This weekend, the flames of European football reignited as several top teams took to the field. In the Premier League, Manchester City, who have been in a slump, finally secured a resounding victory with a 4-1 thrashing of West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. Meanwhile, Chelsea, who had taken an early lead away from home, were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Crystal Palace, extending their winless streak in the league to four matches. Arsenal also faced resistance, drawing 1-1 away against Brighton & Hove Albion, halting their three-match winning streak. In the Spanish Copa del Rey third round, both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid advanced after defeating their respective opponents 4-0 and 1-0.
Manchester City 4-1 West Ham United
As reigning champions of the Premier League, Manchester City found themselves in a slump this season, managing only two wins in their last 14 games and falling out of contention for the title early on. To secure a spot in next season's UEFA Champions League, they needed to return to winning ways.
Facing West Ham United, who had lost all five previous encounters, City unleashed their firepower. Savigny opened the scoring with an own goal early on, followed by a brace from Haaland and a goal from Foden, leading to a 4-1 victory over the Hammers.
Crystal Palace 1-1 Chelsea
After Berli took over Stamford Bridge, he provided Chelsea with ample transfer funds to strengthen the squad. However, the significant investment did not translate into enhanced fighting power or competitiveness, making the Blues a laughingstock in Europe's top five leagues.
Under new coach Maresca this season, Chelsea made a comeback, once ranking second in the Premier League table. But a recent run of one draw and two losses saw them drop to fourth. In their away match against Crystal Palace, Chelsea took an early lead thanks to a connection between Sancho and Palmer, but they could not hold off the hosts' furious counterattack. Mateta's late equalizer ensured a 1-1 draw for Crystal Palace.
Brighton 1-1 Arsenal
Arsenal has also invested heavily in recent seasons to reclaim the Premier League championship podium. Despite a poor start to this season that eroded fan confidence, the Gunners did not give up. After securing three consecutive victories in the league, they rose to second place in the standings, rekindling hopes of a title challenge.
Against Brighton, who had gone seven games without a win, Arsenal took the lead in the 16th minute through youngster Nwaneri. However, they gradually lost control of the game, allowing Brighton to win a penalty after Saliba's foul in the box. Pedri converted it calmly, securing a 1-1 draw at home against Arsenal.
Barcelona 4-0 Bawastro
Barcelona, who suffered two consecutive defeats in La Liga and relinquished their top spot, bounced back in the Copa del Rey third round. They defeated lower-tier team Bawastro 4-0, advancing to the next round and ending their losing streak. Goals from Lewandowski (two), Garcia, and Torres sealed the victory.
However, the team was unable to celebrate as La Liga and the Spanish Football Federation jointly announced the rejection of Barcelona's registration applications for Olmo and Victor. If Olmo chooses to leave, Barcelona will have to pay him a salary of 48 million euros over six years and clear a 55 million euro transfer fee to Leipzig. This news dealt a massive blow to Barcelona.
Atletico Madrid vs. Marbella
In the previous round of La Liga, Atletico Madrid defeated Barcelona away from home, extending their winning streak to 12 games and taking the league lead. In this round, Atletico made their debut in the Copa del Rey against lower-tier team Marbella.
Despite fielding most of their starters, Atletico's commitment seemed lacking, particularly in front of goal where they squandered numerous chances. Fortunately, Griezmann capitalized on a rebound opportunity in the first half to score the game's only goal, helping Atletico secure a narrow 1-0 victory and extend their winning streak across all competitions to 13 games.