It’s not quite spring yet, but Europe’s top leagues have been heating up as the title races remain tight and the games are getting that much more intense.
Saturday saw Arsenal exact revenge on Newcastle after losing to them earlier in the season and Manchester United lost to Fulham, raising fresh questions about Erik ten Hag’s leadership. In other Premier League action, Manchester City beat Bournemouth with a defense-first approach, and U.S. men’s national team defender Chris Richards scored his first Premier League goal in Crystal Palace’s win over Burnley.
In the rest of Europe, Barcelona looked like their former selves in a thrashing of Getafe while Bayern Munich still didn’t look like their former selves in a win over RB Leipzig.
There’s plenty to get to talk about, so let’s get to it.
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SATURDAY REVIEW
The Saturday lead: Defensive-first win helps Man City narrow gap with Liverpool
After only two clean sheets in 14 Premier League games, Manchester City have now gone two matches in a row without conceding a goal, and their 1-0 victory at Bournemouth on Saturday brought them back just a point behind Liverpool having played the same number of games now.
For Man City to win Premier League again for the fourth time in a row, amid a thrilling title race with Liverpool and Arsenal, it may come down to defence. Goals will always come for City, but defences are what win trophies. So for manager Pep Guardiola, getting defensive solidity out of his men may be the key.
To that end, the presence and fitness of John Stones has been important. This was only his ninth start of the season in league play, and he showed how indispensable he is for this team, playing as a centre back and a central midfielder, like he did in the second half of last season on the way to the treble.
On the other end, Phil Foden scored the only goal of the game and will rightly get most of the plaudits. The 23-year-old was outstanding again in a central position for City, in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne who was left on the bench by Guardiola. Whether KDB is not fully fit or Foden simply keeps him out of the team doesn’t matter so much — the fact is that Foden is clearly taking another dimension this season.
Saturday’s goal was Foden’s 16th of the season in all competitions (nine in the Premier League), already equalling his best scoring tally season from 2020-2021, and we are only in February. Unless something dramatic happens, he will smash his record. Foden also has 10 assists in all competitions so far in this campaign, just one short of his season best of 11 from 2021-2022.
When Stones is available and at his best, when Foden is in this kind of form — like we saw on Saturday — then the current champions are even harder to play against. And they hold the keys to their success, as much as anyone else, like Erling Haaland, Éderson or De Bruyne. — Julien Laurens
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FRIDAY, FEB. 23 (all times ET)
• Bayer Leverkusen vs. Mainz (2:20 p.m.)
SATURDAY, FEB. 24 (all times ET)
• Hull City vs. West Brom (7:25 a.m.)
• Barcelona vs. Getafe (10 a.m.)
• Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig (12:20 p.m.)
• Almería vs. Atletico Madrid (2:50 p.m.)
SUNDAY, FEB. 25 (all times ET)
• Chelsea vs. Liverpool (9:50 a.m.)
• Dortmund vs. Hoffenheim (11:20 a.m.)
• Real Madrid vs. Sevilla (2:50 p.m.)
And finally …
Queens Park Rangers confirmed late on Saturday that club icon and former England international Stan Bowles has passed away, aged 75.
Known as “Stan the Man,” Bowles became a cult figure in the 1970s for his maverick tendencies both on and off the pitch. A Manchester City graduate, Bowles joined QPR in 1972 and went on to make 315 league appearances for the club, scoring 97 goals, and narrowly missing out on winning the old First Division in 1975-76, finishing runners-up to Liverpool.
Once implored by then QPR manager Tommy Docherty to “Trust me, Stan!” Bowles famously quipped: “I’d rather trust my chickens with Colonel Sanders.”
Always an individualist, Bowles once signed sponsorship deals with two different boot companies for the same match and proceeded to wear one of each.
Capped five times by England, Bowles’ health deteriorated in his later years after being diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease in 2015. QPR have said they are planning a “fitting tribute” to “a darling of the Loftus Road terraces [and] undoubtedly one of the greatest players to have ever pulled on the famous blue and white hoops.” — Michael Wise
Stan Bowles.
Gone but never, ever to be forgotten.
The ultimate Loft legend 💙🤍 pic.twitter.com/knhPJI6K1A
— QPR FC (@QPR) February 24, 2024
