Enciso. pic.twitter.com/RO96o9WJHQ

— Ipswich Town (@IpswichTown) May 3, 2025

MVP of the weekend: Jamie Vardy

Vardy supplied one of the biggest, then one of the most bizarre, moments of the weekend in quick succession. His neat 17th-minute finish represented Leicester City’s first home league goal since Dec. 8 (!), ending a historically bad dry streak. He then became the first player this writer has ever seen to blow the referee’s whistle, stopping play after the official had collided with Jordan Ayew and had gone down with a head injury. — Tighe

Top takeaway: Barcelona take another step towards the title

Title-chasing, UEFA Champions League contenders Barcelona, away at bottom-of-the-table, already relegated Real Valladolid? That should be straightforward, right? Barcelona have often looked the best team in Europe this season; Valladolid have just 16 points from 34 games, making them one of the worst teams ever in Spain’s top-flight. But as it turned out, Barcelona’s trip to the Estadio José Zorrilla on Saturday was anything but easy. Valladolid went ahead in the sixth minute, and led at half-time. An unlikely upset was on the cards until Barça’s quality eventually told, with goals from this season’s MVP Raphinha, and the underrated Fermín Lopez, enough to give them a hard-earned 2-1 victory.

Ok, there were plenty of extenuating circumstances. Coach Hansi Flick made nine changes to his team, only Pedri and Gerard Martín remaining from the side that drew 3-3 with Inter midweek. It was a necessary and understandable piece of squad management at this stage of the season, but it was also a risky one. One of those changes was Marc-André ter Stegen, making his return after seven long months out with a knee injury. The goalkeeper and club captain looked understandably rusty — Flick later made it clear that Wojciech Szczesny will keep his place for this season’s remaining big games — and a number of other fringe players underperformed, too.

In the end, it didn’t matter. Barça got their win, and are still on track to be league champions, still four points clear of Real Madrid with four games to go, including next weekend’s Clásico. They won’t be too worried by this performance. Instead, they’ll be buoyed by the result, and the players Flick was able to rest ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semifinal second leg.

Best match: Real Madrid 3-2 Celta Vigo

When Arda Güler and Kylian Mbappé had put Madrid 2-0 up before half-time against Celta at the Santiago Bernabéu, Carlo Ancelotti’s team looked set for a rare, relaxed afternoon. That feeling only increased when Mbappé added a third goal in the 48th minute. What could go wrong from here? Well, Madrid switched off, Javi Rodríguez made it 3-1, and then Celta icon Iago Aspas — off the bench — threaded a clever through-ball for another sub, Williot Swedburg, to make it 3-2.

Cue 20 nervous, awkward final minutes. Madrid had no margin for error in this game; only a win would do, as they look to chase down Barcelona. They got the three points, but only with a huge sigh of relief at the final whistle.

Best goal: Antony vs. Espanyol

The 90th minute. Espanyol 1-1 Real Betis. “It’s Antony time,” the Spanish TV commentator said, as the Betis winger picked up the ball on the wing, just outside the Espanyol penalty area. And he was right. A stepover helped the Manchester United loanee find just enough space to bend a physics-defying left-footed shot around the nearest defender, and into the top corner. A 2-1 win, and sixth-placed Betis’ Champions League dream is still alive.

MVP of the weekend: Nicolas Pépé

Arsenal fans will know that Pépé can frustrate just as often as he excites. But the version of the player Villarreal got in their 4-2 win over Osasuna on Saturday was Pepé at his thrilling, unplayable best, with a goal and two assists. Villarreal are fifth and looking good to secure Champions League qualification; on this form, it’s where Pépé belongs. — Kirkland

Top takeaway: Bayern Munich became champions sitting at home

The task seemed simple. Bayern had to win their game at RB Leipzig to clinch their 34th German championship on Saturday. However, there was little glamour in the setting. Sealing the championship away at Red Bull Arena with only a couple of thousand Bayern supporters in the stands wasn’t exactly the dream scenario for club officials or players, especially without the presence of Harry Kane. The England captain missed the game due to suspension, having received his fifth yellow card of the season in the previous match against Mainz.

The game itself was highly entertaining. Bayern controlled most of the ball but was quite vulnerable to counter-attacks. They conceded twice before half-time, as Kane was watching on from the stands wearing a simple Bayern tracksuit.

Following two substitutions by Bayern manager Vincent Kompany after the hour mark, his team scored twice within a minute. Five minutes before the end of regulation time, Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich rushed to Leipzig’s box, with Kimmich finding Leroy Sané on the right, and the Germany international seemingly sealed the deal with a calculated finish. But not so fast.

After Kane had come down from the stands and was standing near the sideline while waiting for the final whistle, Leipzig veteran Yussuf Poulsen scored an equaliser inside stoppage-time. Bayern let this one slip through their hands.

That meant that Bayer Leverkusen had to win their game against SC Freiburg on Sunday to keep the title race alive. However, Xabi Alonso’s side looked quite disjointed especially during the first half at Europa-Park-Stadion. The Werkself conceded twice and, just like Bayern the day before staged a comeback, yet it was not enough, because they only drew 2-2 with Freiburg.

Hence, Bayern are officially the new German champions. They found out sitting on the couch but have a chance to celebrate at their home against Borussia Monchengladbach next Saturday.

Best match: Heidenheim 0-0 VfL Bochum

Not necessarily the best match, but arguably the one with the highest stakes. If Bochum had lost the game, they would have been relegated. However, they managed to keep their chances alive but the gap between them and Heidenheim, who are 16th, is still four points, with only two games remaining. The match itself lived off the tension inside Voith-Arena rather than quality plays. Plus, a bad incident occurred in the 50th minute when Heidenheim goalkeeper Kevin Müller clashed heads with Bochum’s Ibrahima Sissoko in an aerial collision. Müller had to be carried off on a stretcher following a lengthy period of treatment.

Best goal: Benjamin Šeško vs Bayern Munich

His goal was a real beauty. After a Bayern corner kick, the Slovenia international waited patiently for Xavi Simons to send him behind a few Bayern defenders. As Šeško was crossing the halfway line, goalkeeper Jonas Urbig was moving forward but slipped, and Šeško capitalised on that mistake immediately by hitting the ball with the outside of his boot from the left side almost across the entire half of the field.

MVP of the weekend: Serhou Guirassy

The 29-year-old had another stellar performance against VfL Wolfsburg, scoring two goals en route to Borussia Dortmund’s 4-0 win. While a late bloomer, Guirassy has been nothing short of outstanding for BVB in recent months. He received praises from teammates and television pundits alike after Saturday. He represents one of the few transfers that have actually worked out for the Schwarzgelben this season. — Eckner

What else you missed this weekend

Leeds win the Championship as playoff teams are confirmed

When it comes to excitement and drama, the Championship is one of sport’s finest offerings. This weekend, Leeds United sealed the title with a 90th-minute winner, while Coventry City and Bristol City booked their tickets in the playoffs, joining Sheffield United and Sunderland in the pot of Premier League hopefuls.

This collection of playoff teams is an odd one, as each one of them has, to varying degrees, limped or drifted into this position. Typically you see a team surge from beneath, put together a winning run and steal a position in the top six, automatically making them the “form team” or the “one to watch.”

But the truth is not one of these teams qualifies as that. Sheffield United took their foot off the gas weeks ago after their top-two dream died; Sunderland come into the playoffs off the back of five straight defeats; and both Coventry and Bristol City lost two of their final three games, sparking as much relief as there was joy at full-time on Saturday.

Regardless, some fascinating storylines lay in wait. Coventry are managed by Chelsea legend Frank Lampard, who has effectively been forced to reboot his managerial career by stepping down a division, while Bristol City are one of five Championship teams to have never played in the Premier League. — Tighe

Luton Town go down once again

The final Championship matchday was just as tense at the bottom of the table. Six teams fought to avoid relegation, although Plymouth Argyle were essentially left without a chance to stay up. The Pilgrims are ranked 12th in terms of results since Miron Muslić took over from Wayne Rooney, but the managerial change simply happened too late. Hence, it came down to five teams trying to stay above 22nd place and not join Cardiff City and Plymouth on their way to League One.

Luton were above Hull City going into the matchday, but dropped the ball massively away at West Bromwich Albion. Matt Bloomfield’s side was down 3-1 at half-time and 5-1 after the hour mark, opening the door for Hull City to overtake them. The Tigers also played away at a team in no man’s land in Portsmouth but did a much better job, as they scored early thanks to Matt Crooks. Portsmouth equalised in the second half, but did not score another goal. It came down to the final minutes at Fratton Park, and Hull’s defence fended off a rather lacklustre home side.

This means Luton have been relegated for a second season in a row after finishing the Premier League in 18th a year ago. — Eckner