Full Results (Quarter Finals 1st leg) Real Madrid 1—2 Bayern Sporting CP 0—1 Arsenal Barcelona 0—2 Atletico Madrid PSG 2—0 Liverpool Game of the Matchday Real Madrid 1 –2 Bayern Since the final whistle at the Bernabeu, fans have hailed this tie as a "refreshing" exception from the recent norm. In an era where modern football, particularly in England, is often criticized for being too robotic and over-coached, this match felt like a throwback to the "classic" era, defined by a relentless, end-to-end rhythm. While Bayern appeared to be in the driver's seat, the numbers suggests a much tighter contest. The Bavarians were certainly guilty of wastefulness, with Luis Diaz and Dayot Upamecano spurning massive opportunities, but Real Madrid ensured Manuel Neuer remained the busiest man on the pitch. Bayern finally broke the deadlock and silenced the Madridistas in the 41st minute via Diaz, before Harry Kane doubled the lead just seconds...
Full Results (Matchday 5)
Liverpool 2–1 Everton
Brighton 2–2 Tottenham
Burnley 1–1 Nottingham Forest
West Ham 1–2 Crystal Palace
Wolves 1–3 Leeds United
Manchester United 2–1 Chelsea
Fulham 3–1 Brentford
Bournemouth 0–0 Newcastle
Sunderland 1–1 Aston Villa
Arsenal 1–1 Manchester City
Game of the Matchday
Manchester United 2–1 Chelsea
Under the floodlights of Old Trafford, the match unfolded like a gripping thriller. Chelsea's goalkeeper, Robert Sánchez, was sent off very early for a foul outside the box, leaving the Blues with ten men. Enzo Maresca made some questionable substitutions and United capitalized swiftly, with Bruno Fernandes scoring his 100th goal for the club, marking a significant milestone in his career. Despite a red card to another Man United goal scorer Casemiro before halftime, the Red Devils maintained their lead. Chelsea mounted a late comeback, with Trevoh Chalobah pulling one back, but United's resilience saw them through to a crucial victory. Bizzare errors and qualities all in display in this match.
Biggest Surprise
Arsenal 1–1 Manchester City
The intriguing thing about this match which makes it surprising is not the result but rather the performance. Manchester City looked almost unrecognizable, sitting deep and letting Arsenal control possession. The tactical shift left everyone puzzled, but it allowed Arsenal to keep up the pressure, until City finally cracked. Arteta's subs Eze and Martinelli’s combined as the latter lobbed Donnarumma in the 93rd-minute to not only rescue a point but also highlight how patience and composure can rewrite the final narrative.
Best Team Performance
West Ham 1–2 Crystal Palace
This wasn’t a matchday of stand-out dominant wins. Most teams delivered solid but not spectacular displays. Yet Palace’s victory at the London Stadium felt the most complete. West Ham have not beaten Palace at home in the league since 2018, and that streak continued as Oliver Glasner’s side combined discipline with timely attacks. Jean-Philippe Mateta rose highest for the opener, Jarrod Bowen levelled shortly after with a header of his own to keep the Hammers in it, but Tyrick Mitchell’s crisp volley restored Palace’s lead and ultimately secured the points. The numbers backed up the eye test too, as the Eagles generated 2.31xG compared to the Hammers’ 0.66xG, underlining how they consistently created the better chances in what looked a tight contest on paper.
Player of the Matchday
Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
In the Merseyside derby Gravenberch did far more than get on the scoresheet. He opened the scoring himself and later delivered the perfectly weighted pass that set up Ekitike’s decisive finish. Just as impressive was the work without the ball. He dropped deep to shield the back line, intercepted passes in midfield and repeatedly broke up Everton’s attempts to counter, turning those recoveries into forward thrusts. Across 90 minutes, he combined end product with control of the game’s tempo and hard running in defence, making him the most complete performer of the weekend.
Honorable mentions - Anton Stach (Leeds), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) & Alex Iwobi (Fulham)
Moment of the Matchday
Gabriel Martinelli 90+3' equalizer against Manchester City
Watch Martinelli's delicate lob here
Deep into the second half at the Emirates, Arsenal were staring at a damaging home defeat until Gabriel Martinelli produced a pivotal moment. Receiving an over the top ball by Eze, Martinelli audaciously lobbed it over an onrushing Donnarumma to salvage a point and lift the entire stadium. It was the second time in a row that he has rescued Arsenal, having scored and assisted in Arsenal's first Champions League tie of the season against Athletic Club. He is developing a great habit of stepping up when his side needs him most.
Looking Ahead – Matchday 6 Fixtures (IST Kick-offs)
Manchester United vs Brentford — Sat, 27 Sep - 5:00 pm IST
Chelsea vs Brighton — Sat, 27 Sep - 7:30 pm IST
Crystal Palace vs Liverpool — Sat, 27 Sep - 7:30 pm IST
Leeds United vs Bournemouth — Sat, 27 Sep - 7:30 pm IST
Manchester City vs Burnley — Sat, 27 Sep - 7:30 pm IST
Nottingham Forest vs Sunderland — Sat, 27 Sep - 10:00 pm IST
Tottenham vs Wolves — Sun, 28 Sep - 12:30 am IST
Aston Villa vs Fulham— Sun, 28 Sep - 6:30 pm IST
Newcastle vs Arsenal — Sun, 28 Sep - 9:00 pm IST
Everton vs West Ham — Tue, 30 Sep - 12:30 am IST
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