As Man City spiral, Liverpool open historic lead in title race

While Manchester City were slumping to their fifth straight defeat across all competitions, Liverpool extended their lead atop the Premier League table with a come-from-behind win over Southampton. The Reds now sit eight points ahead of the four-time defending English champions.

In Spain, Valencia returned to action following a month away in light of the devastating, deadly flooding that has overwhelmed the area. From the players on the pitch to the fans in the stands, the Mestalla was full of emotion, but the home support went home with the subtle satisfaction of witnessing Los Che‘s second win of the season.

In the Bundesliga, meanwhile, Bayern Munich picked up where they left off before the international break: keeping balls out of the back of their net. The league leaders recorded their sixth straight win, while also keeping their sixth consecutive clean sheet. An impressive feat, even if the attack was far less convincing.

What else did you miss around Europe this weekend? ESPN’s Julien Laurens, Alex Kirkland and Constantin Eckner recap all the action in this edition of ESPN’s Weekend Review.

Top takeaway: Spiralling City put Liverpool in title race driver’s seat

With Ruben Amorim debuting with Manchester United at Ipswich Town on Sunday and Manchester City’s crisis continuing to unfold with their latest defeat, the Premier League was not short of storylines this weekend, but Liverpool going eight points clear at the top of the table over Guardiola’s men is the main takeaway. Their 3-2 win at Southampton wasn’t convincing, but Mohamed Salah’s brace, massively helped by the Saints’ defensive howlers, got them over the line after being 2-1 down.

After 12 games, eight points is a massive gap. It’s a chasm. A gulf. Only Sir Alex Ferguson’s Man United in 1993-94 had a bigger lead at this stage of the season in Premier League history.

With a mouthwatering clash between Liverpool and City next weekend at Anfield, could the title be done by early December? Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion (third, fourth and fifth in the table, respectively) are nine points behind.

It is hard to see the Reds continuing this incredible run of form (10 wins, one draw, one loss), but it is also hard to see them collapsing so badly that their rivals make up the necessary ground. This is the Premier League, though, and anything is possible.

Best match: Man City 0, Spurs 4

This was the game of the weekend across Europe, as much for the result plunging City firmly into crisis as for Spurs’ outstanding performance on the day. This encounter rarely disappoints, and it was quite extraordinary again on Saturday when the Londoners engineered a 4-0 win at the Etihad.

Best goal: Saka vs. Forest

Matheus Cunha, James Maddison and Kaoru Mitoma all could have won this week’s award, but Bukayo Saka’s beautiful strike for Arsenal against Nottingham Forest on Saturday is a worthy winner. Cutting inside from the right onto his left foot, the England star unleashed an unstoppable strike from just inside the box.

BRILLIANT Bukayo Saka finish to put Arsenal in front!

Peacock | #ARSNFO pic.twitter.com/p9fdQTroSs

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) November 23, 2024

MVP of the weekend: Matheus Cunha

What a weekend he’s enjoyed and what a player he has been in the past few weeks: six goals and three assists in his past nine Premier League appearances. Two beautiful goals and a great assist on Saturday at Fulham led Wolves to back-to-back wins. — Julien Laurens

Top takeaway: Valencia win, grieve in return to action

Valencia’s 4-2 win over Real Betis on Saturday wasn’t just about three points. It was an opportunity to remember those whose lives were lost in the region’s deadly floods last month (221 fatalities to date) and reflect on the reconstruction effort in the team’s first game back at Mestalla since the disaster.

Before kickoff, players, staff and officials gathered around a giant Senyera, the Valencian flag, covering most of the pitch. In the stands, a banner listed the names of towns and villages devastated by floodwater, where rebuilding will be ongoing for some time.

When Valencia defender César Tárrega scored the opener, he held up a shirt with the message, “We’ll get through this together.” Betis celebrated their equaliser, from an Aitor Ruibal free kick, by holding aloft a Valencian flag.

Outstanding goals from Hugo Duro and Diego López followed in an emotionally charged game. Many of Valencia’s players were personally affected by the tragedy and took to the streets in its aftermath to help. The win, only Valencia’s second of the season, took them off the bottom of the LaLiga table, but this was a day when the team’s recovery on the pitch was secondary to recovery off it.

Best match: Celta 2, Barça 2

When Raphinha hit the post in the 77th minute — missing the chance to put Barcelona 3-0 up at Celta Vigo — only one outcome looked possible at Balaídos. How quickly things change. Five minutes later, Barcelona midfielder Marc Casadó was sent off. Two minutes after that, Alfon Gonzalez made it 2-1. And two minutes later, Hugo Álvarez scored a brilliant second, levelling at 2-2. Leaders Barça were stunned. With Celta this season, entertainment is guaranteed.

Best goal: Rodríguez vs. Valladolid

OK, so it might not have been the best goal in LaLiga this weekend, but it must have felt like it to Getafe’s long-suffering fans. Álvaro Rodríguez’s 70th-minute strike in their 2-0 win over Real Valladolid on Friday was Getafe’s first goal from open play all season — as a reminder, we’re now on Matchday 14, three months into the campaign. It was a smart finish, and an important goal too, helping Getafe climb clear of the bottom three.

MVP of the weekend: Federico Valverde

Real Madrid went into their game at Leganés without any fit right backs. No drama, said Valverde, who stepped into a makeshift defence and performed admirably in the role, even scoring Madrid’s second in a 3-0 away win with a trademark long-range shot. Even out of position, Valverde is still Madrid’s Mr. Reliable. — Alex Kirkland

Top takeaway: Can Bayern continue stacking up clean sheets?

Ever since Bayern Munich slipped to a 4-1 UEFA Champions League defeat to Barcelona, Vincent Kompany’s side have been on a roll. Bayern’s 3-0 home win over FC Augsburg on Friday marked their sixth consecutive win and clean sheet.

However, as they have so often in league play, Bayern had to remain patient: Despite controlling up to 80% of possession, Kompany’s side looked increasingly frustrated and bereft of ideas during the first hour inside a snow-dusted Allianz Arena. If there’s anything to criticise about Bayern’s performance, it is the fact that most of their attacking plays looked interchangeable.

The ball repeatedly moved from Joshua Kimmich to Alphonso Davies to Kingsley Coman, who was usually positioned close to the left touchline. As Coman received little to no room to force a one-on-one with Augsburg wing-back Marius Wolf, the France international retreated and the process started over again. Frequent crosses were expertly defended by Augsburg.

It was eventually a handball by Mads Pedersen, who made an unnecessary error while trying to head the ball away, that gave Bayern the chance to open the scoring from the penalty spot. Harry Kane again serenely kept his composure from 12 yards out and repeated the feat again in stoppage time after Keven Schlotterbeck had pushed the England captain inside the box.

Pessimists might say that Bayern may run out of luck at some point if teams keep defending as intensely as Augsburg and previous opponents have. In the end, though, the constant pressure through crosses and ground passes into the penalty area forces opponents into making mistakes.

Best match: Leverkusen 5, Heidenheim 2

Gone are the days when Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen side were able to cruise to wins almost effortlessly. Instead, they have to fight for every point this season. Against Heidenheim, the Werkself were in trouble early on as they conceded twice in the opening 21 minutes before staging a remarkable comeback, eventually winning 5-2 at BayArena. Following three draws in a row, it was a much-needed victory for last season’s champions.

Best goal: Kane vs. Augsburg

Kane has set a new Bundesliga record by scoring his first 50 goals in only 43 league games. His 50th was also a beauty, with the England skipper picking up the ball in mid-air after a pinpoint cross, sending Augsburg goalkeeper Nediljko Labrovic flying as the Croatia international expected a direct header. Instead, Kane used his first touch to put the ball on his head, pushing it across the goal line while Labrović was laying on the ground.

MVP of the weekend: Patrik Schick

Kane was not the only player in the Bundesliga to notch a hat trick. In light of Victor Boniface’s thigh injury that could potentially sideline him until the winter break, Schick showed once again what an outstanding striker the Czechia international can be if he is healthy, scoring three goals against Heidenheim to secure Leverkusen their first win in the month of November. — Constantin Eckner

What else you missed this weekend

Hamburg dispense with Baumgart

Hamburg were once upon a time known as the dinosaurs of the Bundesliga because of their 55-year uninterrupted stay in Germany’s top flight, but ever since being relegated to the 2. Bundesliga in 2018, the club have failed time and time again to secure promotion. When the club hired Steffen Baumgart in February, they were hoping that the former Cologne manager, who had been a self-confessed Hamburg fan for decades, could push them over the finish line.

Instead, Hamburg’s performances regressed.

Baumgart could neither convince with his results nor with the style with which his team were playing during the first few months of the season. While Hamburg were an attacking-minded side under former manager Tim Walter, they have played much more conservatively under Baumgart. Gathering only 20 points in the first 13 matchdays of the 2. Bundesliga season, Hamburg decided to sack Baumgart on Sunday.

Whoever gets hired in the coming days will be the seventh manager since Hamburg were relegated to Germany’s second division six-plus years ago. — Eckner