The likelihood of crowning new champions in three of Europe’s five major leagues was enhanced when closest challengers to leaders faltered over the weekend. Arsenal lost only their second Premier League game of the season when they fell 0-1 at Everton but they are still five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand after the champions lost by an identical margin at Tottenham Hotspur. England captain Harry Kane netted the only goal to overtake Jimmy Greaves as Spurs’ all time top scorer.
Eric Ten Haag’s resurgent Manchester United clawed their way into the title picture courtesy of a hard fought 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace. United’s 13th consecutive victory at Old Trafford put the record champions within three points of neighbours City ahead of their home encounter with Leeds United on Wednesday. Spurs remain fifth behind Newcastle United despite the Magpies being held 1-1 at St James Park by West Ham United.
19-time English top flight champions Liverpool were the match day’s biggest losers, after falling 0-3 at Wolverhampton Wanderers to drop to tenth position, a place below misfiring big spenders Chelsea who were held to a goalless stalemate at Stamford Bridge by Fulham. Brighton Hove Albion continue to punch above their weight. Roberto de Zerbi’s ultra attacking side are sixth, following a 1-0 victory over struggling Bournemouth.
Barcelona moved eight points clear of Real Madrid thanks to a 3-0 whitewash of Sevilla at the Camp Nou three hours after Carlo Ancelotti’s reigning La Liga and European champions suffered a 0-1 reverse at Mallorca. Los Blancos lacked a cutting edge without Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, whose expertise was missed when Marco Asencio squandered a second half spot kick. Third placed Real Sociedad meanwhile squandered a hatful of chances before succumbing to a 0-1 setback at home to lowly Real Valladolid.
Italy are guaranteed to get new Scudetto winners as champions AC Milan are 18 points behind pacesetters Napoli. Stefano Pioli’s side lost the Milan derby 0-1 courtesy of a Lautaro Martinez headed goal. Two goals from Victor Osimhen and Kvicha Kvaratchkelia penalty propelled Luciano Spalletti’s Partenopei past Spezia 3-0 whereas Tammy Abraham and Roger Ibanez netted similar headers to guide AS Roma to a straight forward 2-0 win over Empoli.
In Germany, Bayern Munich overcame the sending off of talismanic all rounder Joshua Kimmich to prevail 4-2 at Wolfsburg. Two goals from Kingsley Coman and a worldie by Jamal Musiala catapulted the Bavarians back to the Bundesliga summit after Union Berlin had briefly overtaken the Allianz Arena giants with a 2-1 win over Mainz. Bayern’s first Bundesliga victory of 2023 kept Julian Nagelmann’s side a point ahead of Union Berlin and three clear of Borussia Dortmund, 5-1 winners over ten-man Freiburg.