Man City suffers, Mbappé shines: European weekend recap.

European Football Weekend: Guardiola and Mbappé Star in the Day

What a weekend! The European football schedule did not disappoint, offering a wealth of conversation topics. From the Premier League to La Liga, through Serie A and the Bundesliga, there was action and surprises.

Tottenham surprises City and makes Guardiola reflect

On Saturday morning, Thomas Frank’s Tottenham defeated Manchester City with a convincing 2-0 victory at the Etihad. Individual errors were punished and Pep Guardiola had to deal with some headaches. The match, beyond the result, made it clear that the Spurs coach outmaneuvered Guardiola tactically.

The situation of the goalkeepers was key. James Trafford, the young City goalkeeper, had a complicated day. Guardiola’s decision to risk Trafford in the build-up play, against Tottenham’s pressure, was questionable. The arrival of Donnarumma could change the panorama in City’s goal.

Despite individual errors, City remains a talented team that will compete for the title. On the other hand, Tottenham demonstrated the ability to adapt to their rivals with different tactical approaches.

Real Madrid and the magic of Mbappé

Real Madrid needed a flurry of goals at the end of the match, including the magic of Kylian Mbappé, to secure a comfortable victory over the newly promoted Real Oviedo. Xabi Alonso seems to be experimenting with the team, but the individual quality of the players, especially Mbappé, makes things easier.

The presence of Arda Güler in the center of the field is good news for Madrid, who needs creativity in the creation of the game.

Arsenal thrash Leeds, but injuries are a concern

Arsenal fans celebrated the 5-0 victory over Leeds, but the minor injuries to Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka caused concern. Fortunately, it seems they won’t be out for long, and the team has options to cover the absences.

Arsenal has changed a lot in a year, and now has more options available in all positions. The arrival of new players has increased the team’s depth.

Milan stumbles at home

Milan suffered a home defeat against Cremonese, a result that generated concern. Individual errors were key in the defeat, but coach Allegri believes it is something that can be corrected with work. The team needs time to adapt and shouldn’t overreact. Milan has a defined path and needs time to make it work.

Other featured results

Chelsea defeated West Ham 5-1, with Joao Pedro as the protagonist. Napoli, without Lukaku, also achieved a convincing victory. Bayern Munich thrashed RB Leipzig with a hat-trick from Harry Kane. Juventus started with a victory over Parma. PSG, in preseason, defeated Angers. Barcelona came back and won against Levante, but showed defensive deficiencies. The team needs to reinforce the defense before the end of the transfer market.