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Followers of European football will have been revelling this past week in the contrasting fortunes of the larger clubs with twists and turns leading to startling results and the most closely-fought leagues in years.
After runaway leaders in the English Premier League, Manchester City, failed to consolidate their early dominance against a Tottenham Hotspur side that struggled in early matches, their subsequent second successive defeat left the door open to three teams to claim top spot.
Incredibly, two of these sides were pre-season relegation contenders, Leicester City and West Ham United, both of which have been revelations under new management. Of the three contenders, Leicester were the first to take the lead in their match meaning that they momentarily, based on the minute-by-minute table, leapt to the top while West Ham conceded as a result of sloppy defending against Norwich.
This situation did not last long as they succumbed to a previously goal-shy Arsenal side that finally found their midfield creativity rewarded with a hatful of goals.
Given Leicester’s ability to fight back from two goals down in recent games to become the last undefeated side in the Premiership (before this game), there was always hope amongst the neutrals that they could recover, particularly having hit the woodwork twice.
While West Ham recovered to draw it was the third of the contenders, Manchester United, easing past bottom-of-the-table Sunderland 3-0, that finally usurped their ‘noisy neighbours’ at the summit for the first time in 770 days. Bizarrely, this was under the reign of the ill-fated David Moyes after they defeated Swansea City 4-1 on the opening day of 2013.
With goalkeeper David de Gea tied to a new contract, despite leaking more goals since his return to the side, they have looked more solid at the back and more likely to secure three points.
In the second half of their match, Manchester City looked remarkably fragile and liable to conceding goals again at any moment. Manuel Pelligrini could point to a number of injuries although the club’s sudden demise having not conceded in their opening five fixtures brings hope to a league that looked concluded already.
Of the slumbering giants, Liverpool looked a much stronger side with the return of England striker Daniel Sturridge who bagged a brace and should now be set for a surge up the table while Chelsea, despite only managing a tame draw, did show a spark in the final quarter that has been missing this season.
Last weekend was also one in which several of England’s forwards returned to goalscoring ways after suffering from a league drought, albeit in fortuitous circumstances.
Spurs’ Harry Kane opened his account, tucking in the rebound (from an offside position) after a free kick came back off the crossbar, while the Red Devils’ Wayne Rooney bundled in an Anthony Martial cross with the inside of his knee. For a man who is now joint-third on Manchester United’s list of all-time leading scorers, 1,000 minutes without a goal must have felt like a lifetime. Will the floodgates open for them both now?
La Liga (Spain) is also currently offering a few surprises. For a start it is not a two- or three-club race with five clubs within two points of each other at the top and Atletico Madrid, winners as recently as 2013, a further two points off the pace.
Fans more familiar with the English league will be aware of the concept that a player out on loan is not allowed to play against his ‘home’ club (the one with which he is registered).
However, that does not exist elsewhere which helped Villareal secure a 1-0 victory thanks to a goal from Leo Baptitao – against his parent club!
Barecelona sit second, leaping above Real Madrid who were held 0-0 at home to the 10 men of Malaga, although will rue the loss of Lionel Messi to injury for the next two months.
Some fascinating tussles lie ahead, particularly with the top clubs having to now manage European competition.
