The Euro XI: Liverpool’s title hopes fade after Man City loss, Real Madrid attack sputters in scoreless draw, and Arsenal slip up against Sunderland

Title race over, then? Liverpool were always going to have some growing pains - it's what happens when you sign 10,000 new players - but could anyone have expected this? The Etihad is a really tough stadium to play at, and Liverpool went to the home of their rivals and simply crumbled. The 3-0 scoreline flattered Manchester City, which is pretty damning in a game of such a magnitude. 

And then, there's the other side to things. Pep Guardiola managed his 1,000th game Sunday evening. He actually tied his first. This one couldn't really have been more convincing of a win. For all of Liverpool's shortcomings, City were simply magnificent, full of attacking verve and intent. Erling Haaland was quiet, so Jeremy Doku decided to take over. He completed seven dribbles, tortured Liverpool's defense, and bagged an audacious goal to finish it off. And now, they might just be in the title race. 

Was Saturday’s result a setback in the Gunners’ chase for their first Premier League title since 2003? It might prove to be if Arsenal keep struggling like this. To be fair, a trip to Sunderland was always going to be tricky - the Stadium of Light tends to shine on occasions like this, and the Black Cats have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season. But Arsenal didn’t rise to the moment. They were muscled out of the contest and, truthfully, a bit fortunate to escape with a 2-2 draw. Then again, they would’ve lost these games in the past - and this season, a draw away to a newly promoted side somehow feels like a point gained.

A word, briefly, for Dan Ballard. The center back was supposed to be part of Arsenal's new era. For 12 years, he was in the Gunners' youth setup, and every bit the kind of central defender that seemed ready to anchor a defensive line long term. But like so many, he never took the step up in time. Ballard landed at Sunderland, and, in a center back-y kind of way, battered his boyhood club. Ballard scored one, assisted another, and made a truly remarkable block in stoppage time to save a point. It's hard to recall a better individual showing this season. 

We now live in a footballing universe where we might have to consider a strange fact: Manchester United aren't all that bad. They're not good, per se, but they're really not all that bad, either. They proved as such with a flawed yet ultimately characterful showing against Spurs at the weekend. They led, trailed, and eventually snagged a point on the road - which is pretty good considering they really should have lost. Sure, there's a long way to go, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe promised three years for Ruben Amorim. After just under one, it's devastating to say that there's been some improvement. 

Who needs to beat the bad teams, anyway? Milan have been doing a remarkable thing recently where they dramatically shoot themselves in the foot for all to see. A win against Parma would have given them breathing room atop Serie A heading into the international break. But where's the fun in that? They took a 2-0 lead on the road, and were cruising. Then, they decided to throw it away by conceding two cheap goals and then missing a duo of last minute chances. And just like that, Serie A has a real life title race. 

Inter are bad this season. They haven't really been good for months. After losing in the Champions League final, star man Lautaro Martinez took to the media to criticize his teammates. It looked to be falling apart. But Serie A is also a real-life car crash. And somehow, after being pretty poor, they are top of the league thanks to a 2-0 win over Lazio. 

Well, the Xabi Alonso revolution isn't quite underway in full. It was a pretty miserable week to be a Madridista, all said. First, they lost to Liverpool in the Champions League - and looked pretty miserable doing so. And then, they went to the fortress that is Vallecas, and settled for a drab scoreless draw with Rayo Vallecano. There are reports, too, that the big names in the locker room are unhappy. This is what we all signed up for. 

The Parisians are always sort of in beta testing mode in the fall. They basically tweak for a few months, deal with the rough and tumble of the early season, before fine tuning into a well-oiled machine in the spring. Last year, it proved to be a winning formula - even if there were a few bumps along the way. Well, they seem to be doing it again. They needed a 95th minute winner from Joao Neves to beat Lyon last weekend, which, at the very least, keeps Ligue 1 alive for a while.

Barca have endured a weird few weeks. They were battered in El Clasico, and then drew with Club Brugge in the Champions League. This weekend, then, needed a nice calm win, something to hang their hat on. How about a six-goal madness of a fixture? A 4-2 win over Celta is not what they would have wanted, but they came away with the win, and Robert Lewandowski scored three - which is a good sign, at least. 

Finally! It happened! Bayern Munich are (maybe) a little vulnerable after all. Sure, this was a draw, and not an outright loss, but we finally got a slice of jeopardy in the Bundesliga. It was, in fact, Bayern doing the dramatic stuff, with Harry Kane bagging in the 90th minute to secure a late tie against a stout Union Berlin side. At least they won't win every game...