Champions League Q&A: Manchester City and Arsenal are not favourites; Christian Pulisic shines
The start of each UEFA Champions League season resets the true rhythm of a European campaign, with the continent's best teams competing against each other and facing new tests as they try to answer one question: Does their ambition match their ability to score goals?
However, on Matchday 1, the teams have to answer a more specific question: is the small stretch of domestic games they played in the build-up to their European campaign an indicator of their true selves? The good news after three jam-packed days of matches is that the results are inconclusive; some, like AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic, showed they were heading in the right direction. However, things were rather tricky for a handful of Europe’s top teams, with the much-hyped Manchester City and Arsenal hitting some snags, raising a new set of questions along the way.
As we begin to learn more about Europe's top teams, here's a first batch of Champions League questions ahead of a long season.
Can Manchester City be stopped?
The answer could be yes. City had everything needed for an easy win, but despite playing with a starting line-up for the first time this season, taking 22 shots and registering 2.35 expected goals, they emerged from Wednesday’s clash with Inter with a 0-0 draw. City looked unbalanced as their 18-match scoring run in Europe came to an end, not only missing some clear-cut chances but also lacking cohesion in most areas of the pitch. Pep Guardiola’s side also benefited from some poorly executed but significant shots from Inter, which overall led to a mixed result – unusual for the team that began the week as the bookies’ favourite to win it all. Yet, by setting out to answer one question, City have set up a Russian doll of other questions: is this a one-off performance, or is this the first sign that City, a powerhouse side, is running out of gas? Also, will Kevin de Bruyne's absence hurt like it did last season?
Is Christian Pulisic the real deal?
That may be so. For nearly a decade, Pulisic, star of the U.S. men’s national team, has had significant and sometimes unfair expectations placed on him, but charting a career at Europe’s top clubs in a way few Americans have is no small feat. The past year and turnaround, however, may have proven one simple hypothesis to be true: All Pulisic needed was consistent playing time. He may have exceeded expectations with his 16-goal, 10-assist season with AC Milan last season, but with three goals and two assists in the first five games this season, there’s plenty to suggest Pulisic is the player many expected him to be. Naturally, the onus is still on him to maintain that level, but it’s hard to ignore his value as he becomes the most reliable player for club and country (especially when he’s moving from one team in poor form to another).
How effective are Arsenal without Martin Odegaard?
The jury is still out, but the answer might not be pretty. Mikel Arteta is building a defensive juggernaut with Arsenal, but that doesn’t mean they’re known for struggling to score goals – they scored 91 Premier League goals last season, second only to Manchester City’s 96. It’s not uncommon for them to play tight games against the top teams either, as evidenced by last spring’s 0-0 draw at City. This was a game that should have fallen into the top tier, though, but the Gunners managed just six shots and 0.79 expected goals at Atalanta on Thursday without the injured Martin Odegaard in the lineup. Things were actually not much better in Sunday’s 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur despite Arsenal’s comeback win in the north London derby – the Gunners were limited to just seven shots and 0.74 expected goals after scoring five goals in two games against their rivals last season. The good news for Arteta is that he has enough attacking talent in the squad to make up for the loss of Odegaard to some extent, but a lull in attack without their captain in the lineup feels like a real problem for Arsenal, especially ahead of a game against Manchester City this weekend.
Do we know who the best team in Europe is?
Not yet. In theory, it’s a silly question to ask after Matchday 1, but before the ball was kicked, it seemed a foregone conclusion that either Manchester City or Real Madrid could win the whole tournament. That seems less certain now that the first round of matches is behind us, mainly because progress reports are so mixed for Europe’s top teams. Real Madrid won, but they still look like a deeply unbalanced team. City, as documented above, finally showed signs of weakness and Arsenal were similarly uninspiring in a goalless draw. The jury is still out on Barcelona after Eric Garcia’s 10th-minute red card played a big part in their defeat to Monaco. Bayern Munich won, but a 9-2 demolition of Dinamo Zagreb offers little in the way of information and the same could be true for Liverpool after their 3-1 win over a poor AC Milan side. It could be a sign that this trophy is still in Real Madrid's hands, as they were similarly mediocre last season and it didn't matter much in the end. However, the optimistic view of Matchday 1 is that a clear favourite has yet to emerge in the Champions League, adding a layer of unpredictability that makes each competitor better.
