English Premier League

2023 - 2 - 5

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Image courtesy of "ESPN"

Weekend Review: Premier League's top two lose, mediocre Real (ESPN)

Another weekend of European football is in the books and, as usual, there have been plot twists and upsets galore. Here's ESPN's Weekend Review.

[3-0](/soccer/report/_/gameId/638033) defeat at [Wolves](/soccer/club/_/id/380/wolverhampton-wanderers) deserves a stronger descriptor. [Ruben Neves](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/208128/Rúben-Neves) (of all people!) to saunter on goal and stroke a shot beyond Alisson for Wolves' third. [Nice](/soccer/team?id=2502) (1-0) and [Nantes](/soccer/team?id=165) (0-0). From [Luca de la Torre](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/225609/Luca-de-la-Torre)'s clever assist to Veiga juggling the ball past defender [Luiz Felipe](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/225637/Luiz-Felipe) and scooping it over goalkeeper [Rui Silva](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/177898/Rui-Silva), it was a move of pure quality in a ridiculously entertaining match. Celta forward [Jorgen Strand Larsen](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/252747/Jorgen-Strand-Larsen)'s opener is [a contender](https://twitter.com/ESPNPlus/status/1621965223237414913?s=20&t=PvKHCT1lqLc7zOJAdI7U0A), but let's go for [Gabri Veiga's goal](https://www.espn.com.au/soccer/player/_/id/307381/gabriel-veiga) in the 42nd minute. [Ligue 1](/soccer/league/_/name/fra.1), Angers have finally stopped the rot with an unexpected point away at [Lorient](/soccer/team?id=273) on Sunday. After an assist against [Mainz](/soccer/team?id=2950) and a key move against [Leverkusen](/soccer/team/_/id/131/bayer-leverkusen), his goal against Freiburg, so symbolic and so loaded with emotion, means so much to everyone at the club and its fans. [Karim Benzema](http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/46858/Karim-Benzema) means no cutting edge, especially against a defence as deep-set as Mallorca's. Edin Terzic's team are now on Bayern's heels and this momentum -- four wins in four games since the restart -- has them very much in the title race alongside the reigning champions, plus [RB Leipzig](/soccer/team?id=11420), [Union Berlin](/soccer/team/_/id/598/fc-union-berlin) and [Eintracht Frankfurt](/soccer/team?id=125). During that scuffle, Casemiro grabbed Hughes by the throat and was cited by Harrington to Marriner, who then issued a red card for the [Brazil](/soccer/team?id=205) international. [5-1](/soccer/report/_/gameId/638604) win against Freiburg. The bleep test represents commitment, fight and a need to push through the uncomfortable in order to succeed, and that's exactly what Everton did Saturday.

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Image courtesy of "The Athletic"

The Premier League player accused of rape — and football's ... (The Athletic)

There was the police investigation, now dropped, into an alleged sexual assault case involving Yves Bissouma while he was a Brighton player and that was still ...

It is a difficult backdrop to what has otherwise been a season of drama and excitement and leaves many questions. Some of the clubs whose players have been involved have been liaising with one another about how to handle it from a PR perspective. “And we know that not every woman wants to go to the police because it (reporting rape) is a really harrowing process. So hooking it (the club’s position) to a police charge or criminal trial is insufficient, ultimately.” It seemed absurd then, and it seems absurd now, but it is also worth pointing out that the Sunderland case was not the norm. [Player X has not been suspended by his club](https://theathletic.com/news/premier-league-club-player-statement/uvoBUpg58g1K/), which is a decision that will always polarise opinion, and the people at the top of that club are legally obliged to protect his anonymity. All of this has presumably happened in the case of Player X. Nobody made it a big issue, media-wise, when he represented his country in the recent [World Cup](https://theathletic.com/football/world-cup/). It was the fifth time he had been bailed and on each occasion, it has led to high-level talks at his club about what they should do next. There is serious money involved and, ultimately, that’s what comes first (to the clubs),” says Janey Starling, a director of Level Up, the feminist campaign group. The reality, of course, is that all this is virtually impossible to control in this age of social media. Another top-level player is still waiting to hear if he is to be charged, 18 months after being arrested over allegations of sexual relations with a girl under 16.

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