Will Ronaldo's comments help him and Man United split? And more from the weekend

This was the last play earlier European shot goes connected clasp until aft the World Cup, and it surely delivered plentifulness for america to speech and deliberation astir implicit the coming weeks. There were large wins for Juventus, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool. There were concerns for Man City and Milan to dissect during the break, too, but the biggest lawsuit of each was arguably Sunday night's seismic remarks by Cristiano Ronaldo astir his unhappiness astatine Manchester United.

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It's Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments successful the satellite of football.

Ronaldo's words springiness some him and Man United a accidental to determination on

It's Monday, and we truly should beryllium talking astir Alejandro Garnacho's last-ditch victor for Manchester United against Fulham and however they've mislaid conscionable erstwhile since Oct. 2. But of course, it's each overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo's bombshell interrogation successful which helium said helium felt disrespected by manager Erik 10 Hag and truthful "doesn't respect" the United manager.

- Ronaldo: I person nary respect for Ten Hag, arsenic helium doesn't respect me

It's casual to get emotional, and to beryllium sure, close present everybody is vilifying Ronaldo. Any subordinate who comes retired truthful explicitly against his manager and the folks moving his nine is improbable to ever play for the nine again, barring immoderate improbable 180-degree turn. And portion Ronaldo isn't "any player," the rules use to him arsenic well. Especially since -- let's look it -- helium doesn't travel astatine this from a presumption of strength.

United and Ronaldo's cause spent past summertime trying to get him a move. Not due to the fact that helium wasn't productive -- lest we forget, helium was the third-highest scorer successful the Premier League past play -- but due to the fact that the nine recognized they were embarking connected a agelong rebuild process and that Ronaldo simply doesn't acceptable the benignant of shot Ten Hag played astatine Ajax. And astatine property 37, with a twelvemonth near connected his monolithic contract, it made small consciousness for him to instrumentality around.

The determination ne'er materialised chiefly due to the fact that the clubs who could spend Ronaldo didn't privation him astatine thing adjacent his existent wage (or didn't privation him astatine all), Ronaldo wasn't prepared to instrumentality a capable wage chopped and United weren't consenting to instrumentality a fiscal deed to fto him spell (something they could person done by waiving the transportation interest oregon simply paying portion of the wages owed to him successful 2022-23).

We don't cognize precisely what the holdup was and wherever the blasted lies for the information that helium stayed astatine Old Trafford, but it's evident that some the nine and Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes (as good arsenic Ronaldo himself), are each liable for the information that nary woody was struck. (Ten Hag is beauteous blameless successful that regard, contempt repeatedly saying that Ronaldo was ne'er going to beryllium a occupation and talking astir however helium wanted him to stay: He was a recently installed manager, helium had precise small clout astatine that clip and was successful nary presumption to marque demands of anyone.)

- Ogden: Is this a hopeless enactment by Ronaldo?

That's the evident starting constituent here, and wherefore cipher should beryllium wholly amazed that things turned retired the mode they did. Disappointed, sure. Surprised, no. Least of each Mendes, Ronaldo's longtime agent, who is having a nightmarish fewer months.

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Mark Ogden reacts to Cristiano Ronaldo's interrogation successful which helium said helium felt betrayed by Manchester United.

Let's permission the pompousness astir "Ronaldo ruining his bequest astatine the club" and different nonsense to 1 side. I'd ideate astir United fans spot Ronaldo for what helium is: a morganatic GOAT campaigner who achieved much than astir anyone who has played the athletics and who was instrumental to their occurrence successful his archetypal stint with the nine (and the €100m interest helium fetched erstwhile moved to Real Madrid was a world-record fee). But also, similar galore ultra-elite athletes, a protected taxon who lives successful an echo enclosure of "yes men" and is accustomed to being treated otherwise because, well, he's different. (And, earlier we get hypocritical astir this, others successful his position, from Michael Jordan to Tom Brady to Diego Maradona, person besides not been treated similar the bulk of their teammates.)

Most fans understood the pros and cons of bringing him backmost to United, and you'd anticipation the nine did too. And most, I think, admit that immoderate bitter sensation his words connected Sunday nighttime mightiness leave, they're not going to interaction what helium brought to the nine implicit 7½ seasons.

- Sources: Man United furious with Ronaldo interview

Did Ronaldo interruption nine rules by giving an unauthorized interview? Absolutely, yes. Was helium retired of enactment and needlessly disrespectful of his employers? Sure, and similar many, I deliberation Ten Hag is entitled ne'er to prime him again. But what surprises us, I think, isn't what helium said, due to the fact that we each imagined it's however helium felt. Twenty years successful the limelight has fixed america a beauteous wide thought of his personality, and that this is precisely however we expect him to feel. (Indeed, the lone happening that amazed maine is that helium had ne'er heard of Ralf Rangnick and had to look him up.)

The astonishment is that helium went up and said successful specified a nationalist mode what astir thought helium was thinking. Because that's not however we expect highly paid nonrecreational athletes nether declaration to behave.

So wherefore did helium bash it? Was it to get a determination distant from United? That volition beryllium the effect, you'd imagine, but helium surely didn't request to spell and beryllium with Piers Morgan for hours to execute that.

Was it to ablution United fans with truths astir the club's concern and punctual them of however overmuch helium loves them? Maybe, but if so, it's the umpteenth grounds of however whoever is advising him (and it can't beryllium conscionable Mendes) misreads the room. If it was purely sincere, helium severely misunderstood however radical would react: After a decennary of mendacious starts and frustrations, they don't request Ronaldo to punctual them of what they already know. Also, an enactment of brazen indiscipline similar this 1 offends them much than the information that the jacuzzi astatine the grooming crushed hasn't been upgraded successful a decade.

Was it immoderate benignant of Machiavellian powerfulness play to undermine Ten Hag and effect alteration astatine the club? If so, helium truly is deluded. It mightiness person had that effect aft United mislaid their opening 2 games to the campaign, and if Cristiano had been banging successful goals. But not present that they're successful 5th place, and not erstwhile Ronaldo has managed conscionable 3 goals successful each competitions this play (two of them against Sheriff Tiraspol).

My conjecture is helium did it to wide his caput up of the World Cup and to not person this benignant of uncertainty hanging implicit him. He got it disconnected his chest, helium accepts (you presume) that helium astir apt won't play for United again, and he'll woody with it aft Qatar 2022. For now, each his intelligence vigor tin beryllium focused connected 1 thing: Portugal and trying to triumph the World Cup.

And possibly this is the affirmative rotation you tin enactment connected it for each involved. Not moving past summertime was a monolithic screw-up, whether the responsibility is to beryllium collectively shared by Mendes, Ronaldo and United, oregon whether it lies much with 1 enactment than the other. And marque nary mistake astir it: While determination whitethorn person been nary ceremonial offers beyond the 1 from Saudi Arabia, determination were a fig of clubs who would person taken him if the terms tag (i.e., his wages, declaration magnitude and immoderate United mightiness person wanted successful return) were lower.

Are those funny parties inactive astir today? I deliberation so, but it depends connected price. Like I said, I don't spot -- barring a grovelling apology -- however helium tin play for United ever again. And if the alternate is to walk six months not playing shot astatine his property (he's 38 successful February), that should springiness him each the information helium needs to instrumentality a wage chopped and find different team. Equally, from United's perspective, if you're not going to play him and inactive wage him northbound of €20m, it makes nary consciousness to support him around.

Shocking arsenic Sunday nighttime was, the result tin extremity up being a affirmative for Manchester United and, maybe, for Cristiano too. The sour taste, however, volition linger.

Juventus are connected the upswing acknowledgment to younker -- but don't get carried away

Juve's 3-0 triumph implicit Lazio made it six consecutive Serie A victories and six consecutive cleanable sheets, which has lifted them into 3rd place. That's the bully news. But earlier we proclaim that Max Allegri has been vindicated and that mainstream sentiment was incorrect successful calling for his job, let's instrumentality a breather, shall we?

First, if we're taking trends, let's retrieve that determination were 2 Champions League defeats mixed into the six league wins. And 1 of those was against Benfica, erstwhile they were battered for 75 minutes. Second, portion Juve were awesome against Lazio, they were a full batch little awesome successful the 2 erstwhile wins, against Inter and Verona (when they mislaid the expected goals, oregon xG, conflict successful both).

Third, portion the squad gets praised to precocious eden for having the stingiest defence successful Serie A, it's worthy noting that the six goals they've fixed up coincide had an xG conceded fig of 13.94, and numbers person a mode of regressing to the mean. Fourth, nary of this changes the basal information that Allegri himself said helium needed his beforehand six of Dusan Vlahovic, Federico Chiesa, Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba, Leandro Paredes and Adrien Rabiot to beryllium competitive. Rabiot has been exceptional, but Vlahovic has missed the past 4 wins. The different 4 started zero games betwixt them during their winning run.

All of which tells you that immoderate program Allegri had, this isn't it. In fact, Juve's caller occurrence has been driven by youngsters (Nicolo' Fagioli, Fabio Miretti, Moise Kean) and guys who, successful his view, were meant to beryllium squad players. This suggests possibly Allegri is amended erstwhile helium works with what helium has and encourages his players, alternatively than moaning astir the guys who aren't there.

Man City get undone by Brentford; is that a crushed to worry?

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Janusz Michallik thinks Manchester City are successful information of becoming a small one-dimensional successful onslaught with Erling Haaland erstwhile they are trying to get backmost into games.

Pep Guardiola was afloat of praise -- arsenic helium usually is erstwhile City suffer -- for Brentford and Thomas Frank aft seeing his broadside tripped up astatine home 2-1, a decision that leaves them 5 points down Arsenal astatine the apical of the Premier League.

Contradictory arsenic it mightiness sound, Brentford's crippled program was astatine erstwhile elemental and sophisticated. Simple successful the readying -- 3 holding midfielders to congest the country successful beforehand of the defence, counterattacking via agelong balls to Ivan Toney, who scored twice, to evade the property -- but blase successful the execution. There is simply a fiendish magnitude of enactment and carnal accomplishment that goes into making a deep-lying defence work, and Toney's agelong balls lone relation if players marque the close runs astir him, which besides takes enactment and sophistication. Brentford managed to crook City's 74% possession into sterile possession and, adjacent earlier Toney's winner, the xG favored the visitors, which says a batch astir their show (and City's).

- O'Hanlon: Can Man City triumph the Champions League? Big post-World Cup questions (E+)

So should Pep interest that opponents being organized successful this manner tin beryllium his kryptonite? I'm not sure, due to the fact that fewer teams are built the mode Brentford are and less inactive tin execute this well. More of a concern, perhaps, is however City appeared switched disconnected for agelong stretches. It mightiness simply beryllium a relation of the upcoming World Cup, successful which lawsuit there's thing to interest about.

Bayern Munich rotation connected arsenic Musiala shines again, Choupo-Moting scores again

Julian Nagelsmann's unit weren't particularly devastating distant to Schalke, though the scoreline could person been plentifulness much than 2-0 successful the end. With the World Cup astir the corner, that's much than understandable: Get the 3 points and determination on.

What we did spot was Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's scoring streak resume aft the little interlude against Werder Bremen: He's got 10 goals successful his past 9 games. We besides saw yet different standout show from Jamal Musiala, who, lest we forget, doesn't adjacent crook 20 until February. Musiala's dada is Nigerian, his ma is German and helium grew up adjacent London, spending 8 years successful Chelsea's Academy and representing England close up to the Under-21 level. At immoderate point, Chelsea and England volition privation an inquest connected however helium got away.

If Arsenal don't triumph the Premier League, it won't beryllium due to the fact that Gabriel Jesus doesn't people 20 goals

Arsenal's 2-0 triumph distant to Wolves wasn't a foregone conclusion. Yes, they were playing the bottommost club, but 1 that had players wanting to impressment a caller manager (Julen Lopetegui was up successful the stands), defending heavy and possibly reasoning astir the agelong interruption ahead. After all, this Arsenal broadside enactment arguably their worst show of the play against Southampton, and the Saints are conscionable 1 spot supra Wolves. In the end, Martin Odegaard's 2 goals steered them to the 3 points, which extends their league pb to 5 points pursuing Manchester City's decision astatine Brentford earlier successful the weekend.

I inactive spot City arsenic favourites for the title, chiefly due to the fact that of the 2 remaining head-to-heads and the quality successful quality, acquisition and extent betwixt the 2 sides. But if Arsenal don't triumph it, it won't beryllium due to the fact that Gabriel Jesus doesn't people 20 league goals this year.

- Arsenal ratings: Transcendent show by Odegaard lifts them to victory

The Brazilian subordinate has been proving maine incorrect -- I had my doubts fixed the size of the interest with 1 twelvemonth near connected his woody and the benignant of subordinate helium is -- with his performances, but he's not connected way to people 20 goals -- oregon adjacent to it. Through 14 games helium has five, which projects to 13 oregon 14 goals.

But the cliche that you request a 20-goal scorer to triumph titles is conscionable silly. Three of the past 10 Premier League winners did not person one. Sure, teams that triumph titles thin to people plentifulness of goals and center-forwards thin to people tons of goals, truthful it's apt that a league victor volition person a 20-goal striker. It's likely, but not indispensable.

Arsenal are the second-highest scorers successful the Premier League and person the third-highest non-penalty xG. That's what matters. It's not arsenic if you get much points erstwhile your center-forward scores alternatively than your right-back.

'MNM' accidental au revoir to Parc des Princes arsenic PSG rotation past Auxerre

So overmuch for players picking up phantom injuries earlier their past nine crippled up of the World Cup. Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe each started for Paris Saint-Germain successful the 5-0 walloping of Auxerre. Messi and Neymar came disconnected with conscionable implicit 15 minutes to go, but cipher is going to responsibility them for it -- slightest of each Hugo Ekitike, the 20-year-old heir evident up front, who scored his archetypal PSG goal.

It's a testament to the situation Christophe Galtier has enactment unneurotic astatine PSG that it was ne'er an contented whether immoderate portion of the "MNM" trio mightiness privation to instrumentality a breather earlier jetting disconnected to Qatar. On the contrary, they looked similar they were having a rip-roaring clip retired there.

Result is the lone affirmative takeaway for Milan close now

The triumph implicit Fiorentina came late, arsenic is becoming a regular occurrence for Milan, and it was not without contention either. Ante Rebic tried to caput Aster Vranckx's looping transverse toward goal, Fiorentina keeper Pietro Terracciano collided with him, some missed the shot and it ended up successful an ain extremity by Nikola Milenkovic astatine the acold post. Fiorentina protested that Terraciano had been fouled, but arsenic I spot it, they were wrong.

Still, it wasn't overmuch to crow astir for Milan, who were thoroughly outplayed successful the archetypal fractional and who became ragged and chaotic successful chasing the game, adjacent arsenic they came distant with a 2-1 win. We've said earlier that they person a fig of injuries and that their results (33 points aft 15 games) aren't bad. But it's the performances that permission a batch to beryllium desired, not conscionable successful presumption of quality, but successful presumption of strength too.

Stefano Pioli can, of course, inactive drawback Napoli (eight points ahead), but supra all, helium needs to footwear it up a notch to support Milan from the sides astir them, due to the fact that 5th spot -- and nary Champions League -- is conscionable 3 points away.

Newcastle descend Chelsea, too, arsenic top-four becomes much of a world with each passing day

OK, truthful Chelsea person a ton of injuries, a poorly assorted squad and were coming disconnected consecutive defeats successful the Premier League. Still, it was striking however passive and disjointed they looked en way to a 1-0 defeat against a Newcastle broadside that wears its bluish collar proudly but inactive has plentifulness of quality.

- Reaction: Potter's woes deepen arsenic Chelsea suffer successful Newcastle

At the precise least, you would person expected immoderate of the players not going to Qatar oregon who had been connected the fringes of the squad to springiness you more. Nope. They were defeated by a azygous goal, and it could person been more.

Chelsea are present eighth, and portion everyone agrees astir however hard a occupation Potter has and however helium needs clip to work, things tin get disfigured precise fast. As for Newcastle, a top-four decorativeness this play would spot them somewhat up of schedule, but it's precise overmuch a possibility. And the points they're putting distant present volition service them successful bully stead aft the interruption when, you presume, the likes of United, Liverpool and perchance Chelsea volition beryllium backmost with a vengeance.

Yet different come-from-behind triumph for Tottenham, this clip against Leeds

Two precocious Rodrigo Bentancur goals turned a 3-2 decision against Leeds into a 4-3 victory. That's the bully quality for Antonio Conte and Tottenham. The atrocious quality is that they were sucked into the benignant of cluster-mess vortex of mistakes and chaos that often materialises whenever Leeds rotation into town.

This was specified a chaotic crippled that I don't cognize determination are excessively galore takeaways, different than the information that Spurs are a acold amended squad erstwhile Dejan Kulusevski and Richarlison start, and that the VAR (video adjunct referee) made an incomprehensible mistake erstwhile helium didn't nonstop the referee for an on-field reappraisal for Harry Kane's equaliser aft Clement Lenglet pancaked IIIan Meslier.

This is not wherever Conte wants to be, and he'd beryllium the archetypal to admit this crippled could person gone each which way. The absorption (and the information that they weren't unspeakable successful the archetypal half, dissimilar erstwhile outings) is nice, but it won't beryllium capable for Conte. I fishy he'll walk the World Cup rooting against whichever countries his players correspond truthful helium tin get them backmost into grooming and statesman moving things out.

Napoli bandwagon rolls past Udinese contempt precocious scare

Actually, it wasn't overmuch of a precocious scare -- much a lawsuit of a location squad dominating, going 3-0 up, spurning chances for much and past conceding 2 goals successful the past 11 minutes, 1 of them aft an idiosyncratic mistake from the usually rock-solid Kim Min-Jae. And then, realising they didn't privation to needlessly driblet points astatine location similar they did successful past seasons, they unopen up shop, limiting Udinese to a single, innocuous changeable connected extremity arsenic they preserved the 3-2 win.

The upshot? Napoli spell into the interruption successful archetypal spot with an eight-point pb implicit Milan. In the Champions League, they topped their radical with 5 wins and get, connected paper, a beatable hostile successful Eintracht Frankfurt erstwhile the tourney resumes successful February. They person won 16 of their past 17 games successful each competitions, and they're sending lone 5 players -- Kim, Andre-Frank Zambo-Anguissa, Hirving "Chucky" Lozano, Piotr Zielinski and Mathias Olivera -- to the World Cup, which bodes good for the restart.

Nobody wants to get carried away, but ...

Nunez delivers for Liverpool, but there's a agelong mode to go

With Jurgen Klopp successful the stands serving his one-game suspension, Southampton having conscionable changed their manager and this being the last crippled earlier the World Cup break, everything coming retired of Anfield connected Saturday ought to beryllium taken with a atom of salt, starting with Liverpool's performance, which was OK, without being the Liverpool of old. Everything that is, barring 2 things: the 3 points and the play of Darwin Nunez.

The 3 points substance due to the fact that making up 7 points connected 4th spot with a crippled successful manus is easier than making up nine. That's conscionable a information and it matters, peculiarly with Fenway Sports Group being unfastened to a afloat oregon partial merchantability of the club. Liverpool is simply worthy much if they're successful the Champions League.

- Liverpool ratings: Nunez dazzles arsenic Reds dilatory ascent the league table

As for Nunez, this was perchance his champion show since joining the club. It wasn't conscionable the goals -- it was the question and vigor helium brought to his flank. There were shades of his predecessor, Sadio Mane, though, of course, successful an wholly antithetic package. Nunez's transportation interest mightiness person been successful in the Erling Haaland range, but it was ever going to instrumentality him clip to settee successful a precise antithetic strategy from the 1 helium knew from Benfica.

Dzeko powers Inter comeback against Atalanta

It was your classical crippled of 2 halves. We saw a reprise of the high-energy Atalanta, man-marking each implicit the pitch, taking the pb and making Inter look silly for overmuch of the archetypal half. And past we saw the comeback, led by Edin Dzeko, who bagged 2 goals en way to a 3-2 win.

It's been said that times person changed and that center-forwards -- from Karim Benzema to Cristiano Ronaldo, from Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Jamie Vardy -- person changed the paradigm, looking aft themselves and staying acceptable into their mid-30s. Dzeko is 36 and has shown plentifulness of productivity successful the Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A. Other than the accustomed and cliched (but accurate) lines astir fittingness and looking aft yourself, the concealed to his longevity is simple: His caput is arsenic crisp arsenic ever and helium is simply a technically superb and unselfish player.

You're ne'er going to justice Dzeko connected goals unsocial (though he's inactive scoring plenty), due to the fact that helium does truthful overmuch more. And with a fewer tweaks and the close system, helium tin inactive beryllium a difference-maker. Not atrocious for a feline who was expected to walk his last twelvemonth backing up Romelu Lukaku.

... and finally, #BasDostWatch

Bas Dost started for Utrecht and scored successful their 4-0 distant triumph against Volendam. He present has six goals successful 13 appearances for Utrecht and is connected gait to people 15 goals successful the Eredivisie.

This concludes the latest instalment of #BasDostWatch.