The Premier League title race moved that much closer in Liverpool’s favor after Arsenal’s loss to West Ham United, and Chelsea’s backslide away from UEFA Champions League qualification got worse, courtesy of Aston Villa’s new January signings.
Meanwhile, the LaLiga race in Spain is tightening up thanks to wins by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid. In the Bundesliga, Dortmund’s lopsided win over Union Berlin was the biggest surprise in a weekend full of them in Germany.
Sam Tighe, Alex Kirkland and Constantin Eckner look across Europe for the big takeaways and highlights from the weekend.
Top takeaway: Chelsea sunk again as Villa’s new additions sparkle
Aston Villa were the Premier League’s busiest club during the January transfer window, adding five new players to a squad that needed a lift. Two of those five — Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio, signed on loan from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively — felt like genuine marquee additions, and it hasn’t taken them long to make their presence felt.
Rashford set up Asensio twice on Saturday as Villa came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1, with the winner coming in the 89th minute. It felt fitting that it was the new Marco-Marcus combination that sealed the game for Villa, as it’s clear these two players in particular have found a new lease of life under manager Unai Emery.
Admittedly, the second of those two strikes was a touch fortunate — it required a helping hand from Blues goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen, who allowed a hopeful effort to squirm through him and over the line. That really was the last thing Blues manager Enzo Maresca needed, given how much focus there has been on who he selects between the sticks this season.
Just as concerning is Chelsea’s run of form since Dec. 22: They’ve lost double the number of games (six) than they’ve won during that time, have been knocked out of the FA Cup and have slipped to seventh in the Premier League table. Two months ago, Maresca was trying to keep a lid on expectations and felt forced to play down suggestions his team were in the title race; now he’s looking over his shoulder at the likes of Villa, hoping his players can find some form.
Best match: Newcastle United 4-3 Nottingham Forest
This epic encounter between two Champions League hopefuls began and finished with a flourish. Forest’s early lead was wiped out as Newcastle replied with a barrage of four goals, but in the second half they took their foot off the gas. The visitors got one back, then another followed, which led to a frenzied, panicked stoppage-time period as the Magpies held on.
Best goal: Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma vs. Southampton
Mitoma finished a subtly brilliant Brighton move that went from the edge of their own box to the back of Southampton’s net in fewer than 10 seconds. Adam Webster’s super line-breaking pass to João Pedro took eight Saints players out of the game, the Brazilian laid it off for Mitoma to take and run with, then the winger sprinted 50 yards before lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.
So cool from Kaoru to make it three… 🥶💫 pic.twitter.com/WB2aHixUAr
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) February 23, 2025
MVP of the weekend: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, West Ham
West Ham produced a counterattacking clinic in their 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. Their tactical approach was typified by Wan-Bissaka, who won more duels (nine) and completed more dribbles (three) than anyone else on the pitch. It was his long run and cross that created the winner, nodded home by Jarrod Bowen. — Tighe
Top takeaway: Barça, Madrid, Atleti all win to keep title race tight
We’ve reached the stage of the season where, as Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday, “You can’t slip up.” And this weekend, none of the big three — Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid — did, keeping the gap between the title-contending trio at just one point.
First up on Saturday it was Atletico, with a tricky away tie at a Valencia team who’d won their previous three games at home. The quality of Antoine Griezmann (as provider) and Julián Álvarez (as finisher, with a brace) ensured that run came to an end with a 3-0 win for Atletico, although even coach Diego Simeone admitted he couldn’t understand why Valencia hadn’t been given a penalty for Javi Galán‘s handball.
Later on, there was a potentially difficult game for Barcelona, away at Las Palmas. Hansi Flick’s team were made to work hard before Dani Olmo opened the scoring with some deft footwork after an hour. It was Olmo’s first goal since November, and it helped Barça win 2-0, staying top of the table. But right alongside them on 54 points are Real Madrid, who beat Girona 2-0 thanks to an all-timer from Luka Modric (see below) and a late second from Vinícius Júnior, set up by Kylian Mbappé.
So — thanks to key players, stepping up in key moments — there’s no change at the top. More and more, this has the feeling of a title race that will go right down to the wire.
Best match: Athletic Club 7-1 Real Valladolid
It wasn’t the most competitive encounter — quite the opposite — but there was plenty of entertainment and spectacle in Athletic’s ruthless thrashing of relegation-bound Valladolid at San Mamés. Much of it was provided by Nico Williams, with two goals — one of them after a Maradona-esque dribble across the box — plus an early assist. There was also yet another goal for the underrated Oihan Sancet, LaLiga’s top scoring Spaniard with 13 goals.
Best goal: Luka Modric vs. Girona
There were multiple goal-of-the-weekend contenders among Athletic’s seven goals, but Modric’s first-half strike at the Bernabéu was undeniable. After Rodrygo’s corner was headed clear, Modric chested the ball down, allowing it to bounce once before firing a vicious shot past a stunned Paulo Gazzaniga. It was Modric’s fourth goal of the season in all competitions, and — this is saying something — one of the best of the 39-year-old’s long career.
MVP of the weekend: Antoine Griezmann, Atletico Madrid
Julian Alvarez might have scored twice in Atletico’s win at Valencia, but it was Griezmann who set them on the way to victory with two inspired, incisive passes to help create both goals. Griezmann’s form has been questioned in recent weeks, with an unusual lack of end product, but Diego Simeone’s faith in him is unwavering, and this is why. — Kirkland
Top takeaway: Dortmund win for the first time with Niko Kovač at the helm
On a weekend full of surprises — as Freiburg thrashed Bremen and Augsburg upset Mönchengladbach — Dortmund’s 6-0 win over Union Berlin takes the cake.
While Union are among the weaker sides in the league and have shown barely any progress since Steffen Baumgart was hired as manager, Dortmund had been struggling in the first few weeks with Niko Kovač at the helm. Hence, the clear victory at Signal Iduna Park, with Serhou Guirassy scoring four goals and Pascal Gross providing four assists, gives the Schwarzgelben a much-needed breather.
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Guirassy scores 4 as Dortmund thrashes Union Berlin
Serhou Guirassy scores four goals as Borussia Dortmund beat FC Union Berlin 6-0 at the Westfalenstadion.
Recent losses have minimised Dortmund’s chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, which has been their goal for the season. Still, Kovač is under pressure to prove himself, as are many of Dortmund’s highly paid players.
Saturday’s game could also boost Gio Reyna’s confidence. The U.S. men’s national team player was granted a spot in the starting XI because Julian Brandt, who usually plays as Dortmund’s No. 10 had to be replaced on short notice. Reyna played for 70 minutes and did not impress as much as his fellow midfielders Karim Adeyemi and Maximilian Beier. But it was a step in the right direction for the 22-year-old — just like for the entire team.
Best match: Leipzig 2-2 Heidenheim
The early game on Sunday could have almost ended in a huge upset. Heidenheim, who are 16th in the league, scored two early goals at Red Bull Arena, but Leipzig recovered from these setbacks and saved one point thanks to their striker pair — Loïs Openda and Benjamin Šeško. Still, the Marco Rose-led side remain on the wrong trajectory.
Best goal: Kiliann Sildillia vs. Bremen
The right-back opened the scoring Friday night, as a corner kick looped up into the air after a header at the front post. Sildillia saw his chance to not only score the lead but also inject himself into the highlight reels of this season. He quickly calculated how the ball would fly through the air and then slammed it home with an acrobatic overhead kick.
MVP of the weekend: Borussia Dortmund’s Pascal Gross
One could have almost forgotten how celebrated the former Brighton midfielder was only a couple of months ago. His move from the Premier League to Dortmund seemed like a failure, not so much because of Gross’s individual performances but due to the difficult circumstances. The 33-year-old showed what he is capable of against Union Berlin, setting three of the four goals scored by Serhou Guirassy and a late goal by Maximilian Beier. — Eckner
What else you missed this weekend
Yet another penalty fiasco in Serie A
Udinese beat Lecce 1-0 on Friday night courtesy of a 32nd-minute Lorenzo Lucca penalty. You’d think manager Kosta Runjaić would be delighted with that, right? Wrong. He was absolutely furious.
Lucca is not the Bianconeri’s designated penalty taker, so it was a shock to everyone when he strode up to the spot confidently, ball in hand, intent on taking it. Five minutes passed as a cluster of teammates begged him to hand the duties over to regular taker Florian Thauvin. Somewhere in the middle of that, Lucca was booked by the referee because he was effectively timewasting.
Eventually, everyone stepped away and let Lucca rifle the penalty in the top corner expertly. Considering the drama and the wait, it really was a ludicrously good spot kick. He celebrated alone, many of his teammates actively avoiding going near him, and he was then promptly substituted in the 36th minute.
“We have hierarchies,” Runjaić growled after the game. “I don’t like those who don’t respect the rules, so I had to take measures.” — Tighe
Assane Diao and Nico Paz star for Como in win over Napoli
Assane Diao‘s impact since joining Como last month has been remarkable. The winger, 19, had looked an intriguing prospect in Spain at Real Betis. But he’d scored just one goal in 10 LaLiga appearances this season. Now, Diao already has five goals in eight Serie A games for Como, the latest coming in their 2-1 win over title-chasing Napoli on Sunday.
The defeat cements a crisis for Antonio Conte’s Napoli, who haven’t won in their last four Serie A games. And Como’s win means they’ve picked up six points in a week, after beating Fiorentina last weekend. Those points see them climb away from the relegation battle and into mid-table safety. As for Napoli, the former leaders have now dropped to second, behind Inter.
Diao’s goal on Sunday was created by another of this season’s Serie A revelations — and another former LaLiga starlet — Nico Paz. His pass, bisecting the Napoli defence, was controlled well by Diao, who then supplied a composed, low finish into the bottom corner. At Betis, Diao’s greatest strength was his dribbling, not his finishing. He now looks like a future all-round attacking star, one who Como signed for just €12 million. — Kirkland
One last win before RVP’s arrival in Rotterdam
It’s been quite a few weeks for Pascal Bosschaart, Feyenoord’s caretaker manager who was put in charge following Brian Priske’s dismissal in early February. In the four games he was leading the team, Feyenoord won four points in the Eredivisie and astonishingly eliminated AC Milan, who had just signed striker Santiago Giménez from Feyenoord, from the UEFA Champions League.
Feyenoord beat Almere City 2-1 on Saturday in what was the only Eredivisie game that day. A stoppage time goal by Dávid Hancko let the home crowd erupt. It had become clear that this would be Bosschaart’s final game as caretaker because prior to it, Robin van Persie, who started and later finished his career at Feyenoord, emerged as the leading candidate for the managerial post. General director Dennis te Kloese was able to get RVP out of his contract with Heerenveen, which was rather easy, given that the former Manchester United and Arsenal star was clearly in favour of yet another return to De Kuip.
After all, van Persie is a Rotterdam native, and he might see revitalising the team almost as his duty. However, whether the 41-year-old has the managerial skills to do so at this point remains to be seen. His short-lived tenure as Heerenveen manager was his first senior job in the coaching world. — Eckner
