Weekend review: Arsenal are for real, Pique bids farewell, Almiron flying high

It's officially World Cup period but earlier league enactment pauses up of the tournament, determination are respective storylines to travel crossed Europe. Arsenal claimed bragging rights implicit Chelsea, an nine icon took a bow astatine Barcelona, and tempest clouds are gathering implicit Atletico Madrid.

ESPN correspondents Julien Laurens, Alex Kirkland, James Tyler, Mark Ogden, and James Olley interruption down the large worldly you request to cognize astir the weekend.

Jump to: Talking points | Best goals | Teams successful trouble | MVP of the Weekend

Talking points

Make nary mistake: Arsenal are for real

So erstwhile are each going to commencement taking Arsenal earnestly arsenic a Premier League victor this season? After Sunday's 1-0 triumph against Chelsea astatine Stamford Bridge, it's clip to judge that Mikel Arteta's squad are a genuine contender.

Paul Merson, who helped the Gunners to league titles successful 1989 and 1991, poured acold h2o connected his erstwhile club's rubric hopes this play by saying that their "fixtures person been rather kind" and that finishing successful the apical 4 should inactive beryllium the objective.

But Merson is wrong. Arsenal's triumph astatine Chelsea added Graham Potter's squad to Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur successful presumption of large rivals to person mislaid to the Gunners this season. A constrictive decision astatine Manchester United successful September remains the lone league decision connected Arsenal's grounds truthful far.

Arsenal person yet to play closest rivals and reigning champions Manchester City -- their fixture past period was postponed successful bid to re-schedule a Europa League necktie against PSV Eindhoven -- truthful we cannot yet measurement Arteta's broadside against the best.

But with 34 points from 13 games, Arsenal person made their best-ever commencement to a Premier League play -- Arsene Wenger's Invincibles lone managed 33 points from their archetypal 13 games -- and a triumph against Wolves adjacent week volition corroborate apical spot going into the World Cup break.

Teams tin lone bushed the opponents successful beforehand of them and Arsenal person done that 11 times retired of 13 games this play and cipher has a amended record.

Yes, they person been inconsistent and unreliable ever since their past rubric successful 2003-04, but Arsenal person momentum and assurance is increasing with each result.

When that happens, arsenic Leicester City showed successful 2015-16, bully teams tin usage the positivity successful their favour and Arsenal are present successful a presumption wherever they tin situation for the title.

City are inactive the favourites, but Arsenal are decidedly susceptible of winning the rubric this season. - Mark Ogden

Pique's affectional Barcelona farewell

Barcelona's 2-0 triumph implicit Almeria saw them spell apical of LaLiga, with Real Madrid inactive to play connected Monday, but that wasn't what the 92,605 fans astatine Camp Nou connected Saturday had travel to see. They were determination to accidental goodbye to Gerard Pique, who had announced his status 2 days earlier.

If the quality wasn't precisely a daze -- Pique, 35, has been progressively side-lined this play -- the timing was a surprise. Still, Barca did a bully occupation of throwing unneurotic a fitting, last-minute farewell to the astir decorated defender successful the club's history. Pique started, wore the captain's armband, and enactment successful 1 of his amended performances this play earlier being subbed disconnected successful the 84th infinitesimal by erstwhile teammate, and present coach, Xavi Hernandez. There were hugs, smiles, tears, a lasting ovation and a post-match thigh of the transportation earlier Pique addressed the crowd.

play

2:11

Gerard Pique comes disconnected to lasting ovation from the Camp Nou arsenic helium leaves the tract for the last clip arsenic a Barcelona player.

"Sometimes successful life, loving is letting go," helium said. "There's truthful overmuch emotion betwixt Barca and I that it was clip to springiness america some immoderate space. I'm definite that successful the aboriginal I'll beryllium back. This isn't goodbye. I was calved present and I'll dice here."

Those words foreshadow what feels similar an inevitable aboriginal Pique nine presidency. For now, helium leaves arsenic 1 of the astir important figures successful Barca's caller history, 1 of LaLiga's champion defenders successful the modern era, and a antheral who always, until the precise end, knew however to predominate the headlines. - Alex Kirkland

Is PSG experiencing the champion Neymar ever?

The Lorient fans stood there, fractional aggravated astatine Neymar and the different fractional afloat of admiration for they conscionable witnessed -- overmuch similar each different instrumentality of Paris Saint-Germain's opponents this season. The Brazilian added a extremity and an assistance to his tally successful the Parisians' 2-1 triumph successful Britanny. His numbers truthful acold are crazy: 13 Ligue 1 matches (1,008 minutes played), 11 goals (off 17 shots connected target) and 9 assists, 41% palmy dribbles, 36 chances created.

In the Champions League, it's 2 goals and 2 assists successful 5 matches but 52% palmy dribbles. He is unplayable, unstoppable and this is astir apt successful his astir implicit nine signifier ever. At 30, helium has the maturity and the subject to the unthinkable endowment helium has ever possessed. He is much efficient, much focused and much decisive. It looks cleanable for him and for Brazil going into the World Cup. - Julien Laurens

Bayern Munich bent connected successful tricky conditions

Regardless of what Union Berlin execute connected Sunday successful their Bundesliga game, it's just to accidental (as we said past week) that Bayern Munich are softly shifting done the gears and won't request to hold overmuch longer earlier the league pb is theirs again. LIke a predator toying with its dinner, Bayern haven't been successful archetypal for a mates of months contempt taking 16 points from a imaginable 18 successful the league -- the lone blemish: that 2-2 gully astatine Borussia Dortmund connected Oct. 8 -- and adjacent winning each 3 Champions League games implicit that span and advancing successful the DFB-Pokal.

That they've done it each with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting up beforehand -- the guy's having an implicit renaissance play replacing Robert Lewandowski, scoring 9 goals since Oct. 16 successful each competitions, a singular tally of 7 consecutive games successful which he's recovered the nett -- simply speaks to however helpless the remainder of the Bundesliga indispensable beryllium feeling.

And yet Saturday's 3-2 triumph astatine Hertha was acold from straightforward. The hosts were pluckier than their dismal league grounds (just 2 wins successful 13) suggests, forcing immoderate vintage saves from Manuel Neuer and scoring doubly successful speedy succession earlier half-time aft falling down 3-0. Also, Bayern were kinda lucky? After a typically artful Jamal Musiala finish, rounding disconnected Sadio Mane's good attack play with a curling finish, Choupo-Moting showcased his scrappiness and chemoreceptor for extremity with 2 scrambled close-range finishes successful the span of 3 minutes. First, a changeable deflected into his way for a debased changeable betwixt Oliver Christensen's legs, portion the 2nd was bundled successful aft 5 players couldn't chopped retired Serge Gnabry's debased cross, with the shot pinging disconnected Choupo-Moting's genu and trickling implicit the line.

Hertha responded with 2 speedy goals -- shout-out to Dodi Lukebakio's beauteous volley from Marco Richter's floated transverse -- and got a VAR assistance to springiness Davie Selke a penalty, but Bayern showed that title-worthy resilience aft the break, with a extremity ruled retired for offside successful the 57th minute. Question marks undoubtedly stay Bayern, particularly with Alphonso Davies limping disconnected successful the 2nd fractional (though the squad are optimistic he'll beryllium acceptable successful clip for Canada's World Cup campaign), but if anyone tin fine-tune things coming retired of the World Cup, it'll beryllium Julian Nagelsmann. - James Tyler

Goals

Giroud's wonder-goal worthy the dismissal

When Olivier Giroud retires and we inquire him to take the champion goals of his career, helium whitethorn conflict to answer! On Saturday night, the 36-year-old AC Milan striker added an implicit worldie to his already agelong database of bangers and to marque it adjacent much special, his acrobatic aerial volley successful added clip against Spezia gave his squad the triumph and 3 large points which support the champions six points down Serie A leaders Napoli.

The Frenchman, who came connected aft 72 minutes, got truthful excited and euphoric that helium took disconnected his garment successful his chaotic celebrations which meant helium received a 2nd yellowish paper -- and frankincense sent off. He volition miss the travel to Cremonese connected Tuesday but helium won't care. His stunning goal, his 9th this play successful each competitions (five successful Serie A and 4 successful the Champions League) was good worthy it. - Laurens

Foxes' Tielemans follows up for different golazo

Youri Tielemans is making a wont of this. Following connected from a superb long-range effort against Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 weeks earlier, the 25-year-old scored arguably a amended extremity for Leicester City from astir precisely the aforesaid spot connected the transportation astatine Everton connected Saturday. James Maddison's lay-off forced Tielemans to crook his assemblage to marque definite helium could enactment the shot onto his close ft earlier unleashing a 25-yard thrust which clipped the underside of Jordan Pickford's crossbar connected the mode in.

That adjustment, positive the reliance connected a axenic method alternatively prioritising power, made this worthy of winning immoderate game. Tielemans is retired of declaration astatine the extremity of the play with Arsenal and Liverpool among the clubs reportedly interested. This was different advert for his sizeable talent. - James Olley

Magical Moukoko gives Dortmund different upfront hero

Borussia Dortmund person seen each their superstars permission astatine 1 clip oregon another, but the quality of specified turnover is that there's ever idiosyncratic caller to basal for. After Erling Haaland, we person Jude Bellingham and Giovanni Reyna... aft them (presuming they yet determination on), mightiness it already beryllium Youssoufa Moukoko's crook arsenic the leader of the Yellow Wall?

play

1:31

Youssoufa Moukoko scores 2 fantastic goals arsenic Borussia Dortmund canter to an casual 3-0 triumph implicit VfL Bochum.

Saturday's 3-0 romp implicit relegation-bound Bochum, their 3rd triumph connected the bounce successful the Bundesliga, didn't necessitate overmuch of a sweat -- Dortmund lone had 3 shots connected people implicit the 90 minutes, dispatching each of them earlier half-time -- and fixed their opponents' myriad issues, the crippled was efficaciously implicit wrong 12 minutes arsenic Moukoko and Reyna got connected the scoresheet. Moukoko's opener was a enactment of art, too: having shown astonishing musculus to motion disconnected the burly Ivan Ordets' attempted challenge, helium chopped infield towards the apical of the container earlier ripping a lofted changeable beyond Manuel Riemann from 20 yards out.

Moukoko already has six goals and 3 assists successful 12 Bundesliga appearances this play and if helium continues astatine this pace, BVB should person small occupation securing a Champions League berth for adjacent season. - Tyler

Teams successful trouble

Atletico Madrid's play looking dour

It had already been a dreadful week for Atletico Madrid, conceding successful the 99th infinitesimal to suffer astatine Cadiz and past beaten astatine FC Porto to decorativeness bottommost of their Champions League group. Sunday's 1-1 location gully with an Espanyol squad that played with 10 men for implicit an hr lone accrued the unit connected Diego Simeone and his team, and it could person been worse. Atletico were down until substitute Joao Felix leveled successful the 78th minute. Yes, Atletico dominated -- they had 27 shots, 7 of them connected target, with an xG of 2.12 -- but erstwhile again a deficiency of composure and objective finishing outgo them.

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak admitted afterwards that Atletico "aren't close psychologically," a startling admittance for a squad that for truthful agelong based its occurrence connected an unquestioning content successful Simeone's methods and a win-at-all-costs mentality. Simeone himself called for calm, successful a connection that was aimed arsenic overmuch astatine nine executives arsenic the players oregon fans. With nary European shot to look guardant to, and Real Betis, Real Sociedad, Athletic Club and Osasuna each looking similar pushing Atletico for a apical 4 spot, it's going to beryllium a agelong season. - Kirkland

Lopetegui has enactment to bash arsenic Wolves descent

Wolves lone mislaid by a azygous extremity to Brighton but the 3-2 scoreline masks different day successful which they were comprehensively outplayed. New brag Julien Lopetegui, who does not commencement enactment until aft the Premier League pauses connected Nov. 14, truly has it each to do. This was the Midlands side's sixth decision successful 8 games and they are lone disconnected the bottommost of the array arsenic a effect of Nottingham Forest's inferior extremity difference.

Interim manager Steve Davis was frank astir the concern connected Saturday: "If I was successful his shoes, I would beryllium looking to summation the numbers with immoderate prime due to the fact that it needs a small spot more."

play

0:52

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens sermon Wolves' determination to name Julen Lopetegui arsenic manager.

Although the last squads are yet to beryllium announced, Wolves could person arsenic galore arsenic 15 oregon adjacent 20 players distant astatine the World Cup, meaning Lopetegui volition hardly person a fewer days to enactment with his afloat radical earlier the play resumes. Their last league crippled comes against highflying Arsenal -- it threatens to get worse earlier it gets better. - Olley

Weekend MVP

Almiron cardinal to Newcastle's Champions League hopes

Miguel Almiron took his caller haul to 7 goals successful arsenic galore games for Newcastle United, opening the scoring successful a 4-1 triumph astatine Southampton which kept Eddie Howe's squad successful the apical 4 and continuing his translation from a gag fig to 1 of the astir awesome performers successful the Premier League.

At the extremity of past season, Manchester City's Jack Grealish mocked teammate Riyad Mahrez by saying helium had been substituted against Aston Villa for "playing similar Almiron" -- a wide excavation astatine the Newcastle forward's erratic performances. A connection that hasn't aged well.

Almiron has yet discovered his champion signifier successful a Newcastle shirt, 4 years aft arriving astatine St James' Park successful a £21.6m determination from Atlanta United FC -- a fig which remains the biggest transportation interest ever paid for a Major League Soccer player.

Until this season, the Paraguay planetary had scored conscionable 14 goals successful three-and-half campaigns astatine Newcastle, but contempt his deficiency of goals, had go a fans' favourite owed to his effort and commitment.

Almiron is inactive showing those qualities, but helium has present added goals to his crippled and is simply a large origin successful Newcastle's flying commencement to the season. - Ogden