Premier League, Bundesliga, and Serie A Leadings Goals, Manchester United's Grit, and Arsenal's Turnaround
In a dramatic weekend in football, Manchester United drew 2-2 with Liverpool, ending the latter's hopes of winning the Premier League. Bayern Munich's defeat has them in a precarious position in the Bundesliga, and Roma surpassed expectations with a win over Lazio. Here are the 10 biggest talking points from the weekend in football.
- Leverkusen's Unbeaten Run Comes to an End Title challengers Bayern Munich stumbled again, this time losing to promoted Heidenheim in the Bundesliga. The result has the Bavarians in a difficult position, as they face the real prospect of not qualifying for the Champions League next season. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen can clinch the Bundesliga title next week despite losing their unbeaten run, the longest in the club's history, to Freiburg.
- Ten Hag's United Showing Resilience Despite Manchester United's disastrous season, manager Erik Ten Hag highlighted the growth shown by the team in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool. Despite United having just 32% possession and trailing 2-1, they fought until the end with Bruno Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo scoring goals. "On one side, I am disappointed that we have dropped seven points in one week after being in winning positions, but we have to blame ourselves for making stupid mistakes," said Ten Hag. "On the other the proud, you see how we are improving and the potential of this squad is amazing."
- Arsenal's Turnaround Is Also Havertz's Turnaround Kai Havertz, who was dubbed a "flop" after a club-record transfer to Arsenal in the summer, has found his form under manager Mikel Arteta. Havertz, who struggled to produce in limited playing time, has now scored six goals in his last 11 games, including Sunday's victory over Brighton. His improvement has also raised his market value, recently earning a recall to the German national team.
- Roma's Push for Champions League Continues After sacking club legend Jose Mourinho, Roma have surpassed expectations under manager Daniele De Rossi. The club have won 11 of their past 14 games in Serie A and the Europa League, climbing to fifth in the league table and reaching the Europa League semifinals. Saturday's 1-0 victory over Lazio has them closer to securing a Champions League spot for next season.
- Tottenham's Push for Top Four Continues Tottenham is in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League, despite concerns over their defensive errors this season. The team remains unbeaten in the league since the restart, earning them five points clear of arch-rivals Arsenal and seven clear of Manchester United. With only four games remaining, Tottenham has a 72% chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
- Liverpool's Title Hopes Dashed Liverpool's title hopes have taken a significant blow after a 2-2 draw with Manchester United. With rivals Manchester City winning, Liverpool needed a win to keep pace, but costly errors led to wasted chances and a penalty that gave Manchester United an opportunity to tie the game. The draw leaves them 10 points behind City with five games to go, effectively ending their hopes of a second straight Premier League title.
- Athletic Club Wins Copa del Rey Athletic Club won the Copa del Rey final against Leroy Sané's Bayern Munich. Despite being dominated for large parts of the match, Athletic scored a late winner, securing their fourth title in the last 16 years. It was a historic moment for the club, as they clinched their first major trophy since 2015.
- Roma Closes Gap on Champions League Spots Roma moved into fifth place in Serie A, just two points behind Juventus, after a 1-0 win over Lazio on Saturday. The victory pushed them closer to a Champions League place, as they have won nine of their past 11 games in all competitions. They are now level on points with Napoli, who has played two more games.
- Manchester United's Lingering Uncertainty The future of Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag remains uncertain despite the team's late-season resurgence. United are still embroiled in a legal battle with former manager Jose Mourinho, who they sacked in January. The club has also been criticized for its lack of spending compared to other elite European clubs, with the team's total spend of £225 million over six years ranking seventh in the Premier League.
- Harry Kane's Form for Tottenham Tottenham striker Harry Kane has been in top form since the restart, scoring seven goals in nine games. His performance against Leicester City on Sunday was notable, as he scored two goals and assisted on another in a 3-1 victory. The league's joint-top scorer now has 17 goals this season, putting him within reach of winning a third consecutive Golden Boot.