By Desmond Nleya
Matchday 5 delivered exciting encounters across Europe’s top leagues.
English Premier League
Under-pressure Manchester United continued their dominance over Chelsea despite a shaky run of form. United won 2–1 after capitalizing on Chelsea goalkeeper Sánchez’s red card in the 5th minute. Chelsea’s hopes of a comeback were further dented when Caicedo was sent off for a second bookable offence. Despite pulling one goal back, the Blues couldn’t rescue a point. The narrow victory offered some relief to Ruben Amorim after a difficult spell.
At the top of the table, defending champions Liverpool edged Everton 2–1 in the Merseyside derby. Title hopefuls Arsenal shared the spoils with Manchester City in an entertaining 1–1 draw on Sunday. Meanwhile, both Newcastle United and Aston Villa continued to struggle after recording yet more draws.
La Liga (Spain)
Barcelona looked unstoppable, easing past Getafe 3–0 despite the absence of teenage prodigy Lamine Yamal. Rivals Real Madrid were also convincing, beating Espanyol 2–0 on Saturday. Atlético Madrid, however, slipped again, drawing 1–1 with Mallorca, leaving coach Diego Simeone under early-season pressure with just one win in their first five matches.
Ligue 1 (France)
Monaco stormed past FC Metz with a 5–2 victory. PSG are set to lock horns with Marseille on Monday in a high-profile clash.
Bundesliga (Germany)
Bayern Munich remained on cruise control, thrashing Hoffenheim 4–1. Harry Kane stole the show yet again, netting his third hat-trick of the season.
Looking Ahead
Attention now shifts to midweek fixtures, with La Liga ties and the EFL Cup in England promising more drama.
