EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe European soccer weekend again delivered a ton of talking points across the top leagues -- and the English FA Cup, which completed its fourth round this weekend -- but where do we begin?Let's start in Italy, and a top-of-the-table derby clash between Inter Milan and Juventus that yielded five goals, plenty of drama ... and plenty of controversy after a first-half dive led to a red card that changed the game. The referee made a mistake, but the teams, their players, and their officials, should know better.In England's FA Cup, Liverpool wrapped a big win over Premier League rivals Brighton that showed further signs of their progress in a difficult season. In Spain, Real Madrid turned in another wobbly performance but did get a big win over LaLiga's red-hot Real Sociedad, and in Germany, Harry Kane made it to 500 club/country goals as Bayern Munich rolled over Werder Bremen to stay way out in front of the chasing pack in the Bundesliga. Elsewhere, we have tons to dissect for Atletico Madrid, Marseille, Chelsea, Napoli, the Ligue 1 title race and much more.- O'Hanlon: The 25 best and worst PL players at different skills- Lindop: Salah sparkles for Liverpool in FA Cup win- Davies: Is soccer better without VAR? FA Cup shows nobody knowsIt's Monday morning, so what better time for some musings? Let's get into it.Inter vs. Juventus marred by a horrible mistake, but how everyone reacts next is what mattersIdeally, we'd be talking about an engrossing match -- the latest edition of the Derby d'Italia -- pitting Italian footballing royalty against each other. A game that saw Juventus twice come from behind against the league leaders, Inter, only to be pipped by a dramatic Piotr Zielinski goal in the 90th minute. We'd be talking about Manuel Locatelli's drive and Francesco Pio Esposito's goal, Inter's ability to turn it on when it matters and how Juventus, after Luciano Spalletti's arrival, play some of the best football in the league.But ... we can't. Instead, we have to talk about one of the worst refereeing decisions in recent memory and how the system ensured there was no corrective. We have to talk about how several actors in this drama we call Serie A, made exceptionally bad decisions, covering themselves in shame. And yes, let's recognize that having done it, they can either make it worse in the next 48 hours or find a way to begin crawling out of the hole they dug themselves.With 42 minutes gone, Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni intercepts a pass and powers forward. As he passes Pierre Kalulu, the Juve right back extends his arm and brushes against him. It's not a tug or a shove -- it's the slightest of contacts. Bastoni collapses to the ground and referee Federico La Penna immediately shows Kalulu -- who had been booked 10 minutes earlier -- a second yellow card, sending him off. Bastoni cheers as if he had scored the winner in a Champions League final.It's a wretched call, made worse by the fact that La Penna doesn't hesitate at all, which means neither of his assistants or the fourth official -- who may have a better view -- can weigh in. (VAR, of course, can't get involved because it's a second bookable offence: that is likely to change after next month's IFAB meeting when the laws of the game will be adjusted.)Juventus are incensed, and Bastoni's celebration rubs salt into the wound. Moments later, at half-time, Juventus officials Giorgio Chiellini and Damien Comolli make their way down to the tunnel. They insult and berate La Penna as he walks off the pitch -- Comolli appears as if he needs to be physically restrained. Juventus then boycotted the post-game press conference and instead sent the two of them to address the media. Chiellini says "this isn't football." Comolli adds: "It's an embarrassment, we lost three points, Italian football lost much more than that."Post-match, Inter coach Cristian Chivu commented on the incident saying: "It's a light touch, but it's a touch ... [Kalulu] is an experienced player, he's already been booked. Don't touch him; don't give the referee the basis to make a decision."The following day, Gianluca Rocchi, head of the Italian referees, says it was a "terrible mistake," that La Penna is "mortified" and that he will sit out for around a month. But he adds: "He's not the only one who did wrong. This was a clear case of simulation. All season long, players have been trying to con referees, and their coaches aren't helping. It's a shame because we're the only ones accountable."Let's unpack this, bearing in mind that this all unfolds against the ugly past of Calciopoli and other poisonous legacies of Serie A.La Penna made a serious mistake and we can question why a more senior referee wasn't appointed to the game. (One theory is that Rocchi likes to spread out the big matches among his officials, rather than assign them all to his top guys.) Bad decisions -- even in good faith -- need to have consequences and it's right that he sit out.Bastoni's actions -- from the dive to the celebration -- were embarrassing. Especially as he was on the receiving end when Inter played Liverpool in the Champions League earlier this season, and his light shove on Florian Wirtz led to the latter throwing himself to the ground and Inter losing the game.Chiellini and Comolli also need to be fined and disciplined. It's one thing to rage at the full-time whistle, but you cannot go and confront the referee at half-time (and potentially affect the second half). These are grown men: Comolli is new to Serie A, but clearly he's already been influenced by this sort of behaviour. As for Chivu, his words were astoundingly tone-deaf.How do we move on? The VAR rule change will help, but we can't leave it all to that. Video evidence needs to be used to punish divers and those who con the ref. How many times do we see guys getting hit in the chest and then grabbing their face, for example? Give VAR the power to intervene there, too, and if they don't have a panel, take retrospective action and issue bans. This is cheating, plain and simple.Meanwhile, Inter should urge Bastoni to apologise, and -- though this is wishful thinking -- consider a sort of unofficial ban for the next few days. These are not club values.But it goes beyond Inter. When you con the referee like that, you're not being clever: you're cheating. Managers need to own up, set the tone and be clear about it. You're trying to outplay and outwit the opponent, not the referee. If your players act that way, don't be afraid to take a stand for fear that by admitting something, you won't get the call next time.This was ugly and this was bad, but let's also have some perspective. It was a single bad decision that likely cost Juventus points, if not the game, but it's not some sort of systemic conspiracy. Let's use it as an opportunity for responsibility and accountability from players and coaches, as well as seeing if the system can be improved.Liverpool still sub-optimal, but Arne Slot is getting through to some folksThere's a lot that's dysfunctional and challenging about Liverpool this season. From pieces that don't fit together, to contractual issues, to the lack of cover at the back -- it's a ton for Slot to sort out. But while he figures out the collective, the 3-0 win over Brighton in Saturday's FA Cup, fourth round, confirmed what we'd seen in recent weeks: he's getting a tune out of some individuals.Dominik Szoboszlai is the obvious one. Most had him as the odd man out in midfield after the summer spending spree, Florian Wirtz's arrival and the switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation. After all, he had been benched on seven occasions last year in the league. Instead, he's Liverpool's second-leading scorer (behind Hugo Ekitike) and third-leading assist provider (behind Mohamed Salah and Wirtz) in all competitions. Not bad for a guy who has been splitting his time between midfield and attack.If Szoboszlai is a guy whose performances have forced the manager to make him a centrepiece of the side, Milos Kerkez and Salah are guys who are turning their season around after a tricky beginning to the campaign. Their starting points couldn't be more different -- a 22-year-old newly arrived from Bournemouth and a 33-year-old club legend -- but business is picking for both of them.Kerkez's positional issues are sorting themselves out, and he's contributing more steadily in attack. Salah is nowhere near last season's form, but he is increasingly adding individual quality and unpredictability even as the goals still aren't there. (He's scored once from open play in all competitions since Nov. 1.)Credit the players, sure, but credit Slot too, because he's put them in a position where they can turn things around. Sometimes fixing individual parts is easier than fixing the whole.Real Madrid are far from convincing against Real Sociedad, but finally some positivesThe biggest positive of all, of course, is the result: a 4-1 win against the form team of LaLiga that allows Madrid to return to the top of the table, at least for 48 hours until Barcelona play again anyway. The Bernabeu was subdued, but not viciously critical of manager Alvaro Arbeloa and the team, which is another plus, especially with two legs coming up in the Champions League playoffs against Benfica (and whatever voodoo PTSD Jose Mourinho might bring).Then there's Vincius Jnior. With a banged up Kylian Mbapp on the bench -- a precaution ahead of the Champions League -- and Gonzalo Garca doing the dirty work in a 4-4-2, Vini was free to do his thing. And he did it, winning two penalties and ensuring he'd feature in Jon Aramburu's nightmares for the foreseeable future.With Mbappe and Jude Bellingham out, Vini was tasked with showing leadership and he did just that. Can he play like this alongside Mbappe and while having to do at least a modicum of defensive duties? That's TBD, but Saturday wasn't nothing either.Gonzalo opened the scoring and showed, again, that he's a quality, serviceable center forward option. He's also one who, without Mbappe, can be prolific too. The stat doing the rounds is that he has yet to score in 574 minutes with the Frenchman on the pitch, but has a goal every 81 minutes when he's not there. Trent Alexander-Arnold made his first start in two-and-a-half months and supplied an assist, freeing Fede Valverde to go back to his favoured midfield spot (from which he scored, incidentally).The downsides? Once again, Dean Huijsen had a rough ride, giving away a penalty. Arda Gler blew hot and cold in the playmaking role. And most of all, this set-up -- while possibly successful short-term -- doesn't feel like anything sustainable long-term, once you plug Mbappe and Bellingham back into the side. Needs must, I guess. But it's further evidence that Real Madrid will only grow and properly stabilize next season, most likely with a different coach in charge.Quick hits10. Bayern Munich march on and Harry Kane hits 500 goals: I hesitate to bring this up, because I find this sort of record (club goals plus international goals) manufactured. Nobody ever talked about it until Cristiano Ronaldo's "countdown to a thousand total goals" became a convenient way to get us to talk about him ... as if he needs this sort of thing. This is not a way to count greatness. Yes, the top three right now are Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Pele, so you're good there, but the top 10 also includes Jimmy Jones and Joe Bambrick, and my guess is that you've never heard of them.But yeah, Kane scored twice in Bayern's 3-0 win away to Werder Bremen, a victory you'd describe as comfortable if not for the fact that Manuel Neuer made way for Jonas Urbig at half-time with a muscle injury, and Kane now has 422 club goals and another 78 for England for a nice, round 500. Kane's place among the greatest goalscorers in history is already secure, of course. Arguably more impressive in this game than his goals was his playmaking, especially the pinpoint pass that found Luis Daz in the first half.9. Lens' second-chance gang are for real at the top of Ligue 1: Yes, it's true. Lens have won 17 of their last 19 games and following their 5-0 away romp against Paris FC, they're now top of Ligue 1 thanks to Paris Saint-Germain's 3-1 defeat to Rennes on Friday. Few expect them to be there at the end of the season, but then again fewer still expected them to go on a tear like this.It's a testament to the job Pierre Sage is doing, and to the fact they don't play European football. But it's also fun to see a bunch of guys who were once much-hyped youngsters find their level and have such an impact, from Florian Thauvin to Amadou Haidara, and from Odsonne douard to Malang Sarr. Plus golden oldies like Allan Saint-Maximin, back from his travels in Saudi Arabia and Mexico, lining up alongside homegrown youngsters like Rayan Fofana. It's a nice mix and they're fun to watch. And they may just take PSG to the wire ...8. Arsenal crush Wigan and Eberechi Eze shines, but is there such a thing as too many options? It's an absurd suggestion, but follow the logic. Arsenal are so deep that they have the luxury of a more-than-competent replacement for every single one of their starters (except maybe Declan Rice, though if we'd had a chance to see Myles Lewis-Skelly in midfield Sunday, perhaps him too). Indeed, except for Rice, Martn Zubimendi and possibly the starting centerbacks, we're getting to the point where the backup isn't just a Plan B, but on any given day can be better than Plan A.The 4-0 drubbing inside half an hour against Wigan isn't remarkable for the result. It stands out for the way Mikel Arteta reshuffled his pack and still got a top-notch performance. The question is at what point it becomes a challenge to pick the right guys for each game. When you have too many options, it can get harder to pick the right ones and you end up second-guessing yourself. And, of course, guys who don't play aren't going to be happy (though that only really becomes a problem when it becomes a prolonged absence or the team isn't winning). Arteta has made very few mistakes this season. Increasingly his challenge won't be a footballing one, it will be a man-management one.7. Pedro Neto, not your typical Chelsea signing, delivers: I'd been wanting to write about him for a while and his hat-trick in Chelsea's 4-0 FA Cup romp away to Hull is the perfect excuse. Neto is an outlier among club signings since the Blues pivoted to their model of spending huge fees on gifted youngsters. He was 24 when they picked him up from Wolves in a �50m transfer, making him older than virtually all their recent signings (except Jo�o Flix -- an accounting move -- and Tosin Adarabioyo, a free agent).Neto was also not billed as a hugely hyped youngster with tons of potential. He was ... a guy, which is why the fee felt excessive. But while he probably wouldn't crack Chelsea's Best XI in a one-off game, only Trevoh Chalobah and Enzo Fernndez have started more league matches among outfield players, and he gets a ton of minutes in part because he's so versatile and consistent. Neto can cover either wing as well as play No.10, and even when it's not clicking for him offensively, he'll give you energy and workrate. On a team filled with so much youth, he's a beacon of stability. With hindsight, that money seems very well spent even if he never turns into a breakout superstar.6. Battered Napoli bend, but don't break vs. Roma: Their injury list is so long that it's nearly comical (Scott McTominay is the latest to be sidelined) and on Sunday night, Napoli was in real danger of being leapfrogged by Roma in the table. Newly arrived Alisson Santos came up with the late equalizer for the 2-2 draw to rescue the result and again, they showed character and grit more than talent.It won't be enough to reopen the title race -- Inter are 11 points clear with 13 games remaining -- but it at least confirms the vibe around the club is solid, the "next man up" mentality is working, and the talents of those on the pitch can make it work. That's all Antonio Conte can ask for. As for Roma, they outplayed the opposition and in Donyell Malen, they've found a guy who can convert chances (unlike his predecessors). Twice taking the lead and twice failing to put the game away is, alas, a characteristic of Gian Luigi Gasperini's football. You have to take the good with the bad.5. Manchester City advance and Pep Guardiola calls game "boring:" His team were facing fourth-tier Salford City and until Marc Guhi's goal with nine minutes to go, they were only 1-0 up. So you could equally argue that it was one of those knife-edge, potential upset, "Magic of the Cup" affairs. If you parse the highlights, you'll indeed notice James Trafford (standing in for Gianluigi Donnarumma) making a couple big saves.But the truth -- and why Pep was bored -- is that this game followed one of the scripts of David vs. Goliath cup ties. The smaller team sits deep and plays on the counter even after going behind (which they did inside of six minutes). The bigger team hangs on to the ball and pokes and prods without much urgency (Manchester City had 85% possession in the first half) against a low block, which is how you explain the miniscule 0.13 xG off four shots in the first half. What made it boring is that City couldn't create chances in those circumstances as Guardiola himself conceded. And maybe that should be just a little bit concerning.4. What the heck, why not Igor Tudor? It's not surprising that Thomas Frank -- who had not beaten an English club since 2025 -- was let go. Tottenham almost certainly won't go down, but toxicity and negativity can spiral out of control pretty quickly. Nor is it surprising that the club opted for an interim boss through the end of the season. The official line is that there will be more options in the summer, which is true. Even more important is who will be making the decisions: sporting director Johan Lange is the guy who saddled them with Frank and they are reportedly looking for a co-sporting director to sit alongside him, so it's probably best not to act now.The choice of Tudor is a bit out of left-field -- 13 jobs in 13 years isn't a great calling card, and he came up short at Juve earlier this season -- but there's a logic to it. He plays a back three (and they have plenty of center backs), his favoured 3-4-2-1 formation isn't dissimilar to what Frank tried to do at times, and to be fair, he's had an immediate impact the many times he has taken over clubs in mid-season. Give him a shot amid the dysfunction and know that you can move on painlessly (and for free) if a better option arises. Spurs are going to be in a holding pattern until the summer anyway.3. We may dislike VAR, but Newcastle show us we miss it when it's not there: The FA Cup rule of not using VAR at all because it can't be used in every game is one of the dumbest out there. It's akin to a doctor not assisting a patient who's having a heart attack because somewhere else another patient is having a heart attack and there's no doctor there to save him. On the bright side, we do get a glimpse of what happens when there is no VAR and the ref happens to have a stinker (as can sometimes happen).Chris Kavanagh is an experienced referee but he and his crew will want to forget Saturday's clash between Aston Villa and Newcastle. Tammy Abraham scored Villa's opener from an obvious offside position. Lucas Digne received a mere yellow for what should have been a straight red card. And most absurdly, Digne was penalised for a handball inside the box that Kavanagh (and his assistant, let's not let that guy off the hook) thought was outside the area when it was actually a couple yards inside. It didn't have a bearing on the outcome -- Newcastle won 3-1, in part because Villa stand-in keeper Marco Bizot had a major brain fart and got sent off -- but it was a reminder of football without VAR. No thank you.2. Atletico Madrid's inconsistency is mind-numbing: You can't wrap your head around it. They beat up Barcelona on Thursday, 4-0, in the Copa del Rey, and then got smacked around by a Rayo Vallecano side that had lost four in a row on Sunday. And no, I'm not buying this business of the nine changes made from one game to the next by Diego Simeone. You can't go on about how deep this squad is and then complain about him rotating players. (Though it's fair to ask what he's rotating for: the threat of Club Brugge in the Champions League?)A first half with just one shot on target against Rayo is not acceptable. Nor is thinking that you can just send on five subs in the last half-hour and they'll turn everything around for you. Some coaches are adept at handling big squads; I'm not sure Simeone is among them.1. Roberto De Zerbi is gone, but Marseille are still a mess: Maybe the decision to sack De Zerbi was the correct one, and not just a gut reaction to their 5-0 hammering at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. After all, results aside, few owners enjoy instability and inconsistency, especially when coupled with his erratic behaviour. What's evident though is that it's not as if getting rid of him would offer an instant fix. And, in fact, with sporting director Mehdi Benatia falling on the sword and announcing his resignation, you wonder who will clean up the mess.At home to Strasbourg, with the Marseille Ultras entering the Velodrome late in protest against the club, they took a 2-0 lead by the start of the second half and then proceeded to throw it away in the most frustrating manner. They let Strasbourg pull one back with Sebastian Nanasi, hung on for dear life, squandered a counterattack that would have put the game away in injury time with Igor Paix�o, and then conceded a silly penalty that Joaqun Panichelli converted to seal the 2-2 draw amid the boos of the home fans. If you were unkind, you might joke that it's as if De Zerbi hadn't actually left.
