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"Everyone is busy talking about the El Clasico right now. Why don't we take a break and instead look at the other major games of the weekend?"
I know I'll be the pantomime villain here for trying to undermine the importance of El Clasico, arguably the biggest game of the planet. But haven't we talked too much about it? Yes, the game was exciting. Yes, it did turn out to be an entertainer even without the presence of two of the greatest players of all time. But can we please move past it now? Plenty of football happened outside this mammoth fixture in Spain.
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Alright, let's just dive right into it then. If you, like all others, were also busy watching the El Clasico and missed other games of the weekend, then this is the right place for you to be. Let's have a look at what happened around the world of football. Well, everything except the El Clasico.
The tragic loss of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha
The most tragic news this weekend was the loss of Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. He lost his life after his helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium. The news of his demise shook the entire footballing world. Fondly called Vichai, the Leicester Chairman was responsible for overseeing the most successful period in the history of the club. Having bought the club while it was still in the Championship, Vichai became a part of the history when Leicester won the Premier League crown in 2015-16.
He was a genuinely kind soul. His frequent acts of generosity made him a popular figure in the club. The glowing praise that came his way from all corners of the footballing world always seemed appropriate.
May his soul rest in peace!
Martial's quality
It was another good day at the office for Martial, who seems to be slowly rediscovering his form. Lately, the games at Manchester have become too unpredictable. The club seems to be moving ahead without a direction. Mourinho's men seem bereft of any identity. Last season, Manchester United could at least boast of their defensive solidarity. Though this time around, they are struggling to even bring up two consecutive clean sheets.
In the game against Everton, Martial was there to save the day. Though he missed a glorious chance during the game and was still not contributing enough defensively, he did show the world a glimpse of his quality and the humongous potential he holds. He won a penalty in the first half and then in the second half, scored an exquisite goal. As a Manchester United supporter myself, I just hope he can keep this rich vein of form in the next games too. With Lukaku not firing well and Rashford still lacking game rhythm, Martial could prove to be crucial in the coming weeks.
Chelsea breaking records
Most of us, at the beginning of the season, predicted Chelsea to suffer. "Sarri will take time to get his team playing the way he wants" was the consensus. But in these initial months of the season, Sarri has made us eat our words. Chelsea have been playing sensationally at times. Barring a few anomalies, Chelsea have played brilliantly. This weekend too, they were back to their sparkling best. The 4-0 hammering of Burnley helped Sarri become the first manager in the history of Chelsea to go 10 matches without a defeat. A hugely impressive feat considering this is the same team that was seemingly in crisis at the beginning of the season.
And has anyone seen Ross Barkley? Because I'm pretty sure this isn't the Ross Barkley that I know. Barkley has finally started to achieve the potential that he once showed as a youngster at Everton. Sarri has transformed him into a different beast altogether.
Arsenal's winning run finally halted
Emery's Arsenal is nothing like what it was under Arsene Wenger last season. His intense training methods, attention to every little detail and an overhaul of the backroom staff seem to be paying dividends now. Under Wenger, the team wilted under pressure and rarely mounted a comeback. On the contrary, Emery's Arsenal thrives off pressure. There's always a hope with this team that somehow they will grow back into the game. Emery has managed to instil a winning mentality in the team that will go a long way in helping Arsenal reach the pinnacle of success again.
Arsenal drew against Crystal Palace at the weekend. Though Milivojevic's two penalties halted Arsenal's winning run, they still are undefeated in their last 12 games. It is still a mightily impressive feat.
Liverpool back to playing with their traditional swagger?
In the days preceding this week's game, a lot was said about Liverpool's shift from an out and out attacking team to a defensive one. However, all the talk went to the bin when Liverpool turned up for the game against Cardiff City. Cardiff did defend diligently. They tried to get something out of this game. But Liverpool's quality and squad depth gave them the upper hand.
With close to 80% possession and a total of 19 shots, Liverpool looked like the team of last year. Mane's brace and one goal each from Salah and Shaqiri helped put Cardiff to the sword. Along with City and Chelsea, Liverpool are the only undefeated team in the league so far. It's turning out to be an exciting three- or maybe four-horse title race.
Ronaldo living up to his billing
He was criticized and he was mocked. He was told that he's a spent force now. But as is the case with Ronaldo, he once again rose and he once again silenced his critics.
That has been the story with Ronaldo throughout his career. After initially taking a while to open his account for the Bianconeri, he has been consistent in finding the net for his new team. With 7 goals and 3 assists in his last 10 games, Juventus are getting the Ronaldo they paid such huge bucks for. He's been directly involved in 10 of Juve's 14 goals this season. This weekend too, Ronaldo was in imperious form when he took Juventus over the line with a victory against Empoli.
After initially going one goal down, Ronaldo scored two goals to extend Juve's lead at the top of the table. The second goal was a stunning strike, the kind we've come to expect from him.
Real steel: Guardiola's Manchester
It was supposed to be one of the biggest games of the season. But the only talking point before and after the game was not football but the condition of the pitch at Wembley. Due to an NFL game taking place at the stadium 24 hours earlier, the pitch was left in a deplorable condition. It did contribute to an overall sloppy game, with the ball bouncing oddly at times. Even the players, pundits and the fans suggested that the pitch was partly responsible for Lamela's missed chance in front of the goal.
That said, this was also the game when Manchester City showed why they are the favourites to win the title this time around too. The pitch didn't allow City to implement their gameplan as smoothly as they often do. But scoring against a top competitor, shutting out the opponent and coming out with a win (most importantly the 3 points) proved their strength. The title will be decided by very small margins, and such crucial victories against the top 4 opponents could prove key, come May.
