The Euro XI: Liverpool are the crisis club, Ruben Amorim buys himself time at Man Utd, and Como are the best story in football

Four losses in a row. The first time Man United have won at Anfield since 2016. Who could have predicted all of this? There were always going to be some growing pains when Liverpool signed a load of good players for a load of money. It reeked of a surprise slow start.

But that really should have meant a draw or two, perhaps a defensive lapse here and there. Now, Slot is left looking at the loss every Liverpool fan despises, with not much time to piece things together.

Is the real narrative here the fact that Man United won? It's sports, so there's a requirement that you pick one or the other, right? No two things can be true at the same time. Those are the rules. But this seemed big for United. They were composed. They defended well. They took their chances.

These are the basics that haven't happened there for a few years now. Calling this a "turning point" would be a stretch. Still, they can take heart from a solid performance - and enjoy a win over their biggest rivals. 

It was a bumper weekend for Harry Kane, who, in bagging against Borussia Dortmund, reached 400 career goals. That is, objectively, a lot. Yet somehow, he seems to be constantly underrated. It's hard to see why - maybe the Bundesliga distorts things. Still, he's 32, has plenty of soccer left, and likely has many more goals to come. Oh, and Bayern won 2-1. 

Como are the classy version of the American-owned club that most Europeans hate. Forget J.J. Watt or Ryan Reynolds. Here's part owner Thierry Henry looking cool in the stands. And the thing is, unlike Burnley when they got promoted the first time, or Wrexham - stuck(ish) in the Championship - Como are really rather good, something they proved by beating Juventus, 2-0. 

They are undefeated in their last five, with Cesc Fabregas turning out to be a smart man at the middle of the project. But the real standout? Real Madrid loanee Nico Paz, who won't be in Italy for long, at this rate. 

Ange Postecoglou, why did Nottingham Forest ever hire you? It seemed a poor appointment from day one. The Midlands club had built a good team based on defensive solidity and disciplined play. How about they go out and hire the antithesis of that?

It seemed a poor marriage from the start, and after losing 3-0 to Chelsea, Big Ange was sacked. No coach deserves to be shown the door after just 39 days, but in what world was this ever a good idea?

Hansi Flick isn't always the poster child of composure on the sideline. He shouts a lot. He loses his temper. He is an expressive man, whose expressions bring the best out of his side. Well, turns out he can get a bit too emotional - even in a win. Flick was shown two yellow cards in short order for Barcelona, and will now be banned for El Clasico. Not the best turn of events. 

Writing Haaland off last year? Nice one, everyone. He hurt his ankle a bit, then picked up a couple of other knocks. And then, just because Man City did the unthinkable and failed to win the Premier League, we all sort of forgot about him. Big mistake. Haaland has been immense this year, and scored twice against Everton to move City into second. They may be Arsenal's biggest title challengers this year. 

Let's establish something here: Aston Villa fans have no right to complain about their club getting into financial trouble. Sure, it feels bad to limit a club's spending when they were on the up. But Villa knew the rules, gambled, and broke them.

That was a very silly thing to do, and left them a little shorthanded this year. They needed a win against Spurs - and badly. They managed it, too, overturning a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1. Man City are up next, and with it a chance to move firmly into the top half after a tough start. 

So, this game in America thing. La Liga has finally done what everyone figured could never happen and set up a professional competitive fixture in the U.S., with Barcelona and Villlareal set to play in Miami in December. Cue the outrage. We all knew the managers wouldn't like it. But the players have spoken up, too, refusing to move for the first 15 seconds of every game in protest this week.

Villarreal-Barcelona in Miami: Pre-sale Oct. 21

Getafe make life awkward for you. They don't want the ball. They rarely want to play soccer. They will defend and defend and defend, until the very last second - and nick a goal somewhere in between. It's a model that has proved to be the beating of many a big club over the years.

And they almost did it to Madrid. And then, Vinicius Jr came on. The Brazilian baited two red cards, and in the ensuing chaos, Kylian Mbappe scored in the least conventional of 1-0 wins. They all count.

Perhaps the easiest big five league to call these days is France. There is no jeopardy to be found. PSG are the best team in the league, the reigning European champions, and the most complete side out there. They are basically built for the Champions League, and are expected to stroll through domestic competition as a formality.

That may yet be true. But after eight games they are in second. Top of the league? Marseille, who have been excellent thus far - brushing off early-season internal fighting to open a minute gap in France.