The Premier League title race doesn’t seem to be a race at all as Chelsea continues to storm through the league’s powers week by week. The latest statement from Antonio Conte’s men came on Saturday in a win over London rival Arsenal.
The Blues are far and above the best team in the Premier League, but that doesn’t mean there’s no drama in the Premier League itself. The race for the top four and the struggle for survival got more interesting after the action over the weekend.
Over in Germany, Borussia Dortmund may not be in a position to challenge for the championship, but it made a huge stride in remaining in contention for a UEFA Champions League berth with a win over second-place RB Leipzig, who failed to capitalize on a draw by leader Bayern Munich.
The biggest headline from Spain this weekend didn’t come on the pitch, as Real Madrid’s trip to Celta Vigo was postponed due to a massive storm in the Galicia region of the country. But that decision did not sit well with the club’s brass.
Below is a recap of all the headlining action across Europe this weekend.
Chelsea cruises past Arsenal, remains nine points ahead of pack
Chelsea’s path to the Premier League title gets clearer every week, and it appears there’s no end in sight to the club’s superb form. The Blues dispatched of Arsenal with ease on Saturday to open up the slate of games in the English top flight this weekend.
Marcos Alonso, Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas scored a goal each at Stamford Bridge before Olivier Giroud knocked in a late consolation goal for the Gunners, who sit in fourth place with 47 points, one ahead of Liverpool in fifth.
Chelsea has a chance to open up an even larger lead in the coming weeks, as it has Burnley and Swansea City on its schedule to close out February as well as an FA Cup clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The mess at the bottom of the Premier League table became even more mangled after Leicester City’s disappointing showing at home against Manchester United. The defending champions are one of six club at the bottom of the table separated by only two points.
Dortmund wins clash of Bundesliga titans
Borussia Dortmund won the marquee matchup in the Bundesliga this weekend, as it took care of RB Leipzig 1-0 at the Westfalenstadion. The win kept Dortmund on pace for a UEFA Champions League spot as the fight for third and fourth tightens up.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the lone goal for Dortmund off a cross from Ousmane Dembele, whose run down the right wing carved open the defense of the second-place side in the Bundesliga.
The result was a disappointing one for Leipzig since Bayern Munich only drew with Schalke on Saturday. A win at Dortmund would’ve made the title race a bit more interesting, but instead the top-flight newcomers are four points back of the perennial favorites.
Real Madrid upset over postponement
Damaging storms in the area of the Estadio Municipal de Balaidos forced La Liga officials to call off Real Madrid’s trip to Celta Vigo on Saturday. While it seems like the league’s brass made the right call due to the inclement weather, Real Madrid officials were not happy with the decision, per AS.
Real Madrid already has a congested schedule with games in the knockout round of the Champions League. Now the club has to find a way to make up the game against Celta Vigo, who is still involved in the Copa del Rey, where two-legged cup ties are played.
Real Madrid now has to make up two league matches at some point over the next three months, which could lead to fatigue and a drop from the top spot in the league table.
On the pitch Saturday, it was business as usual for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, both of whom earned clean sheets against Athletic Bilbao and Leganes, respectively.