Ansu Fati fabulous for Barcelona, Man City stressed by Newcastle, Leeds humble Chelsea, PSG magic, more

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There were amazing weekends across Europe's big leagues. Let's look at it. There were big wins for Barcelona and Real Madrid, as well as bigger ones for Paris Saint-Germain, as well as drama galore in the Premier League as Manchester City were put under stress by a fitter, happier, more energetic side. After three games of the new season, it's safe to say that the team is perfect.

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Man City stressed, Paris Saint-Germain romp, Tchouameni dazzles, and more.

Ansu Fati turns the tide in Barcelona's big win at Real Sociedad

Barcelona have moved their chips to the middle of the table with their financial levers this season. As evidenced by the fact that Jules Kounde still hasn't been registered, it's important that you get it right on the pitch. The home draw against Rayo was disappointing.

- Reaction: Lewandowski, Fati dazzle as Barca win big

- Report: Real Sociedad 1, Barcelona 4

After a first half in which both teams could have scored three or more, Xavi sent on Raphinha and Ansu Fati and moved to a 3-3-4 formation. The wonder kid created two assists in a row, one for Ousmane Dembele and the other for Robert Lewandowski, before scoring the fourth goal in the victory.

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It's hard to overstate the importance of his contribution, and if he's fit, the only reason he shouldn't be an automatic choice is if Xavi doesn't want to overburden him mentally or physically. Tactical arguments have been made that Xavi prefers wingers who stay wide. He's arguably the most technically gifted at the club right now and he's a talented player.

The match highlighted many of the weaknesses of Barcelona. It looked like a back three with Alex Balde on the left and Ronald Araujo on the right. They don't have strength in depth at center-back and neither of them covered themselves in glory.

Given his current state of mind, it's understandable that Frenkie de Jong couldn't fill in for the suspended Busquets. It's assumed that he's going nowhere because there's no one else to replace Busquets other than him.

Barcelona seem to be both incredibly talented and fragile at the same time. It's difficult for Xavi to plan when he doesn't know what will happen between now and the end of the window. The win was important because it gave the team three points, a lot of enthusiasm and a fan base that can keep dreaming. They may be able to hope that it doesn't turn into a nightmare.

Man City on the ropes against Newcastle before snatching a draw

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There is a chance thatNewcastle will compete for a place in a European competition.

It could have been a lot worse for Manchester City if the referee had given a penalty or John Stones had collided with a teammate. In normal circumstances, you would think that the defending premier league champion would want to lead an inquest. These weren't normal circumstances, but they were mostly about how wellNewcastle was playing.

It is possible that there is a concern for City. With Aymeric Laporte out until next month following his surgery and Nathan Ake coming off with a groin injury, they may be short at the back. Ruben Dias has been inconsistent recently and Stones didn't have a great game. Kyle Walker had a bad day against Allan Saint-Maximin but he only plays him twice a year.

- ESPN FC's VAR Review: Why wasn't Trippier sent off?

- Report: Man City fight back for draw at Newcastle

City have enough left to make up for it. The second half was when you realized this. Erling Haaland scored after hitting the post and forcing a one-on-one save from Nick Pope. It was one of those Kevin De Bruyne moments, when he delivered the kind of pass few can execute and only a few still can. This was a game where you could marvel at City's talent and the entertainment they put on, and then you could move on.

There is a final word on the city. For all the Saudi wealth behind them, they're looking for gradual growth instead of a spending spree. It makes sense right now, but how gradual should it be down the road is questionable. For the time being, they're doing everything right and in terms of building confidence, Sunday was big.

'MNM' in overdrive as Paris Saint-Germain put seven past Lille

The Harlem Globetrotters are playing three games in the new season. They have 17 goals in three games and the big guns are all firing.

Lionel Messi had a goal and an assist, as well as a hat trick of goals. Concerns over "penalty-gate" have been put to the side.

There is a report about Paris Saint-Germain smashing Lille in the first division of the French football league.

There's a fine line between being confident and being cavalier, but seven is still seven, regardless of the opponent. It's a long season with a World Cup in the middle, but those who wrote off the two superstars may want to reconsider. Quality isn't an issue for Christophe Galtier as he tries to manage the load throughout the season.

Tuchel high-strung as Chelsea pay price for individual errors vs. industrious Leeds

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In regards to the lack of attacking options, the person feels that the team needs to strengthen immediately.

We've made the point before that Thomas Tuchel and his club have been through a lot over the last six months, so it's understandable that he's wound up at the moment. It was odd to suggest that there was a difference of opinion between the two teams and that individual errors cost them the game on Sunday.

The other guy is to blame for many of your individual errors. That includes Edouard Mendy's mistake, which led to the downfall of the team. He wouldn't have tried to play through the press if they hadn't pressed so hard. Kalidou Koulibaly probably wouldn't have gotten two yellow cards if the forwards weren't running north-south every time.

- Tuchel: Chelsea won't make panic signings

- Chelsea ratings: Mendy 3/10 after howler

- Report: Leeds 3-0 Chelsea

The reality is that the performance against Spurs was not as good as it could have been. There are problems in every area of the pitch. I wouldn't count on a shopping spree in the last days of the transfer window to fix these issues.

It's hard to get guys in at the right price when teams know you're desperate, and it's even harder when you have a bloated squad. Tuchel has enough players at his disposal and he made his reputation by working with what he has.

All eyes on Tchouameni as Real Madrid down Celta Vigo

With Casemiro's departure, the focus was on Aurelien Tchouameni, the heir apparent at the base of Madrid.

You wondered how nervous Madridistas should be not just about the young Frenchman, but about the entire summer as a whole, given his struggles in the opener against Almeria. He showed a lot of promise as the match went on. His technical ability was never in question because of the reading of the game and his personality as well.

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There is a Friday in August. There are 26 things to do in 26 days.

• Freiburg vs. VfL Bochum, 2:30 p.m. ET

• Real Betis vs. Osasuna, 4 p.m. ET

There is a Saturday in August. 27th

• Hertha Berlin vs. Dortmund, 9:30 a.m. ET

• Schalke vs. Union Berlin, 9:30 a.m. ET

• Bayern vs. M'Gladbach, 9:30 a.m. ET

There is a Sunday in the month of August. 28th

• Barcelona vs. Valladolid, 1:30 p.m. ET

• Espanyol vs. Real Madrid, 4 p.m. ET

He has the tools to get the job done at a high level, even though this is not the role he had at Monaco. That's what's important.

The difference-maker was his teammate Luka Modric who, a few weeks shy of his 37th birthday, ran the show, scoring a goal and setting one up for Vinicius. Madrid showed their ruthlessness again. The ability to press high was not shown.

No Casemiro for Real Madrid.

They tried to do it last season before the project was abandoned due to the age of the players. They were more comfortable in a lower block when they were playing through them. He doesn't want his side to be one-dimensional so he'll want to revisit it. Is the departure of Casemiro freeing up funds for last-minute shopping? They will have lost four players from last year and added just two when Casemiro leaves.

The missed penalty suggests that his confidence is still not good. Anything you get from him at this point has to be a bonus.

Could Bayern Munich actually be better without Lewandowski?

It's probably best to pump the brakes on that one, since they're off to the best start in Bundesliga history with a +14 goal difference after three games. It's not as if the only thing that happened this summer was the departure of Lewandowski.

He was replaced by a guy who is pretty good. Even though they only have one start between them so far, it feels as if the whole level has been raised.

- Baba: How Bayern will play without Lewandowski

- O'Hanlon: Is the Bundesliga too weird for Bayern? (E+)

The fact that he has had more time with them is important. They have conceded just one goal and that was down to an individual error by Neuer, who doesn't make many. They do seem better suited to what Nagelsmann wants to do, even though they may or may not be better without him.

What a difference a year makes for table-topping Arsenal

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Mark Donaldson and Steve Nicol are arguing about whether or not the top four in the premier league are going to be made up of people from north London.

The team had zero points in the first three games of the year. They have nine and are in the lead.

What did you see change? A cynic might suggest that last year Mikel Arteta faced Manchester City and European champion Chelsea in a point-less run, whereas this season he got Crystal Palace and Bournemouth. In terms of execution and approach, there's a lot more that's different here.

Gabriel Jesus may or may not be the answer up front, but his work rate and movement are an upgrade. Martin Odegaard, who scored twice, has found his feet, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is playing a different style of defense, offers a different aspect to the game.

There's a chance that the run can continue between now and the end of September, as the club has gone three for three. You think they'll know what their ceiling is at the North London Derby.

Arteta's challenge between now and then is to keep the enthusiasm and positivity while managing expectations for a very young side.

Squad depth, subs to the rescue for Milan in Atalanta draw

The defending champion went down to Atalanta and struggled for much of the first half, but came back and grabbed a point thanks to a neat goal from ISMAel Bennacer. I see it as premature for some people to question whether they have lost some of their magic.

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This was Atalanta away and they are playing a little more on the counter. The front four of Ante Rebic, Junior Messias, Brahim Diaz, andAlexis Saelemaekers were replaced by a new group of players. You have the option of five subs.

It's not a bad thing if rotation is to be a hallmark of Milan this season.

Kane hits 250 as Spurs get past Wolves

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Mark Donaldson and Steve Nicol talk about why Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the league.

It was the sort of performance (particularly in the first half) that gave Antonio Conte fits, but Spurs still got the three points thanks to a Harry Kane goal. There's work to be done here, but the three points are important, just as the draw at Stamford Bridge was important.

The win gave Kane his 250th goal for Spurs, moving him into fourth place behind Andy Cole, Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer, while also giving him his 185th goal in the premier league. Allow me to get pedantic for a short time. The English top flight was not the same as it is today, but the change wasn't instantaneous. The 21 goals Shearer scored before 1992-93 were wiped off the books because things weren't any different when the premier league was formed.

If Kane stays injury-free, he has a good chance of beating Shearer's record of 283 top-flight goals. It's a testament to his achievement that he's only doing it for a team that has been good.

Surreal comeback loss is all Dortmund deserve

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The interview with Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was interrupted by Werder Bremen's celebrations.

When a team squanders a two-goal lead in the 89th minute and concedes three times to lose 3-2 at home, you would normally question their mentality and organization. There's more to it, starting with the attacking ineptitude they showed -- both goals were random, if impressive, long-range strikes -- and while some of that can be explained by Jamie By

There is a replay of the Werder Bremen game.

Though they have many injuries, they can only partially mitigate this situation. Edin Terzic needs time to work, but he also needs players who are willing to work hard and who don't believe in themselves. Fans of the team deserve better.

Hats off to them for what they've done. With a little more luck, they would have been out of sight earlier in the game.

Just like old times for Lukaku, Lautaro partnership

All the way to 2020-21, Inter's three nil demolition of Spezia turned back the clock as Lautaro and Romelu Lukaku scored two and one, respectively. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the "Lu-La" partnership should work well under a different coach, Simone Inzaghi.

It's fair to say that this Inter side isn't a carbon copy of Conte's, which is more of a credit to Lukaku and how quickly he has settled. It's more about being able to attack in different ways under Inzaghi. No matter, Inter are off to a great start thanks to Rome.

Unai Emery's Villarreal grind out a statement win at Atletico Madrid

If it weren't for Jan Oblak and Geronimo Rulli, this game would have been a lot more interesting. There were some disappointing individual performances (Joao Felix, Marcos Llorente and Nahuel Molina, with his silly red card, above all) and the result obviously sting (Villarreal are a direct opponent in the race for top four), but

It's more proof that few can find an edge in a match like Emery can. Nicolas Jackson is still raw, but there is a player in there that can keep things going at the attacking end.

The last word on the red card. Alex Baena's behavior was embarrassing and you wonder why VAR can't sanction that as much as Molina's shove, but he really should know better.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has Napoli fans dreaming...

The 21-year-old Georgian is fine with people calling him simply "Kvara." You expect Neapolitan children to learn the pronunciation of his name if he has a few more performances like he did on Sunday. He grabbed two goals and battered Monza down the flank, linking well with Victor Osimhen.

The departure of big hitters like Lorenzo Insigne, Dries Mertens, and Kalidou Koulibaly caused fans of the club to be angry. It looks like Napoli have been able to reload on the fly between Kvaratskhelia, Gio Simeone and Giacomo Raspadori, as well as cutting the wage bill and bringing in some transfer funds.

If Luciano Spalletti brings in Keylor Navas between the sticks, another top-four finish, and maybe even a little more, the side feels refreshed and rejuvenated.