The weekend before an international break always feels significant. Pick up a positive result and the only thing a manager really has to worry about is players suffering injury while representing their countries. A defeat, though, results in two torturous weeks as the result is pored over in the press while the coach waits for the opportunity to make amends.
Arne Slot finds himself in the latter predicament right now, with his Liverpool side having suffered yet another devastating defeat on Sunday, against Manchester City, after a couple of victories raised hopes of a revival. The Dutchman isn't the only boss left with plenty to ponder during the international break, though.
Antonio Conte was in foul form after Napoli drew another blank in a lame loss in Bologna, while Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid also failed to bounce back from their defeat at Anfield by being held to a disappointing draw at Rayo Vallecano.
But who were the big winners and losers of the latest weekend of action across Europe's big leagues? GOAL breaks it all down in our weekly round-up…
AFPLOSER: Europe's table-toppers
Funnily enough, this was not a good weekend for league leaders. Real Madrid remain top of the pile in Spain, but Los Blancos' lead has been cut to three points after a dour 0-0 draw at Rayo Vallecano, while Napoli's no-show at the Renato Dall'Ara saw them drop from first to fourth in Serie A.
In the Netherlands, PSV usurped Feyenoord at the summit of the standings, by routing AZ 5-1 before Robin van Persie's men were upset by Go Ahead Eagles, and we also have new leaders in Greece, as Olympiacos leapfrogged PAOK in the Super League due the latter's 2-1 loss at Panathinaikos.
Over in Turkey, Fenerbahce drew to within a point of defending champions Galatasaray, who were beaten 1-0 by Kocaelispor, while the leaders in Scotland, Belgium, England and Germany – Hearts, Union Saint-Gilloise, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, respectively – were all held to draws.
Arsenal dropping points was highly significant as the Gunners' brilliant backline was breached not once but twice in a thrilling 2-2 draw with Sunderland that brought an end to a 10-game winning streak, as well as eight consecutive clean sheets for Mikel Arteta's men.
The biggest shock of the weekend, though, was undoubtedly Bayern failing to win at Union Berlin. The Bavarians were on a record-breaking 16-match winning start to season – and had just stunned European champions Paris Saint-Germain in their own backyard four days before – but they needed a late equaliser from Harry Kane just to snatch a 2-2 draw in the German capital.
AdvertisementAFPWINNER: Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain were the only table-toppers in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues to win this weekend – but they left it very, very late in Lyon to reclaim first place from Marseille.
A gripping game at the Groupama Stadium looked set to finish in a fitting share of the spoils, with the home side having twice come from behind to draw level thanks to goals from Alfonso Moreira and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. However, Nicolas Tagliafico's injury-time dismissal presented PSG with an opportunity to apply some relentless late pressure – and it eventually told, with Joao Neves heading home a 95th-minute winner from Lee Kang-In's corner.
"It was tough but, in the end, like always with our mentality, our resilience and the character of our players, proved decisive," a delighted – and relieved – Luis Enrique told PSG's media channel. "It is very positive for us to be back on top of the table. The international break is here now – and we will enjoy it." Unlike a lot of their European rivals!
Getty Images SportLOSER: Antonio Conte's Napoli
Former Napoli striker Roberto Sosa was very concerned by what he saw from the Partenopei in Bologna on Sunday. "It's the typical match you see when players want to get rid of the coach," the Argentine told .
Normally, the obvious reaction to such a claim would be to dismiss it out of hand. After all, Conte led Napoli to the Serie A title six months ago, while his goal-shy side are still only two points off the top of the current table. However, in this particular instance, Sosa's observation didn't feel like hyperbole – primarily because Conte was just as disturbed by his players' perceived lack of effort at the Dall'Ara.
"We have to ask ourselves if we are working with the same enthusiasm and desire that we had last year, when we wanted to prove ourselves, or if we are resting on our laurels because people say we are favourites," the passionate coach told . "The energy has certainly changed here. I don't feel the positive energy we had last season. I've been saying this for a while now, it saddens me that I have been unable to change this energy in the last few months.
"It means I am not doing a good job or that someone doesn't want to listen to me…"
Getty Images SportWINNER: Sunderland
Before the Premier League season began, it was taken as a given that the newly-promoted teams would once again go straight back down. In that context, Leeds United and Burnley are actually doing quite well just to be hovering above the drop zone. What, then, can we possibly say that would do justice to Sunderland's sensational start to the season?
The Black Cats may have invested a fair bit of money in their squad during the summer, but they're competing in the richest and most competitive league in world football, so nobody expected them to be going into the November break sitting fourth in the table – above the likes of Aston Villa, Manchester United and even reigning champions Liverpool.
"For our fans, they deserve to look to the future with positive vibes," manager Regis Le Bris told after Saturday's dramatic 2-2 draw with Arsenal. "It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal. The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. Our fans helped a lot, so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible."
Consequently, with Sunderland having racked up 19 points from just 11 games, and Granit Xhaka looking like the signing of the season, Mackems are already dreaming of not just avoiding relegation, but maybe even challenging for a European place!