There was no Premier League fixtures as the FA Cup took center-stage in England this weekend, with Manchester United‘s thrilling shootout win over Arsenal stealing the headlines.
The Bundesliga returned with a bang, while Atletico Madrid quietly sealed Spain’s “Winter Champions” crown in Barcelona‘s and Real Madrid‘s absence.
On the goals front, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Julián Álvarez both scored sumptuous strikes, and Omar Marmoush sparkled with a number of Manchester City scouts watching on.
Sam Marsden, Luis Miguel Echegaray and Constantin Eckner take a look at what you might have missed this weekend.
FA Cup
Top takeaway: Man United slowly learning the Amorim way
The iconic third round of the FA Cup is mostly known for Cinderella stories that pit lower-league hopefuls against more illustrious opposition. And we did see some of them over the weekend, notably with some League One clubs winning against opponents from the Championship. But if we’re sticking to Disney movies, this weekend’s main headline was less Cinderella and more Brave, because that was exactly what 10-man Manchester United was against Arsenal on Sunday, winning on penalties with guts and resiliency at the Emirates.
Arsenal missed many chances and once again rued the fact they don’t have enough quality up front. To make matters worse, striker Gabriel Jesus had to come off on a stretcher after clashing with Bruno Fernandes in the first half. But again, you have to hand it to Manchester United, who are slowly starting to provide the demands of Ruben Amorim’s philosophy, which requires undisputed commitment. And that’s exactly what happened after the Red Devils were forced to play with 10 men after Diogo Dalot received his second yellow card in the 61st minute. It was a heroic, collective performance, especially from their goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who was magnificent, making save after save, including a penalty stop in the shootout.
The victory places Man United in the next round at home against Leicester City but, most importantly, it concludes a seven-day period that also included a draw against Liverpool. The continued sentiment remains: there needs to be consistency, but credit is deserved for a hard-fought win.
MVP of the weekend: Tamworth
Man United keeper Bayindir is clearly the individual that deserves much praise here, but I am giving the award to the non-league side, who fought valiantly against Tottenham Hotspur. They lost 3-0, but the result flattered Spurs because for 100 minutes, the club from Andy Peaks’ National League — playing against the likes of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson and Son Heung-Min — took the Premier League team to extra time.
The extra time was the main reason Spurs won. Tamworth simply got tired, and Ange Postecoglou was able to introduce Dejan Kulusevski and the aforementioned Son in the latter stages. Against a bunch of semi-pros, calling on that kind of depth was simply too much. This is the first season of the FA Cup where there are no replays so it’s a shame Tamworth suffered as a result of it as it was 0-0 after 90 minutes. But, regardless, they won my MVP vote. — Echegaray
Top takeaway: Atlético Madrid crowned Spain’s ‘Winter Champions’
Atlético Madrid took full advantage of Real Madrid and Barcelona playing the Spanish Supercopa this weekend to climb to the top of LaLiga at the halfway stage. Alvarez’s second-half goal was enough for them to beat Osasuna 1-0 on Sunday as they extended their winning streak in all competitions to 14 matches.
That impressive run has included eight straight victories in LaLiga as they have hunted down Madrid and Barça. After 19 league games, Diego Simeone’s side have lost just once and are one point clear of Madrid and six ahead of Barça — who they trailed by 10 points at the start of November.
That has earned them the tag of “Winter Champions” — given to the league leaders in Spain after the first round of fixtures have been completed — and firmly cemented their title credentials. They have twice pipped Madrid and Barça to the title previously under Simeone, in 2014 and 2021, and look increasingly capable of doing so again this season.
