Gab Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FCMay 8, 2023, 11:56 AM ET
It’s been another brilliant weekend in European soccer, so let’s review. We had a gritty Arsenal win at Newcastle that keeps the Premier League title race alive another week, while Real Madrid claimed the Copa del Rey for the first time since 2013-14. There was a major error by David de Gea as Man United lost a second straight league game in the tight race for the top four; Liverpool are right behind them after a 1-0 win over Brentford.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich took a big win over Werder Bremen, and Borussia Dortmund thumped Wolfsburg to keep the Bundesliga title race close with just three rounds of matches remaining. Napoli got to celebrate their title at home, though with plenty of questions ahead about their future to perhaps sour the mood.
It’s Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football.
Arteta’s moves pay off as Arsenal win at Newcastle
I don’t know if Arsenal are going to win the title — the odds are certainly against them — but games like Sunday show that they’d be worthy champions. It’s not just the road victory against Newcastle, as only one club had won at St. James’ Park since 2021, but the way it came about.
For the second straight game, Arteta dropped Thomas Partey for Jorginho in the middle of the park. Against Chelsea in midweek, many interpreted it as Partey (who has struggled of late) merely needing a breather, and given Arsenal were at home against a less physical opponent, it made sense. But most expected Partey to return for the trip north; instead, Arteta opted for Jorginho. The move paid off handsomely as he was, along with Martin Odegaard, arguably the best player on the pitch.
