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Gabriele MarcottiNov 3, 2025, 07:40 AM ET
It's Monday, we're into November and roughly one-third through the 2025-26 European club season ... so what did this weekend give us? We had Chelsea dominating Tottenham in one of the most lop-sided 1-0 results you'll ever see. (No seriously: check the stats!) Oh, and Erling Haaland scored two more goals -- taking him to 13 in the Premier League already -- as Man City cruised past Bournemouth to take second place in the table behind the super impressive Arsenal, who also won this weekend to consolidate their hold on top spot.
Elsewhere, Real Madrid and Barcelona navigated tricky "trap games" ahead of midweek Champions League action with impressive wins, and Luciano Spalletti began his tenure as Juventus manager with victory. Oh, and we got talking points galore for Manchester United (who rallied to draw Nottingham Forest), Paris Saint-Germain (who needed a late goal to beat Nice), Liverpool (who again benched Florian Wirtz in halting their losing slide), Arsenal (whose set-piece prowess carried them to another impressive win), Bayern Munich (who rested stars and still thrashed Bayer Leverkusen), and so much more.
It's Monday morning, so what better time for Gab Marcotti's musings? Let's get into it.
Chelsea's 1-0 win raises serious questions about Tottenham
Like, are they actually good? Are they going to get where Thomas Frank wants them to go? And is it actually a place they want to be?
Forget the table. Yeah, I know it supposedly "doesn't lie," but in fact it's a big, fat Pinocchio. It says Tottenham are fifth in the table and given they finished one spot above relegation last year, it would suggest a massive improvement. But, in fact, if you watch them play, you're just not sure.
- Olley: Spurs looked inept vs. Chelsea. Is Frank to blame?
- Ogden: Grading the top six after 10 PL games
- VAR Review: Explaining why Man United scored from a corner
Since mid-September, Spurs have only just three times. One was a cup game against Doncaster, who sit two divisions below them. Another was a 2-1 win at Leeds with not one, but two deflected goals, and the third was away to Everton, in a weird match that saw Micky Van de Ven score off two set pieces against a side that defended like garden gnomes and Guglielmo Vicario make two highlight-reel saves. Only four teams have a lower xG from open play -- other than Mohamed Kudus, who sometimes gives the impression he's unaware that he has teammates, their attacking players are all under stinking it up or injured.
If you only saw the score, you'd think the Chelsea game was a hard-fought derby that Enzo Maresca's men just edged. Watch the highlights, though, and you'll see one of the most one-sided performances in recent history, with Vicario easily Man of the Match and Chelsea -- with all their foibles and injury -- racking up a whopping 3.68 expected goals. What you wouldn't see much of is Spurs taking shots: they managed three, all of them from Kudus, for an xG of 0.10.
1:58
Is Moisés Caicedo or Cole Palmer more important for Chelsea?
ESPN FC's Julien Laurens joins Gab Marcotti on the Gab & Juls show to react to Chelsea's 1-0 victory over Tottenham.
Sure, they have injuries, and that's a mitigating factor for Frank. But they also have a big squad, so it can't be an exoneration. He's the one choosing the wacky lineups and tactical approaches -- stuff that worked at Brentford and put him on the footballing map isn't working at all right now.
On top of that, Frank, a likeable and honest guy who said he was "burning inside" as a result of that horrendous performance, had to stick up for two of his players (Van de Ven and Djed Spence) after they snubbed him by ignoring him when he asked them to go and thank the fans. He called it a "small issue," and a phalanx of ex-pros on my TV talked about how they "just wanted to get down the tunnel." Well, no: they're professionals, and when you perform like that, only to let your teammates go and face the abuse and anger from the fans, you let everybody down.
I don't know if his players respond better to carrots or sticks. But if he has to bash some heads together, so be it.
As for Chelsea? They looked great, they did so without Cole Palmer, and nobody got sent off. That's a big step in the right direction. But days like these, really, are much more about one team's futility than another team's excellence.
Luciano Spalletti ticks all the boxes in debut Juventus win
If you're reading this, you probably know my view on Spalletti as a fit for Juve right now. TL;DR? No.
That said, despite just one training session under his belt, he offered pretty much everything most neutrals wanted from him in Juve's 2-1 win at Cremonese on Saturday.
Two strikers (Dusan Vlahovic and Loïs Openda)? Check.
Manuel Locatelli pulling the strings (let bygones be bygones)? Check.
A home for Teun Koopmeiners other than the bench that actually allows him to contribute? Check. (Admittedly, putting him at left-sided center back was very much a left-field, Spalletti-esque move.)
Cremonese may be newly promoted, but they had lost just once (to Inter, away) all season. Juve were unfazed despite the circumstances, took an early lead and never looked back. Even up a goal, they kept hunting for the second which is exactly what a club like theirs ought to be doing.
Sure, there are still plenty of questions. Kenan Yildiz was unavailable: where does he fit when he returns? How soon before there's friction again with Locatelli? What happens if Spalletti glitches and tantrums again, like he did in his last two jobs? How did Federico Gatti allow himself to get road-graded by Jamie Vardy?
At the same time, his tenure could not have begun any better. Let Spalletti work.
Manchester City ride the Erling Haaland express beyond Bournemouth and into second place
1:29
Did Manchester City reignite the title race with Bournemouth win?
Don Hutchison believes "there's no reason" why Manchester City shouldn't consider themselves title challengers to Arsenal following their 3-1 win over Bournemouth.
This is not to say City are one-dimensional -- just that they know how to find and exploit opposing weaknesses. We've (correctly) praised Andoni Iraola and his Bournemouth side to high heaven, but City managed to make them look silly on Sunday. Pep Guardiola's side wasn't obsessed with possession (just 48% at home), opting instead for directness and one-touch football to break the opposition's trademark press. Oh, and they have Haaland, who scored twice.
Both his goals -- he's up to 26 on the season if you include his games with Norway, which is just absurd -- came after he raced past Bournemouth's very high line once City broke the press with clever touches from Rayan Cherki. Haaland probably should have had a third and Nico O'Reilly, who made it 3-1, could have had another too. The Guardiola of 15 years ago would not recognize this team as his own, but that's what great coaches do. They evolve and adapt based on the talent available.
- Reaction: Can Haaland's goals propel Man City to title?
A word on Bournemouth's goal too, which so infuriated Guardiola after David Brooks appeared to hold Gianluigi Donnarumma's arm on the corner leading to Tyler Adams volleying home the loose ball. Donnarumma was booked, and the usual parade of pundits talked about the keeper "needing to be stronger." My impression is that Brooks released his hold before Donnarumma went for the ball, so I'm not sure how much he was impeded.
The broader point is this: why do we allow something on a set piece that we would not allow elsewhere on the pitch? In what world can you just hook an opponents' arm -- ball in play or not -- and get away with it?
Antoine Griezmann makes history as Atletico Madrid soar past Sevilla
The veteran French international scored this weekend to make it 3-0 in an Atleti win that keeps them in fourth place, a point behind Villarreal. More importantly, it was Griezmann's 200th top-flight goal of his career, which is pretty exceptional when you consider he's certainly not a center forward. He's 11th all-time and if he sees out his contract at Atleti, you could see him breaking into the top 10.
We'll never know, of course, but you wonder how different his story might have been if, 20 years ago at age 14, he hadn't taken the courageous step of moving to Spain and joining Real Sociedad's academy. It was a brave decision that worked out. One that did not, of course, was moving to Barcelona in 2019 and being caught up in a nightmarish two seasons. When he finally returned to Atleti, I think it's fair to say, everyone was happy.
Griezmann's role now is reduced on the pitch, but in the dressing room he continues to loom large. And so he should. Along with Diego Simeone on the bench, and Koke and José María Giménez on it, he epitomizes Atleti right now.
QUICK HITS
1:29
Moreno: Bayern Munich are untouchable in the Bundesliga
Ale Moreno discusses Bayern Munich's dominance in the Bundesliga after their 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
10. Vincent Kompany's choices vindicated as Bayern Munich rout Bayer Leverkusen: We may call it "rotation," but he calls it "competition." Either way, with the big Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain coming up in midweek, Kompany made seven changes for the visit of Bayer Leverkusen (Harry Kane, Dayot Upamecano, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise were among the regulars on the bench) and it was game over by half-time, as Bayern went 3-0 up.
Kompany couldn't have asked for much more. Nico Jackson got his first league goal in a Bayern shirt, while youngsters like Tom Bischof and Lennart Karl showed they can hang with the grown-ups. The winning streak is now up to 15 in 15 (all competitions) and, lest you forget, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala are returning from injury next month.
1:52
Laurens: Declan Rice is as good as Moisés Caicedo
ESPN FC's Julien Laurens believes Arsenal's Declan Rice is playing to a similar level as Chelsea's Moisés Caicedo.
9. Relentless Arsenal go into cyborg mode at Burnley: OK, when your opponent -- at home and two goals down after 35 minutes -- only shoots on goal with less than 20 minutes to go (thank you, Zian Flemming), it can mean anything from you're playing someone terrible, your defending is superlative or something in-between. I'll let you decide what the case was against Burnley, but suffice to say Arsenal were never in danger of dropping points.
The opener came courtesy of Viktor Gyökeres, but really credit should go to Gabriel, the ultimate set-piece weapon. And by the way, sure -- credit whatever egghead designs Arsenal's set-pieces, but you also need execution and in terms of both delivery (usually Declan Rice) and winning the first ball (usually Gabriel), they're second to none. This matters because any side worth their salt have enough tape on Arsenal to know what's coming. That it's still effective is down to the players.
They're six points clear at the top of the table and Arteta has every reason to be bullish because they are nowhere near their ceiling from open play: Rice's goal was their first on the road next season. That's kinda scary for their rivals.
2:16
Would Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrate a goal at Anfield?
The ESPN FC crew discuss Trent Alexander-Arnold's return to Anfield when Real Madrid face Liverpool in the Champions League.
8. Real Madrid enjoy consecutive fun and easy wins, and it's been a while since we said that: We praised Real Madrid after the Clasico and on Saturday, against an opponent many rungs below Barcelona in Valencia, they kept up the momentum. That's far from insignificant for a side that should be churning out routine wins against most opponents, but is still finding their way under Xabi Alonso.
It's not a coincidence that Alonso confirmed he made just one change from the Clasico (Franco Mastantuono for Eduardo Camavinga). The system was tweaked given the opposition, but it felt as if it was his way of saying that this is pretty much his XI, give or take. (Yes, he'll have a call to make when/if Dani Carvajal and/or Trent Alexander-Arnold return to full fitness, but for now, this is it.) They had the game wrapped up by half-time, with two more goals from Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius smiling and Jude Bellingham getting stronger. A good day all-around for Madridismo.
1:22
Nicol: Mo Salah's goal vs. Aston Villa 'huge' for Liverpool
Steve Nicol talks about the importance of Mohamed Salah's contributions during Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa to return to winning ways.
7. Florian Wirtz out as Liverpool dial it back and win: They dialed what back? The shoehorning in of the guys who arrived in the summer transfer spree, that's what. Nine of the 10 outfield players were holdovers from the title-winning side in Saturday night's 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Everything felt calmer and more familiar. There was only one change: Wirtz came off the bench replacing Hugo Ekitike, the only interloper from the side that started.
- Reaction: Raucous Anfield backs Slot as Liverpool show signs of life
It's normal to seek comfort in the familiar in any walk of life and football really isn't that different. Arne Slot said "luck" was finally on Liverpool's side, presumably referring to Emi Martinez' gift for the opener. Maybe, but how Amadou Onana didn't get sent off for grabbing Alexis Mac Allister around the throat is a bit of a mystery. (Presumably Mac Allister's histrionics didn't help his cause.) More importantly, at some point he'll need to integrate Wirtz and the other huge summer arrival, Alexander Isak (absent due to a minor injury Saturday), for this to work consistently. But, for now, enjoy the three points and third place.
6. Battered Barcelona bounce back in high-line derby: Make no mistake, this was a classic "trap" game. A week removed from the Clasico defeat and ahead of a Champions League away trip to Club Brugge, Lamine Yamal clearly not fit (but playing), no Raphinha, no Joan García and especially no Pedri ... and an upstart opponent (Elche) who plays an aggressive style and a high defensive line that's even more daring than Hansi Flick's.
Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres -- teed up by a sensational Fermín López -- settled the nerves early and it was 2-0 inside 11 minutes. But it was still a bumpy ride as Rafa Mir pulled one back just before the break and then went on to hit the woodwork twice before Marcus Rashford finally made it 3-1. Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo returned (off the bench), which is good news, because right now Flick is putting out fires. The good news is that whatever else this team may lack, it's not personality.
1:36
Moreno: Marcus Rashford has exceeded expectations at Barcelona
Ale Moreno has been impressed by Marcus Rashford's resurgence since joining Barcelona on loan.
5. Milan turn it on against Roma to stay one point back of Serie A lead: For most of the first half, it looked like the worst version of Max Allegri's Milan. Roma with the ball, the Rossoneri hanging on, with all the eggs in 39-year-old Luka Modric's basket. But, of course, it only takes a second for Rafael Leão to come alive, and his run and assist for Strahinja Pavlovic gave them the lead. The rest of the way was about Milan on the counter (missing various chances, but conceding little) and "Magic" Mike Maignan saving a Paulo Dybala penalty to seal the three points.
I've been critical of Milan when they win without playing well, but this time they get a pass. Roma are a good side and this was a big win; it should have come by a bigger margin, but the absences of Christian Pulisic and Santi Gimenez (with all his foibles) weigh heavy. You still expect more, of course you do, but the results are there. And when you pick Allegri as your coach, you know that's going to come first.
4. Gonçalo Ramos' buzzer-beater keeps Paris Saint-Germain top of Ligue 1: It may have been lost on some, but PSG went into the home tie against Nice having won just one of their last four in Ligue 1. (Despite that, they were still top of the league.) Part of it was Luis Enrique's rotations (necessary, he says, because of the lack of a proper preseason), part of it was injuries, part of it is that opponents park the bus and you don't find a way through.
It looked as if things were heading that way at home to Nice until Goncalo Ramos' headed winner in injury time. It's a big three points because this was pretty close to PSG's best lineup available, and while they did squander a few chances to score (Bradley Barcola, I'm looking at you), they also needed a goal-line clearance from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to keep the clean sheet. It's hard to judge where this PSG are, because we've only seen the best XI together a handful of times against serious opposition. That should change against Bayern on Tuesday.
3. Inter Milan need late own goal (and wonder-goal) to win at Verona: The Nerazzurri didn't look great on Sunday, but you sort of feel like giving them a pass. Manager Cristian Chivu rested a number of players -- including Nicolo' Barella and the wingbacks ---and Verona raised the barricades in the driving rain. (The home side had just 27 percent possession.) It nearly worked, too, as it took a wonky own goal in injury time for Inter to get the winner.
Still, Inter fans go to enjoy an absolute goal of the season contender from Piotr Zielinski, who volleyed from the edge of the box straight from a corner. The 2-1 win was fully deserved and, mostly, pursued -- none of this settling for a point because you don't want to get done on the break nonsense.
1:42
Michallik: Man United's demons returned in Forest's quick-fire double
Janusz Michallik pumps the brakes on talk of Manchester United's resurgence as they're held to a 2-2 draw by Nottingham Forest.
2. Two steps forward, one step back, but at least it's a point for Manchester United: After Saturday's 2-2 draw away to Nottingham Forest, Ruben Amorim made the point that this was the sort of game they would have lost until recently. I guess he's praising the fightback, and the fact they didn't get demoralised after Forest turned the game around taking a 2-1 lead early in the second half. The thing is, it's not as if United's spirit generated all that much after going a goal down and it took a wonder goal from Amad Diallo through a crowded penalty area to snatch the draw.
- Reaction: Man United get reality check vs. Forest
This is still a fragile team that needs to grow together -- three straight league wins can't make us forget that. It's also a team that benefits from not playing midweek football and from (Lisandro Martínez aside) having been injury-free this year. Let this be a reality check and a reminder that there's still a long road ahead.
1. Antonio Conte's positivity doesn't change the fact that this was dropped points for Napoli and a ho-hum performance: I'm not sure what to make about his comments after Napoli's 0-0 home draw with Como, when he talked about how proud he was of his "warriors," how they dominated the second half against an outstanding team with outstanding players. Sure, Cesc Fabregas plays great football and yes, Como have impressed, but they're still ... Como, and this is still Napoli at home. Had it not been for Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saving Álvaro Morata's penalty, this would have been a defeat.
Sure, Napoli were without Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku and they lost Leonardo Spinazzola and Billy Gilmour en route. But it's still a scoreless draw at home they could easily have lost, in a game where they didn't create much.
