1. It’s all about what happens next
The title race between Arsenal and Manchester City two seasons ago went to the final day of the campaign because the Gunners gained three points from the head-to-head meetings. City were five points better against everyone else. Sunday’s victory means City have the head-to-head advantage this time. It is Arsenal who have been 0.13 points per game better against the rest of the league.
That reality makes for a fascinating final month. Assuming City beat Burnley, they will be ahead on a tiebreaker. If they drop a single point in their final six games, Arsenal will be in complete control of their own destiny. Mikel Arteta’s team can win on goal difference even if City are perfect. Sunday was a game City had to have, not one that costs Arsenal the league. Nothing has been decided just yet.
2. La Liga’s giants have lessons to learn … if they are willing
Success in the Champions League requires a different set of skills than having success over a league season. Knockout tournaments are about flexibility and individual moments. Leagues are about consistency. Real Madrid excel at the former while Barcelona are known for the latter. Getting knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Champions League is an opportunity for both to reflect. Ironically, there's a lot they can learn from each other.
The high line Hansi Flick deploys at Barcelona is great against inferior opposition. Against top European clubs, it invites chaos and unpredictably. Just look at this tie against Atlético Madrid and last season’s semifinal against Inter Milan. Real Madrid, on the other hand, have players who appear uninterested in taking responsibility for what will likely be a second straight season without a trophy. Time will tell whether anyone is willing to do anything differently.
3. Matt Crocker’s departure matters for the future, not the present
Though his involvement in the years-long buildup to this summer’s World Cup was minimal, Matt Crocker's imprint will be on the U.S. team when it takes the field. He is the one responsible for landing Mauricio Pochettino and cannot completely detach himself from how the team ultimately performs. The optics of a sporting director leaving two months before a World Cup on home soil obviously aren't great, but the concern isn't what happens in June. It's what happens next.
Crocker's job was to oversee the overall U.S. Soccer strategy for player development and implement a cohesive philosophy across the national soccer landscape. There was a plan in place. Crocker's departure makes the future of that plan uncertain. Will his replacement start from scratch or use it as a framework? It will be years before the impact of Crocker's time at U.S. Soccer and his abrupt departure can be properly analyzed.
4. No one is safe at Inter Miami
If anyone should receive some measure of grace at Inter Miami, it would be Lionel Messi’s former teammate for club and country who just led the team to its first MLS Cup. Javier Mascherano didn't even last 10 games into Inter Miami’s title defense. The Herons have not lost a game since their Major League Soccer opener, by the way. Mascherano’s exit is officially being attributed to “personal reasons,” but it certainly seems like the club had something to do with him stepping down.
It's not hard to put the pieces together and speculate. The primary objective was to win the Champions Cup, so the season is already a disappointment if not an outright failure. Messi became unhappy with Mascherano for any number of reasons and decided a change was needed. Maybe it was about the Champions Cup elimination by Nashville. Maybe Messi wanted more influence than Mascherano was allowing him to have. Vague explanations lead to questions, particularly when everyone knows who's calling the shots.
5. Managers need time to learn and grow
Many former players of Frank Lampard’s stature dabble in management here or there. When it doesn't go well, they will return to their role as analysts or quietly fade into the background. Lampard could have called it quits following a solid if unspectacular stint at Chelsea. He is a legend at Stamford Bridge no matter what. Lampard took the Everton job instead. When that ended, he briefly returned to Chelsea and then went back to the Championship with Coventry City.
On Friday, Lampard and Coventry clinched promotion to the Premier League. They have been excellent since the moment Lampard arrived. Now almost a decade into his managerial career, he is a better, wiser, more effective coach than he was when Chelsea initially hired him. It was never fair for a club of that stature to put him in charge without giving him time to grow into the job. Lampard deserves immense credit for having the humility to put the work in and learn from his mistakes. He's getting pretty good at this.