Arsenal take charge of title race, Juventus are in trouble, Mudryk stars in dull Liverpool-Chelsea draw, more

It feels like we say this every week, but what a weekend in Europe’s top leagues! Arsenal bested Man United in a superb Premier League clash, while Liverpool and Chelsea continued to misfire in a dull 0-0 draw that was anything but entertainment. Elsewhere, we had a big Barca-assisted win for Atletico Madrid, more Dortmund drama and sustained brilliance from Serie A leaders Napoli.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.)

In addition, Juventus earned an impressive draw vs. Atalanta, though their problems are just beginning. Real Madrid and Barcelona also both had issues galore even though they picked up wins.

It’s Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football.

Arsenal lay down another title marker, Man United find their limits

It took Eddie Nketiah’s injury-time flick for Arsenal to deliver the 3-2 win over Man United on Sunday, but the previous 90-odd minutes underscored what we already know: Right now, there’s a gulf between these two sides in terms of chemistry and performance. You can tell which manager (Mikel Arteta) has been in charge for three years and which one (Erik ten Hag) for barely six months.

The numbers tell their own story. Arsenal out-shot United 25 to 6. The xG was a whopping 3.05 to 0.36. United scored via an improbable worldie from Marcus Rashford, and a brave header by Lisandro Martinez after an Aaron Ramsdale clearance didn’t get very far. Outside of that they created very little, unlike Arsenal, who also benefited from a worldie (Bukayo Saka) and opponent errors (Aaron Wan-Bissaka) but also generated plenty of quality chances and spent most of the game camped in United’s half.

The only close thing in this game was the score.

That’s what happens when the consequences of another defeat outweigh the benefits of a win. Sunday’s 0-0 draw suits both teams, though in reality it helps nobody. There are obvious differences between the clubs — Chelsea have overhauled the squad and changed managers, Liverpool have made tweaks and Jurgen Klopp has been there for ages — but there are more parallels. There’s an air of uncertainty after mass front-office departures, there are injuries and there are the familiar question marks that come from being at the dawn or at the end of an ownership era. And, of course, there’s the fact that both sides are adding up to far less than the sum of their parts.

– Tyler: Mudryk stands out as Liverpool, Chelsea stumble

There’s also an air of resignation among supporters, which, I guess, you explain by being 10 points away from the top four. Shaking that will be just as important as getting their team to perform, because the Champions League returns next month and, truth be told, Klopp and Graham Potter will need their home support at max levels if they are to salvage something from this campaign.

Barcelona unimpressive in win over Getafe as Ter Stegen comes up big (again)

Don’t take my word for it. Xavi himself pointed out how poorly his team played against Getafe and how they were grateful for Pedri‘s strike that produced three points and for Marc-Andre ter Stegen‘s superb goalkeeping performance. Getafe, fighting to avoid relegation, focused on defending, but Barca looked uninspired in the middle of the park and ended up losing the xG battle at home — 0.71 xG to Getafe’s 1.19 — which isn’t something you expect coming off three straight defeats.

Robert Lewandowski‘s absence is a mitigating factor: Ansu Fati is a phenomenal player, albeit one with a wholly different skill set, and Barca failed to adjust adequately. With Memphis Depay gone, it’s food for thought: Who should be Lewandowski’s understudy: Ansu or Ferran Torres? Each comes with pros and cons.

One last word on Barcelona defensively. The back four of Sergi Roberto, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Alejandro Balde feels cobbled together, and yet two (arguably three) of those four are likely first-choice starters. And yet, they’ve conceded just one goal (and that was a penalty against Espanyol) all season long at home.

I’d take that with a pinch of salt. Their xG conceded at home is 5.98, which means they are far outperforming that. Expect some sort of regression to the mean here … unless, of course, Ter Stegen continues to don his Superman cape at the Camp Nou.

Griezmann shines, Morata scores, Memphis debuts and Simeone smiles for Atletico

Things looked hopeless at Atletico Madrid a week ago. The club were getting sucked into a genuine six-way battle for that fourth Champions League spot, which is non-negotiable for them in financial terms. They weren’t playing well (OK, they often don’t), they were short-handed in terms of options with Joao Felix and Matheus Cunha gone, Alvaro Morata was getting criticized for his finishing and some wondered whether the days of Antoine Griezmann as an attacking force (especially after turning out in midfield at the World Cup) were over.

Diego Simeone got the breaks in the 3-0 hammering of Valladolid. Memphis Depay signed, made his debut and showed flashes of quality. Morata scored — OK, he also missed a couple of sitters, but he got on the end of his chances. And Griezmann stole the show with a fine goal and a delicious assist.

It’s still a dogfight for fourth place, but the big guns are firing, and that can’t help but boost confidence.

Reyna delivers winner for same old Dortmund

New year, same old Borussia Dortmund. Three times they took the lead against Augsburg — a side that had taken three points in their previous eight games — on Sunday and three times they allowed the equaliser, twice after the sort of craven defensive mistakes they’ve been trying to banish for years. That they took three points, though, came down to a stunning finish from Gio Reyna, a young man with a more-than-star-crossed two months behind him, a function of injuries and this ugly story. A fit, productive Reyna is obviously a major asset for both Borussia Dortmund and the U.S. national team, and whatever your stance is, you can only be happy for him.

There are other reasons — beyond the three points — for Dortmund to feel good. Youssoufa Moukoko extending his contract is big, as is the return (off the bench) of Sebastien Haller after his bout of testicular cancer. It has been a turbulent half-season, and Dortmund are sixth in the Bundesliga … but second place is just two points away.